Morningside Connect

The Department of Mass Communication has been busy these past few months with a variety of events. Most recently, visiting Woodrow Wilson Fellow Ms. Eleanor Clift was on campus the week of April 11. In addition to her public lecture on April 13, she spoke to many classes, including Introduction to Mass Communication and the Mass Comm Capstone Seminar.

Student-run Fusion 93 KMSC Radio, 92.9 FM, recently hosted its annual Community Connection. During this daylong broadcast from the lobby of the Olsen Student Center, Mass Comm students interviewed representatives from many Siouxland area nonprofit organizations, providing those organizations with some much-needed exposure to KMSC listeners and to students, faculty and staff who happened to be walking by during the day. Mass Comm sophomore Taylor DeVary was the organizer of this year’s event, assisted by many KMSC staffers.

A new chapter of the National Broadcasting Society (NBS) has been formed on campus, with 20 Mass Comm students signing up as our first members. NBS also has a national honor society, Alpha Epsilon Rho, to which three graduating seniors have been elected: Derek Krayenhagen, Channing Pick and Jenni Theisen. Mass Comm Department Chair and Professor Dave Madsen is advisor to NBS.

In March, two Mass Comm students, sophomore Zach Schoenecker and freshman Derrick Curtis, attended the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System’s annual convention in New York City. They participated in several sessions designed to improve college radio stations, like our KMSC. They brought back a Golden Microphone Award for best play-by-play of a women’s basketball game, which was awarded to Mass Comm December 2016 graduate Jennifer Theisen. Dr. Mark Heistad is advisor for KMSC. He’s been on medical leave this semester, recovering from treatment for esophageal cancer. He’s been doing well, and has come to campus a few times this semester just to check in.

Also in March, students in Mass Comm finished up production of the local high school Quiz Bowl program in our MCTV studio. Two Mass Comm students, junior Jordan Heim and sophomore Rachel Potter, served as producer and director for this series of 15 half-hour programs which are produced in our TV studio, and then broadcast on the local ABC-TV station, KCAU-TV.

Mass Comm students have had a full schedule this semester of radio, TV and online streaming coverage of Mustang men’s and women’s basketball games, a softball game, a men’s volleyball game, and the GPAC Dance & Cheer competition. In addition, students provided online streaming for a Business Department “Entrepreneur in the Classroom” forum.

And students under the guidance of Dr. Ross Fuglsang continue to provide coverage of many events on campus for our online student newspaper, The Collegian Reporter.