Advertising’s War on Terrorism: The Story of the U.S. State Department’s Shared Values Initiative.

Jami Fullerton, Oklahoma State University
Alice Kendrick, Southern Methodist University

Student Comments:
"Very interesting. Very smart. I had no idea any of this was going on, or that America was “advertising” in other countries. Because the commercials couldn’t be shown in the U.S., probably tons of people don’t know of America’s effort to improve its image overseas. Fullerton and Kendrick are smart in researching the acceptance and effects of the campaign."

"The ability to show the commercials discussed added a lot to the discussion. Input from the students was made very easy, very comfortable atmosphere. Interesting examples of campaigns."

"Informative. Good to see other side of Shared Values Initiative. Only thing that has ever been said has been negative."

The Television Newsroom

Ken White, news director, Fox Charlotte

Student Comments:
"Mr. White is awesome! Great speaker, funny guy!"

"He was extremely interesting and was able to show us what real life journalism is like."

"Ken White was very informative. He gave us good resume tips – like how to stand out to potential employers."

"Very informative. It put the entire application process in focus, giving us the sobering truth on how hard it can be to land the first job. I really enjoyed the talk!"

"Very well spoken, but also able to make the audience feel comfortable, like we were talking with a peer. Obviously knows the business!"

An American Experience:  The Principles of Producing Public Events at the White House.

Sara Wardrip Armstrong, director of the White House Visitors Office

Student Comments:
"I loved the fact that she is a USC graduate. The presentation was well organized. She did a wonderful job of taking us step by step through the Egg Roll event. It was interesting to learn exactly how the event is planned and executed. I really enjoyed hearing her speak."

"It is really cool she is from USC and works in the White House!"

"I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Armstrong’s presentation. She was a true inspiration for me because her job is ideal."

"This presentation was very interesting. I enjoyed listening to her talk about the White House Easter Egg Roll because it is something that I used to attend every year as a child with my family."

Do it with Style: Imagining the Black Female Media Consumer

Jennifer Fuller, Center for Women’s & Gender Studies at the University of Texas.

Student Comments:
"Wonderful! She did an excellent job of making me think out of the box and see communications in a new perspective."

"Highly interesting and informative! I could have listened all day! Dr. Fuller is a fantastic speaker and gave me lots to think about – as a journalist, consumer, and as a woman."

"She was a very interactive speaker (she spoke to us, instead of at us). This was a completely original subject for me. I’ve never thought about female consumerism, let alone black female consumerism. Especially interesting because she used examples that most women are familiar with (i.e., Sex and the City)."

"She did a great job in keeping my attention. I like how she was able to make her presentation about women in general even though her main focus was on black women as consumers. I loved how feminism and consumerism are tied together."

The Television Newsroom

Andy Still, News Director, WYFF News 4

Student Comments:
"I thought this presentation was good. He talked about what he looks for in entry-level applicants, such as passion/dedication and smart/well-read individuals informed on current events."

"Andy Still was a wonderful presenter. He has one of the best voices I’ve ever heard."

"I enjoyed this presentation very much. Mr. Still seems like an extremely nice individual, and he is a very interesting speaker. He offered several helpful tips on what he looks for in job candidates, and he summed up nicely the core values of journalism."

"I really enjoyed Andy’s presentation. He was very quick to the point and provided great tips on how to get where I’m going. He was also very knowledgeable on topics that pertained to what we’ve learned in class."

"Andy Still is a class act, knows his stuff, and has a great personality!"

The Life of a Network Journalist

Rita Cosby, emmy award winning tv host

Student Comments:
"Rita Cosby had some great stories to tell about her experiences within the journalism field. Her life is very inspirational to young people who are truly interested in starting their career in professional journalism. I-Comm Week is a great event to hold and very beneficial to all people within the journalism world."

"Rita Cosby’s presentation was very uplifting and her determination makes me want to put in the extra effort or step outside of the box in order to succeed in the career of my choice."

"Rita gave amazing advice to future journalists. My favorite advice she gave was to be a human first. She has had such an impact on journalism and America. I am extremely proud to be a student from the same university she graduated from."

"This presentation was a great experience. I enjoyed listening to Rita Cosby and I feel that her story was great. It has made me feel that this is the kind of school that I want to be a part of. She gave good insight on how being a hard worker can pay off."

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Cocky Award for Best Super Bowl Commercial

Matt Arnold, art director, DDB Chicago
Laddie Peterson, copywriter, DDB Chicago.
Patrick Knoll, creative director/vice president, DDB Chicago

Student Comments:
"The best part of this was seeing the absolute enthusiasm and passion these three people had for their work. I had no idea how involved the copywriter and art director had to be in the casting process, animation, and other details. It was really interesting to see the storyboards and various versions that were created."

"DDB is responsible for some of the most entertaining commercials of the 21st century in my opinion. I feel that it was a privilege for them to actually come to speak with us."

"I really enjoyed learning about the entire process of making a commercial. Every time I see presentations like this, I’m convinced that I want to go into advertising. I really like when we have actual copywriters come in so we can learn how they come up with the storyline."

Public Relations and New Media

Gordon D. Lambourne, senior vice president, global public relations, Marriott International

Student Comments:
"He was very informative and knows what he's talking about. It's fascinating exactly how powerful the 'new media' is becoming. It is interesting to see how Marriott is using the new media to their benefit. The Marriott CEO blog is extremely cool to me."

"I thought the comments on emerging media were interesting. I did not know Marriott was growing so rapidly, nor did I know how many different brands of hotels they own."

"Lambourne had some really up-to-date information, such as Obama and Virginia Tech massacre. It was interesting to incorporate new media with new information."

"Lambourne 's presentation was really good. I found it interesting that the CEO has his own blog site. I also found it interesting that he does not do it to commercialize business."

We're All Animators Now!: Animation and Its Growing Role in Interactive Media. 

Joseph Summerhays, Jacob Burns Film Center

Student Comments:
"The speaker was very knowledgeable and has a lot of experience. I enjoyed how he spoke about the effect of media production on us and the economy, not just about how media production works. I love his passion about the new changes in visual media. Because he’s been in the business so long, he really told the direction of media animation. The presentation was eye-opening."

"I thought the presentation was very interesting and compelling. The long-tail theory is motivational, and his public-speaking skills are very good—easy to follow and keeps audiences’ interest. "

"Very interesting. I never would have even known much of this let alone seen some of the YouTube links. Overall, it was pretty inspiring for the future. Funny. Very entertaining! Thanks."

PR Communications at an International Company

Larry Thomas, manager, Government and Industry - Americas, BP Shipping USA

Student Comments:
"It was very interesting because I want to explore the field of PR in an international realm. He really gave me a sense of how it works when working for a large international company such as BP. One of the best I-Comm week speakers I’ve heard over the past 4 years!"

"Very informative; helped me to understand that oil companies are not as intentionally evil as they are made out to be."

"Good insight into the different roles countries play in global community. Good overview of a mostly very complicated issue such as oil production. Great career advice!"

"Engaging Speaker! I was interested in all the different opportunities for travel in his job and in being exposed to a different perspective on the oil industry. The info about what he looks for in the hiring process was so helpful!"

Freebird: Creating Your Own Marketing Firm

Jacque Riley, principal, Riley Communications, Columbia, S.C.

Student Comments:
"Great presentation! Really interesting – I learned a lot about what it takes to open a business, which is something that really interests me. Ms. Riley answered many of the questions I had about entrepreneurship."

"I really enjoyed such a realistic, success story from a graduate. The presentation was very organized and really illustrated how a student can take classroom knowledge into practical use. She gave a very detailed overview of her personal journey and made the task seem challenging, but manageable with a skill set, plan and resources."

"Good organization, interesting, super, FANTASTIC!!!"

"This was an excellent presentation filled with practical advice applicable to any small business! I enjoyed it!"

Business Ethics, Truth in Advertising: The Ultimate Oxymorons?
Ed Wax, Chairman Emeritus of Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide

Student Comments:
"He kept the presentation interesting by showing ads that posed ethical issues, instead of mentioning theory and using a lot of jargon. Overall, he was a very good speaker and had a lot of insight on the advertising industry."

"Commanded attention of the audience – very knowledgeable and brought up interesting ethical situations."

"Great discussion of ethical issues in advertising. Certainly a thought-provoking seminar. Good use of visuals to compliment the discussion."

"He was very informative. I really enjoyed this; he raised many questions and ideas that were new to me. He makes you think!"

"Very interesting and honest! Could have talked much longer and I would be happy… Great choice of speaker!!"

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CMCIS Alumni Society Social

The College of Mass Communications and Information Studies Alumni Society gathered at Jillian’s on Wednesday, April 17, to meet other alumni in the Midlands and to hear about some exciting things taking place at the college.

The Alumni Society plans to continue having these types of socials for alumni. If you are interested in helping plan or host a social, please contact Elaine Taylor at etaylor@sc.edu.

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SJMC Honors & Awards Night

Students, faculty, family, and friends gathered in the Law School Auditorium to recognize the academic achievements of the School’s best and brightest students.

Awards were presented to outstanding seniors in the advertising and public relations sequence, the print and electronic journalism sequence, the visual communications sequence, as well as the graduate program. See winners and view samples of their work>

The 2007 Taylor-Tomlin Award for Investigative Journalism was presented to David Wren of The Sun News for his series "Investigating Five Rivers Community Department Corp." Read more>

SLIS Awards Presentation and Beta Phi Mu Honor Society Induction Ceremony

The School of Library and Information Science presented awards to students and alumni.

Kristen Lawson was the recipient of the Wayne S. Yenawine Distinguished Student Award, Travis Ferrell won the William M. Trafton Award for Leadership and Joyce Durant was named the SLIS Outstanding Alumni.

J. Drusilla Carter, Crystal Johnson, Kristen Lawson, and Susan McCarrell attended the awards presentation and were inducted into the Beta Phi Mu Honor Society by Dr. Nancy Zimmerman, national Beta Phi Mu president.

LISSA was named runner-up for the ALA Student Chapter of the Year Award for 2007.

Read more>>

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SLIS Grand Reception Honoring Awards Recipients

At the annual Grand Reception, students and faculty were given the opportunity to meet the speakers for both the Deans' Lecture and the LISSA Symposium in an informal setting, as well as toast to the efforts of the honored students.

Food and drink were enjoyed by all and provided a welcome repast between the awards ceremony and the Deans' Lecture.

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SLIS Deans' Lecture – Library and Information Science Education: Current issues and future trends

Ken Haycock, Ph.D., Professor and Director, School of Library and Information Science San José State University

Panel Forum – Responding to the Dean's Lecture
Moderator: Stephen Bajjaly, Ph.D.

Panelists: Fred Roper, Ph.D., Distinguished Dean Emeritus USC School of Library and Information Science; David Goble, Director of the South Carolina State Library; Samantha Hastings, Ph.D., Director and Professor, USC School of Library and Information Science

Read more>>

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LISSA Symposium on Professional Development
Web 2.0 and Library Applications Workshop

Shae Tetterton, Director of Collection Management Services and South Carolina State Library; Gerri Corson, Reference Librarian, Thomas Cooper Library; Robert Randolph Newlen, Author and Head Legislative Relations Library of Congress ; Robert Randolph Newlen, Head Legislative Relations Library of Congress, Erlene Bishop Killeen, Instructional Systems Specialist for Library and Information Centers, United States Department of Defense Education Activity

Student comments:
"Shae's presentation was very interesting, and gave me an overview of services I didn't even know existed out there. I've started reading some of the blogs she recommended, and they are a wonderful way to keep up with what is going on in the field of librarianship."

"I really enjoyed learning about Gamecock Powersearch. Not only did Ms. Corson tell us about the way this great federated search engine works, but she also gave us a good understanding about what is involved in setting up something like this in our own future libraries."

"Mr. Newlen's presentation on interviewing was invaluable! I especially appreciated the advice on how to answer some of the most common tricky interview questions, and the suggestions for questions we should be asking our potential employers in an interview."

"Dr. Haycock really hit home with some of his thoughts on the direction libraries are taking, and how to educate librarians to best take advantage of what the future holds."

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Our Alumni Society held its second annual I-Comm Week panel discussion on Friday, April 20, 2007 at the Inn at USC. The panelists were alumni from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications (SJMC) and the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) that included Allison Aiken, public information specialist with the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County and ’00 SJMC graduate; Russell Altman, director of information services at Haynesworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A and ‘95 SLIS graduate; Holly Fisher, electronic media editor of the Charleston Regional Business Journal and ‘05 SJMC graduate; Will Folks, president of Viewpolitik, LLC and ’97 SJMC graduate, Amanda Stone, reference librarian at the S.C. State Library and ’04 SLIS graduate and Shae Tetterton, director of collection development services at the S.C. State Library and ’00 SLIS graduate. The topic of the panel was “The Impact of Web 2.0” and the discussion was moderated by Caroline Love, general assignment reporter and weekend anchor and producer for Columbia’s Fox affiliate, WACH-TV, and ’06 SJMC graduate.