Beach Reading
I took four books with me to the beach last week. We also
took eight grandchildren, ranging from nearly 10 to nearly
2, the latter being twins. So let's not set expectations
too high for what we actually read on vacation.
The point is that we set out to. We select things we'd like
to read that we might otherwise not get around to, books we'd
been putting off just for those rare moments of quietude (emphasis
on rare), and volumes we need to read before the start of the
fall semester. There can be as much excitement in the selection
and anticipation. I also picked up three audio books for the
drives, as we were going first to a granddaughter's soccer
tournament in Charlotte and then on to the North Carolina coast.
My wife had her own audio books. We didn't agree much on any
of them, so we talked more than we read. Vacations are for
catching up on conversation, too. Television, mercifully, makes
less of an intrusion on vacation except for a couple of must
see Gamecock baseball games.
 The
book I spent the most time with is Diana Henriques' The
Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust. Henriques,
the senior financial writer for the the New York Times,
knows well how to turn the stock market, financial intrigue
and Madoff's mammoth Ponzi scheme into a page turner. She spoke
to our business journalism students during Maymester. My encouragement
to aspiring young journalists and our students is to follow
the money, whether they want to write about business, politics,
entertainment or sports. Those stories and the need to report
them will always be there.
Two of my beach books were given to me by friends, a nice
way to explore stories you might not encounter. Dirty Secrets,
Dirty War by David Cox, who earned his MA in mass communications
in our program, is a recent book about his father's courageous
effort to report about the tens of thousands who "disappeared" in
Argentina because of their protest against the dictatorial regime. We
Band of Angels by Elizabeth Norman is about American nurses trapped on Bataan by the
Japanese during World War II. The subtitle calls it the "untold story," but
it's now told, and we should avoid that overworked cliche. I'm working on these.
I haven't gotten to the fourth, but I have until the start
of the fall semester when I'll lead a discussion group at this
year's First Year Reading Experience for all entering USC freshmen.
It's Colin Beavan's No Impact Man, the Adventures of a Guilty
Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet and the Discoveries
He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process.
The title alone tires me out. No impact yet.
There are, of course, always children's books in this grandfather's
travel kit. In various combinations of one or many, the children
and I laughed our way through Karen Beaumont's I Ain't Gonna
Paint No More! The clever and colorful book has been a
staple for years on Cocky's Reading Express™. We grant a special
literary license dispensation for "ain't" which the grandchildren, I trust,
would never use. Our other favorite is Adam Rex's Frankenstein
Makes a Sandwich.
Then we always tell the joke about why you can't starve at the beach because
of the sand which is there.
The really good news is that summer is far from over. Happy
reading.
Breaking News
Vis Com student Jake Williams makes key play
in
College World Series Championship
 Congratulations
to the USC baseball team and SJMC student Jake Williams on
the sweep of the Florida Gators to win the 2011 College World
Series in Omaha.
Williams, the Gamecock left fielder, is
a rising senior and visual communications major from Greer,
South Carolina. His perfect throw to home plate kept Florida
from scoring the winning run in the tenth inning of game one.
Way to go, Jake!
Alumni News
Alumna Leeza Gibbons Returns to TV
Distinguished alumna Leeza Gibbons, broadcast ‘78,
is returning to daily television as co-host of America
Now.
The daily news program features short segments on topics such
as health and beauty, finance, family and home. The program
is currently running as a weekly series from Raycom Media and
will continue to run on Raycom stations. Gibbons joins the
existing host Bill Rancic on Sept. 12, 2011.
Alumnus’ Comic Strip Series Featured in USAA Magazine
J-school alumnus Paul Jon Boscacci, advertising and public
relations ’94,
was recently featured in USAA Magazine for his comic
strip series, “Fort Knox." The strip, which
follows the misadventures of a military family, is featured
in the
Stars and Stripes newspaper and is syndicated by the
Writers' Group in 35 U.S. newspapers. Boscacci works on the
strip while also maintaining a full time job as creative director
for a software company in San Francisco, CA.
Alumna Named President of Chapman Cubine Adams & Hussey
Advertising and public relations alumna Kim Cubine ,’87,
was named president of Chapman Cubine Adams & Hussey. The
firm, formerly known as Adams Hussey & Associates, was
rebranded to reflect the changes in leadership. Cubine has
been with the company for 12 years and has worked on campaigns
for the political sector during her tenure. The agency provides
direct marketing solutions for a variety of organizations.
May Graduate is Fulbright Scholar
The School of Journalism and Mass Communications is being
represented abroad by a Fulbright Scholar for the 2011-2012
academic year. May graduate Tas Anjarwalla, who was also the
outstanding print senior in 2011, is one of five USC Fulbright
Recipients. She will travel to Turkey for her teaching
assistantship.
Alumna’s Work Contributes to Peabody Award for Broadcasting
Achievement
Sarah Chakales, broadcast ’07, was recently cited
for her contribution to CNN’s Peabody Award for Broadcasting
Achievement for coverage of the 2010 BP oil spill. The George
Foster Peabody Awards, begun in 1941, recognize distinguished
achievement to broadcasters, cable and Webcasters, producing
organizations and individuals.
College News
Cocky’s Reading Express Featured on ESPNU
Cocky’s Reading Express (CRE) has been featured nationally
on ESPNU’s SEC Weekly academic special, “Stories
of Success.” The segment highlighted how CRE was created
and its current mission and includes interviews with director
Kim Jeffcoat, MLIS ’97, and originator Tommy Preston.
CRE is a School of Library and Information Science and USC
Student Government alliance that encourages literacy throughout
the state. The program visits schools with Cocky and students
who bring free books to promote reading.
Watch the ESPN feature>
Alumni and Students Contribute to First Storyfest SC
The first Storyfest SC was held on June 4 with the help of
many School of Library and Information Science students and
alumni. More than 600 people attended this event to kick
off the statewide Summer Reading Program. Alumnus Brian McCreight,
MLIS ’93 was a featured storyteller, along with Suzette
Hawkins from Lexington Public Library. SLIS students Sarah
Barry, Brianna McCluskey, Jess Willis and Hampton Fuller
also read stories at the event, with help from Cocky.
Carolina Journalism Institute Update
More than 100 middle and high school students and advisers
attended the Carolina Journalism Institute June 8-12 at the
Carolina Coliseum. Work from each class will be included
in the CJInsider, a 16-page magazine printed by Friesens
Corporation, found on the CJI website, http://www.sc.edu/cmcis/so/cji.html.
CJI is an intensive five-day regional workshop sponsored
by the Southern Interscholastic Press Association, housed
in the University of South Carolina’s School of Journalism and
Mass Communications. Twenty schools from five states – Florida,
Georgia, Maryland, Ohio and South Carolina – were represented
at this year’s CJI.
Student News
Student Receives Newcomer Library Blog Award
SLIS student Zachary Frazier is the recipient of the Newcomer
Library Blog from Salem Press. Frazier is one of
10 contributing editors of the blog Hack Library School.
The blog was chosen from among eight finalists, with votes
being cast by the public and librarians from across the country.
His winning blog can be found at www.hacklibschool.wordpress.com.
First David J. Morrow Scholar Interns at Fortune Magazine
this Summer
J-school rising senior Josh Dawsey is working this
summer as an intern at Fortune magazine. As the first
recipient of the David J. Morrow Business Journalism Scholarship
he will also have the opportunity to speak at the Society of
Business Educators Worldwide (SABEW) conference next spring.
The scholarship was established in memory of David J. Morrow, ’83
J-school alumnus and former editor-in-chief of TheStreet.com.
David’s
sister, Beth Hammond, and SABEW created the scholarship to
honor Morrow and encourage students to understand how to write
and report on business and financial issues. Dawsey is the
editor-in-chief of The Daily Gamecock, and writes his own blog, Aynor
to the Apple at http://joshdawsey.blogspot.com/.
Upcoming Events
Help Send a Freshman Off to USC
My Carolina Alumni Association, along with local alumni chapters, is hosting
Freshman Send-Off parties for students entering USC this fall. Send-Off events
will take place throughout the country in the months of July and August and
alumni are invited to attend the events and show your support to our incoming
freshman. These events are for alumni, students, and their parents and
will give you the opportunity to meet current students and staff from the
Admissions Office, Student Affairs and Alumni Association. This is a
great opportunity to get involved in your area. Click here for the Send-Off
schedule - http://www.mycarolina.org/s/842/index.aspx?sid=842&gid=1&pgid=568.
Please contact Elaine Taylor at taylorm@mailbox.sc.edu for information.
ReadSC Seeking Nominations
 The
South Carolina State Library is requesting nominations for its annual book
award program.
The program, ReadSC, is part of the Library of Congress Center
for the Book, and is a collaborative project of the SC State Library, SLIS,
and the Humanities Council. It honors excellence in writing, teaching and
advocacy of the literary arts.
For more information or a nomination form,
please visit http://readsc.org/2011/06/07/nominations-are-now-open-for-the-2011-sc-center-for-the-book-awards-program/. |
