Photo by Karl Lopez - Journalism

Photo by Karl Lopez
Letter from the Department Head
Table of Contents
A year ago, the department finally launched a new multimedia
center and multimedia program. Thanks to help of faculty and
staff, the launch was very successfully and I, personally, believe
we did the right thing for our students. Looking back, those years
that this department struggled, I didn’t expect to see this happen
this soon. As you all know, this made for a really exciting year.
There are so many good things I want to share with you all. We
hired a “Nieman Fellowship” recipient, Ana Lourdes Cardenas, as
our new multimedia professor, we launched Spanish News22 and
it became one of the fastest growing programs (Spanish News22
had a contract with Telemundo), we had our first “Alumni Event”
in March, along with a multimedia center open house.
These are just some of the good things we accomplished this past
year.
Hwiman Chung, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department Head
Journalism and Mass Comm.
New Mexico State University
One thing I want to say here is that our alumni are the most wonderful alumni. At our first alumni night, we all saw how much they
really care about this department and how much they are willing
to help us. They are all assets and will be big supporters for Journalism and Mass Communications at NMSU.
Keeping it in the Family..........................10
Alumni Spotlights...............4
Dynamic Curriculum..............6
Me, Myself & Mary Kay...........7
I am really excited to see what comes in 2014-2015.
Voice of the Student Union.....14
Thank you,
Hwiman Chung
Creating Stars.................15
They are still here...........8
Making Waves...................17
A look back at Milton Hall.....18
Intern to Sports Director......22
NMSU Journalism Faculty........24
If you would like to support New Mexico State University’s Journalism and Mass Communication program please visit:
journalism.nmsu.edu/donation
photo by Justin Bucher
Life through the Lens........19
Peter Kramer
Where are they now?
by Allison McCollister
Russell Lewis
As Sean McCleneghan
walked through Milton Hall
with Russell Lewis on his tail,
the two appeared to be a very
unruly pair. At the time, McCleneghan was department
head, and Lewis was a prospective student with long
hair and an earring, not typical of students in the 1980s.
After seeing the opportunities
of working with TV, radio and
newspaper media, Lewis was
ready to become an Aggie.
Today, Lewis is a morning and afternoon anchor for
KGW-TV in Portland, Oregon.
He has been a news anchor
at this station for 13 years.
Since his time as a student at
New Mexico State University,
Lewis has been a reporter for
KTSM-TV in El Paso, KVOA-TV
in Tucson, and KTXL-TV in Sacramento.
Lewis did not have the gut
feeling, as most journalists
do, that he was going to be a
journalism student. He always
enjoyed writing, though it was
not until his experience with
his high school newspaper
that he knew writing was his
4
The Scoop
niche. Lewis said the single
most important quality a journalist must possess is to be a
strong writer.
“I always tell students: If
you can write well, tell a story
in a clear and concise way, you
will always be able to find a
job in the journalism business.
When I come across one, he
or she definitely stands out,”
Lewis said.
He also said that choosing
words carefully and telling
stories accurately is crucial in
broadcast reporting. At times,
it is also important to be aggressive when appropriate,
and yet compassionate when
needed.
Lewis was born and raised
in Southern California, so having his first internship in Truth
or Consequences was culture
shock. It was his first summer
away from California, and it
was an interesting experience.
As a reporter, Lewis said if
he could choose any story to
report on it would have been
to have the opportunity to
interview Pope Francis as he
took over the Vatican.
Lewis said he believes his
time at NMSU was unlike any
other time in his life. His most
important lesson learned was
to work hard and to be willing
to sacrifice.
He also said that it is important to never pass up a
good opportunity to further
a career because there are so
many people competing to
have a job that someone will
take the opportunity that you
have turned down.
Chris Baker
Advertising has its rewards,
as one department alumnus
has proved. After 33 years,
Chris Baker is now publisher
of The Taos News, after a long
journey from being advertising director at The Round Up.
Baker said he strongly
believes that the demise of
journalism is greatly over-exaggerated, and
that journalism
is a satisfying
career in both
the best and
worst of times.
Baker
has
been the publisher of The
Taos News for
15 years. The
publication was
named the best
weekly paper in
2012, awarded by the Local
Media Association.
Baker is in charge of the
overall operations of financial
welfare, the five managers,
and advertising and circulation director. He also manages
the hiring and firing of employees, and attends to customer issues.
Baker, originally from Albuquerque, selected NMSU over
the University of New Mexico
and became very involved in
the campus through ASNMSU
and The Round Up. Baker was
The Round Up advertising director.
One of the advantages of
NMSU over UNM, he said, was
the choice of specialties he
could study. He made advertising his emphasis.
After his graduation in
1981, Baker went on to work
for the El Paso Times, and pursued advertising jobs in Arizona, California, Kansas, Texas
and Carlsbad.
Baker understands how
important experience is in
college and has personally
welcomed more than 25 interns from NMSU in the past
15 years, who
have
spent
their summers
with The Taos
News.
As
Baker points out,
Sean
McCleneghan was
a very important part of the
internship process. Baker said
McCleneghan is dedicated to
student success and wants
them to have internships
where they can discover if
they will be passionate about
the work they will pursue with
their major.
Baker said that passion is
the key to being successful.
He said students need to have
a drive and need to learn how
to channel their passion.
Baker said the most important lesson he has learned
is to not take life too seriously.
It is important to laugh, compliment one’s self and to understand how to write well.
“Even if a student does not
start out as a great writer, it is
important to strive to become
one, “ Baker said.
As a resident of New Jersey,
New Mexico State University journalism alumnus Peter
Kramer said if he had the opportunity to cover any news story from the past year, he would
have loved to cover the Chris
Christie “Bridgegate” scandal.
A small, family newspaper uncovered the story initially, and
Kramer said that this demonstrates that anyone can seize
the opportunity to be a part of
something bigger than themselves.
Kramer currently works for
John Kramer
John Kramer was not the
average New Mexico State
University student. By his own
admission, academically he was
far less than that.
Kramer said he immersed
himself in many social activities, but he paid for it when
it came time to graduate. The
semester he planned on graduating, he lived every student’s
worst nightmare — registering
for a class he remembers as being titled as “Entrepreneurship,”
and then completely forgetting
about it, a faux pas that forced
him to graduate more than a
year later than he and his family
had expected.
Vowing to turn that failure into an ironic footnote, for
the past 21 years Kramer has
worked as the vice president for
communication at the Institute
for Justice, a public interest law
firm, where each day he helps
entrepreneurs and other individuals plagued by government
the digital team at The Journal
News in New York’s Lower Hudson Valley. He writes about theatre, entertainment and social
media. He also writes for The
Journal News webpage lohud.
com. This website is a 24/7 news
site. Kramer is one of the top
theatre reviewers/critics in the
New York area. Among Peter’s
other distinctions, he is a voter for the annual Tony Awards,
which recognizes achievement
in live Broadway theatre.
Kramer attended Las Cruces High School and received
a scholarship to New Mexico
State University. He attended
NMSU with his brother, John,
who was also very involved at
the university. Both brothers
have become successful journalists and believe that NMSU
has helped them to excel in the
careers they are pursuing today.
Peter was not only involved in
academics, but he also served
as editor for The Round Up,
vice president of ASNMSU, participated in theater and was a
member of Theta Chi Fraternity.
Kramer said he was very influenced by his media law class
with Steve Pasternack, who he
believed was a very tough but
fair professor. He remembers
Pasternack as a wonderful professor in the journalism department, who died suddenly in
2005 of an infection contracted
in Rwanda. Kramer also said
that Sean McCleneghan’s public
relations class and writing for
all four years at The Round Up
helped to develop him into the
journalist he is today.
“Never say no,” Kramer said.
He said that flexibility and
looking at problems as opportunities is the best attitude
for journalists to have. He has
worked in news departments of
all kinds, ranging from business
to sports. He said that coding is
a very important skill to have.
It will give graduating journalists an advantage in the digital
world.
Kramer also said that being
an early adapter can be a very
valuable trait for young jour-
meddling in their private lives.
“I am able to come to work
and pursue work that fulfills my
philosophical beliefs,” Kramer said. “Perhaps that is good
enough for delayed credit in the
course more than 20 years ago.”
Originally from New Jersey,
Kramer has lived in New York,
New Hampshire and New Mexico. He currently resides in Virginia.
Kramer, the youngest of
nine children, came to NMSU
with his brother, Peter, who also
studied journalism. Their father
died when John and Peter were
two and three respectively,
leaving their mother, a schoolteacher, to raise all nine children on her own. Both brothers
said NMSU provided them with
the best education to suit their
needs, and they both knew exactly what they wanted to study
when they arrived.
Kramer was involved in everything from student government to Theta Chi fraternity
and, through that group, a vari-
ety of philanthropic and political activities.
After graduating with a
bachelor’s degree in journalism,
Kramer directed public relations campaigns for politicians,
corporations, educational institutions and nonprofit groups.
He said he always felt that
nonprofit public relations best
suited him because it allowed
him to help people through his
daily work.
Kramer’s advice for students
wanting to thrive in their careers is to learn to write and to
write well. He said he believes
“the better you write, the better you think, which will in turn
make you more effective in your
work.”
He also found a major key
to success in college by finding a mentor. During his sophomore year, Sean McCleneghan
was his mentor, and it was “Dr.
Mac” who insisted that Kramer
improve his writing skills. Having McCleneghan in his corner
was essential in leading him to
nalists.
“Change is a constant part of
life,” he said. Being able to think
ahead and to adapt to what the
people are asking for creates
the most valuable journalists,
according to Kramer.
As a journalist who is very
involved in the digital side of
news, Kramer believes that
journalism will never go out
of style. Many younger media
consumers read their news off
of cellphones, while older generations appreciate holding a
newspaper and reading their
news from that particular medium. While different generations
choose different platforms, the
consensus remains that every
person still loves a great story.
The best advice that Kramer
gave to NMSU students is always to have fun, and that the
Happy Hour at the Holiday Inn
(now the Ramada Palms) was
the best in the city.
“Journalism is fun,” Kramer
said. “But happy hour is more
fun.”
more competent writing and
launched him into a satisfying
career.
For students graduating in
journalism from NMSU, Kramer
said, “Fear not.” He confirms that
public relations is trending upward and expanding, while traditional journalism will always
need strong storytellers, whether in traditional print outlets,
television, radio or through social media. John and his brother,
Peter, are among the many hundred who will echo that sentiment as alumni of the department. — A.M.
Spring 2014
5
Dynamic Curriculum
Students adapt to the evolving world of multimedia
by Desiree Lozano
A
s the need for information
continues to increase, the
Department of Journalism
and Mass Communications
at New Mexico State University has entered the world of digital
journalism, offering courses in multimedia and computer-assisted reporting.
N M S U ’s
journalism faculty works to
incorporate all
forms of media
from traditional
to digital — and
students have
the opportunity
to write, edit,
record, publish
and
podcast
with the department’s new
multimedia
center.
“The main
trend is convergence in media,
for
example,
print media is
no longer just print,” Hwiman Chung,
head of NMSU’s journalism department said. “There’s online, videography, photography and the concept of
multimedia is converging all those
different areas into just one.”
In the fall of 2013, the department
added a required multimedia course
for all journalism students. Chung said
he wants students to gain experience
in all media to become well-rounded
journalists in the 21st century, and the
main goal for faculty is to train students.
In today’s constant exchange of
6
information, student journalists essentially have the world at their desktop.
The idea of digital journalism gives
students a wider range of opportunities not only to be more creative but
to also get published.
With multimedia courses and online publications, it’s much easier for
students to earn a byline. However,
learning the concept of multimedia is
much more difficult due to the wide
range of skills needed to be successful
in today’s media.
“Twenty years ago, people writing
for print didn’t need to do photography,” Chung said. “Today, students
have to know how to write, take pictures, edit, produce and get their stuff
published.”
Computer-Assisted News Reporting is one of the senior-level reporting classes offered in the department,
in which students are required to research and collect data for stories via
Ad Fed places in national competition
the Internet, but are also encouraged
to seek publication through traditional
media outlets.
In the spring of 2015, Computer-Assisted News Reporting will be renamed to Advanced Digital Reporting
to converge to the concept of multimedia.
Students in
the
program
produce
professional work
that can be published in The
Scoop, the student-run alumni
magazine
for
the department,
as well as The
Merge, an online magazine
for students in
the
program.
Students in the
course traditionally take their
stories to The
Round Up and
to area media
outlets.
The faculty continues to make
changes to the department with plans
to upgrade The Merge into a bigger
and better online publication in order
for students to publish their work.
“The goal is to publish a professional online newspaper for students only
if they produce professional writing
and videos,” Chung said. “The Merge
is like a training tool for students and
this newspaper will give students
credit for their published work.”
Chung said the newspaper, not yet
named, will launch in the fall of 2014.
­— D.L.
N
by Claudia Zarate
ew Mexico State University’s Advertising Federation competition
team took third place at the annual
National Student Advertising Competition held on April 5 in Colorado Springs,
Colo.
This year, the team captain was a business major, Kristin Montoya, 22, president
of the advertising club at NMSU, who participated with the rest of the Advertising Federation team members, as part of the NSAC.
“I like to work together with my team.
No one works for me — they work with me,”
Montoya said. “I figured that it was going to
benefit me in the future to join and be part
of the Ad Fed Club, and it actually has given
me more than that, and it’s more about the
experience now.”
The Ad Fed team is comprised of 10
students, who work under the direction of
faculty adviser and journalism and mass
communications department head, Hwiman
Chung. Chung is a member of the American
Academy of Advertising and has taught advertising at NMSU since 2002.
The Ad Fed team at the National Student Advertising Competition in Colorado.
The other members of the team were
Quinn Krieg, Alma Adriana Aparicio, Anais
Gomez, Matthew La Vey, Annalisa Carreon,
Chuanren Hong, Michelle Morales, Jimena
Antuna and Claudia Zarate.
Chung was in charge of the Ad Fed Club
from 2003-2008. Following a brief hiatus,
the competition team was revived in 2012.
Chung said of this year’s Colorado
Springs presentation, “At the competition,
they all did very well, and I expected to win,
but unfortunately it did not happen.” In the
tradition of the competition, remembered
by many alumni over several decades, Chung
said he looked forward to the next challenge
in 2015.
As part of their ongoing work, Ad Fed
has been working for local clients, and have
also created campaigns for clients throughout the state.
However, this spring, the group focused
entirely on the National Student Advertising Competition. Chung and the 10 students
spent much of their free time creating campaign ideas and preparing for competition.
Meanwhile, they also created and provided
an integrated marketing plan for direct-selling Mary Kay, the national corporation they
worked with. The slogan of their campaign
was “Me, Myself & Mary Kay.”
Ad Fed is an independent agency under
the journalism and mass communications
department, where students can actually
work for real clients through Ad Fed and get
compensations for their work.
“Those who don’t know about advertising and IMC [integrated marketing communications] may not understand how difficult
it is to complete a full IMC campaign for a
real client while they are working and taking 15 to 18 credits,” Chung said. “I am very
lucky to have these 10 students and to work
with them since 2012. These students are all
die-hard advertising and IMC students.”
Most of this year’s team is on the list
for graduation and the 2015 team will be
rebuilding for the next competition. Of the
2014 team, Chung said, “I personally believe
these students will be successful no matter
what they do.” — C.Z.
7
In case you were wondering,
They are still here
by Claudia Zarate
students know more things but fewer are aggressive
enough to achieve their career goals. They major in
journalism, but only a few will work with college media,
for example The Round Up, or our departmental media like News22, The Merge, The Scoop, Ad Fed.” McCleneghan said, following his many years teaching and
observing first-hand how education is rapidly changing,
“I think the main cause for students’ failure to work with
our campus or departmental media could be the terrible
state of our local and national economy that most Americans are facing today.”
McCleneghan has been teaching for 46 years, with
his college teaching career beginning at the University of
North Texas, then the University of Georgia, University
of Texas at Austin, Texas State University, Texas Woman’s University and finally New Mexico State University.
He first competed in a 1981 national search for a
new head of NMSU’s journalism and mass communications department that also carried the title of Director of
Broadcasting. In July 1982 he began working at NMSU.
He served as the department head for 12 years and returned to full-time teaching in 1994.
T
wo longtime professors, J. Sean McCleneghan and
Frank Thayer, have been working for NMSU and
guiding the evolution of the Journalism Department since the early 1980s.
McCleneghan has been part of the NMSU Journalism
Department for the past 32 years. Dr. Mac, as many call
him, has been a full-time professor at NMSU, teaching
public relations and many other courses. McCleneghan
has been the recipient of many awards and has authored
more than 80 refereed scholarly journal articles. He is
also in charge of all the paid media internships, assisting
751 journalism majors in earning more than $2.3 million
in student internships since 1983.
“After 32 years at NMSU, my observation is that our
8
“...my observation is
that our students know
more things but fewer
are agressive enough
to achieve their career
goals.”
- Sean McCleneghan
The other longtime professor, working for 26 years
in NMSU’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communications, is Frank Thayer.
Thayer began his career in Toronto, Canada, as
a journalism teacher and department head. After 11
years working as a journalism educator in Canada, he
almost matches McCleneghan in total journalism education years, at 39 years. After creating a journalism program at a new community college in Toronto, Canada,
and teaching there for over a decade, Thayer returned
to New Mexico, and came to NMSU to continue his education and obtain his master’s degree. Thayer earned
all three of his degrees at NMSU, making him an alumnus of the very department he teaches in today.
“...NMSU is the
only game in town,
and so I am happy to
do what I love, and
to live in a place that
has first place in my
heart.” - Frank Thayer
Canada, Thayer published three journalism textbooks,
numerous research articles and many newspaper and
magazine articles. He said he is also proud of a book
he co-authored in 2012, titled “The Aztec Incident: Recovery at Hart Canyon,” about a flying saucer recovery
in the Four Corners area in 1948. During his teaching
career, he was very much involved in curriculum development leading to the national accreditation of the
department, which was held from 1999 through 2010.
Thayer teaches 2-3 classes every semester, and he
also performs service activities for the department, and
continues to guide the publication of The Scoop, which
follows the motto: “produced by students for alumni.”
“I am a New Mexico native; I really want to live in
southern New Mexico and have my career here,” Thayer
said. “Since my chosen field is journalism and journalism education, NMSU is the only game in town, and so
I am happy to do what I love, and to live in a place that
has first place in my heart.” — C.Z.
Thayer served as department head from 2002-2008
and officially retired as professor emeritus in 2012, and
now teaches part time with concentrations in news
writing, editing, public opinion and propaganda. He has
worked as a reporter, photographer, newspaper editor,
advertising copy writer and public relations writer.
After many years of teaching and seeing how education has changed throughout his career, Thayer said,
“It does seem to me that too many courses today are
‘easier,’ meaning that it is easier to earn an A or a B,
which does not prepare students for the rigorous world
they face when they go out to work in their field. It is
still possible to find demanding professors, and some
majors are still more difficult than others.” Thayer said
that journalism is one of those difficult majors.
During his time in education, both at NMSU and in
9
Gabriela
Moreno
Tracey O’Neil
From left: Justin Banister, Angela Simental, Amanda Bradford, Jocelyn Apodaca, Julie Hughes, Isabel Rodriguez, Jeany Llorente-Ontiveros, Eddie Morelos
W
Jacinda H
inkson (r
ight)
Isabel Rodriguez
Journalism alumni working at NMSU
by Frank Ambriz
10
hen students of a journalism program walk on stage
during their graduation ceremony or receive their degrees in the
mail, they often see a future where
they work in huge chaotic newsrooms, anchor for a local television
station or travel the world covering
life-changing stories.
Few probably imagine themselves
working from a small office at the
school they graduated from, writing
press releases, coordinating events
or teaching other students. However,
that is what many of New Mexico
State University’s journalism program alumni are doing. Graduates
from all eras and disciplines of the
program now work at various departments within the university.
One popular destination for journalism alumni at NMSU is the department of University Communications.
It is a natural fit as these former students can put their journalistic skills
to good use for the university.
Journalism alumni who now work
for the department include Justin
Banister, Jocelyn Apodaca, Amanda
Bradford and Julie Hughes, a 1995
graduate who has worked her way up
the NMSU ladder to the position of
Director of Internal Communications
and Public Affairs.
Angela Simental and Isabel Rodriguez, who graduated in 2008 and
2012 respectively, are news writers
for University Communications.
Simental writes for the Department
of Agriculture and Rodriguez for the
College of Arts and Sciences.
“I also do a column for the Albuquerque Journal on the economic
impact of the research being done on
agriculture at NMSU,” said Simental.
“I worked on a story about [the
Creative Media Institute] and it
turned into one of the coolest stories
I worked on,” said Rodriguez.
Their stories are published in a variety of NMSU publications and local
newspapers, such as the Las Cruces
Sun News and Albuquerque Journal.
Outside of University Communications, one former student does
communications work for the College
of Engineering. Tracey O’Neil, who
graduated in 2009, works as the program coordinator for the college.
“I coordinate several different
events, including homecoming and
two robotics competitions for K-12
groups. I also work with the dean’s
advisory council and student development efforts,” O’Neil said.
While some find work relating
to their field at NMSU, others work
in areas unrelated to journalism as
instructors of varied subjects.
Gabriela Moreno, a 1999 graduate,
is an assistant professor of Spanish
for NMSU’s Department of Language
and Linguistics. Moreno was first
hired as an adjunct professor in 2002
and returned as an assistant professor in 2012, working specifically in
the Spanish for Heritage Learners
program.
“My main priority is teaching
Spanish courses,” said Moreno. “I also
take on an administrative role within
the program in which I recruit, advise
and mentor students and [teaching
assistants].”
11
Also teaching at NMSU is Jacinda Hinkson, a 2009 graduate of the
journalism program. Hinkson is a
part-time instructor for the Department of Agriculture and Extension
Education. She started out by filling
in for a professor.
“Because of my journalism back-
tant for the dean’s office at the College of Engineering.
“After a year of working outside
the college, a position opened up in
the dean’s office where I worked,”
O’Neil said.
For Moreno and Hinkson, they
returned to NMSU because they saw
“I know a couple of people who have graduated
from the program and I
can tell you they aren’t
having as much fun as we
are at their jobs.”
- Isabel Rodriguez
12
ground, last semester they asked me
to teach an [agriculture] communications class,” said Hinkson. “This semester I’m teaching an independent
study class where [students] put together a newsletter called the Bull
Sheet.”
There are many more former
NMSU journalism students working
at various departments throughout
the university. These include Milen
Bartnick in the Registrar’s Office,
Michelle Lebsock in Instructional Innovation and Quality and even Frank
Thayer, emeritus professor and fomer department head for the journalism program.
These journalism alumni have
varying reasons for returning to
NMSU. For Simental and Rodriguez,
working for the University was a
natural transition as both previously interned here. In similar fashion,
O’Neil interned as an editorial assis-
opportunities to work in areas they
were passionate about.
A former dual-major in Spanish,
Gabriela Moreno was already familiar with the Heritage Learners program and wanted to give back to today’s Spanish-speaking students.
“I feel an obligation to my students and to my community to give
back,“ said Moreno. “I’m so lucky that
I got this far in my education and it’s
my turn to help others attain that.”
Hinkson received her master’s degree in agriculture and extension education, a program her mother also
graduated from. She said she has always had a passion for New Mexico
agriculture.
“I grew up in an agricultural area
and it’s always been a part of my life
and passion, so it was a pretty natural fit for me,” Hinkson said.
While these alumni have entered
into various disciplines, one thing
they have in common is that they did
not imagine themselves working for
the university after graduation.
“It wasn’t really part of the plan
to come back here, but I saw an opportunity and I think it will serve me
well,” said O’Neil.
The rest of the former students
echoed this sentiment, as they all
feel NMSU has provided them with a
great opportunity.
“I think I was very fortunate to
be hired to work for the university,”
said Rodriguez. “It’s a really good
work environment and I get to learn
a variety of different things that I
otherwise wouldn’t be, working at a
newspaper.”
Regardless of their positions, all
of these alumni make good use of
what they learned during their time
at the journalism department. The
communication and writing skills
they acquired helped them in their
career pursuits.
“In the journalism classes, I was
able to develop my language and
learn to speak to people and feel free
expressing myself, ” said Moreno.
“When I came back to interview for
this position, I think what sold them
was how well I spoke in front of the
class.”
“Being able to write under deadline pressure is probably one of the
best skills I got out of the journalism
department,” Hinkson said. She currently tries to instill good writing
and communication skills to her students.
For Simental and Rodriguez,
working at NMSU has also provided
them with the opportunity to learn
new skills in addition to what they
learned from their journalism classes.
“We are learning how to do multimedia packages for print, online
and TV,” said Simental. “We didn’t
anticipate doing anything other than
print,” Rodriguez said.
The journalism department’s current emphasis on multimedia is a
relatively new effort. Like Rodriguez
and Simental, the other alumni were
not as exposed to multimedia as today’s students.
“Now with how quickly things are
changing and with how small budgets
are, you pretty much have to be able
to do everything. Back then, not as
much,” said Hinkson.
“It was something they were trying to figure out how to integrate into
the curriculum, but it seems like they
have come a long way since that started,” said O’Neil.
The program, however, was described as being varied and offering
many disciplines.
“What I really liked about the program was that you had a lot of options. You could pick and choose the
things you were most interested in,”
said Hinkson.
“We did a little bit of broadcasting,
radio, newspaper, magazine so we can
get a broad overview of everything,”
O’Neil said.
Working at NMSU has also allowed
the alumni to view the university
from a new perspective. Working with
students and departments outside of
journalism has allowed Simental to
learn new things about the university.
“As a student, I was so involved
in the journalism department that I
didn’t see what was going on at the
rest of the university,” she said. “You
get to see what is being done at NMSU
outside of a student’s lens.”
These alumni shared fond memories of their time with the journalism
department, mostly remembering
their positive interactions with colleagues and professors.
“I really enjoyed my time with the
journalism program because it was so
fun,” said Moreno. “When I got married, KRWG came and recorded my
wedding.”
“Dr. Mac and Dr. Thayer had a big
impact on how I went through college and my career choices later,” said
Hinkson.
Ultimately, it was the friendly and
familiar environment that brought
these former journalism students
back to NMSU. Being in Las Cruces,
on campus and around familiar faces
makes these former students feel at
home.
“I’ve always enjoyed the atmosphere [of NMSU],” said O’Neil. “When
the opportunity presented itself, I
jumped at it because I wanted to be
back on campus just for that feel.”
“It’s good to have a place were you
can feel comfortable,” said Moreno. “It
feels like home.”
These former journalism graduates are unsure of whether they will
be working for NMSU in the future.
However, they all said they made the
right choice and enjoy working for the
university.
“If I’m not working here in the future, I would like to work in an environment that is very similar to this,”
said Rodriguez. “I know a couple of
people who have graduated from the
program and I can tell you they aren’t
having as much fun as we are at their
jobs.” — F.A.
Isabel Rodriguez, a 2012 NMSU graduate, and Angela Simental, a 2008 NMSU graduate, working in their office at University Communications.
13
Josie Ortegon
From Left: Fernanda Teixeira, Heather Miller, Ana Ayon edit the design for an upcoming edition of The Round Up.
Voice of the Student Union
by Kyla Hollister
The Round Up has been a student-run
newspaper publication on New Mexico State
University’s campus since 1907, and is still
going strong today.
The publication is unique because it is
independent of the university and is 100
percent student run. The staff run their own
finances, manage their contract with printers, deal with editing, they handle their own
public relations and deal with billing; in other words, they are their own business. The
funding comes from advertising and working with the Associated Students of New
Mexico State University program.
The Round Up has seen changes this
spring, with more publications than in 2013,
a new design and higher readership.
“It’s important for college newspapers to
have creativity and do things that may not
be standard newspaper style. People want to
see something different every single time,”
said Jessica Cervantes, editor-in-chief of The
Round Up.
The Round Up recently moved to two publications a week, instead of just once a week,
as was the policy in 2012-2013. Tuesday is
the Culture Issue and Thursday is the Sports.
14
“We really did it to cover more interests of
the students. We wanted it to be hefty in their
hands,” said Cervantes, after getting positive
feedback of students wanting more.
The funding for this change hasn’t buried
the budget, thanks to newcomer Executive
Director Alexandra Von Wolff. NMSU has a
contract with a printing company that has a
set negotiated price for all NMSU publications. Von Wolff renegotiated a lower price
and also changed the format of the newspaper to be able to fit two publications into the
week within the current budget.
“Our budget is in conjunction with ASNMSU’s currently, but we are soon trying to redistribute student media’s budget to be independent of ASNMSU and combine KRUX
and The Round Up into one budget without
changing the budget as a whole,” said Cervantes.
In other words, there is a set budget that is
negotiated every year for ASNMSU groups,
and The Round Up will now be joining that.
The budget will be redistributed so that some
groups receive less and some new groups actually receive a budget for the first time.
To keep students involved and interested in
the paper and/or working for the paper, The
Round Up has set up schedules so students
who do not have time for part-time work, can
now work at the Round Up as a work-study
program in marketing, journalism, business
or another major if the student would like
to be a part of the paper. For the future, the
Round Up is trying to set it up university
credit for others who want to be involved but
can only participate if credit can be earned.
“Having a semester or two semesters of
work here can mean the difference between
getting a job when you graduate or not,” said
Von Wolff.
“There’s new technology, like social media, such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
and there’s so much competitive media. It’s
not just college newspapers; it’s going on
around the country,” Von Wolff said.
To compete, Von Wolff has said that The
Round Up is trying to go against a normal
newspaper format to attract people with
graphic front pages and visuals to mimic a
magazine format.
For future changes, The Round Up may
invest in new newspaper bins to be more
attractive and available to students so they
know where and how to get the paper.
—K.H.
Dan Martinez
Creating
Stars
Every year, News22 sends
some of its top students into the
world of broadcasting prepared
to further their careers and
add prestige to the student-run
newscast.
Both former and current students have taken the skills they
have learned at News22 to land
jobs anchoring and reporting.
Most recently, two graduates of
the program and three current
students began work at various
news stations in El Paso.
Monica Cortez graduated
in May 2013 after two years at
News22. She has gone on to
work at KTSM News Channel 9 as
a weekend weather anchor and a
multimedia journalist.
“This program introduces you
to the world of broadcasting.
You learn everything from how
to hold a camera to how to edit
your own package,” she said.
Mar Gonzalez is currently attending NMSU, working on both
the Spanish and English side of
things at News22. Gonzalez has
had various internships and said
the skills learned at both News22
Monica Cortez
by Iris Reilly
and the interships have prepared
her for any job that may come
her way. She used her skills as
a Spanish anchor to become a
reporter with “Sin Fronteras,” a
weekly show airing on Telemundo 48.
Josie Ortegon graduated in
December 2013 after three years
at News22. She is currently at
KVIA ABC-7 as a reporter for the
New Mexico Mobile Newsroom.
When asked about a favorite
memory, Ortegon recalled a trip
15
Making Waves
New funds lead to updated tech for student-run radio station
by Douglas Scarvie
K
to Denver with the Broadcaster’s Club, where the
whole group bonded and became “like a family.”
“That’s what makes News22 so amazing,” she
said. “You learn how to work as a team — production, talent, you’re all working toward the same
goal, which is to have an incredible show. Denver
reaffirmed that for us, I think. We all support, love
and trust one another. You won’t find that anywhere else.”
Zach Rael, a 4-year veteran of News22, is still
attending NMSU and has already started working
at KTSM News Channel 9 as a multimedia journalist. His hard work at News22 paid off when he was
given the opportunity to intern with KTSM and was
later offered a part-time position.
“Without News22 I would not be the journalist
or the person I am today. Everything I know about
being a reporter came from my experiences at
News22,” Rael said. “I’m very thankful to be able
to have done so much with News22. I didn’t learn
broadcast journalism by sitting in a classroom. I
learned it at News22.”
Dan Martinez is a current NMSU student whose
skills learned at News22 set him apart from other
applicants, and earned him the position as a weekend weather anchor at KVIA ABC-7. Martinez com-
16
pared his time at News22 to the world of entertainment: “It gives you a good platform to expose your
talents. It’s a stage for a starving artist to see where
they can go,” he said.
Many students, who have been a part of, or
are currently involved with the News22, program,
share this sentiment.
These students, both former and current, commend News22 for preparing them to take on the
competitive field of broadcast journalism. The
skills learned at News22 are proving to be a great
asset to all who pass through the newsroom doors
semester after semester. — I.R.
RUX, the student run radio station
at New Mexico State University, is
making big changes. The most significant change is the replacement of the
automation system used to broadcast at
the station. As it stands now, KRUX uses a
program called SAM Broadcaster, a broadcasting program that is mostly designed for
Internet radio.
In Fall 2013, a bill was passed in the student senate to provide funding to replace
the outdated system KRUX had been using
for the past few years.
Once installed, the new system WideOrbit will make KRUX the most technologically advanced radio station in the Las Cruces
area. Robert Palacios, the general manager
of KRUX, explained the impact this new system would have on the station.
“I think it’s important because it’s going
to allow us to provide a facility to students
that’s more applicable to the real world as
far as being up to date out in the field after leaving here,” Palacios said. “I’ve been
in radio long enough to know if someone
leaves here with the applicable experience,
odds are they will be able to get a job. It’s
real world application and getting the experience you need.”
As well as helping to provide a more upto-date experience for disc jockeys, WideOrbit will also make the station itself run more
efficiently.
“It’ll be a lot more smooth. This system
Robert Palacios, the general manager of KRUX, hosting a show.
allows the DJs to have more control and us
(the staff ) to have control over programming and daily music logs,” Palacios said.
“Currently there’s no rhyme or reason about
what goes on, and with this new system we
will have more control over that.”
Along with the station itself getting updated, a member of KRUX staff was nationally recognized in October of 2013.
Kylie Arrieta, the music director at KRUX,
received the “Best Taste in Music Award” at
the 2013 College Music Journal Radio Marathon in New York City. While there were only
five finalists in contention for the award, Arrieta was originally up against the music directors from over 200 radio stations around
the country.
“It felt really good,” Arrieta said when
asked about her reaction to winning the
award. “Just because my job is a lot to keep
up with sometimes and it felt really good to
know that people recognize that I am keeping up with everything and really want to
because I love doing it.”
This award is a great achievement for
Arrieta and the station as a whole.
“I think, for the station, it’s a great thing.
It shows that the station is on the map,” Arrieta said. “We’re a really small station so it’s
easy to be overlooked. To be recognized in
New York by name promoters is a big deal.”
KRUX continues to be the only alternative radio station in Las Cruces, and with
these recent improvements and accolades,
the station will only keep growing. — D.S.
17
A look back at Milton Hall
by Samuel Horstman
Built in 1941, Milton Hall
has seen many changes
throughout its 70 years on
the New Mexico State University campus.
The building, which was
once the first student union
for the university was named
after NMSU’s 12th president,
Hugh M. Milton II, and is
now home to the Creative
Media Institute, the Department of Journalism and Mass
Communications, the Teaching Academy, and the radio
and television studios for the
public broadcasting affiliates,
KRWG-FM and KRWG-TV.
“Milton Hall is still the
center of the New Mexico
State University campus,”
said Frank Thayer, professor
emeritus in the journalism
department. “Few in 2014
know that it was the center of
student life during the presidency of Roger B. Corbett.”
Before Corbett Center was
built, Milton Hall, in the late
1960s, provided everything
that students needed. The
cafeteria occupied the entire
south side of the main floor,
while the downstairs served
as the student union, complete with a bowling alley.
The center of the main floor
was the kitchen of the cafeteria.
The other areas of the main
floor were devoted to administrative offices and meeting
rooms, similar to what are
found currently in Corbett
Center.
In the 1970s the darkroom
was constructed and the
journalism department took
over Milton Hall. A dumbwaiter can still be found in
the west hallway of Milton,
where supplies were raised
and garbage lowered.
The wood-floored auditorium that now houses KRWGTV was once a ballroom
where all the university’s
dances were held. The former ballroom and the patio
of Milton Hall were used for
student registration.
The NMSU Bookstore was
located downstairs where
KRWG-FM now broadcasts,
and the other stairs led directly to the barber shop and
to The Round Up. Milton
Hall also housed the ASNMSU offices and the offices of
“The Swastika,” the campus
yearbook that was in existence from 1908 to 1983,
when the protest of a student
shut it down indefinitely.
In 1986, a statue of Milton,
created by artist Duke Sundt,
was presented to the university by the United Veteran’s
Council and other organizations. It stands between Milton Hall and Zuhl Library.
Nearly 50 years since the
journalism
department
moved into Milton Hall,
not much is left of the past.
Many students today are not
aware of what Milton Hall
used to be. The building has
advanced drastically and is
still making way for future
changes.
Some have suggested that
the building be demolished
to make way for a new structure. But with its rich history
and unique architecture, just
as many others say it should
be refurbished and remain as
a central building of the university. —S.H.
Life through the Lens
Adapting photojournalism to the world of multimedia
by Iris Reilly
Photo Courtsey of New Mexico State University Library, Archives and Special Collections
Milton Hall cafeteria circa late 1950s
18
photo by Samantha Lewis
19
Photo by Douglas Scarvie
From Left: Justin Bucher, Tabitha Rossman, Bruce Berman
Black. White. Middle gray. These words
have become the mantra of the photojournalism program at New Mexico State University.
Each semester, the photojournalism program continues to grow and adapt to the
newest ideas in media. Photojournalism professor Bruce Berman is working to prepare
students for the world of photojournalism
by teaching the mechanics and business of
photography.
“Students have to adjust to the real world
of journalism, which is intrusive by nature,”
Berman said.
The documentary photojournalism class
trains students to capture the world as it
appears through a camera lens. The best
photos each student takes in this class are
uploaded to the class website: nmsu.documentaryshooters.com.
A final project is required of these documentary students. Each student must create
a Blurb book that people can buy online.
“They don’t know what they can do until
they see that book,” Berman said.
Berman is optimistic about the future of
the photojournalism program and has terrific
plans for it. He plans to bring in specific partners from the professional world to mentor
students, put together a summer workshop
and have students participate in a major
newspaper’s college outreach program.
To ensure that students are ready to take
on the ever-changing world of journalism,
Berman has his students follow him on Twitter. They are required to interact about dif-
20
ferent photos and use social media as a tool
to drive photojournalism. “Social media,
journalism and business are linked at the
hip,” Berman said.
By teaching students the value of visual
communication in journalism, Berman hopes
to create photojournalists who are socially
aware and conscious of the world around
them.
“The mechanics of survival are important
to teach,” Berman said.
The world of photography has evolved
dramatically. From dark room to digital, the
photojournalism program has kept up with
the times. For Berman, it is important to
still teach the basics of photography with
film and dark room photography. The dark
room will be around for as long as possible
to keep a bit of nostalgia in a society overrun
by technology. It is also noted that modern
students are still excited by creating photos
in the darkroom — a facility that was established when journalism first moved into Milton Hall in 1970.
Berman has established the importance of
multimedia journalism since he first joined
the faculty full-time in 2008. He continues
to emphasize that no photojournalist will
make it in the field unless he or she knows
how to write. Each photojournalism project
will have some elements of multimedia journalism, and Berman will continue to push his
students in that direction. — I.R.
Photo by Karl Lopez
Photo by Phillip Sierra
Photo by Samantha Lewis
21
Edward Morelos
Intern to
Sports
Information
Director
Any opportunity to give back
by Brian Cordova
Opportunities of a lifetime aren’t always clear as day and it often takes someone to help open a door. That’s exactly
what Edward Morelos, assistant director
of New Mexico State University athletic
media relations, has done for student
interns.
Morelos, a native of Lordsburg, is
an alumnus of NMSU and graduated in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in
journalism and mass communications,
along with a minor in English. He welcomes students from the Department
of Journalism each semester into his office to give a rare hands-on experience
working live sporting events at NMSU.
The interns who choose to practice in
Morelos’ office are given the opportunity to conduct their own interviews and
write news releases and feature stories
for the university’s athletic website.
“I want to give the students the opportunity to have material in their portfolios and on their resume, where they
can go into an interview and be able to
say they have experience with this internship,” Morelos said “I know how
important it is to gain experience and
get articles published.”
Each year an abundance of students
search for internship opportunities anywhere they are available, with a modest
amount actually being able to get a firsthand experience in their field of study.
Sean McCleneghan, professor of journal-
22
ism, introduced Morelos to the staff at the
Office of Athletics Media Relations where
he landed a paid internship and eventually was offered a full time position.
Morelos said he was unaware of the
opportunities that McCleneghan had just
presented to him saying, “I didn’t even
know being a Sports Information Director (SID) even existed until I started my
internship here.”
During the Spring 2014 semester,
there were seven student writers who
could turn to Morelos at any time for help.
Often, students from previous years
stay around in the office because of the
insight that Morelos and the staff offer.
The students that choose to come back
are welcomed by Morelos and the staff
and are right back to work, lending a
helping hand when needed.
“Edward has taught me how to write
for sports. I was able to sharpen my
skills not only as a writer, but also with
computer software programs. I have
grown so much with the opportunities
that this office has presented, and I give
a majority of that credit to Edward,”
said sophomore student writer Gabrielle Munoz.
Over the years, Morelos has developed a large contact list of people who
passed through his office as student
writers or as volunteers.
As Morelos couldn’t put an exact
number on how many interns that have
worked with him over his 12 years with
the Athletic Media Relations office, he
believes there have been at least 40 students.
With iterns from various academic and industry backgrounds, time and
personal experience have taught Morelos
that occasionally things aren’t always going to go as planned.
Morelos spoke of long-time friend Eddie Groth, who inspired him when times
got tough. Groth, who had been in the
SID industry since the mid-1960s, left
an impression that stuck with Morelos to
this day.
“He knew this industry very well,”
Morelos said of Groth. “His sense of humor that he had was unlike any other, and
he would always tell me ‘Hey, don’t always
take things too serious.’”
The insight and knowledge he was
able to take away from talking with Groth
has stuck with Morelos to this day. When
issues and troubles occur in the office or
during a game, Morelos is always there to
help and willing to talk one-on-one with
an intern to help them better understand
a concept. The interns enjoy individual
time as they learn new concepts and programs every day, while Morelos gets gratitude from seeing the students excel in
fields they weren’t comfortable with and
continue to make progress.
“Edward is there to help me any time
an issue arises. He tells me to not get so
frustrated and just to not make things
more complicated than they need to be,”
said senior Ana Campos, who is the only
photojournalism student volunteer in the
office.
As the student interns promptly find
out, the sports overseen by Morelos and
his co-workers can quickly become overwhelming. Students often enter the internship with some journalistic skills but
no real world experience. For some, it
may seem like a very hectic work place,
due to deadlines needing to be met and
the talkativeness that runs throughout the
office, but Morelos is able to stay grounded and focused on his work, while helping
and lending insight to the interns.
“A student writer came into my office
last semester and I could tell he was shy
and hesitant because he didn’t want to
make a mistake,” Morelos said. “I now see
him as a worker. He comes into my office
and is eager to ask if I need help. He is
now experienced in areas like social media and Photoshop. To see people grow is
just awesome.”
Morelos spoke of onetime student intern, Stephanie Taylor, who came in with
a passion for writing and sports, but with
limited experience. During her time as an
Morelos with members of the NMSU men’s basketball team.
intern, Taylor was able to see how Morelos handled situations and learned how
to manage sports statistics programs. She
landed an opportunity to work as a paid
intern with the University of Arkansas
and is now back at NMSU with a full-time
position and is a co-worker of Morelos.
In the big picture, it isn’t only the student writers who are influenced in the
office by Morelos and the other staff. Morelos said he is truly inspired by the students each semester, as he is able to watch
students start off their internship with
little experience and develop into welltaught, intellectual human beings.
“I get inspired by these students who
come into the office that are excited about
an opportunity and are hard workers. It
inspires me to be better at my job and
what I do,” Morelos explained. “It inspires
me and lets me know I need to continue
to push and keep learning, myself.”
Morelos said he believes anything is
possible in life, given motivation and the
right attitude. Student interns are always
going to be nervous because, oftentimes,
it is their first real shot at showing off
their skills, working live sporting events
and being able to learn the insights from
the veterans in the industry. Morelos said
that being able to watch the students grow
with experience and actually take away
knowledge from the semester-long internship would always bring him joy.
“When I was growing up I wanted to
be a teacher, and in a sense I get to be a
teacher doing this with the students,”
Morelos said. “I get to teach students the
necessary skills they would use in the real
world. It gives me the feeling of being a
teacher by helping students grow.” — B.C.
23
The Scoop Staff
The Faculty of NMSU Journalism
“My favorite part of
NMSU involves our
students. Many of
them are first generation college students.
They are not afraid to
compete.”
“My favorite part
of the university
is the environment of potential
that leaves each
student with the
sense that any
achievement
dreamed can be
realized.”
- Sean McCleneghan
Sean McCleneghan
- Frank Thayer
Bruce Berman
Frank Thayer
Nick Miller
From left: Samuel Horstman, Dana Beasley, Douglas Scarvie, Allison McCollister, Frank Ambriz, Kyla Hollister, Frank Thayer, Claudia Zarate, Iris Reilly
Credits
Pamela Porter
Roger Mellen
“The Spanish heritage both here and within the
larger community adds a great deal of flavor
and has made being here a wonderful experience.” - Roger Mellen
Mary Lamonica
“I think our journalism and mass communications
students are among the best — they are interested in
current events, engage in meaningful discussions and
produce news stories and images that inform the campus and community.” - Pamela Porter
“My favorite
part of NMSU
is working
with diverse
students.”
WRITERS:
EDITOR:
DESIGNER:
FACULTY ADVISER:
Brian Cordova
Kyla Hollister
Samuel Horstman
Desiree Lozano
Iris Reilly
Douglas Scarvie
Claudia Zarate
Dana Beasley
Frank Ambriz
Frank Thayer
ASSISTANT EDITOR:
Allison McCollister
Produced by Students for Alumni
- Hwiman
Chung
Chris Faivre
Ana Cardenas
I love to see the students walking, biking or skateboarding
to their classes. It is simple, but I love it.” - Ana Cardenas
24
The Scoop 2014
Hwiman Chung
“What is my
favorite part
about NMSU? Its
cultural diversity
and its weather —
WHETHER you
like it or not!”
- Pedro Villagrana
New Mexico State University
Department of Journalism
and Mass Communications
Box 30001, Dept. 3J
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003
“NMSU
students and
faculty are kind
and friendly....
I think they are
the greatest!”
- Nancy Howell
Pedro Villagrana
Nancy Howell
NMSU
Non-profit organization
US postage paid-permit #162
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001