TMU 9(2), February 21, 2012

Maverick speakers claim four state titles. UNO Forensics claimed four individual event state championships Feb. 18-19 in Kearney. The Nebraska tournament is considered the nation's most difficult with five schools in the national Top-20. UNO won the state Quality Award for the most points per qualified event, as well as a second place overall to University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  Individual event state champions were: Tunette Powell (Oratory); Tessie Stednitz (Poetry); Niveditha Rajagopalan (After-Dinner Speaking); and Cole Evans and Trae Graham (Duo). Powell's title qualifies her to compete at Interstate Oratory, Emerson College in Boston. Meanwhile, Stephanie Larsen won the Spirit of NIFA Award for leadership, mentoring and sportsmanship. UNO has now qualified 42 events for Nationals in San Marcos, Texas. Team and Individual  results at UNO Forensics can be found on Facebook during every weekend of all competition. 

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For the latest news, please visit the UNO School of Communication Facebook page, and follow @CommUNO on Twitter. 

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Professor Marshall Prisbell is the 2012 recipient of the Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award in the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media. Prisbell has taught speech communication at UNO since 1984. He is an expert in interpersonal communication and human relationships.   Prisbell has published numerous articles focused on the quality of communication within relationships. He regularly has been mentioned by graduating seniors as being one of their most influential professors.

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Next issue: On the radio 

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Excellence in action. Assistant Professor Paige Toller won the Rose B. Johnson Award for the most outstanding article published in the Southern Communication Journal. The award will be presented at the Southern Communication Association in San Antonio, Texas in April. * * * Associate Professor Hugh Reilly had his book, Bound to Have Blood: Frontier Newspapers and the Plains Indian Wars, reviewed Feb. 15 by the Omaha World-Herald.  * * * Associate Professor Barbara Pickering was interviewed Feb. 17 by KPTM Fox 42 for an evening newscast story that night on the Obama administration's decision to require religious institutions to pay for women's contraceptives.  * * * Alumnus Scott Stewart has been named editor of the Papillion Times/La Vista Sun. He previously was a reporter for the Bellevue Leader.  At UNO, he received the Albers Intern Scholarship and edited the Gateway.

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Lindsey Peterson, an undergraduate in broadcasting, Feb. 10 received a UNO FUSE award for Arts and Humanities. Peterson is collaborating with KVNO News Director Robyn Wisch and School of Communication Director Jeremy Lipschultz on a radio documentary project. The funding will support statewide travel and equipment purchases. In other radio news, MavRadio is now video streaming live on the web. It can be accessed via our website.  Instructor Jodeane Brownlee is advising radio broadcasting students.

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Ready Set Start! To a healthy heart. UNO public relations students are helping the Kroc Center, the American Heart Association and United Way to promote health in children. The Bateman PR competition team is hosting events at the Children's Museum and CenturyLink Center. 

Casey Wilson, Speech Communication major at UNO

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Terry Kroeger, publisher and CEO of the Omaha World-Herald, Feb. 16 discussed the recent sale of the newspaper to Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway. Chair and Professor Emeritus Hugh Cowdin moderated the Omaha Press Club (OPC) Education Committee Noon Forum.

Events and photos.

Hugh Reilly and advertising students attended
the Feb. 13-14 AAF Omaha Meet the Pros workshops

Associate Dean Mike Hilt is executive producer for
The Omaha News this year

Retired UNO Professor Don Knoepfler died at his 

Williamsburg, Virginia home Jan. 2, 2012.

The calendar.  

March

 3  - Graduate student UNO Hockey event, CenturyLink, 7 p.m.
18 - 25 - Spring Break

April

19 -  High School Media Conference, MBSC, 9 a.m.
24 -  Maverick PR/PRSSA Presentations, MBSC, 4 p.m.
26 - Alumni Panel, MBSC, 12 p.m.; Reception, Thompson Alumni Center, 4:30 p.m.; and 57th Annual Communication Awards Banquet, Thompson Alumni Center, 6 p.m.