E-ALERT - October 4, 2006

Dear Friends of the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies:

Football, fried okra and the coming state fair are three signs that fall has arrived. While we may not be selling candy apples or elephant ears, our college greets fall with very exciting students, programs and alumni happenings that we want to share with you.

Don’t like okra or elephant ears? How about…

"Rogues, Rascals, Nostrums and Hard Truths."

Gil Thelen, one of the nation’s leaders in multimedia journalism, promises an insider’s view of the newspaper business at the annual Buchheit Family Lecture, hosted by our School of Journalism and Mass Communications later this month.

Thelen says “newspapers have reached a tipping point--a crucial juncture between obsolescence verging on irrelevance, on the one hand, and transformation into vital, full-service, multimedia news, information and entertainment powerhouses.”

Find out more — including Gil’s “unforgettable Palmetto moments”— from the former executive editor of The State and recently retired publisher of the Tampa Tribune. The event is free to all students, faculty, alumni and friends and will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26 at Amoco Hall in USC’s Swearingen Engineering Center.

The lecture series was created in 2000 by members of the Buchheit family in honor of the late Phil Buchheit, former president and chairman of Mid-South Management Co. and former publisher of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal.

On The Road:

Sam Hastings and I will hit the back roads to Clemson on Thursday for the S.C. Commission on Higher Education meeting which we expect will give final approval to the School of Library and Information Science proposal to launch an undergraduate degree program in information studies. It would be the only one of its kind in the state. CHE’s academic affairs committee gave the proposal enthusiastic support last month. There are not many reasons to drive to Clemson, but this is a good one.

On the Ball Alumni:

Journalism School alumnus Jeff Romig is certain that information changes lives. In fact, he’s so certain that he started an organization last summer with the objective of creating civic awareness and involvement in communities by providing daily newspaper subscriptions to low-income families. Romig is surrounded by a team of supporters serving on the organization’s board - seven of whom also are USC graduates, and five of those are J-School alumni (Chris Winston, Jeanette Casselano, Jackie Poston McCoy, Amanda Ridley and Kaiti Bishop Wicker).

Journalism School alumna Emilie Whitaker and her mother, have combined their love of fashion with their love of Brazil by starting a jeans company, Beija Flor, specializing in jeans that flatter a woman’s natural curves. Read more>>

Journalism School alumna Holly Gatling spent time this August working at the United Nations as a non-governmental organization (NGO) representative on the International Treaty on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She was the NGO for the National Right to Life Committee Education Trust Fund. Read more>>

On Our Web:

The School of Journalism and Mass Communications has welcomed six new faculty members this fall. Read more>>

In addition to its new director, Dr. Samantha Hastings, the School of Library and Information Science is now the academic home of Dr. Jamie Naidoo. Read more>>

Four journalism students spent the summer in some very exciting internships at high-profile companies in Washington and New York. All four agree that their studies at USC prepared them well for these opportunities to get a head start on their careers. Read more>>

On the Calendar:

Did you know that it is currently National Hispanic Heritage month (September 15 – October 15)? We invite you to view the Hispanic exhibit of the South Carolina Center for Children’s Books and Literacy at the SC State Library.

Library School Associate Professor and professional storyteller, Dr. Pat Feehan, and Amanda Brewer, an aspiring storyteller and student of Dr. Feehan, will provide storytelling, singing and puppet shows for a series of three storytelling events to be held at The University Bookstore at the Russell House, beginning this Thursday, October 5 at 7 p.m. You can expect to hear a variety of stories including “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly.” The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Blaire Wicker at 803-777-4160.

Homecoming 2006 is fast approaching and we hope you are saving the dates November 3 – 4, 2006 for what will be a great Homecoming weekend hosted by your Alumni Society. Details soon to follow! For information on all university events scheduled for Homecoming 2006, click here?>>

If you have exciting news to share about alumni of either school, please e-mail Cindy Kellett, Director of Development for the college, at kellett@sc.edu.

More info about more things, as always, on the college Web site. If you have an address, phone, e-mail, job change and/or want to get involved with our Alumni Society, contact Elaine Taylor, Assistant Director of Development for the college, at etaylor@sc.edu.

Charles Bierbauer
Dean