Resolved: 2011 will be better than 2010
There. That's done. Now we can take our chances on what this
new year may bring. I've never been one for resolutions.
Lose weight. Exercise more. Eat less. Sleep more. Work less.
Earn more. Figure that one out.
First, though, let's give 2010 its due. On balance, was it
all that bad a year? The University enrolled a record freshman
class. Enrollment in our college increased. We kept the budget
in the black, no mean feat in the face of overall budget reductions
due to decreased state support for higher education. We hired
new faculty and have, at least, been able to replace departed
faculty. Faculty research and grants have increased significantly.
We have two undergraduate Magellan research awards — one
in each school — for the coming year. We invested in technology
and rebuilt the television control room in the journalism school.
Our alumni wrote books and received honors. We created new
scholarships and fellowships. We traveled abroad with our students
and shared experiences beyond the classroom.
No, let's neither rue 2010 nor lament what we didn't get done.
Instead, let's redouble our effort.
Why, by the way, do we always "redouble our effort"?
Not that it's a bad thing. Twice as ambitious as doubling our
effort. Are we really Stakhanovites* in spirit? Back in my
days as a foreign correspondent, one of the old socialist banners
hoisted by the road leading into Moscow used to read, "Work
better today than yesterday and better tomorrow than today." It
was attributed to Leonid Brezhnev, who must have worked hard
to become Soviet party boss. The Soviet Union, however, calcified.
So let's redouble and not calcify.
Let's also not mold. In 2011, we're scheduled for a major
renovation of the HVAC system in Davis College bringing an
end, we trust, to its old mold problems. Meanwhile, we politely
nip at the heels of our friends in Public Health as they put
together their plans to leave the Health Sciences building
that we will renovate for the journalism school. Our timetable
is tied to theirs, so we are highly encouraging and only a
little bit pushy.
The university's capital campaign will get a big push this
year as it moves into its more visible, multi-year public phase.
Our college's focus will be on increasing our scholarship and
fellowship assistance to students, faculty development, the
SLIS literacy initiative and the SJMC building effort. We are
resolved to continue building the college, growing our students
in character and capability and reflecting on the pride we
have in our alumni. That’s not a bad resolution.
Have a great 2011.
*Aleksei Stakhanov was a Soviet
coal miner in the 1930s who set a record — mining 102
tons in a six-hour shift. Other workers were exhorted to reap
the rewards of working as hard as Stakhanov. Not all were thrilled
with the challenge.
Alumni News
Haley Names J-school Alumnus to Lead Commerce Department
 Robert M. “Bobby” Hitt, ’73,
has been named as secretary of Commerce by Governor-elect Nikki
Haley. Hitt is the manager of corporate affairs at BMW Manufacturing
Inc. He served as chairman of the S.C. Manufacturers Alliance
in 2009-2010 and has also served on the Centers of Economic
Excellence review board.
In 1987, Hitt received a Nieman Fellowship
for journalists, which allowed him to study for a year at Harvard
University, where he focused on management and law. To read
more, click
here>
College News
Cocky’s Reading Express Heading to Horry County
 Cocky and a cohort of Carolina students will travel to the
Myrtle Beach area January 3-5 for the annual Cocky’s
Reading Express road trip.
This is the fifth year that the
joint SLIS-student government effort has taken to the road
during the week before the spring semester to demonstrate to
elementary school children the importance of life-long reading.
If you are in the area and would like to meet and greet with
this group while they are there, please let Kim Jeffcoat (kjeffcoa@mailbox.sc.edu) know
as soon as possible.
You’re Invited to Join Dean’s Circle
Dean’s Circle is one of the most loyal groups of supporters
in the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies,
and we would like to invite you to join!
Members of the Dean’s Circle serve as college ambassadors,
committed to supporting needs within the college, which may
otherwise go unfunded.
Dean’s Circle supports our student competition teams
and Maymester classes, provides funding to send faculty members
to conferences, helps bring speakers to campus and supports
campus programs such as Cocky’s Reading Express. Members
are invited to unique events such as private receptions for
guest speakers including Kathleen Parker and Candy Crowley,
private tours of campus facilities, and meeting time with the
dean and school directors.
An unrestricted gift of $1,000 or more qualifies an individual
to become a member of Dean’s Circle. Gifts are tax-deductible
and individuals can be billed monthly.
E-mail Elaine Taylor (taylorem@mailbox.sc.edu) if you
are interested in joining the Circle!
Spotlight
Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Scholarships Aid LIS Students
By Chelsea Sullivan, SJMC student
School of Library and Information Science students have benefited
from the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Masters in Library and
Information Science Annual Scholarship Fund since 2005.
The scholarship offers current employees of the Florence County
Library System the opportunity to earn their master’s
degrees in library and information science. The scholarship
can also be used for professional travel and is recurring,
if needed. The board of the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation has
always shown a strong interest in the Florence County library
system and has worked diligently to keep it running effectively.
When foundation members noted the library system had a below
average level of employees with master’s degrees, they
created the $90,000 scholarship fund to cover the cost of several
degrees.
“This scholarship is unique in awarding an existing
employee the opportunity to advance his or her position and
earn a degree. It is essential that we continue to help libraries
advance employees into leadership positions,” says Dr.
Sam Hastings, SLIS director. “We are so grateful to the
Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation for their vision and understanding
of the needs of their community.”
Since his appointment in 1995, Bradley Callicott, the executive
director of the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation, oversees nearly
all of the operations of the foundation. “I like it
all!” he says. Although he has an accounting degree and
a strong business background, his work with the foundation
also includes governance, investments, grants procedures and
public relations.
Callicott adds that what the foundation does would not be
possible without the support and assistance of its partners,
especially the South Carolina Grantmakers Network. The network’s
mission is to promote member networking, foster collaborative
funding opportunities, and leverage the influence of grant
makers in their respective communities.
To learn more about the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation and
the South Carolina Grantmakers Network, visit their website>.
Spotlight
A Student’s Reflection on InterCom
By Adam Keele, SJMC student
As a senior, there isn’t much I haven’t seen or
done in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. My
classes have been positive, and I know my professors. I feel
prepared to become a leader in my field. I thought I’d
had the best of the J-school experience until I enrolled in
the class that produces InterCom.
It’s taught by Lisa Sisk of the J-school’s public
relations faculty. I’ve had classes with her before,
and knew she required precision and professionalism in my writing.
Sisk divided up potential stories among the 19 students. My
assignment was to find a time capsule hidden in the Coliseum
and report on its contents. I felt like I was chasing a ghost,
as its location was a mystery, but my research led me down
some interesting avenues. I talked with Dean Charles Bierbauer,
Dr. Bruce Konkle and others about the location of the time
capsule; they’d heard of its purported existence but
couldn’t pinpoint its location. They encouraged me to
contact Dr. Henry Price, a J-school professor emeritus and
alumnus.
After I interviewed Dr. Price and searched the catacombs of
the Coliseum, my quest for the time capsule ended. It was nowhere
to be found. This story had reached a dead end, but I still
had plenty to do for InterCom.
I looked to Sisk for help. She gave me another story instead:
the opening day activities of I-Comm Week VII in October.
 I spent a sunny afternoon with School of Library and Information
Science faculty and alumni, where I interviewed guest speakers
at events honoring the legacy of the late Augusta Baker. I
enjoyed the activities and acquired plenty of information for
InterCom and the website coverage of I-Comm Week VII.
Writing up my experience was easy, but it wasn’t nearly
the end. I joined my classmates in the process of re-writing
and re-writing again before our stories would be good enough
for publication
The design phase was next. Zach Sykes, a 2007 visual communications
alumnus, is a graphic design professional who was in class
with us almost every day. He shared his knowledge and helped
InterCom find an appealing and consistent theme. Under his
direction, students created the layouts that would ultimately
be our edition of InterCom.
As the semester ended, I looked back on all we had accomplished.
We had written for the print and online editions of InterCom,
as well as for the college’s website and monthly online
eNews. We learned how to shape our messages. My ability as
a reporter had increased tremendously, and I learned how challenging
it is to create a magazine.
InterCom showcases the people featured in the magazine and
also the quality of the students’ work. I know our alumni,
friends and the Carolina community will read an outstanding
publication.
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