Eagles Call Newsletter December 2012

EAGLE CALLDepartment of Communications Alumni Newsletter

Letter from the Chair 1

Your Internship Questions Answered 2

Internships Lead to Jobs 3

Scotland 4

My Honors Experience 6

Trip to Anwar 8

Student Spotlight 10

Awards and Accomplishments 11

Faculty and Contact 12

In this Issue

Letter from the Chair

This semester has been bustling with activity at the University of Southern Indiana’s Communications Department. Faculty members have kept busy with a new study abroad venture while students haveworked diligently at completing internships. Our time and effort has been very fruitful with students and faculty as well as student organizations receiving several awards.

Dr. Leigh Anne Howard, associate professor of communications studies, has been working on the proposal for a new study abroad opportunity for students taking the LIBA 497: Utopia capstone course. This new venture will include six weeks interna-tional travel to Scotland and a week field trip to New Harmony. Dr. Chad Tew, associate professor of online journalism, will be taking off next semester for sabbatical. He hopes to learn more about the international network of press freedom organizations and their response to the dangers faced by journalists from around the world, while studying in Osnabruck, Germany.

The Communications Department has also been busy with many curriculum changes at the University. Both Bachelor of Science and Arts degrees will now be required to complete 120 credit hours for graduation versus the previous 124, effective fall 2013. We are also working on course proposals to include in the new core curriculum that will be implemented for students enrolling the fall of 2014 and later.

We have a number of communications students currently involved in or recently completing an internship. I, as well as other faculty members, strongly support student internships. Internships offer real-world experience and the opportunity to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it. Knowledge gained through the expe-rience can be utilized in both their senior and professional portfolios and be viewed as a valuable asset by potential employers. Internships are very worthwhile and the responses I continue to receive about our students from their internship supervisors is incredibly positive. My hope is that more students take the initiative to pursue an internship opportunity. I hope you enjoy the newsletter.

Dr. J. Wayne Rinks

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Pam Doerter is the Career Services and Placement career coordinator liaison to the College of Liberal Arts. Take a look at her advice and recommendations for those who are interested in completing an internship.

What are the benefits of completing an internship?Students have the opportunity to gain real-world experience before graduating. They can use the experi-ence to decide what career may be a good fit for them and what may not. Essentially, they can “try on a job.” Internships are also valuable for making connections, obtaining references for the future and networking. “Networking is the number one way people get a job.”

How can I find an Internship?Students can find a listing of internships on our Eagle Career Launch website: www.usi.edu/careersv. It is also worth a visit to our office, Career Services and Placement, located in the lower level of the Orr building, to see if there are any internships that haven’t been posted yet. Students should do their own research or talk to their friends to see where they have interned recently as well. The local radio and television stations, advertising agencies, non-profits and print media companies are great places that many communications students intern.

How can alumni provide internships for students?If any alumni have internship opportunities available, they may contact me via phone or email. Internships must be relevant to a students major and offer at least 150 hours of work over the course of a semester.

What are the requirements to complete an internship for class credit?The requirements to receive class credit for an internship depend on whether a student wants to obtain elective credit or credit through their major. Basic requirements include completing all pre-requisites, remaining in good standing with the university, and

approval of the internship. Students must complete a set amount of hours throughout the semester, set goals, keep a reflective journal, and write a final paper.

What about global internships?Internships abroad look great on a resume. It also shows potential employers that you are willing to take a risk and broaden your horizons. The Eagle Career Launch has global internships listed occasionally, but we suggest you research on your own or visit the International Programs and Services office.

Are paid internships better than unpaid internships?Unpaid internships are just as beneficial to students as paid internships, but students will find there are more unpaid internships available.

What else?Companies and employers are continuously posting internships, so students can start an internship at any time. Currently, the Communications Department has approximately 20 students involved with an internship, that’s great!

Pam Doerter, Career Coordinator

Phone: 812/471-7100Email: [email protected]

Rileigh Head

Your InternshipQuestions Answered

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While a student at the University of Southern Indiana (USI), I was fortunate to have two very good, diverse internships. My

public relations internship at SABIC and marketing communications internship at Leadership Evansville both taught me unique skills that helped me obtain a job directly after graduation.

My internship at Leadership Evansville (LE), a local nonprofit, acknowledged my talents and skills and encouraged me to focus on what I did best.

I focused my work on marketing communications, internal communi-cations and social media. I was able to increase their social media following, contribute to their record-breaking event, Celebration of Leadership, and develop internal communication strategies to increase and enhance alumni relationships.

This internship also exposed me to many top business leaders in our community, which was very beneficial as a recent graduate of USI. Building my network through LE, I landed a job immediately after graduation at the end of my internship at SABIC. As it turns out, I was recruited back to LE as a full-time employee and am currently employed here.

By using all the skills I learned through my two internships and the networks I created, I am moving more quickly toward my career goals. I am lucky to have a great foundation to build toward my future.

My one-year internship at SABIC was focused on internal corporate communications.

In this role, I wrote, designed and generated a weekly electronic newsletter. Writing multiple stories for the newsletter allowed me to better my interviewing and writing skills, and build interpersonal relationships with employees on all different levels, from top manage-ment to summer high school student workers.

I collaborated with multiple site leaders to create communica-tion campaigns and presentations. I also developed new skills creating audiovisual communications for the internal TV system throughout the entire manufacturing plant. While working for the global petrochemical company, I was able to practice hypothetical crisis communications situations. This internship allowed me to both add new tools and enhance the ones I already had in my toolbox.

The best takeaways from this internship were consistently learning something new every day, whether it was related to public relations, tech-nology, chemistry, engineering or reliability and working with people from diverse backgrounds.

Internships lead to jobs

Megan Seibert

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“Traveling abroad changes a person. They become more confident and self-assured, more interested in the impact of culture and cultural difference, and more aware of the multiple possibilities that the future might hold. These experiences can give students an edge in the job market regardless of their academic program. International experiences indicate a certain level of ma-turity, independence, and initiative,” says Dr. Leigh Anne Howard, associate professor of communications studies.

Howard, along with three students, Chelsi Carter Grove, Christina Taylor, and Celeste Mandley traveled to Scotland this past summer to explore USI’s Scottish connection between New Lanark, Scotland and New Harmony, Indiana. Most people do not know that a man named Robert Owen is what brings New Lanark, Scotland, and New Harmony, Indiana, together. Owen managed the mill and entire community in New Lanark Scotland before his trip to the United States.

ScotlandChelsi Grove

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Students assisted Howard in developing the course curriculum for a USI Field School that will travel to Scotland. This class is a unique service-learning opportunity for all majors at the University.

According to Howard, “Although there are certainly worthy and numerous travel abroad opportunities, this program is uniquely USI because the program focuses on outreach—local and global—while providing students an opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture and community, rather than seeing a culture as tourist.”

Christina Taylor said, “I would recommend this trip to anyone. Yeah, it’s a long way from home, you walk a ton, and rain is a common occurrence there, but the experience you’ll have will stay with you longer than anything. You’ll see new sights, meet new friends, and gain knowledge that wouldn’t acquire unless you did something like this. I hope to visit again one day.”

“I think the best advice I could give someone traveling overseas is to go in with an open mind and embrace every minute you are there. I feel I did these two things and I now have memories of Scotland that I will forever cherish. If you have the chance to participate in the Field School, the program Howard has created is second to none. This is a great oppor-tunity to not just learn about different cultures, but to learn about yourself. It is very affordable and is only a portion of the semester which makes it more feasible for many students. I can wholeheartedly say this trip changed me as a person for the better.”

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Left: Edinburgh Castle

Right: Christina Taylor, Chelsi Carter Grove, Leigh Anne Howard, Celeste Mandley

A view from Edinburgh Castle overlooking New Town in Edinburgh

Are you looking for an internship but don’t have enough time to get class credit for it? Did you know you can get a similar experience with the Honors Program? That is exactly what I am doing this semester.

Before I tell you about my experience with the Honors Program, you might be wondering what exactly is the Honors Program? The Honors Program is a rigorous academic program at USI that allows students to get more from their college experience and graduate with an honors scholar degree. Any student at USI is eligible to apply, provided they meet a few academic requirements. To graduate with an Honors Scholar degree, students are required to complete 21 Honors credit hours with a grade of an A or B. Honors courses are offered three different ways: Honors stand-alone courses, cross-listed courses, and ad-hoc contract courses. Stand-alone courses are for Honors students only. Cross-listed courses are for Honors students as well as traditional students but the students who wish to take it for Honors credit must complete an extra Honors component of the course. Ad-hoc contract courses allow students to take any class and add an honors component to work towards their 21 required Honors credit hours.

This semester I am contracting two of my public relations classes for Honors credit—public relations writing and publications design. To contract these classes, my instructor, Mary Beth Reese, and I discussed many ideas for an extra project or projects. After we agreed upon a rather lengthy list of projects and deadlines, I submitted an outline of the projects to the Honors office and I was on my way. It’s as simple as that!

My projects for both classes include working on the Communications Department’s alumni newsletter, The Eagle Call. My public relations writing class projects include: interviewing the Communications Department Chair, Dr. J. Wayne Rinks, and writing the letter from the chair, writing an article of my own, acting as liaison between Mary Beth Reese and students we have recruited to write an article about their recent internship, and acting as editor for the submitted articles. The class projects for publications design include formatting the final newsletter for the department website. I will also make a presentation about the project to my classmates during the web design portion of the class.

As you can see, that is a lot of extra class work. To contract a class for Honors credit, the project or projects must include 15–30 hours of extra class work. However, don’t let that turn you away from the Honors program, because that is considerably less time than the 150 hours required during an internship to get class credit. These projects aren’t just projects either— similar to an internship, they are experience. I am gaining real world experience in my career field. Through this process, I have learned how to conduct a better interview and I am getting more practice writing articles, both of which are strong skills demanded by the public relations profession. Furthermore, I am getting to work with faculty and students to coordinate a newsletter, much like I would do for the company I work for. I will use my knowledge of website and graphic design to format the newsletter for both media forms too. Besides the experience gained from working with The Eagle Call, the final articles and newsletter will be great pieces for my senior portfolio required for graduation as well as my professional portfolio for job interviews.

I also took the initiative to interview Dr. Antonina (Nina) Bambina, director of the Honors Program, to get her professional opinion about how the Honors Program can prove to be a valuable asset in a student’s college career. When a student wants to contract a

My Honors Experience

Rileigh Head

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class for honors credit, she always advises them to be strategic about their extra projects. “I encourage students to choose a project that will benefit their next step after USI and be good to put on a resume and talk about in a cover letter or interview,” she said. I also asked her about a couple benefits of contracting a course versus taking a stand-alone or cross-listed course. She would like students to know that stand-alone courses are great for Honors students because the coursework, including the book and syllabus, are designed to “teach to the top”—it is more rigorous. On the other hand, contracting a course allows a student to not only develop a close relationship with their teacher as a mentor, but allows the project or projects to be designed for the student, essentially it is “custom-made.” She advises students to take their schedules in to consideration as well. If a student has a full schedule with school, work, and other obligations, it may not be possible to do a large project. Therefore, it is sometimes best to do something less demanding such as an extra paper.

Now, if the opportunity to get real, career oriented experience isn’t convincing enough, the Honors Program has a few more incentives for you to consider. Dr. Bambina says foremost, the Honors Program is the one way for a student to differentiate themselves academically from all other students. It is a great way for students to be challenged and get the best education possible. “They have to up their game,” she says. Students also get to learn with their peers and be a part of a “network of successful people” here at USI and after graduation. There are social benefits such as retreats and parties as well, and the opportunity to be a member of the Honors Student Council.

So far, this experience with the Honors Program has been invaluable and I cannot wait to see how The Eagle Call newsletter turns out. I am excited to take all that I have learned through contracting my classes for Honors and apply it in my career. I know that I will have great pieces for my portfolios and look forward to reaping the benefits of my hard work with the Honors Program as I graduate and go in to the workforce.

The Public Relations Student Society of America attended Half Day with a Pro in Indianapolis this November. After shadowing professionals, they attended the Public Relations Society of America Hoosier Chapter meeting.

Four more USI students had the opportunity to travel and conduct research in India during summer 2012 through the University’s Global Engagement Initiative. The USI students spent four weeks in India with the Society for Development Studies (SDS).

The four students selected for the SDS internships are Kidan Asgedom of Indianapolis, Kireeti Ghanta of Fort Branch, Colleen McGovern of Evansville, and Leah Voges of Santa Claus, Indiana.

Asgedom, a radio/TV and French major with a journalism minor, said, “I’m interested in learning about different cultures. I like the fact that I’ll be working closely with the locals. I’m hoping to get involved with the Peace Corps, so this is a great way to get experience doing volunteer work.”

SDS will first train the students in New Delhi, India in a United Nations award-winning community-empowerment model. The students will then visit and engage with a community in Alwar to experience how the model was implemented and, under the guidance of SDS faculty, will help design approaches to enhance the community’s empowerment. Visits to Agra and Jaipur also have been planned.

The Society for Development Studies is a non- government organization based in New Delhi, but is part of an international United Nations network. SDS faculty members have worked with students from many universities including Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and USI on applications of its community-empowerment model. (Article courtesy of News & Information Services)

Read the following excerpt from Kidan Asgedom’s report following the conclusion of the internship.

Specific Study IssuesKidan Asgedom

My area of focus for this study was media. I wanted to know what the people thought of the local newspapers and if they read them on a regular basis. Following news outlets is not a priority in the village. Most women don’t read the newspaper, and children don’t discuss current events with their friends. Radio is used for entertainment purposes, such as listening to music. Time is also provided for reading the newspaper in class.

I had the chance to speak with several villagers and I asked them about how reading the newspaper was beneficial to them. Most said that they read the paper for information about local events, job postings, school admission openings, and politics. One of the women I spoke with told me she would like to see more coverage on local art, specifically pottery. Kailashi Devi is the local health care provider, as well as the director of a program for young children. Her duties include educat-ing women about prenatal care, vaccinating children, and filling out birth certificates. Out of the three women I interviewed, she was the only one who was literate and read the newspaper. Her father was a teacher, so she learned how to read at an early age. I asked her what types of stories she would like to see regarding women’s issues, and she told me there was adequate coverage on that topic.

I spoke with a man named Ram Prasad who has been reading newspapers since he was 15 years old. He reads the paper daily and said that it’s helpful because it allows him to get information at home. Ram also listens to the radio, but does so for entertainment purposes, such as listening to music. This is an indicator of improvement in the village because a few years ago people would not have done things simply because it made them happy. There would have been priorities, and listening to music wouldn’t have been one of them.

The people I spoke with rarely gave feedback on what issues needed to be written about in the newspaper. Many of the issues that are covered deal with government schemes. These stories are given to reporters by government officials, so they don’t cover issues that directly affect the villagers, such as market prices and products. Because the villagers I spoke with are potters, it would be beneficial for the newspaper to cover stories regarding the market. Much like in America,

Trip to Anwar

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the information being disseminated in the village is supply driven, which means that the information is based on what the government provides. In order for media to be more effective, information needs to be demand driven. The stories should be about what people want to know.

In addition to talking with some villagers, I inter-viewed a few of the local journalists. The one response they had in common was regarding what their role is as a journalist. They told me that their job was to collect information and distribute it to the people. I spoke with Mahendra Gopaliya who works for the Dainik Bhaskar and he told me that as a journalist, he acts as a link between the government and the locals. He has contacts in the villages who inform him of current events. When I asked him why he covers these villages, he said that it is important to write about the villager’s achievements. Mahendra has been a journalist for twelve years and says his passion is what keeps him in this field. I also spoke with a journalist named Akhilesh

Vashistha, who works for HBC News. We talked about some differences and similarities regarding news dissemination in India and America. He told me that like in America, there are certain factors that hinder him from covering local issues. He cited budget restric-tions and political pressure as the main problems. He said newspaper sales were steady, because unlike in America, the internet has not taken over as a source of information. Akhilesh was one of the younger journal-ists I interviewed, and was hoping to make his way to a bigger market. He told me the most important story he covered was about the people in Vishwakarma. These villagers were being deprived of basic goods, so Akhilesh was contacted by one of the locals. Once he published the story, things began to improve for the villagers. Akhilesh’s story is proof that media can make a difference in people’s lives. Although this was a local story, it had a big impact on their lives. Conclusion

My trip to India has been an amazing one. I had not travelled abroad before, so it was a learning experience. Seeing tourist attractions, figuring out how to bargain, riding on rickshaws, and navigating through the markets was a big part of that experience. The biggest adjustments were with the heat and the crowds. I had been warned that Delhi would be packed and noisy, but nothing could have prepared my senses. My favorite part of this trip was visiting Ramgarh. I loved meeting the people, talking with the journalists, and seeing the local school. Visiting the school and seeing the deaf and physically disabled students was an emotional trip. It was heartwarming to see the students smiling. Their positive attitudes was infectious. I left the school feeling hopeful, happy, and motivated. That memory is what I’ll think of whenever I hear the word India.

Kailashi Devi Prajapati (pink scarf) local health care provider

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As a senior advertising major, I know my experiences the past four years have lead me in the right direction. My freshman year at USI, I picked up a copy of The Shield in hopes of becoming a journalist. Little did I know, I would end up with a position in sales at The Shield.

My position as a sales consultant broadened my horizons; and I found myself truly enjoying the advertis-ing and marketing aspect of the newspaper. It wasn’t long before I had declared my major in advertising and added marketing as a minor. Hands-on experience at The Shield got me out into the community networking with local business owners and national advertising professionals. Working with professionals to help create and accommodate their advertising campaigns was a fun and rewarding way to put my advertising classes to use.

On a sales call one day, I met the owner of a social media company called Social Life Marketing. As the semester came to an end, I was offered a part-time position at Social Life as a social media representative. I quickly learned the ins and outs of social media interaction and event coordination with clients. The tedious guerrilla marketing tactics used at Social Life taught me how aggressive I will need to be to succeed in the field upon graduation in December 2013.

Last year, I advanced at The Shield to the sales and marketing director position. As the sales director, I oversaw the sales and marketing department and implemented processes to encourage hard work and success. I worked closely with the staff to ensure that we were providing both the students and our clients with a good and reliable product. Experience as the sales and marketing director at The Shield has devel-oped my leadership and communication roles and has been extremely rewarding.

Name: Kristen SchellerMajor: Public Relations and Advertising, emphasis advertisingMinors: Marketing / PsychologyGraduation date: December 2013Hometown: Evansville, IN

Student Spotlight

Kristen Scheller

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Awards & Accomlishments Dr. Gael CooperNational PRSSA distinguished service award

Communications Studies ConnectionNational Club of the Year Award

Dr. Stephanie L. YoungDr. Young presented her Mad Men article for NCA in Or-lando, Florida

Dr. Leigh Anne HowardReceived a CLAFDA to do research in Scotland

Erin GibsonExecutive Director of Indiana Collegiate Press Association

Bob Jeffers’ LIBA497 Cathedrals class stands in front of ruins at Pompeii, maybe the most emotion-packed historic site they visited on the 2012 Cathedrals tour of England, France and Italy. The magnificent city built on an idyllic location along the Gulf of Naples (Italy), inhabited by an elite population, was totally destroyed by the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79AD. Virtually all the residents were killed in Pompeii as well as the nearby ancient city of Herculaneum. How big was the eruption? It’s estimated to have released 100,000 times the thermal energy of the WWII atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Vesuvius still is considered Western Europe’s most active and dangerous volcano.

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Communications Department Faculty

Full time faculty-Fall 2012

Dr. David BlackAssistant Professor of Radio & Television

Dr. Karen BonnellProfessor of Radio & Television

Dr. Gael CooperProfessor of Public Relations

Dr. Wesley DurhamAssociate Professor of Communication Studies

Dr. Patricia FerrierAssistant Professor of Journalism

Gibson, Ms ErinInstructor of Journalism

Dr. Zachary HenningAssistant Professor of Communication Studies

Dr. Leigh Anne HowardAssociate Professor of Communication Studies

Jeffers, Mr RobertInstructor of Advertising

Dr. Yoon-Joo LeeAssistant Professor of Advertising

Morris, Mr JohnInstructor of Radio & Television

Reese, Ms Mary BethInstructor of Public Relations

Dr. J. Wayne RinksAssociate Professor of Radio & Television

Dr. Chad TewAssociate Professor of Online Journalism

Dr. Robert West Jr.Assistant Professor of Advertising

Dr. Stephanie YoungAssistant Professor of Communication Studies

Adjunct faculty

Barnett, Ms TammyInstructor of Communication Studies

Beutler-Jones, Ms LisaInstructor of Communication Studies

Blair, Mr JohnInstructor of Journalism

Blake, Mr BruceInstructor of Advertising

Branstrator, Mr PatrickInstructor of Communication Studies

Donofrio, Ms BrendaInstructor of Communication Studies

Ellenstein, Ms LindaInstructor of Communication Studies

Gillihan Hefner, Ms AnnInstructor of Communication Studies

Hamm, Ms JoanneInstructor of Journalism

Heinicke, Ms KarinInstructor of Communication Studies

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Contact

Mailing Address:University of Southern IndianaCollege of Liberal ArtsDepartment of Communications8600 University BoulevardEvansville, IN 47712

Fax: 812/465-7152

Graphic designer: Rileigh HeadEditor: Kathy OethAdvisor: Mary Beth Reese

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Dr. Dal M. HerringProfessor Emeritus of Journalism

Hight, Ms PamInstructor of Public Relations

Johnson, Mr RonInstructor of Communication Studies

Jorgensen, Ms AmyInstructor of Communication Studies

Katz, Ms Beth AnnInstructor of Communication Studies

Lyons, Mr JeffInstructor of Radio & Television

Moredock, Ms GraceInstructor of Communication Studies

Dr. Emily RauscherContract Assistant Professor of Communication Studies

Rickelman, Ms LaurenInstructor of Communication Studies

Schriber, Mr JackInstructor of Communication Studies

Strawn, Mr TonyInstructor of Communication Studies

Verkamp, Ms LisaInstructor of Advertising