College News

Diet Pepsi Max Wins Fifth Annual Ad Bowl

The Giants won the Super Bowl and the ad refs made their call — Diet Pepsi Max won best overall Super Bowl commercial in the 2008 Ad Bowl Poll. Our School of Journalism and Mass Communications hosted the annual Super Bowl advertising rating that combines academics and football fun. Professor Bonnie Drewniany's Honors College Super Bowl Advertising class gathered for the big game at Ifra Newsplex, our converged newsroom, on February 3. To watch the winning commercial and see more photos from the event, visit our homepage.

Bateman Teams Have Eyes on Detroit

Our School of Journalism and Mass Communications Bateman teams are clicked into this year's competition sponsored by PRSSA, the Public Relations Student Society of America. This year their client is Buckle Up Safe Kids sponsored by Chevrolet/General Motors. We have three teams of five students each in this year's competition. If chosen as one of the three finalists nationwide, the Bateman teams will travel to Detroit in May to present at General Motors Headquarters. Our Bateman program, now under Jeff Ranta's direction, has won national championships in 2002, 2004 and 2006. Past clients have included Kontiki Travel, Ford Motor Credit and Habitat for Humanity/DIY network.

New SLIS Faculty Member

Dr. Ron T. Brown joined the School of Library and Information Science faculty as an assistant professor last month. Brown received his Ph.D. in Information and Library Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2007. He also received both his Master of Information Science and his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematical Science from UNC-Chapel Hill. Dr. Brown's research interests are in information seeking and the use of online video.

The Carolina Agency Gains Nationally Affiliated PR Status

The Carolina Agency, a student-run advertising and public relations agency, was recently recognized by the Public Relations Student Society of America as one of only about a dozen Nationally Affiliated student-run public relations agencies. "This is a great honor for TCA because it means that they are in full compliance with the rules and regulations of a student run advertising and public relations firm and, more significantly, means that PRSA can refer some national client business to us," said TCA faculty advisor and Carolina alumnus Jeff Ranta.

Michelle Obama Gets Aboard Cocky's Reading Express

The eager 4-year-olds at the University of South Carolina's Child Care Center ignored the campaign cameras and focused on Michelle Obama, who read two books to them as their parents, South Carolina faculty and the media looked on during the pre-primary visit. In this setting, Obama was more the mother of two young girls than a presidential candidate's wife. To read more, visit http://www.sc.edu/cmcis/news/archive/0708/ReadingExpress/index.html.

Student Spotlights

AAF Honors Two Seniors as Most Promising Minority Students

Advertising seniors Tashia Goodwine and Amber Guyton have been selected by the American Advertising Federation Foundation as two of the nation's "Most Promising Minority Students" of 2008. Goodwine, from Ridgeville, and Guyton, from Pineville, are among 50 nationally recognized recipients of the awards. School of Journalism and Mass Communications' students have consistently received this award each year since the program began 12 years ago; a record matched but not exceeded by any university in the country. The Most Promising Minority Student award recognizes top minority students across the country who show academic and extracurricular leadership, as well as a promising future in the fields of advertising, marketing, media or communications.

Alumni Spotlights

Alumnus Dick Elliott Is S.C. Restaurateur of the Year

SJMC alumnus Dick Elliott is being honored as Restaurateur of the Year at the 2008 Stars of the Hospitality Industry Awards Luncheon on Monday, February 18. Elliott is the owner of Maverick Southern Kitchens in Charleston, S.C. The name of his company tells it all — Elliott became a maverick in the restaurant industry by helping develop three of Charleston's most popular restaurants, by developing a highly successful culinary store and by being elected as the first restaurateur ever to serve as president of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. His restaurants include Slightly North of Broad, High Cotton, Old Village Post House in Mt. Pleasant and the new High Cotton in Greenville. Elliott's successes in business and a legal career started with a USC journalism degree.

Alumna Sarah Chakales Receives
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship

SJMC alumna Sarah Chakales is one of five students from the university that won a Rotary International Scholarship for study abroad. Academic Year Scholarships provide nine months of study abroad and are valued at $25,000 each. Chakales is primed to study journalism next year at the University of Hong Kong. A December 2007 broadcast journalism graduate, Chakales has already gained experience in her field by freelancing as a photographer for C-SPAN and working as a Friday Night Football Field Producer for WIS-TV. On campus, she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the South Carolina Honors College. She was involved with Dance Marathon, Habitat for Humanity, Golden Key, Student Government and has served as president of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. As a Washington Semester Fellow, she worked for Senator Lindsay Graham and also held an internship at CNN's Washington bureau. She is sponsored by the Columbia Capital Rotary Club.