MC (page 6) - Bob Schaller

Transcription

The Mass
Communicator
gets a fresh,
new look
Scott Pelley,
"60 Minutes"
with Texas
Tech
Political
Cartoonist
and Lecturer,
Ben Sargent
The Mass Communicator • A publication for alumni and friends of the Texas Tech University College of Mass Communications • Summer 2009
Jerod
Foster
Instructor,
Photographer,
Musician
Dean’s Notes:
The College of Mass
Communications
continues to change,
make progress and
“strive for honor.”
The past year’s
accomplishments
and our plans for
the coming year
are impressive and
exciting.
Dean Jerry C. Hudson
Faculty and Staff Retirements—I have mixed feelings about
faculty and staff retirements. I am happy for our retirees who will
find leisure and personal activities to replace obligations of work.
It’s a goal that we all seek and cherish. However, from a selfish
point of view, I know that I will miss retiring faculty and staff. I value their friendship and their valuable contributions to the college
and university. Last year Dr. Dennis Harp, associate dean of faculty,
retired, following 35 years at Texas Tech University. We miss him.
During the 2008 fall semester, Dr. Michael Parkinson, associate
dean of graduate studies, and Ms. Janet Wright, director of academic advising, notified me that they too will retire this year. Dr.
Parkinson’s retirement will become effective Aug. 31, 2009, while
Ms. Wright will retire Jan. 15, 2010.
Dr. Parkinson joined our faculty in 1999. During his 10 years of
employment, he has made a tremendous impact on our program. It
is difficult for me to identify anyone with a better work ethic, more
loyalty and creative vision. He has served as the main architect
of our doctoral program. Without his guidance, I doubt that the
graduate program would have been approved so quickly by the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. I value his logic and
counsel.
What can I say about Janet Wright that hasn’t been said a dozen
times? Janet is another employee who knows no bounds for the
number of hours she works. It is not unusual to find Janet in her
office from four to five hours on any given Saturday or Sunday.
After 27 years at Texas Tech, and 21 years in the College of Mass
Communications, Janet will spend some time with her grandchildren and enjoy traveling. She leaves a legacy that will be very difficult to duplicate. You will find information on the back cover to
participate in recognizing both Janet and Dennis for their long and
impressive contributions to the college. I hope you will assist us in
this important initiative.
New Administration Responsibilities—Because Drs. Parkinson and Harp retired and Dr. Bill Dean has asked to return to the
classroom, we have made numerous changes in our administrative assignments. Beginning Sept. 1, Dr. Coy Callison, chair of the
Department of Public Relations, will assume the responsibilities of
associate dean of graduate studies. Dr. Kevin Stoker, associate chair
of graduate studies at Brigham Young University, will become the
new associate dean of faculty. Marijane Wernsman, director of our
Career Center, has accepted our offer to become assistant dean of
students. We will continue to conduct a national search to find a
chair for the Department of Public Relations. Meanwhile, Ms. Ann
Rodriguez will serve as interim chair of the Department of Public
Relations.
New Faculty Appointments—I extend my sincere thanks to
Chancellor Kent Hance and President Guy Bailey for their leadership. When most universities were reducing budgets, freezing
faculty hires and eliminating staff positions, we have continued to
hire faculty members with impressive credentials. In addition to
employing a new associate dean, we have hired two faculty in the
Department of Advertising, two in the Department of Electronic
Media and Communications, one in the Department of Journalism
and one in the Department of Public Relations. In 2009 – 2010, we
will search for a department chair in public relations and another
faculty member in the Department of Public Relations.
Beginning Sept. 1, we will have hired 75 percent of our faculty since 1998 and 67 percent since 2004. Drs. Bill Dean, Jimmie
Reeves, Roger Saathoff, Liz Watts and I are the only remaining faculty members hired prior to 1998. The new faculty members have
brought new ideas, a passion for teaching, an excellent work ethic
and a commitment to excellence.
Thanks—Dallas alumni and friends hosted the third annual
Dallas Scholarship Breakfast in April. Stan Richards, founder and
principal of The Richards Group, was the keynote speaker. I was
impressed with the attendance and the funds the committee raised
for its scholarship endowment. Thanks to Mat Threadgill, principal
of dib creative, and Jennifer Schuder, director of marketing for the
Dallas Opera, for their work on this initiative. I also thank Linda
Rutherford, vice president, public relations and community affairs
of Southwest Airlines, and Greg Davis, general manager of WRR
Radio, for their corporate sponsorships.
If you would like to join the committee and assist with the 2010
breakfast, please contact me ([email protected]).
National Advisory Committee—The Professional Advisory
Committee met in October 2008, and the national Board of Directors met in February 2009. Both meetings were very good and
evolved into discussions about the future of both organizations.
Professional members met with students and faculty to provide
their opinions about the status and future of mass communications.
We also discussed combining the two organizations and meeting
just once annually during the fall semester. After discussions with
college administrators, we decided that we would focus our attention and efforts on one meeting and expand the role of the committee. Several members’ appointments to both organizations expired
this year, and it seemed like a good time to make the changes beginning with the fall meeting on Oct. 29 and 30.
The format of the new committee will require that a few committee members arrive by Wednesday evening and spend all day
Thursday, Oct. 29, reviewing the college’s academic program. The
remaining members will arrive Thursday evening and participate
in meetings with faculty and students on Friday. We will honor our
Hall of Fame recipients at a noon luncheon on Friday and recognize the Outstanding Alumni recipients at a breakfast on Saturday
morning, Oct. 31, prior to the Texas Tech football game with Kansas.
If you would like more information about becoming a member
of the new National Advisory Committee and your role in the organization, please contact me ([email protected]). I would like
to include about 50 members in this organization. We will elect officers and develop bylaws for the new committee during the 2009
fall meeting.
Congratulations—I congratulate Dr. Shannon Bichard and
the students of the Texas Tech American Advertising Federation
student team for their winning performance at the 10th District
competition in April. The team competed with other district winners in the national competition in Washington, D.C., in June and
placed sixth.
Thank you for your loyalty and friendship.
Vol. 34 No. 2
Summer 2009
www.mcom.ttu.edu
ALUMNI AND FRIENDS
2 Scott Pelley: "60 Minutes" and Texas Tech
10 Robert Smith: Following the Yellow Brick Road
16 Honoring Bob Condron and Dennis Harp
20 Mike Haynes: All the Right Words
22 Nelda Armstrong: One-of-a-kind Woman
FACULTY AND STAFF
8 Sam Bradley and Tom Johnson: Social Media
13 Dawn Moreno: Dawn of all Trades
14 Terry Greenberg: Greenberg Gazette
21 Ann Rodriguez: Zig Zag to Texas Tech
24 Mike Parkinson: Parkinson's Legacy
ON THE COVER
18 Jerod Foster: Instructor, Photographer, Musician
by Britney Long and Molly Cook, photos by Joe Esparza
After he met the state photographer of Texas, who later became
his best friend and mentor, Jerod Foster, photography instructor at
the College of Mass Communications, set out on a road that has led
him to own businesses, partner in another business, publish a book
and have a successful band.
The Mass Communicator gets a fresh, new look
As The College of Mass Communications continues to grow and
evolve, so does our alumni publication. We would like to present
the MC, the new generation of the Mass Communicator equipped
with a fresh and modern look. You can also read the MC on the
Web—just "Click It" to explore our new features.
STUDENTS
6 Bob Schaller: Book Man
7 Megan Myers and Alison Baldridge: Olympic Interns
26 Lakshmi N. Tirumala: 45 Days & Nights
27 Wendy Maxian: Pursuing Passion
NEWS
4 Ben Sargent: Cartoonist and Statesman
12 Jessica Pantinini: Advertising to Hispanics
28 Dallas Scholarship Breakfast
33 Texas Tech Student AAF Team
36 Donor Listings
MC Staff
Publisher
Faculty editor Editor
Designer
Photo director
Photo editor
Pete Brewton
Daphne Barahona Melissa Wofford
Amy Boren
Morgan Hall
© 2009, Texas Tech College of Mass Communications
Development Notes:
As the newly appointed
Development Officer
for the College of Mass
Communications, it is
my pleasure to begin a
journey with you.
Karen Jacobsen
My past experiences in fundraising have shown me the significance of partnerships. With the collaboration of this university,
Dean Jerry Hudson, the faculty and staff of the college and you, we
will be able to discover and cultivate gifts together that will benefit
our students for years to come. I am excited about the possibility of
partnering with each of you.
It is important that we have your help while on this journey, on
whatever level you are able to assist. Perhaps you have a desire to
provide scholarships for our students or funding for faculty, but
you are not sure how to make that happen. Maybe you have a personal or business connection that could benefit the college in some
large or small way. Do you have a relationship with a foundation
or corporation that supports educational programs? We need your
networking power in your community working for and with us.
Your assistance may come from something as simple as reconnecting with us, letting us know where you are now and what you
have been doing since leaving Texas Tech. Is there a professor whose
creativity and love of teaching changed your academic life? Have
you worked with graduates of our Advertising, Journalism, Public
Relations and Electronic Media and Communications departments
who are shining examples of excellence? Stories of success are always important when it comes to telling our story. As you can see,
we need your advice, observations and encouragement, and this
can be done by simply by creating or maintaining a friendship with
the College of Mass Communications.
No matter your age, experience or level of expertise, you have
something to contribute to this college, and what better place to
invest your time and resources than in higher education. I look
forward to meeting each of you and learning more about you. Together we will work to find resources to provide for the College of
Mass Communications. Please contact me at karen.jacobsen@ttu.
edu if I may ever be of service to you.
mc | 1
Scott
Pelley (left)
interviewing
Coach Mike
Leach in the
Red Raider
locker room
G
etting into the Texas Tech University football locker room on any given Saturday
takes a V.I.P. pass—but imagine getting into it with the company of only the
head coach and his two star players during their most historic season. Well,
that takes a much more special pass—perhaps one with CBS “60 Minutes” imprinted
on it.
by Daphne Barahona
photoillustration and photo by Linda Schilberg
The 2008 Texas Tech football season was one for the record
books. It not only grasped the attention of loyal and temperamental Red Raider fans, but also intrigued media across the country. After a stunning win over the No. 1 ranked Texas Longhorns on Nov.
1, Texas Tech made its presence known among college football’s
top contenders for the national title.
Texas Tech alumnus and “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley said he just had to come to Lubbock and personally cover this
extraordinary season. So, with a team of producers, camera operators, audio and lighting technicians, he made his way from the Big
Apple to the Hub City.
The “60 Minutes” team came to Texas Tech during a time of
great elation and tension for the Red Raiders. The team, also
known as Leach’s Pirates, had just moved up to the No. 2 spot in
the BCS rankings after their win over Texas, but they now had the
Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys on the horizon.
“This is an interesting story, because [Texas Tech] is in the middle of the season,” said Catherine Herrick, “60 Minutes” producer.
“Often we wait until it’s over, but it’s really exciting to be in the
middle of what is going on.”
Indeed, a lot was going on, including Texas Tech’s double coverage on ESPN’S "College Game Day," a first for the red and black.
With only two days to get interviews and tape footage, the “60
Minutes” staff was on a tight schedule, but still managed to invite a
few journalism students from the College of Mass Communications
to observe the process.
The sight was impressive. Within a couple of hours they transformed the football locker room into an authentic set, fully equipped
with dramatic lighting and hanging jerseys and helmets.
Ashley Diaz, a senior broadcast journalism student, was one of
three students in the journalism department chosen to attend the
filming of the interviews.
“Being able to sit in on the Leach interview was an eye-opening
experience,” she said. “On a level as high up as “60 Minutes,” to see
what the producers, cameramen and anchor must go through to
get an interview that will be cut to 12 minutes, was amazing.”
Condensing an interview with a character, such as Coach Leach,
can be especially challenging.
Leach’s constant mumbling and nonchalant demeanor were entertaining all on their own. His description of football during the
interview was also amusing to hear.
“I mean the reason they have football is because of the big
guys,” he told Pelley. “And you get to see those guys just go to war,
you know? And it’s got all the things that football entails. There’s
shouting, there’s blood, there’s boogers, there’s the whole thing.
I mean, there’s spitting, there’s fighting, there’s ripped jerseys.
There’s someone grabbing someone’s throat. I mean, it’s why you
have football.”
Although Pelley and his crew spent less than 48 hours in Lubbock, substantial preparation went into their West Texas visit.
Herrick said they extensively researched college football, the
biographies of Leach, wide receiver Michael Crabtree and quarterback Graham Harrell, as well as Texas Tech’s football history.
“It’s almost like a college course because we immerse ourselves
in it,” she said. “We need to know about [it] as much as everybody
else.”
Crew members came from near and far to make the production
happen. Herrick said a great deal of equipment must be transported to shooting locations. However, since airline cargo fees can get
pricey, some pieces are brought into town by trucks. The crew came
from Houston, Dallas and New York City.
“Nobody wears just one hat, everyone works together to make
things happen,” said a sound technician on the set. “We have to be
efficient in order to make budget and work within the little time
we have.”
The team’s professional capabilities were evident, and at the
end of the workday they felt a fine product would be delivered to
the show’s viewers.
“There were enough really great moments in there to make a
good piece,” Pelley said of the interviews. “Once we weave everything together, it’ll be a great tapestry.”
Post-production work is done when Pelley and the producers
return to New York. Editing, script-writing, checking if more interviews need to be conducted, or if more footage needs to be shot are
just a few things that occur. Ultimately, all their work will be made
into a 12-minute segment.
The final product, “Texas Tech’s Mad Genius,” aired on Jan. 4,
after the Red Raiders were defeated by the University of Mississippi in the Cotton Bowl. And even though Leach’s team also lost to
their Oklahoma Sooner rivals, they did gain the respect from cynics
coast to coast.
One unexpected gain, due to the unique visit of a legendary
news program, was the special connection made between two different departments at Texas Tech. The success of a college football
team gave a few journalism students the opportunity to get insight
into their future careers. But even more thrilling—it gave them the
chance to visit the Red Raider locker room with a “60 Minutes”
V.I.P. pass. mc
(Daphne Barahona is the
student editor of the Mass Communicator and a senior journalism major from San Antonio.
Linda Schilberg is a senior photocommunications major from
Houston.)
 Click It!
Visit www.texastech.com to learn
more about Red Raider fooball.
mc | 3
Cartoonist
and
Statesman
“The New York Post has the right to run
whatever dumb cartoons they want to
run. But you try not to put many bulletridden bodies in your cartoon.”
—Ben Sargent
by Erica Parten
photo by Kristen Shaw
T
he Texas Tech International Cultural Center was packed with mingling faculty, staff,
alumni and students anticipating the speaker for the 2009 Cathryn Anne Hansen
Buesseler Distinguished Lectureship for Print Media, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial
cartoonist Ben Sargent.
Jerry Hudson, the dean of the College of
Mass Communications, welcomed Sargent,
who was wearing his characteristic red bow
tie, to the stage. Everyone waited for him
to say something funny. After all, he is a
cartoonist. However, Sargent preserved his
soft-spoken, well-mannered demeanor as
he drifted through his power point lecture.
He didn’t need to do much lecturing, considering most of his slides were meticulously-drawn cartoons illustrating each point,
a skill he said he developed over the years.
The reporter-turned-illustrator took the
audience through his typical creative process, pausing to let his drawings articulate
the punch line.
4 | mc
His mock cartoon started with a pencil
sketch on a yellow legal pad, then evolved
into a more detailed drawing, until finally,
he added ink and crosshatched shading to
get what he calls “pictorial opinion journalism.”
Then Sargent explained the task of taking a complicated social issue and transforming it into a persuasive and sometimes
emotion-provoking illustration.
“A cartoonist has one shot, visually, at
giving the reader an opinion,” he said. “So
he kind of has to direct it at the reader’s
unconscious mind, and hit him in the gut
with it.”
As he flipped through slides of Uncle
Sam, Lady Liberty, the Democratic donkey
and the Republican elephant, Sargent explained how symbolism is the language of
the unconscious mind.
The intention of some cartoons is to
make the viewer feel an emotion, he said,
whether it’s humor, anger, or patriotism.
One of Sargent’s examples was a cartoon
by Signe Wilkinson of the Philadelphia
Daily News depicting Lady Liberty’s flame
rising above the smoke from the collapse of
the twin towers.
Cartoonists also make impressions on
the viewer’s subconscious by using caricatures, or representations of public figures
with over-exaggerated features.
Sargent said since the fall of 2008, he
has used President Barack Obama’s caricature in many of his cartoons in the Austin
American-Statesman.
“Barack Obama has an interesting caricature because the things that are characteristic about the way he looks are not
just his face but the way he stands and his
lanky body,” he said. “And as long as you
put those ears on him, you can even draw
him from behind and you know exactly
who it’s supposed to be.”
The cartoonist will attempt the caricature several times before he or she can
finally draw it comfortably enough to manipulate it and get the message across, he
explained. Eventually the caricature will become
recognizable
to
the audience, but
at first, the artist will have to
label it.
After his lecture,
curious members of
the audience asked Sargent questions about his relationships with the politicians in
his drawings to his personal taste regarding subject matter.
There is no untouchable subject for an
editorial cartoonist, Sargent explained. He
said cartoonists are only limited by their
tact.
Some cartoons overstep that fine line,
like the one of President Obama depicted
as a gunned-down chimpanzee, he said.
“The New York Post has the right to
run whatever dumb cartoons they want to
run,” he said. “But you try not to put many
bullet-ridden bodies in your cartoon.”
Such cartoons get a strong reaction, said
Sargent, because it hits the viewer on such
an emotional, subconscious level.
“Probably all the reaction that a cartoonist gets is strong,” he said. “If it’s something
that offends someone then their reaction
will be very strongly bad.”
And Sargent testified to the amount of
feedback he receives, normally from viewers that disagree politically with his cartoons.
“We get calls, letters, and then there was
the invention of e-mail,” he chuckled.
By the end of the evening, nobody felt
like they had been there for three hours.
The audience left with humorous, yet stimulating, thoughts of how editorial cartooning plays a role in print media today. mc
(Erica Parten is a senior journalism major
from Plano, Texas. Kristen Shaw is a senior
photocommunications major from Hobbs,
New Mexico.)
 Click It!
Visit www.mcom.ttu.edu and click
Alumni > Buesseler Lectureship
to see a complete listing of
former Buesseler lecturers.
mc | 5
Bob Schaller with a selection of his books
From left: Megan Myers and Allison Baldridge
Book Man
Olympic Interns
by Yackjaira Ruiz
photo by Courtney Ryburn
A
literary energizer bunny walks around the campus in a
Texas Tech sweatshirt.
Bob Schaller, who is working on his Ph.D. in mass
communications, has written 40 books. One of his most recent
books, “Michael Phelps: The Untold Story of a Champion” was a
cover story for Publisher’s Weekly.
played hockey at the Air Force Academy, and he wanted to turn his
passion for ice hockey into a career.
However his desire of becoming a professional ice hockey player
was not feasible.
“My talent did not match my dreams,” said Schaller.
Schaller said when he realized he could not live out his dream,
"If you put something out there, put it out there and leave it alone. If it is
great, people will tell you it is great.”—Bob Schaller
“The day Michael won his eighth gold medal I wrote 13,000
words from previous interviews,” said Schaller. “I sent what I wrote
to my agent and by noon that day, I had a book deal.”
Schaller said the book on Phelps was the easiest book he has
written.
“I write fast,” said Schaller. “I do about 220 words a minute. The
Phelps book took me eight days to write.”
Schaller is also a contributing writer for Splash Magazine and
SwimNetwork.com, and has written for USA Gymnastics magazine,
Skating, and USA Hockey magazine. He said when he interviews
people for articles, he does most of them through Facebook.
Schaller grew up in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he was active in sports—playing baseball, golf and ice hockey.
Schaller continued to be active in sports through college. He
6 | mc
he turned to sports writing.
“When I took off my skates for the last time I was ready to
write,” said Schaller.
After one semester at the Air Force Academy, Schaller left to
pursue a degree in technical journalism at Colorado State University. He graduated in 1988.
Over the next 15 years, Schaller added reporter, editor, writer,
copy editor and teacher to his resume.
Despite all his achievements,
 Click It!
Schaller said the thing he is
most proud of is being a dad. Visit www.bobschaller.com to
He began working from home learn more about Schaller and his
publications.
in 1997 to raise his son.
(Continued on p. 34)
by Laura Hagen, Breanne Koutek and Alisa Hovland
photo courtesy of Meg Myers and Allison Baldridge
T
wo Texas Tech students are gaining hands-on experience
in Colorado Springs, Colo., this semester as interns for
the United States Olympic Committee.
Megan Myers and Alison Baldridge applied for and won the
highly competitive USOC internship. Both girls came across the position on the College of Mass Communications e-mail list.
national tournaments, where hundreds of wrestlers compete nationally; and keeping athlete competition records organized and
up-to-date.
“There are so many things that I love about this internship,”
Myers said. “I get to interact with Olympic athletes and coaches
daily, and write stories that are published online and in a magazine.
“I get to interact with Olympic athletes and coaches daily, and write stories
that are published online and in a magazine. What an amazing experience,
in Colorado!”—Megan Meyers
Marijane Wernsman, Career Center director for the Texas Tech
College of Mass Communications, said the USOC looks for excellent writers, hard workers, good academics, faculty recommendations, and good phone interviews. She said the USOC also wants
students with outgoing personalities to interact with the athletes
and media.
“I believe that Alison and Megan were chosen because they exhibited all those characteristics,” Wernsman said.
Megan Myers, a 21-year-old senior public relations major from
Houston, works for USA Wrestling as a communications intern.
USA Wrestling is part of the USOC intern program.
Myers said her internship entails a wide variety of tasks: writing
feature stories and press releases; working for international and
What an amazing experience, in Colorado!”
Myers said her internship has allowed her to gain valuable
experience in the PR field, but also given her the opportunity to
meet Olympic athletes and travel across the country. Myers met
Henry Cejudo, 2008 Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, and has
seen gymnast Jonathan Horton, 2008 Olympic silver medalist, and
Olympic speed skater Apolo
Anton Ohno at the Olympic
 Click It!
training center.
To see a complete listing of our
internship placements, visit www.
mcom.ttu.edu and click Current >
Credited Internships.
mc | 7
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Highlights
Ne ws Feed
From left: Graduate student Brandon Nutting
and Sam Bradley explore new avenues of
advertising through social networking.
by Andrew George and
Angela Jones
“Barack Obama understood the power of social
media. Facebook helped Obama in the election
because it enabled him to communicate with
his supporters. Facebook made it easier to
form groups and build databases, which made
it easier for Obama to raise money without
having as much staff power being devoted to
fundraising."—Tom Johnson
photo illustration
by Bri Crow, Courtney
Rybur n and Loren
Lundgren-Wright
illustrations by Megan
Robare and Melissa
Wofford
 More
“We were required to do a blog and to get a
Twitter account for our advertising campaigns
class. It has been a good thing to know about.”
—Barbie Chambers
Visit www.facebook.com and search for
"College of Mass Communications, Texas Tech
University" to join the College's Facebook
group.
E
ven though social networking sites didn’t exist before
1997, one of the most popular social networking sites,
Facebook, currently has enough members to be the eighth
largest country in the world.
Students in the professional world are using sites like Facebook,
Twitter, and MySpace to re-connect with consumers, audiences,
and friends. Even the President of the United States used social
media as a campaign tool in the 2008 election.
Tom Johnson, Ph.D., the Marshall and Sharleen Formby Regents
Professor in convergent media at the College of Mass Communications, said that the use of social media by the Barack Obama
campaign team was a contributing factor in the 2008 presidential
election.
“Barack Obama understood the power of social media,” Johnson said. "Facebook helped Obama in the election because it enabled him to communicate with his supporters. Facebook made it
easier to form groups and build databases, which made it easier for
Obama to raise money without having as much staff power being
devoted to fundraising.
“Some people in the mainstream press refer to this election as
the Facebook election,” Johnson said.
One of the reasons social media are more effective than tradi8 | mc
tional media is that traditional media is a one-way communication. Social media makes it easier to communicate with people who
might be hard to communicate with otherwise. When a presidential
debate is going on, there is no feedback from the audience, but a
social networking site gives the audience a chance to give their
views and opinions about what is going on.
Social networking can get people involved in things they haven’t
been involved in previously, even if those people don’t know how
much they really have invested in the election. Blogs tend to attract people who are more educated and opinionated about certain
topics, but social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace
can attract an audience that may not have solid opinions on certain
subjects.
“I do hold out some hope, in that social networking sites can
help bring people together a little bit more than blogs and political Web sites that are bringing people apart,” Johnson said. “In
general, I see the social networks, particularly Facebook, as a really
positive thing. It gets people involved that weren’t involved before.
I think more than some other sites that it’s a little less partisan.”
One of the problems with this, however, is that it is very easy for
people on social networking sites to join groups and never revisit
them again. This makes them susceptible to having only superfi-
cial knowledge and opinions about important subjects, such as the
presidential election.
Johnson has had a long term interest in elections, and since the
Internet became an important component of the 1996 election, he
has had an increasing interest in social media. Sam Bradley, Ph.D.,
assistant professor of advertising at the college, is another one of
the front runners in social media analysis. Bradley’s research differs
from Johnson’s because his focus is more on current trends in social
media rather than elections.
Bradley said he feels that it is a responsibility of his to prepare
graduates for new upcoming trends in mass communication. One
of the ways he feels he can better prepare Texas Tech graduate students is to analyze the effects of social media.
“We were sending out people who literally couldn’t do it or even
converse in it. We were putting out graduates who didn’t have
enough knowledge. That was the problem,” Bradley said.
“Academics are relatively slow to change. Just to add a course
on something new takes a lot of time,” Bradley said.
Bradley said that by analyzing the social media trends through
research, he can better equip Texas Tech graduates to handle the
changes in the communications landscape.
Bradley is also integrating his analysis into the classes he teach-
es. Barbie Chambers, a part-time graduate instructor and a current
student of Bradley’s, is grateful for the opportunity to learn about
social media.
“We were required to do a blog and to get a Twitter account for
our advertising campaigns class. It has been a good thing to know
about,” Chambers said.
Chambers also agreed with Bradley in saying that social media
will be an important thing to know in the future for careers.
“Social media will one day be as important as it is to be knowledgeable in Microsoft Word,” said Chambers. mc
(Andrew George is a senior public relations major from Amarillo,
Texas. Angela Jones is a junior public relations major from Houston.
Bri Crow is a senior photocommunications major from Austin, Texas.
Courtney Ryburn is a senior photocommunications major from Midland, Texas. Loren Lundgren-Wright is a junior agricultural communications major with a minor in photography from Stamford, Texas.
Megan Robare is a junior public relations major from San Antonio,
Texas.)
mc | 9
by Matt Dowdy
photo by Christina Pavlovsky
“Helping others
find points of
excellence and
building on
these notes of
excellence is very
important.”
—Bob Smith
ob Smith knew of Texas’s almost legendary hospitality, but now believes
that it may be unmatched by any other part of the country.
Smith, the recently named provost and senior vice president of
Texas Tech University, said from the first meeting with Texas Tech’s
search committee, everything clicked. While people here were
interested in what he had done with the University of Arkansas,
Smith said he was curious about what they were doing.
After previously serving as the provost and vice chancellor for
academic affairs at Arkansas from 2000 to 2008, Smith joined the
Texas Tech family in February.
“It’s really great fun (being a provost),” Smith said. “It’s like
Joseph Campbell once said, ‘It’s your bliss.’”
As provost, Smith, who obtained his bachelor’s degree from St.
John’s University, oversees all academic aspects of the university,
including both research and academic personnel.
Smith believes it was special attention from the associate dean
of St. John’s College of Pharmacy, Hugh Luongo, who first gave
him the confidence he should not only pursue his studies, but work
in higher education, as well.
Luongo was known for taking a special interest and advising
the top students in the pharmacy college. During his junior year,
Smith was called into Luongo’s office to discuss his future graduate
studies, but little did he know that one compliment would transform his career.
“He said ‘Bob you are one of our stars,’” Smith said. “‘Someday,
I hope you will have my job.’”
After experiencing how much Luongo’s outreach affected his
life, Smith believes it is extremely important for professors to take
a special interest in being mentors, not only in class, but outside
of class, as well.
“You cannot share anything more precious with a student than
to wish for them to have one of the top jobs in the country,” Smith
said.
Upon completing his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical chemistry at the
University of Michigan, Smith began his career as an assistant professor at the University of Iowa, was promoted to associate professor and awarded tenure, then moved on to the University of Texas
at Austin where he eventually became the James E. Bauerle Professor and Director of the Drug Dynamics Institute.
10 | mc
After several years as a professor and institute director, Smith’s
responsibility grew as he was named the vice provost for research
and dean of the graduate school at Washington State University.
From there, Smith would take the same position at the University
of Connecticut.
His work at a variety of institutions across the nation led to
Arkansas’s interest and his job there.
As Texas Tech’s provost, Smith is responsible for meeting and
collaborating with the deans of the 14 colleges and schools. Each
dean reports to him, as they work with strategic planning on how
to integrate actions and plans with various other colleges and the
university as a whole.
While meeting a new boss may seem intimidating to some, College of Mass Communications Dean Jerry Hudson was immediately impressed with Smith, not because of his previous record,
but for his ability to greet each dean by name in the group’s first
meeting.
In addition, Smith also pointed out each dean’s focus of study
and accomplishments during the introductory session, Hudson
said.
“I thought that was pretty impressive for him to take that
amount of time,” Hudson said. “I have never interviewed with
anyone before who had done that much background work and
wanted to learn something about each of the people he would be
working with.”
Smith’s focus, plans and dreams for the university are undoubtedly the reason he was chosen during such a pivotal point of
growth at Texas Tech.
While aspiring to make Texas Tech a top research university,
Smith said the challenge will be upholding the goal, while also
maintaining the drive of Chancellor Kent Hance to reach 40,000
students
“If you diminish quality” Smith said, “you diminish the product
of growth. This is the challenge for everybody.”
He believes that Texas Tech should be looking across the academic landscape of the university to find strengths and weaknesses
within each program. Smith said he has previously helped other
institutions work more effectively by strategically assessing attributes across campus.
“Helping others find points of excellence and building on these
notes of excellence is very important,” Smith said.
In his short time here, Smith believes there are already marvelous things happening. One way he hopes to accomplish his goal
of developing research at Texas Tech is through grants. Smith said
attracting greater dollars provides great benefits in various sectors
of the university.
“With research grants for undergraduates, you can do some
wonderful things, and assist student learning in essential ways,”
Smith said. “It’s a phenomenon when people, places and events
help advance the institutions.”
In his free time, Smith enjoys reading many different types of
books, from art and art history to science.
In conjunction with reading, Smith is also a well-established
author. He plans to launch a new academic journal. He has published eight books and is now two-thirds through completing his
newest work, “The Oz Complex,” which blends the life and work
of L. Frank Baum with guidance for professional and personal development.
An avid follower of both the "Wizard of Oz" book and movie,
Smith has followed a yellow brick road throughout his career, so
to speak. Along the way, he has found his brain, heart and courage. mc
(Matt Dowdy is a junior public relations major from Idalou, Texas. Christina Pavlovsky is a senior photocommunications and advertising dual major from Houston, Texas.)
mc | 11
Advertising to Hispanics
Dawn of all Trades
by Mia Walters
photo by Courtney Ryburn
J
essica Pantanini, the chief operations officer
of Bromley Communications in San Antonio,
spoke about advertising to the Hispanic culture
at the William S. Morris III Distinguished Lecturer Series in April.
“This is the new middle America.” said Pantanini.
During her Power Point presentation, she said there
are almost 50 million Hispanics in the United States,
which will soon become a minority-majority population. That is the reason advertising companies need to
continue to try to find the best way to advertise to Hispanics, she noted.
“The biggest opportunity we
have as an industry is to crack
the nut on acculturation.”
—Jessica Pantanini
Click It! 
Alumni > Morris Lectureship to see
a complete listing of former Morris
lecturers.
12 | mc
Pantanini, who is Chilean and Dominican, said bicultural people often feel like they don’t really fit in anywhere, but there are enough universal traits that those
traits can be used. She said they look for those commonalities at Bromley Communications when trying to
advertise to Hispanics.
The biggest misconception among advertisers trying
to reach Hispanics is if a Hispanic person speaks English
that they can relate the same as Americans, Pantanini
said. Things change and evolve constantly, she said, and
it’s the advertiser’s job to find and follow those trends.
Advertising is about finding a connection between
the consumer and the product, she said. It is important
to understand Hispanics and why they are in this country. The majority of Hispanics who came here didn’t expect to stay. She said even Hispanics who have been
here for 10 or more years often say they still plan on
returning to their native country. Latinos come here for
a better life, she noted.
“The biggest opportunity we have as an industry is to
crack the nut on acculturation,” said Pantanini. “That’s
a nut we still definitely haven’t cracked—for any culture.”
She said the dispersion of Hispanics across the United States results from them following their goals. They
are chasing education and following their careers, she
said.
by Bailey Baker and Natashia Yezak
photo by Morgan Hall
F
or Dawn Moreno, the senior business assistant
in the associate deans’ office at the College of
Mass Communication, one job is not enough to
satisfy her work cravings. She is involved with scholarship administration, development and alumni relations,
class scheduling, and the list goes on and on.
Moreno said, “I love this place, seriously.”
Moreno recently received the College of Mass Communications staff excellence award, and was recognized
in May as one of Texas Tech’s quality service award recipients for excellence.
Both awards recognize her service to the college and
the university and her outstanding dedication to both.
“I love this place, seriously.”
—Dawn Moreno
Moreno said she was surprised upon receiving the
news of the quality service award.
“I received the letter from President Guy Bailey,”
Moreno said, “and I had to read it a couple of times.”
Annie Ruland, administrative secretary in the college, said “Moreno is an outstanding employee and she
has excelled in the Banner area of student and course
transition.” Banner is the new computer management
program for Texas Tech. Moreno works on programming and coordinating the college’s class schedules.
When talking about Moreno’s work habit, Ruland
said she goes above and beyond in everything she
does.
“I really appreciate Dawn and her hard work,” said
Janet Wright, director of advising at the college. “We go
through the course schedule together, and she builds
the sections. She does the Banner. She does an amazingly good job.”
Moreno said she takes pride in all the work she does,
but says getting to work with students is her favorite
part of the job.
She also expressed her love for working in the associate deans’ office, particularly development and alumni
relations. Working with alumni allows her to get out of
the office and learn about the many interesting people
helping the college, she said. She also coordinates student issues and especially enjoys helping students with
scholarships. She also refers students to the right people
to help solve their problems.
 Click It!
To learn more about our staff,
visit www.mcom.ttu.edu and click
About > Facutly & Staff.
mc | 13
by Brittany McBlain
and Sabrina Gonzalez
photo by
David Halloran
Editor and Educator
T
erry Greenberg has lived all over the United States, from San Francisco, Calif., to
Minot, N.D. And three years ago Greenberg made yet another move. He came to
Lubbock to take over as editor of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and was pleasantly
surprised to discover that Texas was not what he expected.
As a native of California he grew up
believing all the stereotypes about Texans
and never thought he would end up living
and raising a family here.
“Growing up in California, you never
hear of people going to Texas—people
are coming to California,” Greenberg said.
“The next thing you know I’m in Texas.”
Greenberg had only touched down in
a Texas airport twice before moving here,
and he had always thought Texans came
14 | mc
across as arrogant or boastful. But he soon
realized that this was not true and observed that what seemed to be arrogance
was merely pride in their independence.
“There is a real strong independent
spirit here in Texas,” Greenberg said, “and
I think even more so in West Texas.”
Greenberg has spent most of his life living and working in California. He grew up
in the Los Angeles area where his parents
owned a hobby shop. He said that seeing
celebrities was a part of everyday life—
jogging down the beach and running into
Dustin Hoffman was quite normal.
Greenberg earned his bachelor of arts
in journalism from California State University at Northridge in 1977 and was named
journalism alumnus of the year in 1994.
Since then, newsrooms under his leadership have won more than 100 state and
regional awards.
After graduation, Greenberg started his
“He plays an active part in those internships and encourages his staff
members to do the same. He works with them and encourages them to do
the very best they can. He works with people’s strengths, and uses those
to help overcome their weaknesses.”—Randy Reddick
career as a copy editor for The Daily Facts
in Redlands, Calif. He said that he decided
to be a journalist because he liked to tell
people what was happening, but now he
loves knowing he gives people information
in a free society.
Greenberg then worked for California newspapers for 19 years, with one
year spent in Minot, N.D., where he was
involved with changing the criteria for
closing a court hearing. He successfully
challenged the closing of a preliminary
hearing, which later led to a North Dakota
Supreme Court decision, Minot Daily News
vs. Holum, making it tougher to close hearings in trials in that state.
Greenberg has worked in the newspaper industry for 32 years, including stints
in Illinois and Indiana, and has also taught
copy-editing and news writing at colleges
such as University of Southern California
and Fullerton College.
Greenberg currently teaches advanced
reporting at Texas Tech in the College of
Mass Communications.
Randy Reddick, Ph.D., journalism department chairman, who played a major
role in recruiting Greenberg to teach at
Texas Tech, said he is a great asset to the
college.
“A working editor can bring perspective
to students that they aren’t going to get in
any other way,” Reddick said. “He has a
keen sense of teaching awareness.”
Robert Wernsman, the instructor and
coordinator of News Writing at the college,
is pleased to have Greenberg as part of the
journalism staff.
“He sees the future of the industry in
the young people here at Tech and wants
to help them in making the right choices,”
Wernsman said. “He is passionate about
helping people that are really interested in
journalism.”
Reddick said Greenberg has also improved the relationship between the college and the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
and has tripled the number of internships
they offer since his arrival.
“He plays an active part in those internships and encourages his staff members
to do the same,” Reddick said. “He works
with them and encourages them to do the
very best they can. He works with people’s
strengths, and uses those to help overcome
their weaknesses.”
“We have more readers
than we’ve ever had.
I think our Web site
will continue to grow,
as advertising shifts
to other areas we are
developing.”
—Terry Greenberg
Wernsman said Greenberg has a lot to
offer students because his role as a daily
newspaper editor brings insight to the
changes occurring in the newspaper industry.
Greenberg said he tells his students the
industry is changing, but he believes there
will still be a need for producing news content for people to read.
“Learn all the technology that you can
because as technology continuously changes, you need to stay on top of it.” Greenberg said. “Somebody who has mastered
rock solid basics and mastered technology
should be able to have a job.”
Reddick said Greenberg embraces new
technologies and is willing to make them
work for his newspaper, which has result-
ed in him winning more than two dozen
awards for writing and editing, most recently first place for a feature series in the
Indiana Associated Press Managing Editors
news writing contest.
Greenberg said he likes his job and
thinks it’s exciting to see where media will
be going, but he also encounters everyday
frustrations. One frustration is managing
the newspaper during a weak economy
“We just have to be a lot more careful
with how we spend everything.” Greenberg
said. “Nobody likes it whether it’s business
or your personal finances.”
Greenberg said even in the weak economy the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal audience is growing because the online version
of the paper has increased readership.
“We have more readers than we’ve ever
had.” Greenberg said. “I think our Web site
will continue to grow, as advertising shifts
to other areas we are developing.”
Greenberg said another frustration in
his career is dealing with people in a community who have differing opinions. He
believes that being unbiased is a way to alleviate that problem.
“I am very comfortable that we’re fair,”
Greenberg said. “If somebody doesn’t think
we are, it’s because they’re biased. Period.”
Wernsman said Greenberg is qualified
to be the editor of the Avalanche-Journal
because he has a passion for doing the
right thing.
“He puts the community first, he understands the value of free speech and he is
capable of inspiring his employees.” mc
(Brittany McBlain is a senior public relations major from Dallas. Sabrina Gonzalez is
a senior public relations major from Euless,
Texas. David Halloran is a senior photocommunications major from Austin, Texas.)
 Click It!
Visit www.lubbockonline.com to view the
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Web edition.
mc | 15
Honoring
Bob Condron
and
Dennis Harp
by Bruce Lamb
photo by Bri Crow and
Loren Lundgren-Wright
F
aculty, staff, students and family members came out to the Merket
Alumni Center to see two distinguished Texas Tech professionals
inducted into the College of Mass Communications Hall of Fame.
Every year the college honors alumni who have distinguished themselves
in mass communications and have specifically aided the educational programs of the college.
Bob Condron, a veteran of 13 Olympic Games for the United States Olympic Committee, and Dennis Harp, retired professor and associate dean in the
college with an academic career totaling 39 years, were honored at the 2009
College of Mass Communications Hall of Fame Luncheon.
Fame along with Condron. Throughout his many years at Texas Tech, Harp
said he has seen many great things happen. Those in the industry opened up
many opportunities for educators and students, said Harp.
“I would like to thank all the faculty for their support,” said Harp. “In all
the many years that I have been here I don’t know how many faculty I have
worked with, over 100 I know. I started counting one day and I just couldn’t
remember everyone.”
Josh Robinson, equipment manager in the College of Mass Communications, had Harp as a professor and also had the opportunity to work with
him.
“I had Dr. Harp as an instructor when I was a
junior at Texas Tech. He was a good instructor
who knew the ins and outs of the world of
communications —not just because he had to
teach it, but because he actually worked in it. ”
—Josh Robinson
“We can always bet when we send a resume
from Texas Tech, that person is going to get
extra consideration from Bob.”
—Dean Jerry C. Hudson
Nominations for the Hall of Fame can be made by any student, faculty
member, individual or group. Jerry Hudson, dean of the College of Mass
Communications, introduced the recipients and explained the criteria to be
selected. Hudson said recipients must have achieved significant levels of recognition in the person’s chosen profession, and also must make significant
contributions to the college.
Hudson said Condron has served on the college’s advisory committee and
national board for many years.
“Every time we call and ask him for something he is more than willing to
provide assistance for that,” said Hudson. “We can always bet when we send
a resume from Texas Tech, that person is going to get extra consideration
from Bob.”
A video montage was played with messages from friends and colleagues
congratulating Condron before he took the stage to accept the award. Terry
Taylor, sports editor with the Associated Press, said average guys are not put
in the Hall of Fame and Condron is not an average guy.
“Condron is the face for U.S. sports,” Taylor said. “Condron is the guy
that gets the job done, and we take you at your word because you are always
good to your word.”
Condron said he is not the first member of the family to be honored by
the college. Condron’s son Chris was also honored for his work in production.
16 | mc
From left: Dennis Harp and Bob Condron
Condron said it has been an honor to work around
people at the Olympic Games who want to be the best at
what they do and win the gold medal.
“Little kids and 10-year-olds in Paducah and down the
road in Hereford and Umbarger, where I used to live, get
their heroes from the Olympic Games,” said Condron. “I
am glad I am just a small part of that.”
Condron said while working with the Olympic Games
he had the opportunity to see some of the most incredible moments.
“I got to see Michael Phelps win eight world medals,”
Condron said. “Also, I got to see the dream team, the first
basketball team that the U.S. entered.”
Condron said his life has come into focus while work-
ing in the media and he is honored and thankful to be
inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Also inducted into the Hall of Fame was Dennis Harp.
Hudson said Harp was supposed to retire two years ago
and every year he would say “this is my last year.”
A man of many talents, Harp plays the fiddle and also
has a commercial art degree, said Hudson.
“The way that Dennis writes memos and when he
prints, it is perfect, it is something that you want to take
a step back at and look at,” said Hudson. “He would send
me these little memos printed out like that, and he is
the only guy I know that keeps up with technology that
knows the latest brand.”
Harp said he is honored to be inducted into the Hall of
"I had Dr. Harp as an instructor when I was a junior at Texas Tech. He was
a good instructor who knew the ins and outs of the world of communications
—not just because he had to teach it, but because he actually worked in it.
He was also the type of guy who cared about his students,” recalled Robinson. “Even after I graduated, any time I would see him out in the Lubbock
community, he would always stop and ask how I was doing and where I was
working. He always seemed genuinely interested in my career.”
Harp is past president of the Texas Educational Television Association,
associate director of educational relations for the International Television
Association, and served a four-year appointed term on the public media
panel, Texas Commission on the Arts. Harp also served 10 years as the Texas
Broadcast Education Foundation scholarship director.
“He was a great asset to the college, and I don't think this place is the
same without him,” said Robinson.
Harp lives in Lubbock with his wife Ellen, who is also a retired Texas Tech
professor. mc
(Bruce Lamb is a senior broadcast major from Sugar Land, Texas. Bri Crow is a
senior photocommunications major from
Austin, Texas. Loren Lundgren-Wright is a
junior agriculture communications major
with a minor in photocommunications
from Stamford, Texas.)
Click It! 
Alumni > Hall of Fame to see a
complete listing of former Hall of
Fame inductees.
mc | 17
Instructor, Photographer, Musician
by Britney Long and Molly Cook, photo by Joe Esparza
Foster grew up on a ranch in Paradise, Texas.
"If anything, the ranch really taught me how to work
hard," Foster said. "We grew up with a driven personality. I never was told ‘no you can’t do something because
of qualifications.’ It was always, 'Work hard at it, and
see what you can do with it.'"
Cummins said he is determined to see one of the Hogg Maulies’
shows and that Foster is an all-around talented man.
“It’s not fair that one guy could have all that talent,” said Cummins.
Chambers also said that Foster is a very talented person.
“He has done some amazing things already,” Chambers said.
“I get to do what I love all day, every day.
Not many people get to do that.”—Jerod Foster
A
fter he met the state photographer of Texas, who later became his best friend
and mentor, Jerod Foster, photography instructor at the College of Mass Communications, set out on a road that has led him to own businesses, partner in
another business, publish a book and have a successful band.
18 | mc
Foster said as a child, he was always interested in
magazines and color, but he did not become interested
in photography until his second year at Texas Tech. He
majored in agricultural communications and took a
photography class.
He said he was set to go to law school until he decided to introduce himself to Wyman Meinzer, the state
photographer of Texas. Even though he was not taking
Meinzer's class, he said he waited until after Meinzer’s
last class one day, introduced himself, and they sat outside the Mass Communications building at Texas Tech
and talked for an hour.
Todd Chambers, chair of the Electronic Media and
Communications Department, said Foster was one of
his students.
“I really respected Jerod as a student for what he
brought to the table,” Chambers said. “He is extremely
bright. He brought a unique perspective to class discussions. He did some outstanding work on his research
assignments. That’s where I really started to respect
him as a student.”
Chambers said he recommended Foster, who has a
master's degree from the college, to Dean Jerry Hudson
two years ago for a teaching position. Chambers said he
thought Foster would be a good asset to the college.
“He has really helped us connect with students interested in photography for three reasons,” Chambers
said. “He is very smart, and he knows about his industry, but he is also very approachable, and I think students can appreciate that.”
Glenn Cummins, an assistant EMAC professor, said Foster is a
great addition to the college.
“He’s an active photographer, so he spends a lot of time in the
field himself,” Cummins said. "That kind of experience is invaluable
in the classroom, and I hope his students recognize everything he
brings to the table.”
In October 2007, Foster and Meinzer published a book together
entitled “Inspiration, Texas Style,” that pays tribute to the scenery and landscapes of Texas. They paired photographs with quotes
from notable Texans about the things they loved about Texas.
Foster is also a member of a Lubbock-based band called the
Hogg Maulies. He plays lead guitar and sings harmony vocals. He
said they have toured all over the state and have appeared on the
Texas country music charts several times.
“He’s been photographing people around this campus and international figures, but his real passion is his family.”
Recently, Foster made a book especially for his grandparents.
The book is a compilation of family photographs and scenic pictures of their family ranch where Foster grew up.
Foster said he is very proud of the photograph from the book
that he took of his grandparents.
“That is one of my more proud photos memory-wise,” Foster
said.
Both of Foster’s parents are teachers and they encouraged him
to earn his master’s degree so that he could teach at the college
level.
Foster said he loves teaching because of the progressive environment a college campus has to offer. He said he couldn’t ask for a
better job.
“I get to do what I love all day, every day,” Foster said. “Not
many people get to do that.”
Foster said he is unsure of where he will be in five years, however, he hopes to finish his Ph.D. at the college, and publish his
own book.
“I see some more publications under my belt,” Foster said. “I see
my own book project.”
One project that Foster is pursuing is a conservation documentary of El Carmen mountain range in Coahuila, Mexico.
Foster and Sylinda Meinzer, Wyman’s wife, started a company
called Badlands Design and Production with this project in mind.
He said they spent nine days filming the mountain range, and
they are planning more trips.
Foster said he feels fortunate that he gets to pursue his passion
for photography as a hobby and a career.
He said photography is one of the most useful components of
communication, and that its practicality lies in the ability to tell
a story, or at least part of a story. He said his memories revolve
around the people and places that he has photographed, each of
which has a story to tell.
“It’s not hard to be passionate about photography,” Foster said.
“But the main thing is for me to show how practical this is, how
useful this is.” mc
(Britney Long is a senior public relations major from Midland,
Texas. Molly Cook is a senior public relations major from Midland,
Texas. Joe Esparza is a senior agricultural communications major
from Schertz, Texas.)
mc | 19
Zig Zag to Texas Tech
All the Right Words
by Christopher Martin and Erin Hawes
photo by Kasey Muth
by Megan Yeary and Karl Anderson
A
s the eighth grade champion of the Gray County Spelling
Bee, Mike Haynes learned just how far words could take
him.
At the regional spelling bee in Amarillo, Texas, he shook hands
with Wes Izzard, the editor of the Amarillo Globe-News for more
than 30 years. After shaking hands with the man who would become one of his role models, Haynes worked to build a journalism
career in the tradition of Izzard’s accomplishments in West Texas.
On March 27 the Panhandle Press Association inducted Haynes
into its Hall of Fame for his efforts, an honor Izzard also received.
“It feels weird because I see (Izzard) as kind of an area journalism legend,” Haynes said, “and I just don’t fit into that category in
my opinion.”
Haynes began his journalism career in 1968 under the byline
“High School Reporter,” covering local football games for The
McLean News in McLean, Texas. After graduating from high school
in 1969, Haynes attended Texas Tech for his bachelor’s degree in
journalism.
Haynes said the History of Journalism class taught by Bill Dean,
Ed.D., and Editing class taught by Harmon Morgan, Ph.D., helped
earn him the hall of fame induction by teaching him the basics of
journalism.
“(Haynes) was a bright, energetic person who was hard-working,” Dean said.
After graduating from Texas Tech in 1973, Haynes worked as
copy editor for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
Haynes said after he left Lubbock, he moved back to his hometown of McLean to run The McLean News, fulfilling his ambition to
be a rural newspaper editor.
20 | mc
T
After leaving McLean to work at newspapers in the Houston
area, he decided to return to West Texas in 1981 as the assistant
city editor for the Avalanche-Journal.
“The West Texas values and the slower pace compared to somewhere like Houston,” Haynes said, referring to what brought him
back. “I really like that.”
Haynes became the editorial advisor for the student newspaper,
The University Daily, and the yearbook, La Ventana, in 1983.
Roger Saathoff, Ph.D., an associate professor of journalism at
Texas Tech, said Haynes critiqued the student newspaper and yearbook to help the students make it better.
he path that lead Ann Rodriguez, advertising and public relations visiting professor and life-long University of
Florida Gator fan, to Lubbock is one with many zigs and
zags. She grew up in Gainesville, Fla., mastered the fast-pace lifestyle of New York City, and moved her family across the country to
Texas Tech University after signing only a one-year contract.
Rodriguez has a widely varied background. She has a bachelor’s
degree in advertising, an MBA, a law degree, and teaching experience in both public relations and sports media. Rodriguez said her
passion for so many different fields comes from her constant desire
to learn.
“The West Texas values and the
slower pace compared to somewhere
like Houston, I really like that.”
—Mike Haynes
“I think professors should be open to
interact with students because that
relationship is more important than
most people think."
—Ann Rodriguez
During his adviser years at Texas Tech, Haynes began a master’s
program in mass communications. He wrote his thesis on Wes Izzard, one of the people who inspired him to become a journalist.
Saathoff, who advised Haynes on his thesis, said for Haynes,
the process of earning a master’s degree in mass communications
involved writing a biography of a historical figure of significance in
mass communications.
“A historical thesis requires more time than a technical thesis,”
Saathoff said, “because you have to find the research.”
After earning his master’s at Texas Tech, Haynes moved to Amarillo to be closer to his family. He worked for a short time as a
reporter and editor at the Amarillo Globe-News, and still writes a
column in the Faith section every third Saturday. Haynes also took
a job as a journalism instructor and publications adviser at Amarillo College in 1991, where he remains today.
Returning to his roots as “High School Reporter,” Haynes recently co-authored the book “Pride of the Plains: 50 years of the
Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame,” a reference book he hopes will
expand sports knowledge in the
area.
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She went to school as an undergraduate at the University of
Florida, where her father was a professor, with her heart set on
making a career as an advertising copywriter.
“I was pretty well convinced that I needed to be in advertising
before I even got into college,” she said.
Rodriguez said she enjoyed her college experience at the University of Florida, which is evident to anyone who enters her office
filled with Gator memorabilia. However, after graduation, Rodriguez said she had a difficult time finding employment.
“I graduated and thought that I would move up to New York
City and make a career out of it,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez’s plans soon changed as she learned that her undergraduate achievements did not suffice, compared with other applicants.
“I had a couple of really good interviews with good agencies, on
excellent accounts, but I kept losing out to one person,” Rodriguez
said, “I finally had to ask myself what other applicants had that I
did not, and one agency finally told me that the person they hired
over me had an MBA and I did not.”
Rodriguez, who avoided the college of business as an undergraduate, applied to Boston University to receive a master’s in busi-
ness administration. She said things did not go according to plan
at first.
“I struggled through some of the business classes the first year,”
Rodriguez said, “but after that I stuck it out, and found out that this
was what I really wanted to be doing. When I was taking a business
law class I discovered that I had a real aptitude for the law.”
During her last semester at Boston University, Rodriguez made
the decision to apply for law school. Her intentions of doing so
were slightly different than most.
“Most people that I know go to law school to make money,” she
said, “I just really wanted to learn about the law.”
While waiting for her bar exam results, she began teaching business at the University of New Haven. After this experience, Rodriguez fell in love with teaching, but after passing her bar exam, she
decided to practice law.
She landed her first job working for a prestigious law firm, Debevoise & Plimpton, which was recently named law firm of the year
for trademark disputes by Managing Intellectual Property magazine.
Rodriguez represented many companies, including MetLife Insurance Company and Owens Corning, and gained a large amount
of experience working for different corporations.
“It was interesting because I was constantly learning about new
fields,” Rodriguez said. “When you have to work on litigation for
someone you learn a lot about
what they do.”
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About > Facutly & Staff.
mc | 21
S
ettling for living in a man’s world was not an option for Nelda Armstrong. This oneof-a-kind woman broke the mold and made a name for herself in the advertising
industry by becoming the first woman to open her own ad agency in Lubbock.
“God put me on this earth to be in advertising,” said Armstrong,
“because there was nothing in my life leading me here,” referring
to her background in accounting.
Armstrong was born in Gatesville, Texas. When she was 10 she
moved to Crosbyton, Texas. After graduating from Crosbyton High
School in 1954, she married and moved to Lubbock the next year
and on to bigger things.
Armstrong’s climb to success began in 1955 when she enrolled
in Draughn’s Business College. She said she was skilled in math and
English, and accounting had always come naturally to her, so she
also attended various bookkeeping schools and learned how to be
a successful accountant.
Armstrong loves what she does and prides herself in being honest and dedicated to giving good service to her clients, and her
peers think the same thing.
Jerry Hudson, founding dean of the College of Mass Communications, and a good friend of Armstrong’s, said he thinks a lot of her
success can be attributed to her honesty and dedication.
“I respect Nelda’s interest in higher education and her truthfulness,” said Hudson. “If she tells you she will do something, you can
count on it.”
Hudson said what has set Armstrong apart from other advertising professionals has been her ability to see the big picture, and her
special interest in helping her clients achieve success.
“God put me on this earth to be in advertising, because there was
nothing in my life leading me here." —Nelda Armstrong
Nelda
Armstrong
and her
granddaughter,
Brittany Hoover
One-of-a-kind
Woman
by Kendall Fadner and Merideth Murphey
22 | mc
After attending Draughn’s, Armstrong took a job as an office
manager and secretary at Buckner Advertising Agency, where she
first began learning about advertising. Having no official training
or education in advertising, Armstrong had no idea of the success
this job would lead to. However, when she became pregnant with
her third child, she left the agency to focus on her family.
She went back to work in advertising for Webster, Harris &
Welborn until her fourth and final child was born. Armstrong then
bought her own accounting business, but after four years and a
divorce, she sold it and went back to work for Buckner Advertising,
which then became Buckner, Craig & Armstrong.
Armstrong flourished there, but Buckner eventually left the
agency, and she did not always agree with Craig. Armstrong saw
this as her chance to branch out on her own. She already had credibility, clients, and experience as a business owner, so her own ad
agency was clearly the next step in her path to success.
Being a divorced mother of four, she made a risky move, but
Armstrong said she thought the worst that could happen is that
she would not make any money, in which case she would just find
another job. Fortunately for her she did make money, and in 1974
N. Armstrong Advertising was born.
Phil Price, another successful advertising agent in Lubbock, has
known Armstrong for more than 30 years and said he respects her
and the risk she took.
“It took guts for a divorced mother to step out of her security
and go into business for herself,” said Price, “especially in those
chauvinistic ‘mad men’ days.”
Armstrong used the name N. Armstrong so potential clients
wouldn’t know if she was a man or a woman, making it easier
to gain clients. Also, she chose to mainly work with family-owned
businesses whose focus was agriculture.
She said when she opened her agency she did not want to compete with other agencies or steal their clientele. If she is ever asked
to do an ad, but thinks another agency would be better suited for
it, she will not hesitate in sending the business to one of her competitors.
Throughout her career, Armstrong has garnered many honors
for her work in the advertising field, but she is most proud of her
nomination and admittance into the Texas Tech Mass Communications Hall of Fame. She takes great pride in this award because she
is one of only two women in the Hall of Fame.
“She was chosen to be a recipient because of her contributions
to the college in time, resources and personal involvement,” said
Hudson.
“I’m always surprised and honored when I get an award,” said
Armstrong. “It is a big thing to be in the Mass Communications Hall
of Fame and that still amazes me.”
Her advice to young people is to always dream big but keep
goals realistic. She has been instrumental helping young people
achieve their goals by providing internships to college students.
Armstrong has seven grandsons and one granddaughter, Brittany Hoover, who is a junior journalism major in the College of
Mass Communications at Texas Tech. “She has grown up with advertising, and I’m pleased that she is in the College of Mass Communications,” Armstrong said of her granddaughter.
Armstrong, who said she considers herself to be in good company when she is alone, never remarried, and since all of her children
are grown, she lives alone and works out of her home. She also
does volunteer work in the Lubbock community and her church.
Today, she only handles about five regular clients, and said she
does not feel the need to take on anymore than that. Although she
has lightened her load, she does not see an end to her work any
time soon.
“There isn’t another business you can go into and have more
fun,” said Armstrong, “and as long as I enjoy what I’m doing, I’ll
keep working.” mc
(Merideth Murphey is a junior public relations major from Southlake, Texas. Kendall Fadner is a junior public relations major from
Friendswood, Texas. Morgan Hall is a senior photocommunications
and advertising dual major from Duncanville, Texas.)
mc | 23
Parkinson's Legacy
by Rachel Daily and Shelby Sinclair
T
exas Tech University’s College of Mass Communications is preparing to say
goodbye to Michael Parkinson, Ph.D., professor of public relations and associate
dean for graduate studies.
Parkinson will be retiring with his wife Marie, who taught mass
communications law in the college, in August. They have been at
Texas Tech since 1999, but Parkinson said he is excited about retirement and their plans to move to Colorado.
“Right now I intend to start by sitting on my deck and watch the
mountains and do nothing,” Parkinson said, showing off a picture
of their future home in Colorado Springs, where he also attended
the Air Force Academy.
He is not retiring without leaving a legacy behind, however. His
fellow faculty members said that besides being one of the kindest
and most generous people they know, he changed the face of the
college by helping to found the doctorate program. Tech is now one
of 10 universities in the country that offers a Ph.D. for mass communication graduate students.
Jerry Hudson, dean of the college, said that Parkinson was essential to the development of not only the doctoral program, but
to the college becoming an independent college as well. To break
away from the College of Arts and Sciences, Hudson said they
needed to justify having a separate college, which necessitated a
doctoral program.
Parkinson, who is also an attorney, came to Texas Tech from
Southern Illinois University and began to assist by designing a curriculum, budget, admissions procedures and qualifying exam for
the doctorate, Hudson said.
“He really was the architect of our Ph.D. program,” Hudson said.
“He showed how we would best serve students. I don’t know how
he slept during that two-year period—it really was amazing.”
Coy Callison, department chair of public relations at the college,
knows from first-hand experience how important Parkinson is to
the university.
“Truthfully, Dr. Parkinson was the key component of a perfect
storm that resulted in us being allowed to award doctorate degrees,” Callison said.
“We would have meetings and talk about how we needed weeks
to get reports together and data gathered. We would come in to the
office the next day and find that Dr. Parkinson had done in a night
what we thought would take weeks,” Callison said. “In short, without Dr. Parkinson, I simply don’t think we would have the program
we enjoy now.”
With the backing of the university, a dean that was able to build
support, and Parkinson, the dream of having a Ph.D. program in
24 | mc
“He really was the architect of
our Ph.D. program. He showed
how we would best serve
students. I don’t know how
he slept during that two-year
period—it really was amazing.”
—Dean Jerry C. Hudson
mass communications came true in January 2005.
Having a doctoral program in mass communications not only
was an achievement for the faculty and potential students, but it
put the college on the national map in the field.
“Our first graduate class got jobs almost immediately,” Hudson
said. “People are impressed with our students. We measure our success by secondary information we hear from our peers. We have
been pleased with what we’ve heard.”
Kent Wilkinson, Ph.D. and Regents Professor in Hispanic and
International Communications, said that Parkinson’s contributions
to the credibility of the college and the university as a whole were
profound.
“It has moved our college to a new, more elevated category
among mass communications programs across the country. We
have more visibility within the university now as a separate college
with a doctoral program,” Wilkinson said. “Having our Ph.D. graduates out working in high profile tenure-track teaching positions or
at prominent organizations brings positive attention to Texas Tech
and the college.”
After having such a heavy hand in the development of the program and assisting in the graduation of the first doctoral students,
Parkinson said he is going to find it hard to leave this part of him
behind.
“I think I’ll follow the program after I go,” Parkinson said. “It’s
hard to be this invested in something and just walk away.”
Faculty in the college said they are sad to see him go and said
that while his administrative contributions during his time at Texas
Tech were huge, his daily personality and happy demeanor will be
missed as well.
“I think there are people who do things sometimes for self-gratification and self-recognition and he is not one of those people,”
Hudson said. “Everything he has done has been for faculty and
the good of the students. He has the respect and support of every
graduate faculty member.” mc
(Rachel Daily is a junior public relations major from Albuquerque,
N.M. Shelby Sinclair is a junior and a former public relations major
from Katy, Texas, now focusing on multi-disciplinary studies in education. Morgan Hall is a senior photocommunications and advertising
dual major from Duncanville, Texas.)
Michael Parkinson, Ph.D.
mc | 25
by Crystal Casias and Allyson Wickard
photo by Bri Crow
by Helen Kahl and Sarah Lewis
photo courtesy Lakshmi N. Tirumala
S
pending 45 days in a Malaysian rainforest was an unexpected experience for one Texas Tech University graduate
student.
Lakshmi N. Tirumala, who is working on his Ph.D. in mass communications, discovered that he was wanted by the Texas Tech Biology Department to help shoot and edit an educational film in
Malaysia.
Tirumala was a part of a group that journeyed to Malaysia this
past semester to research the diversity of insectivorous bats in the
Krau Wildlife Reserve. “We were there for about two months,” said
Tirumala. “We camped in a rural area by the forest, so there wasn’t
Internet or TV.”
He and the team filmed broadcasts, conferences and video footage, developing an integrated biology curriculum for about 250
fourth- and fifth-grade students.
Together, Tirumala and Tigga Kingston, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biology at Texas Tech, developed the concepts, and wrote,
directed, filmed and narrated the concept films and bat videos.
Tirumala said most of the trip was spent going into the forest
between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. and then returning to eat and possibly
sleep. The team would then start again at 7 p.m. and return to the
lodging around midnight.
“The fun part was in the mornings, because you get to see everything in the forest,” said Tirumala. “It was not as much fun at night
because you couldn’t see anything.”
Upon his return to Lubbock after the trip, and after gaining back
the eight pounds he lost while on the trip, Tirumala went to work
editing the 24 hours of footage that was taken in the Malaysian
reserve.
26 | mc
I
“It takes about an hour to edit one minute of video, so you can
imagine how long it took me to finish,” said Tirumala, laughing.
The educational video was a great experience for Tirumala, who
has aspired to be a filmmaker since he was young.
He further developed his passion for filming and video editing
while working as an associate producer and promo producer with
one of the leading broadcasting companies in India. ntelligent, responsible, fun and creative are just a few words
that describe Wendy Maxian, a graduate student in the College of Mass Communications.
Maxian is from Fabius, N.Y., a small dairy farming community.
She has attended several universities and has enjoyed every experience. Texas Tech, however, has proven to be the most welcoming
campus and community.
“The fun part was in the mornings, because you
get to see everything in the forest. It was not
as much fun at night because you couldn’t see
anything.”—Lakshmi N. Tirumala
“There are intelligent people who want to help
you achieve your goals, but you have to accept
the opportunity.”—Wendy Maxian
Tirumala came to Texas Tech in 2006 to pursue a graduate degree in mass communications, specializing in electronic media and
communications.
Todd Chambers, Ph.D., an international graduate student director, associate professor and chair of the Electronic Media and
Communications Department, said that he appreciates Tirumala’s
passion for electronic media the most.
“Since his arrival at Tech, he has wanted to help us develop
more opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students in
electronic media,” Chambers said. “He is always eager and ready to
participate in research and teaching activities.”
When the Malaysian research opportunity came along, Chambers, who has known Tirumala for three years and greatly respects
his strong work ethic and willingness to learn, didn’t hesitate to
recommend him to the team.
Kingston said that Chamber’s recommendation as well as Tirumala’s prior experience both in film and in travel helped him stand
out from all other possible candidates.
“Lakshmi is an excellent student who does a great job,” said
Chambers. “He has an outstanding ability to communicate and is
willing to help all types of faculty and students.”
Tirumala said the difference
he sees in his major compared
to other communication ma Click It!
jors, is the amount of passion Visit www.ttu-mbea.org/ to learn
one must have. He said if one
more about The Malaysian Bat
did not have enthusiasm for Education Adventure.
electronic media, there would
be no point in spending long
hours at the editing table.
Maxian began her academic journey at John Carroll University
in Cleveland, Ohio, where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications. After graduating, she worked at a coffee shop near
the university while she explored her options for her future. After
working at the coffee shop, Maxian worked as an enforcement officer for a child support agency. Maxian enjoyed her short term jobs,
but she knew that she wanted to pursue a graduate degree.
Maxian attended Cleveland State University to earn a graduate
degree in communications. While attending Cleveland State, Maxian worked as a teaching assistant.
“I realized I had a passion for teaching,” Maxian said, “and knew
that was the path I wanted to pursue.”
After Maxian discovered her love for teaching, she decided to
work on her doctoral degree. Maxian first attended Ohio State University. While studying there she met her mentor, Samuel Bradley,
Ph.D., now an assistant professor of advertising at Texas Tech.
“Bradley had an office next to mine, “Maxian said, “and that is
where our friendship, professional and academic relationship began.”
After Maxian had been at Ohio State for one year, Bradley accepted a teaching position at Texas Tech. At that time Texas Tech
was introducing a new doctoral program in the College of Mass
Communications and recruiting its second class of students.
“Bradley told me about the program and I decided the move to
Texas would be a great new experience,” she said.
The move to Lubbock was definitely a change of culture, however she quickly settled in and has grown accustom to the friendly
and laid back environment.
Bradley described Maxian as a very responsible, accountable,
and reliable doctoral student. Currently Maxian is the lab manager
for one of the college’s labs.
Bradley said she keeps the department and lab meetings on tar-
get with her outstanding organization and leadership skills. They
would be lost without her, he said.
While serving as lab manager, she also teaches Principles of Advertising and is a mentor to her students, as well as to her peers in
the doctoral program.
Maxian is currently writing her dissertation on how people respond emotionally to the media. In today’s world, most of society
relies and depends on their personal technology devices. For example, her study examines the emotional response of a person whose
cell phone was taken away or access to Facebook was blocked.
“Find something you are really interested in and research it.”
Maxian said as advice to students presented with the challenge of
writing a dissertation.
Wes Wise, a fellow mentor and doctoral student, said Maxian is
a good friend to confide in.
“Wendy gives a different perspectives of things, “Wise said. “She
gives different ideas about attitudes and thoughts about things.”
He said that she is the lab manager and is a good leader in the
absence of Bradley.
“Professionally and academically, she is a hard worker,” Wise
said. “I am happy for her that she got a position with Xavier, it will
put her closer to Cleveland where her family and friends are.”
Maxian recently accepted an assistant professor position in the
Department of Communications Arts at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she will primarily teach advertising classes. She
is excited to move closer to family and friends.
Maxian said if she could give any advice to undergraduate
students it would be to take advantage of opportunities and find
something they are really interested in, and learn everything they
can about it.
She explained that students have so many resources at the tip of
their fingers in a university setting, from coupons, work out
facilities, and entertainment,
Click It! 
to intelligent conversations
To learn more about our graduate
with professionals.
program, visit www.mcom.ttu.edu
and click Graduate Studies.
mc | 27
Dallas Scholarship Breakfast—Dallas alumni and friends hosted the third annual Dallas Scholarship Breakfast in April. Stan
Richards, founder and principal of The Richards Group, was the keynote speaker. The attendance and the funds the committee raised
for its scholarship endowment are quite impressive. Thanks to Mat Threadgill, principal of dib creative, and Jennifer Schuder, director
of marketing for the Dallas Opera, for their work on this initiative. Thanks to Linda Rutherford, vice president, public relations and
community affairs of Southwest Airlines, and Greg Davis, general manager of WRR Radio, for their corporate sponsorships.
2
1
3
4
Identifications listed from left
photos by Ian Halperin
1. Kirk Dooely, Kellis Dooley, Camille Keith,
Ralph Burns, Lucas Burns and Zach Burns
5
2. Mat Threadgill, Leigh Anne Haugh, Emily
Jones, Chuck Cooperstein and Jennifer
Schuder
3. Mat Threadgill
4. Keynote Speaker Stan Richards
5. Master of Ceremonies Emily Jones
6. Camille Keith, Stan Richards and Chuck
Cooperstein
6
28 | mc
mc | 29
Spring
2009
Photos
1
2
7
6
3
1. Andrea Rogers, Cindy Fluitt and Susan Simkins
2. Faye Kennedy, Dennis Harp, Ellen Harp and Hershel
Womack
3. Malcom Bordelon
4. Emily Bradley, Sam Bradley, Brandon Nutting, Ann
Rodriguez and Coy Callison
5. Greg Davis and Todd Chambers
5
4
30 | mc
6. Terry Greenberg, Randy Reddick and Bill Dean
7. Stephen Beasley and Phyllis Jones
mc | 31
Advertising to Hispanics
(continued from p. 12)
Texas Tech students can learn from the
Latinos who are chasing their dreams, Pantanini said. The goal for this culture is to be
passionate about their lives while accomplishing their goals. That passion, she said,
is what keeps people working and happy
for their entire lives, and she hopes Texas
Tech students find that happiness in the future.
People must have a passion for their career and should try to find a cause they can
fight for in that career to help stay excited,
she said, adding that she found a cause in
trying to discover the best way to advertise
to the Hispanic culture.
“Stick to what you’re passionate about,”
Pantanini said. mc
(Mia Walters is a senior print journalism
major from Ovilla, Texas. Courtney Ryburn
is a senior photocommunications major from
Midland, Texas.)
the opportunity to become quite familiar
with the policies and procedures of the
campus,” she said. “In fact, I have moved
from different positions during my career
in a conscious effort to improve my skill
sets and take advantage of opportunities
for advancement.”
Moreno’s passion for Texas Tech spread
through her genes and on to her daughter,
Lauren, who now attends Texas Tech. As
for her husband, Jaime, he is no stranger
to the Lubbock community. His blues and
classic rock band, Reverend Al and the Pythons, performs around Lubbock at local
venues. Although her daughter and husband share a love for music, they do not
perform on stage together, as Lauren studies classical music.
Moreno said she loves the social part
of her job. Working on upcoming college
events with donors and alumni is a bonus
feature of her workload. She said she enjoys the variety of experiences from each of
her jobs, which keeps her busy throughout
the year. mc
(Bailey Baker is a junior public relations
major from Dallas. Natashia Yezak is a junior public relations major from Bellville,
Texas. Morgan Hall is a senior photocommunications and advertising dual major from
Duncanville, Texas.)
Dawn of all Trades
“I truly enjoy the different people I work
with.”
Bridget Christopherson, the department
chair support staffer, described Moreno as
hard working, kind, and a patient individual to work with.
“I have worked with Dawn almost two
years,” Christopherson said, “and even
with her hectic and busy schedule she still
takes the time to help me when I have
questions.”
When not on campus, Moreno said she
enjoys being outdoors. Camping, cooking,
and working in her garden are among her
favorite ways to relax. She spends much
of her time gardening. She also cans vegetables herself.
Christopherson praised Moreno’s ability to cook, and said working in the office
next door she gets to reap the benefits of
Moreno's cooking skills.
“She is planning a big garden for the
summer,” Christopherson said, “and if we
are real nice maybe she will share some
goodies that come from that project.”
Moreno worked in the private sector at
one time but returned to Texas Tech because she enjoys working with students
and faculty.
“My 13-plus years of experience at
Texas Tech University have afforded me
32 | mc
All the Right Words
Haynes said he was honored to be inducted into the Panhandle Press Association Hall of Fame, and noted how humbling
it was to be mentioned in the same breath
as the other members. As a journalist and
educator, Haynes used West Texas values
to influence his decisions and the words he
wrote.
“I hope to transmit the culture and values of West Texas to the people who are
reading what I’ve written,” Haynes said.
“And on the education side,” Haynes
said, “to teach students to do that, plus the
other tenets of journalism, which is transmitting the culture of the area, the people
and also uncovering darkness and trying to
shine a light on it.” mc
(Megan Yeary is a junior public relations
major from San Antonio. Karl Anderson is a
junior public relations major from Georgetown, Texas. Morgan Hall is a senior photocommunications and advertising dual major
from Duncanville, Texas)
Zig Zag to Texas Tech
45 Days & Nights
Rodriguez started teaching a three-day
week after she gave birth to her first child.
She knew she could not raise her children
and keep working in the demanding hours
of a law firm. She also said that she did
not want to raise her children in New York
City.
“Education is the only thing that I can
do that combines all of my crazy interests,”
she said.
It is due to all of her extensive experience that Coy Callison, Ph.D., chair of the
public relations department, enjoys having
Rodriguez at Texas Tech.
“With her broad experience,” Callison
said, “she can bring another dimension to
our department that very few people can.”
When Rodriguez and her husband Roy
decided to leave New York, she got a job offer from Dean Jerry Hudson for a one-year
teaching contract in the college. Five years
after moving her family to Lubbock, Rodriguez is still teaching at Texas Tech, and the
faculty could not be more impressed with
her efforts.
“Of all of the faculty members I have,
she is the easiest one to schedule,” Callison
said. “She is always the person I call when
I need someone to fill in for a class because
she is always willing to take it. She never
complains, but she just takes care of business.”
When asked if Rodriguez would root for
her home team of Florida or Texas Tech if
the two ever competed, she hesitated to
answer.
“It would have been really difficult, but
I would have to root for Tech,” she said, “I
know who pays the bills!”
Rodriguez is currently working on a
number of different research fields, including law, litigation, crisis planning, advertising management, usability of university
Web sites, Native American mascot names,
legal duties of universities in educating
athletes, and Heisman PR effectiveness.
It is the interactive mentality and downto-earth attitude that keeps Rodriguez so
well-liked among the students and faculty
at Texas Tech.
“I am always telling stories in class and
most students like that,” she said. “I think
professors should be open to interact with
students because that relationship is more
important than most people think.” mc
Working hard may be an understatement for all that Tirumala has done.
(Christopher Martin is a sophomore
public relations major from Lubbock. Erin
Hawes is a junior public relations major
from Austin, Texas. Kasey Muth is a senior
photocommunications and advertising dual
major from Spring, Texas.)
I was completely cut out of
the world. But, if you have the
heart for the job, you don’t mind
that.”—Lakshmi N. Tirumala
Congratulations to Dr. Shannon Bichard and the students
of the Texas Tech American Advertising Federation student
team for their winning performance at the 10th District
competition in April. The team competed with other district
winners in the national competition in Washington, D.C., in
June and placed sixth.
“Students enrolled in public relations
campaigns, advertising campaigns, journalism reporting classes, and electronic
media and communications courses have
enjoyed the benefits of having Lakshmi
around,” said Chambers. “He has been the
one that faculty and students call on when
they need help editing video, creating a
commercial, producing a podcast or with
any other production-related project.”
For Tirumala, passion is the key to his
many successes.
“I worked hard for what I do,” said Tirumala. “I mean, I spent two months in a rural forest without TV, radio or Internet, I
was completely cut out of the world. But,
if you have the heart for the job, you don’t
mind that.” mc
(Helen Kahl is a junior public relations
major from Plano, Texas. Sarah Lewis is a
junior public relations major from Amarillo,
Texas.)
The 2008 Tech AAF team, from left, bottom row: Dailey Fuller, Laurie Umfleet, Matt Bush,
Lauren Filipski, Abby Spears and Kyla Butterfield. Middle row: Shannon Bichard, Sean
Couch, Lynn Lawrence, Stephanie Foster, Jennilee Wilson, Jason King, Morgan Hall, Sara
Thetford, Meagan Froehlich and Nicole Sever. Top row: Jerod Slay, Stephen Ayers and
Bobby Purnell.
Pursuing Passion
“No one should pass up an opportunity
to learn more about your passion or career field,” she said. “There are intelligent
people who want to help you achieve your
goals, but you have to accept the opportunity.”
Maxian was named the outstanding
graduate part-time instructor for the 20082009 school year from the college. The
award is a teaching award for those graduate students who "contribute to the teaching mission of Texas Tech University." mc
(Crystal Casias is senior public relations
major from Paducah, Texas. Allyson Wickard
is senior public relations major from Lubbock. Bri Crow is a senior photocommunications major from Austin, Texas.)
The 1984 Tech AAF team, from left, top row: Beth Walraven and Cheryl Habbe. Middle row:
Scott Santese, Andy Rowe, Ladonna Craig, Laura Eads, April Brock and Brent Landrum.
Bottom row: Jimmy Clark, Dr. Joe Bob Hester and Debbie Guthrie. Not pictured: Tim Sojka.
mc | 33
Book Man
“I always volunteered at my son’s
school,” said Schaller. “I volunteered along
with 21 moms. I cut construction paper,
I fake-baked. I would buy cookies at the
store and put them in sacks.”
When talking about his son, Schaller
smiles. He said his son is considering going to an Ivy League university as well as
Texas Tech.
“I have learned so much at Texas Tech,”
said Schaller. “I did not know I had this
much learning left in me. I did not realize
how much I did not know. That has been
the best part about being at Tech.”
Schaller was a lab instructor for News
Writing for summer 2007, fall 2007, and
spring 2008.
“I like teaching because I can help these
kids not hit a lot of the potholes in life that
I hit,” said Schaller.
Jessica Fajans, a senior public relations
major and former student of Schaller, said
he is dedicated to helping students.
“He helped me improve my writing
skills more than any teacher at Tech,” said
Fajans. Schaller made her more confident
in her writing, she said.
“He would always make you feel comfortable to write,” said Fajans. “He is easygoing and makes you work hard at the
same time.”
She said Schaller is down-to-earth and
inspiring.
Ashley Diaz, a senior broadcast journalism major, also had Schaller as a lab instructor.
“I learned a lot from him,” said Diaz.
“He helped me transition to print.”
According to Diaz, Schaller is always
willing to help.
“In order to go to Spain for the summer,
I had to have a scholarship,” said Diaz. “He
helped me proofread the article for my
scholarship and wrote a letter of recommendation.”
Though she is no longer in his class, Diaz
said she still goes to Schaller for help.
“He helped me narrow down my choices
for graduate school,” said Diaz. “He even
loaned me the book he used to study for
the GRE.”
“I can always count on him, as a teacher
and as a friend,” said Diaz. “I can text him
or e-mail and I know he will answer and be
there for me. Whenever he leaves Tech, I
know I can still count on him.”
Ann Rodriguez, a visiting professor of
advertising in the college, said Schaller
helps students get internships and get in
contact with people for jobs.
“He is really good at giving students
34 | mc
ideas and direction and helps them along
the way,” said Rodriguez. “Not a lot of faculty members do that or go out of their way
like Bob does.”
Both Fajans and Diaz still stay in touch
with Schaller.
“I never thought people would stay in
touch with me,” said Schaller. “I still have
lunch with former students at least twice a
week at Chili’s.”
Schaller said he also uses Facebook to
stay in touch with his students. But, “you’re
not going to see me (on Facebook) doing
beer bong shots in my bikini in Mexico,”
said Schaller. “If you conduct yourself as a
professional, you will be fine.”
Schaller has won several awards for his
writings. However, he does not like to attract attention to himself.
“I love being the guy on the treadmill
that nobody knows,” said Schaller. “If you
put something out there, put it out there
and leave it alone. If it is great, people will
tell you it is great.”
Some of Schaller’s upcoming projects
are books on Al Gore, Kanye West, and his
dissertation on Bill Gates, which he plans
to also turn into a book. mc
(Yackjaira Ruiz is a senior public relations major from Katy, Texas. Courtney Ryburn is a photocommunications major from
Midland, Texas.)
Olympic Interns
“The wrestling nationals are pretty
much the biggest event, next to the Olympic team trials and World team trials,” Myers said. “I am very excited to be a part of
the event, and meet and interview all the
talented athletes.”
Myers said some of the athletes she has
written about have gone through hardships, and now have become decorated
Olympic athletes. Her favorite piece was
on an athlete who battled leukemia and
epilepsy, and is one of the top athletes in
the country now.
“I loved hearing his story, it was so interesting to hear how he overcame all of those
obstacles, and is one of the best wrestlers
in the nation,” Myers said. “Stories like that
make your job worthwhile.”
Alison Baldridge, a senior public relations major from Celina, Texas, is also currently interning in Colorado Springs for
the USOC. Although both students attend
Texas Tech, they did not know each other
before the USOC internship.
Baldridge’s internship is with the USOC
communications division, handling media
and public relations. One of two six-month
internships offered in media relations, her
internship runs January through June. This
is her fourth internship, which she found
through Wernsman.
The different time periods of each of her
internships were valuable, Baldridge said,
and she got different experience in each
organization because of the various time
spent with them.
Buesseler Lectureship Series —The purposes of the Cathryn Anne Hansen Buesseler Distinguished Lectureship in Print Media are
to provide opportunities for students and faculty to meet nationally known print media professionals and to engage them in dialogue
relevant to current social, cultural and political issues.
1
“Learning how PR works on a
worldwide setting is important.”
—Allison Baldridge
She is a contributor to the “Olympic
Beat” magazine and wrote an article on
Nastia Liukin, who is the USOC sportswoman of the year. She has been working
on a media book for the 2010 Vancouver
Winter Olympics and writing athlete biographies and sport summaries for Olympic
hopefuls.
“I researched news articles from Beijing
until January, for our media guide here at
the USOC, and on the USOC Web site,”
Baldrige said.
“Learning how PR works on a worldwide setting is important,” Baldridge said.
”Once you get the connections you need to
keep them.”
Myers said that her internship has allowed her to network with many PR professionals who can help her get her foot
in the door after graduation. She said that
internships are very beneficial in making
professional contacts.
“Find something you really have a
passion for,” Myers said. “You don’t want
to be stuck in a job or industry you don’t
like.” mc
(Laura Hagen is a senior public relations
major from Houston. Breanne Koutekis a junior public relations major from Dallas. Alisa Hovland is a junior public relations major
from Houston.)
5
2
photos by Kristen Shaw
1. Dr. John Aure Buesseler, Ben
Sargent and Cathryn Anne Hansen
Buesseler
2. Cathryn Anne Hansen Buesseler and
Scott Pelley
3. Dean Jerry C. Hudson, Julie Moreno,
Ann Arnold and Don Flores
4. Faye Kennedy, Charles Kennedy and
Victoria Price
5. Mike Davis, Celia Davis, Linda Miller
and Bill Miller
4
3
mc | 35
Planned Gifts
A planned gift is a special gift for the future,
which is arranged in the present, usually
within an individual’s estate or financial plan,
but actualized at a later date, and provides
a source of financial support for the college,
while also providing opportunities for
individuals to achieve personal tax benefits.
$500,000 or More
Phil and Victoria Price
Ralph and Toni Wallingford
$200,000 - $499,999
Lucia Adams
L. F. (Rick) and Ginger Francis
Jerry and Sue Hudson
$100,000 - $199,000
Chris Wallace and Shane Edler
Michelle and Dale Turner
$50,000 - $99,000
Debbie Prost
Patricia and Phil Record
Lifetime Gifts
The following is a list of donors who have
made donations to the College of Mass
Communications totaling at least $5,000.
Contact Karen Jacobsen at karen.jacobsen@
ttu.edu if we have excluded the name of a
donor that should have been listed.
Diamond ($1,000,000+)
Helen Jones Foundation, Inc.
Emerald ($500,000 - $999,999)
Wayne C. Sellers Management Trust
Choc and Gin Hutcheson
Platinum ($250,000 - $499,999)
Lucia Adams
Sharleen Formby Rhoads
L.F. (Rick ) and Ginger Frances
Jerry and Sue Hudson
Gold ($100,000 - $249,000)
William Randolph Hearst Foundation
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Ramar Communications, Inc.
Jim Ferguson
Larry and Charlotte Franklin
George and Jeannie Irish
Wendell and Mary Jane Mayes
Estate of Samuel O. Montgomery
William and Mary Morris, III
King (Randall) and Pam Nelson
Silver ($50,000 - $99,999)
Annonymous Donor
In Memory of Miller H. Bonner Jr.
Dr. John Aure Buesseler and Cathryn Anne
Hansen Buesseler
36 | mc
Clint Formby
Will and Renee Jarrett
In Memory of Kelsey Kidd
Debbie Prost
Phil and Patricia Record
Billy and Avis Ross
Keith and Megan Samples
Stephen W. Spencer
Alex L. Wells
Brent and Lindsay Wilhelm
Whitni Zimmerman
Bronze ($25,000 - $49,999)
Association for Women in Communications
Amon G. Carter Foundation
Gene & Jerry Jones Family Charities
Chad Andrews
Fred and Vonnie Andrews
Clifton and Rosalie Bolner
Otice and Mary Green
Chris and Ann Kidd
Jonathan and Kyla Turner
Mass Communications
Contributors
The following donations were made
between November 1, 2008 and May 1,
2009. Contact Karen Jacobsen at karen.
[email protected] if we have excluded the
name of a donor who should be listed.
Bronze ($250 - $499)
Michael H. Asher, Inc.
The Price Group, Inc.
James Acosta and Jennifer Davis-Acosta
Patricia Ferrell
Lawson Kimble
Andrews and Emily Lamb
Jessica L'Ecuyer
Arthur and Carol Mayhew
Paul and Telea Stafford
Craig and Mary Turner
David and Holly Wainscott
Red ($10,000 - $24,999)
Burke, Mayborn Company, Ltd.
Lubbock Advertising Federation
Lubbock Area Foundation, Inc.
Nadel & Gussman, LLC
Larry Ackers
Netha Alsup
Larry and Nancy Beaulieu
Marshall and Margaret D. Formby
Camille Keith
Dr. Jim Kidd
Mary Kidd
Ray and Mary Moran
Molly Pattillo
Johnnie Penton
John and Gina Rafferty
Clinton and Audra Snead
Paul and Telea Stafford
Gordon and Charlene Stark
Joan Tucker
Ann Ward
Loyce Ward
Ray Ward
Tom Ward
James and Amy Wilson
Black ($5,000 - $9,999)
J. H. and M. L. Bryant Foundation
Charitable Gift Fund
Chevron U.S.A., Inc.
Franklin Family Foundation
Frank W. & Sue Mayborn Foundation
Southwest Airlines Company
United Supermarkets, L.L.C.
The Ward Family Living Trust
Watson Sysco Food Service, Inc.
Javier Aldape
Don Belding, Jr.
Mike and Celia Davis
Ray J. Diekemper Jr.
David and Ardele Garets
Gordon W. Hanna
Stephen J. Heyman
Lorene U. Kaiser
J. D. Leftwich
Patsy R. Lokey
George and Beverly McDuff
Eunice C. Mowery
George and Ann O'Dwyer
Barbara Richards
College Booster ($100,000+)
Helen Jones Foundation, Inc.
Wayne C. Sellers Management Trust
Randall "King" and Pam Nelson
Diamond ($10,000 - $14,999)
C.R. (Choc) and Gin Hutcheson
Platinum ($5,000 - $9,999)
Snead Charitable Gift Fund
Watson Sysco Food Service, Inc.
Fred and Vonnie Andrews
Clint and Audra Snead
Gold ($1,000 - $4,999)
American Academy Of Advertising
Creede Magazine
dib Creative Group, Inc.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Southwest Airlines Company
TracyLocke
Chad T. Andrews
Teri and Tracy M. Davis
Kirk and Charlotte Dooley
Richard and Cindy Flora
J. M. Frederick
Lynn Gilmore
Camille Keith
Charles and Faye Kennedy
Mr. William and Mary Morris III
O. Randal Roberts
Dr. Billy and Avis Ross
Kurt and Jennifer Schuder
Jonathan and Kyla Turner
Silver ($500 - $999)
Aars and Wells, Inc.
Lifeway Financial Corporation
SHW Group
Word Publications
Michael W. Aars
Michelle Bleiberg
David and Beverly Brunson
Milton and Mary Ann Edwards
Michael Guerra and Mrs. Jaime Guerra
Joe and Sally Hornaday
Duane and Nan Howell
Lester and Kay Jackson
William and Martha Justice
Chris and Ann Kidd
Bruce and Cynthia Ott
Tom and Kim Rice
Michael and Linda Rutherford
John and Betsy Striegler
Red ($100 - $249)
The Wilkes Company
James Andrews
John Beckerich
Ashley Black
Paul Bodenman
Jason Bolanz
Rebecca Bowers
Dr. Dorothy Bowles
Ennis Spence and Diana Brannon-Parker
Willliam and Christina Brown II
Edna Buddingh
Elizabeth Burnett
Billie J. Burrell
Kevin Caddell
Andrew Callis Jr.
Douglas and Anne Cannon
Ramon and Deborah Chavez
Robin Collett
Jesse Couch
Sarah Erp
Craig and Deborah Finlayson
Mina Fitting
Evelyn Freeman
Chad and Denise Garlington
Neil Garrison
Janice L. Gibbs
Joseph and Sheila Gorgonio
Christopher Gouge
Tim and Laura Green III
Charles and Julie Hickmott
Angela Humphreys
Sean and Natalie Johnson
Dustin Jonas
Larry and Kathy Kelley
Christopher and Jill King
Gene Kwan
Stuart Lang
Sheri Lewis
Lin Lofley and Kim Cobb-Lofley
William and Beverly Lowery
Jeffrey and Pamela Lucky
Heather Marrou
Bryan and LeeAnna Mask
Michelle Mayo
Wyman and Sylinda Meinzer
Jacob and Erica Miller
Sandra Pederson
Andrew and Regina Penney
Jason and Emily Phillips
Daniel Pobuda
Edward Porras
Michael and Debra Ratliff
Paul and Wonda Robinson
Elizabeth Roll
Jay Rosser
Rick and Rebecca Sales
Michael Ritzman
Cody Rubio
Dennis and Susan Sanderson
Mr. Nathaniel Schauf
Danny Seales
Jennifer Simkins
Ralph and Laura Simmons
Keith and Bridgit Sommer
Gordon and Charlene Stark
Bruce and Khristy Strange
Lisa Sustaita
Tyrone Thurman
Brooks and Melinda Tinsley
Greg and Charlotte Todd
Henry Tuck Jr.
Steven Weaver and Holly Bea-Weaver
David and Amy Weidner
Myrna Whitehead
Morris Wilkes and Dr. Kitty Harris-Wilkes
Ronald and Barbara Wilt
Black (up to $99)
Annonymous Donor
Sid Allen
Les Baker
Jeffrey Balter
Lindsay Barclay
Mitchell Bass
Brice and Cynthia Beaird
Shawn and Sally Best
Michael and Lynn Bingham
James and Rosalinda Blodgett
William and Susan Brooks
Amie Brooks
Brent and Lori Burns
Gregory and Janet Bustin
Christine Canales
Crystal Cole
Fawn Creamer
Raymond and Lorraine Crowley
Mrs. Byrdean Cypher
John DeJong
Douglas and Nancy Diebolt
Gavin Dillingham, Ph.D. and Megan C.
Clark-Dillingham
Gary and Susan Dixon
Justin Dove
Don and Jennice Fishburn
Jame and Kathleen Gaither Jr.
Chris and Angela Garcia
Tommy and Sandy Gonzalez
Gretchen Goode
Christopher Gouge
Kevin and Renee Grant
Randolph and Sindy Green
Eric and Laura Gutschke
Arnold and Lisa Halfmann
Danny and Katherine Harp
Greg and Cindy Heitzman
Hal and Gloria Helton
Kent Henderson
Brad and Alicia Hendon
James and Marcella Hering
Gloria Hille
Dennis and Kathy Hoelscher
Chris and Andrea Hooten
Elizabeth Howell
Joe and Leslie Ince
Scott and Erica Irlbeck
Brian and Lane Jensen
Dr. Ramnik Josan
John Julian, CHF and Heather Julian
Kevin and Renee Ketels
Gene Kwan
Wesley and Raychel Lowrance
Alan and Rita Mathis
Brett and Debra McCracken
Sam Monaco Jr.
Jaime and Dawn Moreno
Harvey Morton and Dr. Cathy Morton
Douglas and Rachel Naugle
Donald and Camille Owens
Rod Parker
Doy Perkins
Dwanya Pierce
Alysia Piffero
Michelle Pisecco
Travis and Kendra Plank
Ms. Leighanna Price
Andrew Rathwick
Richie and Debra Reecer
William Risen and Susan Mowery Christi
Risen
David and Linda Roehrig
Steve and Karen Rogers
Brent and Aleesa Ross
Dr. Billy and Avis Ross
Samuel Schaal
Darrell and Catherine Seeds
Richard Smith
Colby and Cara Smith
William and Jana Swart
Mr. Sean M. Sznajder
Edward and Monette Taylor
Christopher Torres
Nancy Farmer Varner
Robby Vestal
Savannah Walker
Donald and Laura Wallin
Michael and Tammy Webster
Angela Wennerlind
Keith Whiteside
Norris and Penny Wika
Arthur and Debbie Williams
Timothy and Robin Wood
LTC (ret) John Wright and Catherine Wright, Ph.D.
It’s Easy to Give
Texas Tech makes it extremely easy to
donate, and your money can be directed
any place you like. Go to www.give2tech.
com, select “Give Online Now.” It’s simple.
Several mass communications funds are
listed, and any amount is appreciated. mc
mc | 37
Box 43082 | Lubbock, TX 79409-3082
Celebrating Two of our Legacies
T
he College of Mass Communications has been very fortunate to
have two long-time employees who have molded the successful careers and lives of many students. Dr. Dennis Harp, associate dean,
retired in 2008, and Janet Wright, director of academic advising, will retire
in January 2010.
We would like to honor their loyalty and dedication with something appropriate and long lasting. We want to name one of the production studios
in honor of Dr. Harp and the director of academic advising office in honor of
Ms. Wright.
g
n
i
t
a
r
b
e
l
Ce o
TwLegacies
The naming right for each of these rooms is $30,000. The funds will also
expand the educational experiences for our students and provide additional
professional training for faculty and staff. If you would like to fund the entire
room, your name will be included on the plaque as the donor. You may pay
the pledge in three annual payments. If you make a minimum contribution
of $1,000, we will engrave a 12” x 12” black granite tile in your honor, with
your name, major, and year of graduation and permanently mount the tile on
the wall on the first floor of the Mass Communications Building.
Please visit our Web site www.mcom.ttu.edu and assist us in honoring
Dr. Harp and Ms. Wright. You should have already received the brochure
pictured at left announcing this initiative. Your contribution will make a
difference in the quality of education we provide our students. You also can
join the College of Mass Communications, Texas Tech University, Facebook
page to share your memories of Ms. Wright and Dr. Harp. We would like to
complete this project by Sept. 1, 2009.

MC (page 6) - Bob Schaller

Transcription

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