February 2008 - Wilkes University

Winter Edition
communication studies
February 2008
Department Places 25 Interns-A New Record!
By: Julia Marranca
Setting records is not something that
occurs everyday. So when it does, there is
a good reason for it. The Communications
Department is proud to announce its
new record of having 25 communication
majors interning at various location this
spring semester. Students range from
sophomores getting an early foot in
the door to juniors and seniors, who are
building their resumes and finding that
unique hands-on professional experience
to complete their college careers.
Some students chose to intern at
television and radio stations within the
local community and some as far away as
Back Row: Dana Lehman, Katie Cappelloni, Gerard
California. The following Wilkes students
Hetman, Nick Podolack, Matt Gobbler, Mike Williams
are currently participating as interns at
Front Row: Jack Lasky, Megan Krisanda, Diana
telecommunication companies: Yohanna De
Krogulski, Stephanie Yachim, Cheryl Gressley
Los Santos Marie, 98.5 KRZ, Andrew Seaman,
WBRE, Matt Gobbler, 98.5 KRZ, Alyssa
(SBDC), Diana Krogulski, Arts YOUniverse, Jack
Shilinski, Froggy 101, Andrea Scarantino, MTV &
Lasky, Geisinger, Dana Lehman, Domestic Violence
MTV II, Cheryl Gressley, 98.5 KRZ, Froggy 101, &
Center and Luzerne County Children & Youth,
WILK, Chelsea Gosse, E! Entertainment, Shauna
Katie Marzzacco, GoPoKo.com, Mike Williams,
Strellish, Tribune Broadcasting Washington, and
Gorilla Media, Jamie Gwynn, City of Wilkes-Barre,
Lindsey White, ABC/Washington.
Stephanie Yachim, Pepperjam, Nick Podolak,
The other students that are interning are
Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Nicole Frail, Wyoming
experiencing a different area of communications
Seminary, Mark Congdon Jr., MDA, and Joshua
at their site locations. The field of Public Relations
Sperling, WB/S Pioneers.
has become one of the fastest growing areas in
The faculty always urge students to search for
many companies and organizations, thus appealing
and take internship opportunities in their specific
to a lot of college students and young adults. The
fields of interest. Those that are interested in
majority of the spring communication interns
any information about internships should see
are currently participating with the PR/Marketing
Sharon Castano, Internship Coordinator, who is
departments at various businesses. These
located in the old book store of the Henry Student
students include: Katie Cappelloni, WB/S Pioneers,
Center. Once again, the department would like to
Alessandra Carito, NEPA Regional Cancer Institute,
congratulate all students who helped in setting a
Amanda Cawley, American Red Cross, Gerard
new record of interns this spring semester.
Hetman, Small Business Development Center
T HE MEDIU M
A quarterly newsletter serving Wilkes University students, faculty, alumni, and friends.
Volume 3
Carlton Holmes Wins NCAA Sports Journalism
Scholarship
By: Alison Woody
Senior Carlton Holmes was recently awarded a $3000 scholarship
from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Holmes was
one of eight recipients and the only one from a small-scale university.
Holmes, who serves as the sports editor for The Beacon on campus,
was nominated for the award by Dr. Andrea Frantz.
Frantz, who described Holmes as both “well-rounded” and “a young
man of great character”, said, “He is one of the best student journalists that I have worked with in my career and he has an amazing
work ethic… Therefore, it seemed logical to put forth one of our best
students for the scholarship.”
The award, along with the money, also coaches those students
selected on the strategies of sports writing. Holmes, who has already
served as a sports writing intern with the Star-Ledger in his homeContinued on page 8
Index
Student Research
On the Spot: Dr. Kinney
Zebra Gala
Spin Class on WYOU
Alumni Update
Alumni Profile: Candice
Davis
8. Bigler Keynoter
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Page 2
Research Methods Students Accepted at Conferences
February 2008
By: Samantha Clarke
Each year as the fall semester
research since Steph and I
begins Communication Studies
worked very hard and are very
students begin to work on
proud of our research, results,
their semester long capstone
and efforts.”
projects for Research Methods.
The research project
For most of those students the
focuses “on how children
work ends as the fall semester
between the ages of 5 and 12
comes to a close after they
depicted heroes and villains
present their original research
in the media.” The two also
projects at Symposium. For
examined possible gender
Cheryl Gressley and Stephanie
differences.
Yachim however the hard work
Yachim said, “I dreaded
will continue to pay off through
doing my capstone project
the spring semester.
for three years, and when
Cheryl Gressley, Dana Lehman, Professor Andrea Frantz,
With the encouragement of
it comes down to it, I’m so
Nicole Zastko, and Stephanie Yachim
their Professor, Andrea Frantz
glad I had this opportunity
the two seniors submitted their
and couldn’t have asked for a
research project “Unmasked:
greater outcome.”
Children’s Depictions of Heroes and Villains in the Media” to the
The 99th ECA Conference is being held in Pittsburgh, PA from
ECA Conference being held in Pittsburgh PA.
May 1 to May 4, Yachim and Gressley will be presenting their
“Andrea had such huge faith in us submitting our research
poster on May 2.
and it made me confident that we could really do this and be a
In addition to Yachim and Gressley, Nicole Zastko and
great learning experience on top of it,” said Yachim.
Dana Lehman also had their research projects accepted to
Despite a bit of extra work the two are looking forward to
conferences. Both Zastko and Lehman will attend the DePauw
their trip to Pittsburgh. Both agree that it is an honor and will
Undergraduate Honors Symosium.
also be fun to explore a new city.
Gressley said, “I’ve never been to Pittsburgh so it will be
great to explore a new city. I’m also very exicited to present our
PR Students Raise Over $1500
for Salvation Army
Zebra students in the Fundamentals of PR class broke last
year’s record and raised $1,529.88 for the local Salvation Army
during their “Give Change for Change” campaign last fall. The
on campus kettle drive raised $764.94, mostly in dimes and
quarters.
Stephanie Yachim, Zebra Board member, managed the 20
students in Professor Stacy Smulowitz’s PR class. The students
set out to break last year’s total, set by the fall 2007 PR class. To
raise more money for the Salvation Army, the students in COM
302 set a theme, did an all out media blitz on local television
and radio, included guest bell ringers and expanded their kettle
drive to two weeks in both November and December.
A highlight of the campaign was the on-campus live
broadcast by WNEP’s meteorologist Joe Snedeker on November
14. Nearly $400 was raised that day during his live broadcast
from the SUB. PR students who coordinated the teams for the
campaign included Tim Seigfried, LeeAnn Searfoss, Heather
Duffy and Eric Weilage.
For the second year, an anonymous donor matched the
money raised by the Wilkes students, bringing the final total to
$1,529,88. The PR students can be proud of their efforts to help
the local Salvation Army. And, the next PR class faces a tough
challenge—how to beat this year’s total.
Kristina Erat and WNEP’s Joe Snedeker “Give Change
for Change” at the Salvation Army Kettle Drive
February 2008
By: Stephanie Yachim
On the Spot: Dr. Bradford Kinney
All students and faculty know very well how busy Dr. Kinney
is, so it was only appropriate to peak into his office to see what
he’s been up to lately. After a little hesitation, he uncovered
some interesting details on recent research and upcoming
plans.
Two major areas Dr. Kinney emphasized was his love for
history and politics. “I find them so fascinating, but also
important for students to be exposed to.” His research on
Native American rhetoric is moving forward and lead him
to uncovering an extraordinary link to his ancestry. This
past summer, Dr. Kinney found he is the 15th generation of
Powhatan, Pocahontas’s father. “This is the stuff that pushes
me to do more research,” he adds. Furthermore, having the
opportunity to teach a course on Native American rhetoric
would be the icing on the cake. Dr. Kinney feels that the
speeches of Native Americans should be taught and their
stories should be told.
One course Dr. Kinney is closer to making a reality is a class
on presidential rhetoric that will be taught this upcoming fall
and only offered every four years. Currently, he is looking at the
president’s and candidates’ speeches. He says, “speech writers
create the image of the candidates.” Because this is such an
important election, he’s exciting about teaching the course and
helping students learn more about an area many voters don’t
Page 3
get to see. What is also unique about the class is that it has no
prerequisite, so anyone can take it!
GIFT (Great Ideas For Teachers) is an association where
teachers can submit ideas about teaching practical lessons
through practice, present them, and exchange them. Dr.
Kinney has submitted ideas 2-3 times in the last 10 years,
and planning on submitting an activity he used in his
Advanced Public Speaking course for a book and possibly the
Communication Association Convention this November in
California.
Dr. Kinney’s goal for future classes is to do more activities
like the ones he’s submitting because he believes in more
interactive exercises and less lecture. “I want to keep things
new and fresh and not be one of those teachers with aging
yellow notes.”
“Working with students keeps you young.” Dr. Kinney’s
constant goal is to prepare his students and see a piece of his
lessons go with them when they leave as college students to
become professionals in the workforce. It’s only then that he
feel he’s done his job.
Lastly, for all the seniors out there, Dr. Kinney promises to
have Lambda Pi Eta’s induction completed by the end of March!
Seven Students Attend Institute on Political Journalism in DC
By: Michele Flannery
While most of the department was preparing for finals, seven
communication studies’ students attended the Institute on Political
Journalism (IPJ) Conference in Washington D.C. from November 30 through
December 1, 2007.
The conference, Decision 2008: The Press and Presidential Elections in
the 21st Century, covered various panels about political journalism such as,
“Covering the Supremes: An Insider’s Look at the Supreme Court,” “National
Security vs. Freedom of the Press,” and “Live from the White House: Covering
1600 Pennsylvania.”
Students also had the opportunity to meet prominent print and broadcast
journalists such as Frank Sesno, CNN, Jay Newton Small, TIME Magazine,
Davar Adalan, NPR’s Morning Edition, Rachel Smolkin, USA Today, and various
others.
“It was really exciting to be able to go to Washington, D.C. and hear from
journalists who interview President Bush and other prominent political
figures on a regular basis. Just hearing about their experiences was really
interesting, and made me want to be more aware of politics.” Christine
Zavaskas, junior, said. The seven students were chosen from Dr. Estwick and Dr. Frantz’s Basic
Newswriting classes. They include Christine Zavaskas, Nicole Frail, Jamie
Gwynn, Lauren Salem, Danielle Hritzak, Michele Flannery, and Yohanna
DeLosSantos.
This is the second year that Wilkes students attended this conference. The
Institute on Political Journalism is one of the best academic and internship
programs in Washington D.C. To find out more information on the IPJ
internship program visit www.dcinternships.org.
Students attended the Political
Journalism Conference in Washington,
D.C.
From Left: Michele Flannery, Danielle
Hritzak, Nicole Frailand and Jamie
Gwynn
February 2008
Page 4
Zebra to Host “Spotlight on Pride: a 1942 Gala” to Help Restore
the Vulcan Engine
By: Michele Flannery
“It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that Boogie Woogie swing…”
Join Zebra Communications for a night of food, dancing and fun at Genetti’s in Wilkes-Barre on April 12, 2008 for “The Spotlight
on Pride: the 1942 Gala” to raise funds for restoring Vulcan Engine #4385. The Gala will jitter bug all night, from 5:00-10:00 P.M.
Flashback to Wilkes-Barre in the 1940s and dance to the music of “The Statesmen,” take part in a silent auction, or even
participate in the Boogie Woogie Dance Competition.
Tickets are $60 per person or $100 per couple. Students with Wilkes ID can attend for half price, or $30.00. In addition to a full
night of dancing to the big band sound, a full dinner and opening cocktail reception will be included with the cost. All proceeds
go toward restoring Vulcan Train Engine #4385 and celebrating the pride of hard-working people in Wilkes-Barre during the WWII
era.
For more information about the Gala or if you would like to donate to help restore Vulcan Train Engine #4385 contact Zebra
Communications, at 408-4162 or 4158.
How to Survive an Internship in a Big City
By: Michele Flannery
Courtesy of www.wirednewyork.com
“Start spreading the news,
I’m leaving today,
I want to be a part of it
New York, New York…”- Frank Sinatra;
New York, New York
Some students want to wake up in a
city that never sleeps. The draw to big
cities such as New York City, Washington
D.C., and even Nashville is something
that is imbedded within some students.
The rush of the morning commute is
enough to make some cringe, but for
others it is equal only to the rush of a
rollercoaster ride. As crazy as moving
to a big city sounds, the excitement of
starting something new muffles the
problems and concerns that may arise.
After the application and interview
process is over and the initial shock of
actually getting the internship wears off,
a flood of doubts and concerns come
into the picture. “Where am I going to
live?” “How am I going to commute to
work everyday?” “Do I even know my
way around the city?” “Are my co-workers
going to be nice?” And the most obvious
question, “How am I going to pay for all
of this?”
Calm down. Here are some tips to help
get through this exciting, yet terrifying
time.
Tip #1: Live in the city where you are
interning.
Samantha Clarke, senior, recently
interned over the summer at The Rachael
Ray Show in New York City. Clarke
stayed with her sister in New Jersey and
commuted everyday to New York City.
It cost $12 a day for the bus ride to Port
Authority and $4 a day for the subway to
Grand Central, Clarke said.
“It was about a 2 hour commute one
way on a good day which was a little
annoying.” Clarke said, “My big piece of
advice for other students is to live in the
city you are interning in.
Tip # 2: Be prepared to spend A LOT of
“Start spreading the news,
I’m leaving today,
I want to be a part of it
New York, New York…”
- Frank Sinatra; New York, New York
money.
Andrew Seaman, sophomore, found
this out the hard way when he interned
at The Washington Times in Washington
D.C. as a reporter on the National Desk.
Seaman paid $5 per day to commute to
the city.
“Be ready to spend a lot of money. The
fun stuff does not come cheap.” Seaman
said.
Tip #3: Just because you’re in a big city
doesn’t mean your internship is going to
be glamorous.
Coffee runs, delivering tapes,
and other errands were common at
Samantha Clarke’s internship at The
Rachel Ray Show. Rachael Ray wasn’t
even in New York City until the last 2
weeks of her internship.
“One day I literally had to run
about 5 blocks to pick something up
because I only had a ½ hour to do so.”
Clarke said.
Tip #4: Talk to your co-workers and
make friends ASAP.
Cheryl Gressley, senior, interned
at Country Music Hall of Fame®
and Museum in the Development
Department. Her supervisor would
sometimes offer her a ride to work since
she lived down the street from her,
Gressley said.
“The first day, I was supposed to
be in at 9am, but I took the wrong
bus and went out of town instead
of downtown and therefore was 45
minutes late.” Gressley said, “However,
I had the best supervisor in the world,
because she was very understanding
about the situation and even offered me
a ride some days since she lived down
the street from me.”
Tip #5: Visit the city you want to intern
in before you accept the internship
“Visiting the city ahead of time to
make sure you will like the city in the first
place is essential.” Gressley said.
Gressley recommends the website
www.citysearch.com as a great guide to
life in any city.
Clarke, Seaman, and Gressley all
agreed that working a big city was a
good experience and they would do it
again.
“If I can make it there,
I’ll make it anywhere,
It’s up to you,
New York, New York…”- Frank Sinatra;
New York, New York
February 2008
Students from Controlling Spin Class Analyze State of the
Union on WBRE and WYOU
Page 5
By: Jamie Gwynn
Eight students from the Com 398: Controlling Spin class went to WBRE and WYOU to analyze the annual State of the Union
Address on January 28th.
Jamie Gwynn, Katie Marzzacco, Christine Zavaskas, Amy Fusco, Dave Lewis, Heather Chulick, Amanda Cawley and Jamie Gibson,
along with their Professor, Dr. Jane Elmes-Crahall, were poised with pens and legal pads as they gave their views on why it was
important for them to analyze the event.
Heather Chulick, a senior Communication Studies major, said of the experience: “The
benefit was being able to voice my opinion on matters that were important to me and
would influence my vote in the upcoming primary elections.”
The class is designed to educate the students on the importance of their role in
Presidential elections while showing the students how campaigns can be spun through
the media as persuasion.
Amy Fusco, a sophomore Communication Studies major said, “I believe it was
important as young voters to be there because it allowed us to voice our opinions
about certain issues and how Bush handled them.”
Each student was asked about different topics the President talked about during his
speech on camera, and about an hour later on WYOU at 11pm, Gwynn, Marzzacco and
Dr. Elmes-Crahall went live in the studio to field questions from concerned citizens.
Students at the WBRE studio
Dr.. Elmes-Crahall explained how this experience fits in with the topics discussed
during her class. “The goal of Controlling Spin is to give young voters a voice in the 2008 election,” said Elmes-Crahall. “By
appearing on WBRE and WYOU, the students were given a chance to become credible sources about the State of the Union. It was
also good media relations experience for people who may end up in PR careers.”
This is the second year that WBRE invited our Communication Studies students to offer commentary on the President’s State of
the Union.
Speech & Debate Team has Award Winning Stance
By: Mark Congdon Jr.
This spring the Wilkes Speech & Debate Team has qualified to compete at the
three most prestigious national competitions. AFA (American Forensics Association) nationals will be held in Austin Texas. NFA (National Forensics Association)
will be in Nashville Tennessee, and the Pi Kappa Delta national convention will be
held over spring break in St. Louis Missouri.
The events the team has qualified for nationals include prose, dramatic interp,
duo, communication criticism, poetry and Informative speaking.
Team member, Raquel Wheby, senior, said that, “I’m really pleased with the performance of the team this year. It’s great to know that you’re a part of a team that has
been able to achieve success and qualify for nationals.”
Recently, three members of the team traveled to Nassau Community College
in New York and took third place as a team. In addition, they won nine individual
awards. Wheby took awards in dramatic duo and prose. Alyssa Benner placed in
dramatic duo and dramatic interpretation. Jeff Niemiec has his best tournament
so far, placing in finals with two different duo partners and earning individual
awards in communication criticism, and informative speaking. He was also named
first place all-around speaker for the tournament.
In addition to traveling to tournaments in West Chester, George Mason University and to Montreal, Canada. Wilkes hosted both the Cox Invitational Tournament
on February 9-10 and the AFA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship on February
29-March 2.
At the AFA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship, Alyssa Benner took first place
in dramatic interp, Jeff Niemiec took fifth place in communication criticism, and
The Speech & Debate Team celebrates the
Raquel Wheby and Jeff Niemiec took fifth place in duo. Clearly, it has been a very completion of the Harold Cox Speech Tournament
successful semester for our Speech and Debate members. Congratulations to all
held at Wilkes on February 9th & 10th.
of them and to Professor Dan Broyles, Director of Forensics.
From Left to Right: Joshua Walker, Alyssa Benner,
Mark Congdon Jr., Jahmitza Perez, & Jeff Niemiec
February 2008
Page 6
Alumni Update: Nicholette Doliva & Bridget O’Connor ‘07
By: Alison Woody
Nicholette Doliva and Bridget
O’Connor, both recent 2007 graduates
of the Communications Department,
are not only good friends, but also
colleagues at The Weekender.
Doliva and O’Connor, who had both
previously served as interns at the
entertainment publication, have found
solace in taking positions they describe
as “fun, yet busy.”
Doliva currently serves as the
Marketing and Advertising Associate,
where she gets to choose the Model of
the Weeks, as well as coordinate all of
the events that The Weekender hosts.
O’Connor is an Account Executive who
helps sell ads into the paper on a weekly
basis.
Both alumni were public relations
concentrations, as well as account
managers for Zebra Communications,
and they believe that having that
experience made all the difference.
“To have real clients, meetings, and
business opportunities where we were
the actual workers of our trade really
prepared me,” said Doliva.
Both also put huge emphasis on the
experience that their internships gave
them to prepare for the real world.
O’Connor, who also interned at The
Lion Brewery and 98.5 KRZ, said, “I would
recommend doing as many internships
as possible because it allows you to
experience the real world and teaches
real-life experiences that you wouldn’t
learn in a classroom.”
In the future, O’Connor sees herself
owning an event planning business and
Doliva has a goal of becoming a Public
Relations Officer with the Navy.
As recent graduates, they offer great
advice for college seniors getting ready
to find their first job.
“If I were to give one piece of advice
to seniors it would be not to get nervous
about finding a job. That’s what stressed
me out the most my senior year. I
took two months off after
graduation
and went on a few interviews and
waited until I found a job that I liked.
Communications is a broad field which
allows you to look for jobs even outside
of your area of concentration, said
O’Connor.
Doliva added, “The good thing about
communications is that you can find
a job in almost anything. Whether it
is radio, newspapers, TV, or human
resources, the jobs are endless. First, find
something you are good at and then
build on it.”
Alumni Profile: Adrienne Richards ‘07
By: Shauna Strellish
When Adrienne Richards realized she had the opportunity to study in the nation’s capital, where the heart of political journalism
lies, she immediately packed her bags, said her goodbyes, and embarked on her journey to Washington D.C. With three years of
undergraduate studies behind her, Richards took the opportunity of a lifetime.
Richards, a 2007 Wilkes Communication Studies graduate, grew up with her family in the small town of Mechanicsburg,
Pennsylvania.
After completing an internship at a local ABC affiliate station in Harrisburg, Richards knew she wanted something more. “I
wanted to get out of Wilkes-Barre but at the same time, I didn’t want to be an ocean away,” she explained.
Philip Ruthkosky, who is in charge of Student Development, told her about the Washington Semester Program at American
University. It is important for Wilkes to have an internship presence in DC because it gives our students the chance to leave their
comfort zone to go to the nation’s capital to land top-notch internships. Ruthkosky explained, “Not only did it seem to be best
suited for our students, but being that American is an accredited institution, it was much more convenient for our students.”
Soon, Richards learned she would attend American University in the fall of 2006 to complete course work and an internship at
ABC News, Washington Bureau.
Richards admits it took some time to adjust to typical city life. “You’re basically thrown into DC and it takes time to adjust
coming from a small town like Wilkes-Barre,” Richards explained.
Learning to walk everywhere and make use of public transportation was one of the first tasks she took on. The biggest
adjustment she had to make was dorm life. Richards laughed and said, “Imagine a double room in Evans with three people sharing
that same amount of space and all those people on your floor sharing one bathroom.”
The classes at American are similar to seminars, in which you’re not always limited to the confines of a classroom and sit-down
lecture. Most of the time the students had the opportunity to meet with different media executives and spent class time in the
Capitol. By working at ABC News she said, “It opened my eyes to what is out there in the real world and I had the chance to see
how a company operates on a daily basis.”
Immediately after graduation in May, Richards began her job search. She explained that the job hunt is the most stressful time
of your life, and because of our technologically advanced society, everything is done online. Richards considers herself extremely
blessed because she wasn’t even out of school for two months when she heard back from the National Turkey Federation in
Washington, D.C. She is currently employed there where she holds the Public Relations Coordinator position and is responsible for
monthly newsletters and media requests. Because the holiday season is right around the corner, Richards will be very busy!
Broadening your horizons and taking your life goals and lessons to a new level is what most students aspire and wish to
achieve. Richards explained that she had the most amazing opportunity to study at American and no matter how much hesitation
one may have about leaving Wilkes, one needs to jump at the opportunity.
“You cannot let your fears step in the way of expanding your horizons and meeting new people,” Richards advised.
February 2008
Alumni Profile: Candice Davis ‘07
By: Heather Duffy
Bright lights, big city attracts Wilkes ‘07 graduate, Candice
Davis. Within a month of graduation Davis scored her
dream first job as Entertainment Coordinator for Harrah’s
Entertainment Company.
Responsibilities for the newly appointed Entertainment
Coordinator include theater manager, box office manager,
guest relations, ticket sales, and ensuring shows in the theater
are running smoothly. Although Davis works at all four of
Harrah’s casinos, including Bally’s, Caesars, Showboat, and
Harrah’s, she spends most of her time working at Bally’s where
she is in charge of her own crew and her own shows. She is
currently wrapping up the theater production of Motown
Review at Bally’s, where she was responsible forensuring
smooth operations behind the scenesand managing ticket
sales.
“I am fortunate to have gone to Wilkes,” said Davis,
“because I wouldn’t have gotten the job I have now or the
experience I needed for it.” Davis says her education at
Page 7
Wilkes University helped her prepare for her career in Atlantic
Citywhere she routinely uses everything she learned from her
communications classes, especially her knowledge of press
releases and voice recordings. She recognized Dr. ElmesCrahall, for providing her with job interview knowledge and
experience that aided her in securing her job. Davis also
recognized the internship she did through Wilkes at Wachovia
Arena which gave her the hands of experience she needed to
learn the field of entertainment coordinating, including the
process of ticket sales, seating, and planning events. She’s
now doing what the supervisor and mentor of her internship
did for her, as she supervises twenty employees. Davis
also gives credit to the experience of working with Zebra
Communications.
Her plans for the future include graduate school in January,
2008. But for now, she is enjoying her time representing
Harrah’s Entertainment Company . She says her job is
rewarding and she is enjoying every minute.
Alumni Profile: Dara Rees ‘07
By: Candice Halliday
Dara Rees came to Wilkes in 2003
with the intention of taking advantage
of every opportunity the University had
to offer her. She immersed herself into
Wilkes culture by becoming actively
involved in the theater department and
the television studio. She also spent a
summer interning at a television station
in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dr. Mark Stine, Rees advisor at Wilkes
described her as follows, “From the very
first week of her freshman year she
involved herself at the TV studio. She
took every opportunity Wilkes offers to
get the education available to go into
broadcast journalism.”
Rees explained, “My involvement with
things in college helped me with people
skills and problem solving. Things like
Wilkes World involved a lot of working
together and teamwork, which is
priceless.”
She also emphasized how her
internship at the news station in
Baltimore, NBAL is what influenced her to
pursue a career in reporting. “Internships
are real world experiences, but with
training wheels. It is in fact the real world,
but if you make a mistake, you don’t get
fired,” said Rees.
Because of her involvement at Wilkes
and her internship in Baltimore, she is
now chasing stories on the back of ATV’s
in the mountains of Southern Kentucky.
After graduating in May 2007, things
didn’t slow down much. Rees packed her
bags and headed to Hazard, Kentucky for
a job interview at WYMT, a CBS affiliated
news station. It didn’t take much for Rees
to impress those at WYMT because after
an intense interview she was offered a
reporting job on the spot.
Rees is now reporting five days a week
at WYMT and looks forward to fulfilling
her role as a fill in anchor within the next
month or two.
Tenaciously, she sent out resume
tapes to 30 stations across the country
and used tvjobs.com as a resource.
Tvjobs.com is a popularly used website
for those seeking a television job.
Rees also got a call from a station
in Oregon. After investigating the job
she turned it down. She described her
decision as follows, “Talk about far from
home. Oregon is days away. It just didn’t
feel right. If there is anything that doesn’t
feel right, just say no because other jobs
will come,” explained Rees.
A typical day at the station for Rees
is anything but ordinary. She is a one
woman band, meaning that she shoots,
edits, and reports all her stories solo. She
eagerly explained, “Although I might
have to travel an hour and a half away
and the 10 hour shifts can be tiring, I
wouldn’t change a thing.”
Talk about excitement, Rees described
how she got to ride to the top of a
mountain on an ATV to cover a story on
forest fires. She also explained, “Although
tragic stories can be emotionally draining
they are interesting. One story I got to
ride on a boat to see where a drowning
took place. Overall, the people you meet
are so interesting and it is amazing how
you fall into the story.”
Rees offered a word of advice for
future communications graduates, “If
there is something you want, go for it.
I don’t think you can get something if
you don’t want it. You have to put a lot of
your own into it. Without personal drive, I
would have never got this job.”
Dara never fails to make a lasting
impression. Brie Friedman a sophomore
at Wilkes said, “The first time I met her
I was a freshman and she was a senior.
She gave me a lot of great advice. She
inspired me because she worked so hard,
which influenced me to take school more
seriously. She kept on going and I want
to be like that.”
It is obvious Dara is a go getter and
will never make life seem anything less
than great. Her vivacious character has
left a prominent mark on those who
knew her at Wilkes and anyone she
meets in the future. You can catch her
latest stories at www.wymtnews.com.
February 2008
Page 8
Bigler Conference Focuses on the Press and the Election
By: Alissa Linder
With the 2008 Presidential Election
nearing, what exactly is the press’
responsibility? That is the question the
2008 Tom Bigler Journalism Conference
will try an answer with a theme of
Watchdogs of Democracy: Press
Responsibility in a Presidential Election
Year.
The keynote speaker for the eighth
annual journalism conference will be
Melinda Wittstock, the Bureau Chief and
Executive Director of the Capital News
Connection based in Washington, D.C..
Dr, Andrea Frantz choose Wittstock
because 2008, being a presidential
election year, she felt someone with
immense amount of experience in
political reporting would be most
appropriate.
Wittstock’s 15 years of experience in
political journalism ranges from the BBC
in London, and ABC News, to National
Public Radio (NPR) and MSNBC/CNBC.
She is also the mind behind the Capital
News Connection (CNC), and developed
the concept and business plan for the
radio station.
After graduating from McGill
University with an honors B.A. in political
science, Wittstock moved to London
where by 22 she had landed a job as a
correspondent with the London Times.
Her career quickly took off when she
began working with the BBC just five
years later and became a main primetime
anchor for the network in 1995. Three
years later, Wittstock moved back to New
York City where she anchored World
News Now and World News This Morning
for ABC news while also reporting for
BBC radio. She would make her final
move to Washington D.C. in 2000 to host
a show on NPR for Sirius; however left
shortly after when the Sirius launching
was delayed. Wittstock would launch the
CNC in 2003.
The Capital News Connection
(CNC), according to their website,
“brings national political coverage ‘home’
to the local level — from Washington,
D.C..” Frantz described the approach
to reporting of the CNC as hyperlocal, which is localizing national and
international issues and making them
relevant to 220 radio markets across the
United States.
Upon speaking with Wittstock,
Frantz explained she hopes to create
an interactive keynote speech where
students will be engaged throughout
instead of being straight lectured too.
The eighth annual Tom Bigler
Journalism Conference will be held at
Wilkes University on Friday, April 11th.
For more information contact Dr. Andrea
Frantz at 570-408-4165 or at andrea.
[email protected].
Carlton Holmes Wins Scholarship
Continued from page 1
town this past summer, sees the scholarship as a huge benefit when it comes
time to the real world.
“Not only does this scholarship benefit me financially,
but it certainly helps in landing a job. This is a very
prestigious award, so it also adds to my confidence as a
journalist. Only eight sports journalists throughout the
country are awarded and to be a part of that number
ensures to me that I’m relatively good in this particular
field,” he said.
With other students coming from such schools as New
York University and Louisiana State, Holmes said, “To be
a representative for Wilkes University for this national
scholarship, that is kind of cool.”
Frantz said she believes this scholarship will “open all
Carlton Holmes
types of doors”. Holmes agreed, both for himself as well as other students in the
Communications Department.
He said, “Winning amongst students from prestigious schools opens the doors
for future journalists at Wilkes University because it demonstrates that if I can
work hard and achieve such a nationally competitive award, then anyone can.”
Important Dates to Remember
March 25-Midterm Evaluations Due for Internships
April 11-Bigler Journalism Conference
April 12-Vulcan 1942 Gala at Genetti's
Dodging for Dollars Tournament to Benefit Candy's
Place
• April 28-Final Evaluations Due for Internships
(Give to site supervisor by April 14th)
•
•
•
•
Students in the history & communication course
“chill out” in the Ice Bar in London.
Editor in Chief:
Samantha Clarke
Co-Editor:
Mark Congdon, Jr.
Advisor:
Dr. Jane Elmes-Crahall