»INSIDE: Dave aDams RemembeReD • thinK forWard historicallY
the flagship publication of college media advisers, inc. • summer/fall 2007 • vol. 45 no. 1-2
MEMORIAL SECTION
April 16, 2007
Ross Abdallah Alameddine ✦ Jamie Bishop ✦ Brian Bluhm ✦Ryan Clark ✦ Austin Cloyd ✦ Jocelyne Couture-Nowak ✦ Daniel Perez Cueva ✦ Kevin Granata ✦ Matthew Gregory Gwaltney ✦ Caitlin Hammaren ✦ Jeremy Herbstritt ✦ Rachael Hill ✦Emily Jane Hilscher ✦ Jarrett Lane ✦ Matthew Joseph La Porte ✦ Henry Lee ✦ Liviu Librescu ✦ G.V. Loganathan ✦ Parahi Lumbantoruan ✦ Lauren Ashley McCain ✦ Dan O’Neil ✦ Juan Ortiz ✦ Minal Hiralal Panchal ✦ Erin Peterson ✦ Michael Pohle ✦ Julia Pryde ✦ Mary Read ✦ Reema Samaha ✦ Waleed Mohamed Shaalan ✦ Leslie Sherman ✦ Maxine Turner ✦ Nicole White
How do you prepare for something like the tragedy at Virginia Tech? The truth is, you don’t. Editor's corner
The shock waves from the fatal onslaught at Virginia Tech on April 16 still reverberate through- College Media Review out our society in many forums and on many issues. Few of us can probably really understand the is an official publication of College Media depths of the sorrow that campus community has shared unless, God forbid, a similar tragedy has Advisers Inc. ; however, views expressed within its pages are those of the writers and happened on our own. do not necessarily reflect opinions of the The Virginia Tech tragedy has probably had the greatest collective impact on this generation of organization or of its officers. college students since Sept. 11, 2001, when most of our student journalists were just starting their Any writer submitting articles must follow freshman years of high school. For many of them, the events of April 16 present the dilemma that the Writers Guidelines included on page 31. faces many who still possess the idealism of their youth and the ambition to succeed as profession- Correspondence als: how can you prosper in a tragedy without sacrificing your ideals? And if you cannot function as Address circulation inquiries to: a journalist in the most trying of times, what does that say of your professional prospects? Ron Spielberger, Executive Director College Media Advisers Many of our nation’s student journalists, and not just those at Virginia Tech, faced those ques- Department of Journalism tions and acquitted themselves commendably, using their intellects, their skills and the tools at their University of Memphis disposal to find their voices and to engage readers, in many cases, far better than their professional Memphis, TN 38152 counterparts. One of our colleagues told me afterward that throughout that sad day, she turned to or [email protected] the Collegiate Times website for the most unfiltered and timely news coverage, information that Liaison with CMA Board of Directors: served the central interests of the newspaper’s immediate readership and was devoid of the agendas Vice President of the national news media. Kelly Wolff Inside our pages this month, we display some of the extraordinary journalism produced by the GM, Educational Media Company Virginia Tech staff of the Collegiate Times and other student journalists around the country, and we offer some 362 Squires Student Center observations by advisers and some of those students themselves on how that tragic day changed Blacksburg, VA 24061 their lives. (540) 231-4054 [email protected] It’s often easy in hindsight for journalists, when they reflect on a major issue of an era, to pin- Subscription Rates point its genesis, to more or less nail down when the story broke, to connect all the dots that may • One Year, $15 (foreign $17) have previously seemed unrelated. But on most days in most newsrooms, the portent of the news • Two Years, $27 (foreign $29) CMR Board of Reviewers in its embryonic stages is not always so clear in the relatively hurly-burly from which it emerges. CMR Board of Reviewers Too often we fail to recognize the stories as history in the making, much less treat them that way. Ralph Braseth, University of Mississippi And when we do, it only complicates the grind even more, one reason why newspaper accounts are Albert O. Deluca, James Madison University often tagged as the “first drafts of history” and the reporting as “writing history on the fly.” Kelley W. Dale Harrison, Auburn University Callaway, the student media coordinator at Georgia Southern University and the managing editor Jim Hayes, Vanderbilt University of CMR, recognized this the hard way when she rolled up her sleeves to help compile the centen- Amy Kilpatrick, University of Alabama at nial history of Georgia Southern. But there’s good news. In the process Kelley gained considerable Birmingham Warren Kozireski, SUNY Brockport insight into how student journalists and advisers can capture events of the day in a manner that Kathy Lawrence, University of Texas makes the lives of historians a lot easier, and she shares her thoughts and advice along those histori- Nils Rosdahl, North Idaho College cal lines elsewhere on these pages. Ken Rosenauer, Missouri Western State College Those of us who did not know Indiana University adviser David Adams are, judging by the Trum Simmons, Harrisburg Area Community regard in which he was held by those who did, probably the worse for it. Adams, who died at his College home in Indianapolis in June, was one of the most acclaimed advocates of student journalism and Roger Soenksen, James Madison University freedom of the collegiate press in the nation. Chosen by his peers as president of both CMA and Brian Steffen, Simpson College Laura Widmer, Northwest Missouri State the Student Press Law Center, Adam’s accomplishments were many, but all of the long list of awards University and titles only signify the extraordinary stamp he left on college journalism, most particularly at IU, whose student publications annually rank among the nation’s best. Elsewhere in the magazine, we pay a small tribute to Dave and share again some of his advice on what it is that advisers do. College Media Review Mark Twain or somebody said it was differences of opinion that led to horse racing. Consensus is College Media Review less easily reached in a newsroom, where friction can compromise the overall effort to get the best (ISSN 0739-1056) is published quarterly by job done, and it can get further complicated when convergence comes into play. Former CMR edi- College Media Advisers, Inc. tor Pat Parish of Louisiana State University reported last year in a case study of some initial efforts © 2007 CMA. toward convergence that much of its success at the college newsroom level depends on the degree to which the students embrace it in the first place. President-elect Vince Filak of Ball State Uni- versity and Andrea Miller of LSU decided to find out more about why and how student journalists react to cooperating with their former (hopefully) competitors, and you can read the results of their research inside.
Robert Bohler Editor
cmr summer/fall 2007 cmr college media
editoR REVIEW robert bohler the flagship publication of college media advisers, inc. student publications summer/fall 2007 • vol. 45, no. 1-2 tcu box 298060 texas christian university fort Worth, texas 76129 office: 817.257.6556 fax: 817.257.7133 4. dark days & Lessons Learned e-mail: [email protected] no one is prepared for tragic events like what ManaGinG editoR occurred at the virginia tech campus last Kelley callaway april, but the success of the collegiate times office of student media provides other schools with valuable tips to georgia southern university statesboro, ga 30460 prepare for the unimaginable. office: 912.681.0069 Kelly furnas & Kelly Wolff fax: 912.486.7113 e-mail: [email protected]
Showdown at Franklin Field One year gone assoCiate editoR . 10. black day in blue Ridge lillian lodge Kopenhaver TECHNICIAN ‘The darkness actually scared me’ Late night robbery Shooting hits close to home marks fi fth University this year not only did the student newspaper offi cials 335 Journalism and mass communication say they practice emergency I]Z9V^anIVg=ZZa situations at virginia tech provide relevant florida international university, acii @-/.5-%.4!, 42!'%$977 north miami, fl 33181 coverage of the virginia tech office: 305.919.5625 Tragedy crosses state border shootings, but dozens of staffs from fax: 305.919.5203 other college media responded e-mail: [email protected] Quick evaluates his last term in offi ce as well. some sent contingents to aRt diReCtoR blacksburg, while others delved into bill neville the local ramifications of the events in A
C M Y K college media advisers Mich. native: ‘This is just proof that it can happen anywhere’ virginia. e-mail: [email protected]
CMa offiCeRs 16. Remembering dave president longtime student media adviser dave adams died lance speere southern illinois university-edwardsville unexpectedly last June leaving a legacy of commitment to student media, journalism and service. vice president Kelly Wolff virginia tech vice president for Member services 18. no one else is writing this down laura York at times the only record of the life and times of students at an garden city community college institution comes from the student media. students are not only secretary covering current events but providing a chronicle of their schools that ira david levy will be scrutinized by scholars in the years to come. Wright college
treasurer Kelley callaway bill neville college media advisers
immediate past president 1. College Media and Convergence Kathy lawrence university of texas at austin Refereed Article
executive director two journalism professors research why convergence does or does ron spielberger not work in various college media environments. through an online university of memphis survey of college media advisers, the researchers explore media bias among college journalists. vincent f. filak, ph.d. andrea miller, ph.d.
summer/fall 2007 cmr DARK DAYS LESSONS LEARNED
Student journalists at Virginia Tech cope with& a deadly rampage and aftermath on campus by Kelly Furnas and Kelly Wolff
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ollegiate Times staff members and advisers MEMORIAL SECTION were interviewed dozens of times about the Cnewspaper’s coverage of the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech. One of the universal questions we were asked: “How do you prepare for something like this?” The truth is, you don’t. April 16, 2007
You can surely mitigate emergencies with disaster manuals, phone trees or even drills. Unfortunately, many procedures become out of date the moment they are created, and being too rigid in your response could leave you blind to new ideas. Plus, in reality, emergencies never go they way they are planned. When we sat down to develop our list of lessons learned from watching students cover a tragedy, it ended up not being so much about procedures that should have been in place as it was about the infor- mation we should have had. That being said, another key factor in responding to an emergency is simply knowing what you believe. While there may be time to debate the finer points of an ethical decision, any organization without a clear mission and purpose is going to struggle making on-the-spot judgments. The following tips include roadblocks we faced in trying to provide coverage as well as mindsets that helped get us through the week. 1. It’s all about the readers. It sounds like a simple notion, but when big news breaks, sometimes jour- nalists worry more about headlines and deadlines than readers. It’s important that the focus of the staff’s efforts remains on the community in all aspects of production, from newsgathering and online updates Ross Abdallah Alameddine ✦ Jamie Bishop ✦ Brian Bluhm ✦Ryan Clark ✦ Austin Cloyd ✦ Jocelyne Couture-Nowak ✦ Daniel Perez Cueva ✦ Kevin Granata to photography and page design. ✦ Matthew Gregory Gwaltney ✦ Caitlin Hammaren ✦ Jeremy Herbstritt ✦ Rachael Hill ✦Emily Jane Hilscher ✦ Jarrett Lane ✦ Matthew Joseph La Porte ✦ Henry Lee ✦ Liviu Librescu ✦ G.V. Loganathan ✦ Parahi Lumbantoruan ✦ Lauren Ashley McCain ✦ Dan O’Neil ✦ Juan Ortiz ✦ Minal Hiralal Panchal ✦ Erin Peterson ✦ Michael Pohle ✦ Julia Pryde ✦ Mary Read ✦ Reema Samaha ✦ Waleed Mohamed Shaalan ✦ Leslie Sherman ✦ Maxine Turner ✦ Nicole White 2. Talk to third parties on which you rely. The Collegiate Times was six hours late sending files to the printer, yet newspapers were still in the racks A few weeks after the shootings, The Collegiate Times published a tribute to the before 9 a.m. The union where student media is fallen members of the Virginia Tech family (May 1, 2007). housed was locked down for several hours, yet uni- versity personnel allowed news staff members inside
summer/fall 2007 cmr summer/fall 2007 cmr to do their jobs. Communication, both before much congestion. Virginia Tech’s e-mail server and during the crisis, ensured that everyone was lagging by about an hour. The answer? was on the same page about how operations Instant messaging. All your students have it, Remember could continue. and so should you. Our news reporters were everyone“ able to send quick updates to our web staff via 3. Find out now what happens to your web- IM, and several reporters used it to ask me deals with site when traffic spikes. This can be valuable not questions. tragedies only in an emergency, but also for when you get linked by a high-traffic site such as Slashdot or 7. Allow staff members to shine, regard- differently. Fark. What is your emergency bandwidth plan? less of their position. Probably the unanimous Our staff Can you turn off non-vital services (we didn’t MVP in the Collegiate Times’ coverage was heads know how to get to CT e-mail the moment we a sports reporter who, prior to April 16, had made the switch to collegemedia.com)? Can written about five stories. Yet during the week, announced you leave your HTML files on your main server the top editors gave him a lot of latitude, and he early on that and move all other content somewhere else? came back with about a dozen pieces, almost all What is your ISP willing to do to help you? enterprise and investigative. only people And no matter what, your single server can do who wanted only so much; your ISP has only so much band- 8. Quickly extinguish any talk about awards. to work width. Spreading out the servers to computers Acknowledge praise from your peers because in different network locations helps a lot. We that encouragement goes a long way to keep- should do so. were using collegiatetimes.com, collegemedia. ing the staff motivated. However, when a staff com, hosting.vt.edu and College Publisher. member decided to send out a link to an Editor & Publisher column that had suggested the 4. Avoid pizza. While feeding student staff Collegiate Times deserved a Pulitzer, the self- members is important, multi-day crises will indulgence suddenly felt tacky. At that point we result in an overload on cheese and tomato reminded the staff of our primary mission — to “ sauce. We bought students pizza the first day, serve the readers. and both the Times-Picayune and a former edi- tor of the Ball State Daily News bought pizza 9. Have press passes for key personnel, and the second day. Later in the week we tried other be prepared to make more. We think one of the staples — barbecue, sub sandwiches and tacos. factors that led to our photo editor’s detainment by police (and having his equipment confiscat- 5. Chaos is fine, as long as it doesn’t get pub- ed but later returned) was the fact that he didn’t lished. Working amid pandemonium keeps have media identification. Student leaders usu- the adrenaline flowing, but the readers lose ally create press passes in August, but this year confidence if it doesn’t seem as if the staff is it had slipped through the cracks. in control of the situation. Dropped stories, botched facts and copy editing mistakes may 10. Remember everyone deals with tragedies seem like a natural result of a hectic situation, differently. Our staff heads announced early on but maintaining a copy chain and redundancies that only people who wanted to work should in internal communication can limit those fail- do so. While we encouraged everyone to seek ures from being distributed to the community. counseling, we never pushed the issue. 6. Have contact information for all your stu- 11. Have policies in place for dealing with dents and ensure they have yours. Keep the outside media. Perhaps our biggest failing dur- information in redundant places. Addresses ing the crisis was our inability to handle the and phone numbers aren’t enough. Midway barrage of requests from outside media. We through the crisis, I picked up my office phone had national news outlets seeking stringers. We and couldn’t dial out because all circuits were had more than 100 requests for interviews. We busy. I tried my cell phone, but there was too had dozens of other publications seeking per-
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SPECIAL EDITION COLLEGIATETIMES COLLEGIATETIMES MONDAY FRIDAY www.collegiatetimes.com April 23, 2007 www.collegiatetimes.com April 20, 2007 What’s next?
Who is he talking about? What was he like? What will happen to Norris? Why Norris Hall? Will students ever be the same? What will the rest of the semester be like? How long will the media stay? When did he tape that video? Why did he do it? Why was Emily Hilscher first? Why did he photograph himself that way? Why did he send the package to NBC? Will a lot of students come back for the rest of the semester? How will this affect the prospective freshman class? What will happen to his dorm room? Why would he kill people he doesn’t know? Will security change? Can campus be safe again? How will they handle graduation? Where do we go from here? What will happen with classes? Who is he talking about? What was he like? ERIC CONNOLLY/SPPS What will happen to Norris? Why Norris Hall? Will students ever be the same? What will the rest of the semester be like? How long will the Why? How will they handle media stay? When did he tape that video? graduation? Where do we go from Week of strength follows day of horror on campus Why did he do it? Why was Emily Hilscher here? What will happen with classes? onday, April 16, 2007 began as a cold, script. He then barricaded the main doors to Norris sage read, “Virginia Tech has canceled all classes. first? Why did he photograph himself that Who is he talking about? What was he windy, sunny morning. For all it was just Hall, located next to Burruss Hall. Those on campus are asked to remain where there are, way? Why did he send the package to NBC? like? What will happen to Norris? Why a normal morning; however, it quickly At 9:28 a.m., more than two hours after the shooting lock their doors and stay away from windows. Persons becameM a day which will be marked as the most tragic the university released an email stating that a shooting off campus are asked not to come to campus.” Will a lot of students come back for the rest Norris Hall? Will students ever be the same? day in Virginia Tech history. occurred in West Ambler-Johnston Hall. At a press conference held at noon in the Holtzman Terror and tragedy consumed the Tech community “A shooting incident occurred at West Ambler- Alumni Center in the Inn at Virginia Tech, Associate of the semester? How will this affect the What will the rest of the semester be like? when Seung-Hui Cho, a 23-year-old English major Johnston earlier this morning,” the e-mail read. “Police Vice President of University Relations confirmed 22 opened fire taking the lives of 32 students and fac- are on the scene and are investigating.” victims dead and 15 wounded. prospective freshman class? What will How long will the media stay? When did ulty and injuring 29 more. The shootings became the Less than 15 minutes later at 9:40 a.m., Cho opened President George W. Bush made an address to the deadliest mass murder by a single gunman in United fire on four second-floor classrooms in Norris Hall nation at 4:15 p.m., speaking out against the violence at happen to his dorm room? Why would he he tape that video? Why did he do States history. killing 30 students and faculty with a 9-millimeter Tech. He said that he would be “praying for the victims Cho began his rampage early Monday morning Glock and a .22 caliber Walther P-22. Cho then took and their families and all members of the university kill people he doesn’t know? Will security it? Why was Emily Hilscher when he entered West Ambler-Johnston Hall. At 7:15 his own life with a gunshot to the head. community.” change? Can campus be safe again? How the first? Why did he a.m., he shot Emily Hilscher, a freshman animal and The deceased included 27 students, both The number of casualties and fatalities escalated poultry sciences major on the fourth floor, and then undergraduates and graduate, and five faculty mem- over the remainder of the afternoon to 32 dead and will they handle graduation? Where do we photograph himself shot her resident advisor Ryan Clark, a senior biology, bers. 29 wounded at the subsequent press conference at 4: English, and psychology major. The university immediately responded to the shoot- 30 p.m. Classes were cancelled, campus traffic was go from here? What will happen with that way? Will a Almost two hours later, at 9:01 a.m., Cho postmarked ings sending out an e-mail at 9:54 a.m. It read, “A gun- restricted and Gov. Tim Kaine declared Virginia to be a multimedia package to NBC News containing 43 man is loose on campus. Stay in buildings until further in a state of emergency. classes? Who is he talking about? What was lot photographs, 27 video clips, an audiotape describing notice. Stay away from all windows.” his motives, and an approximately 1,800-word manu- A third email was released at 10:26 a.m. This mes- WEEK pg. 2 > he like? What will happen to Norris? Why Norris Hall? Will students ever be the same? What will the rest of the semester be like? How long will the media stay? When did he Students, community show humanity after tragedy tape that video? Why did he do it? Why was hroughout the week, students who have administrators were present, but did not speak. Hikes, impressed with the support shown. Emily Hilscher first? Why did he photograph remained in Blacksburg have found support in Adeel Khan, president of the Student Government “The response from Hokie Nation has been remark- a variety of places on campus and in the larger Association and Sumeet Bagai, the head of Hokies United, able,” Owczarski said. of himself that way? Why did he send the community,T as local vendors and schools from across spoke to the thousands of students who congregated on Schools across the country have sent banners, which are the country have shown their support in many different the Drillfield for the ceremony. displayed in Squires Student Center on all three floors of students package to NBC? Will a lot of students come ways. The Drillfield remains a site of memorials for the com- the building. Two posters invite members of the commu- come back for back for the rest of the semester? How will On Tuesday, at the convocation, President Bush, along munity, 33 stones have been placed commemorating the nity to share their condolences. with Gov. Tim Kaine, Vice President for Student Affairs victims of Monday’s attacks. Boards have also been placed Hokies United has been a resource where different the rest of the this affect the prospective freshman class? Zenobia Hikes, and distinguished professor Nikki under tents for students to sign and express their condo- groups from around campus can post events for the Giovanni, spoke to the crowd that filled Cassell Coliseum lences for the community. upcoming week online. semester? How will this What will happen to his dorm room? Why and flowed over into Lane Stadium. The memorials will continue this week as the university “Hokie Hangout” is one such event where students Bush encouraged the community of mourners by stress- will hold a campus-wide moment of silence at 9:45 a.m. can be together to heal. Students have flocked to Old affect the prospective would he kill people he doesn’t know? Will ing “normalcy” in the community. He added, “Such a day Thirty-two white balloons will be released, in addition to Dominion Ballroom in Squires to be with friends and will come.” 1,000 orange and maroon balloons. other students. The event included games, discussion, freshman class? What will happen security change? Can campus be safe again? The largest response from the crowd came after The community has shown an outpouring of support music and food, and is free for all students. Giovanni spoke and performed a dramatic reading. Her monetarily through the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund. “It’s a good break to get away from memorials,” said to his dorm room? Why would he kill How will they handle graduation? Where do poem reminded the crowd that tragedy strikes everyone. The fund aims to provide assistance to victims and their Michael Puterbaugh, sophomore accounting major. He people he doesn’t know? Will security we go from here? What will happen with After ending with “We are Virginia Tech,” the crowd families, as well as provide monetary support for grief and Kris Lee, a sophomore in management, went to began a series of cheers, shouting, “Let’s go Hokies.” counseling and memorials. “Hokie Hangout” after hearing about it from a friend. change? Can campus be safe again? How classes? Who is he talking about? What was That evening, students gathered on the Drillfield for Mark Owczarski, director of news and information “It’s a good way to change the atmosphere,” Lee said. a candlelight vigil. At the vigil, Kaine, Steger and other couldn’t give an estimate of funds already raised, but was — CT STAFF will they handle graduation? Where do we he like? What will happen to Norris? Why go from here? What will happen with classes? Norris Hall? Will students ever be the same? Who is he talking about? What was he like? What will the rest of the semester be like? What will happen to Norris? Why Norris How long will the media stay? When did he Gov. Kaine organizes independent review panel Hall? Will students ever be the same? What tape that video? Why did he do it? Why was will the rest of the semester be like? How Emily Hilscher first? Why did he photograph irginia Governor Tim Kaine announced the positive values, and academic tradition of this uni- Department’s Victim Services Division. that he intends to form an eight-person versity will help the community stay strong, and keep Strickland served as a Virginia circuit judge for 15 long will the media stay? When did he tape himself that way? Why did he send the package panel to review the university’s handling of this university attracting students.” years and recently co-chaired a two-year study on lastV Monday’s shootings. Kaine also addressed the questions the student body involuntary mental commitment. that video? Why did he do it? Why was Emily to NBC? Will a lot of students come back for After announcing the panel Tuesday, Kaine appoint- had regarding some of the decisions made by the Martin is the assistant dean at the University of ed retired Superintendent of Virginia State Police Lt. university. Virginia School of Medicine. Hilscher first? Why did he photograph the rest of the semester? How will this affect Colonel Gerald Massengill to lead the independent “The students are acting appropriately to the situa- Depue is the founder of the Academy Groups Inc., committee review board Wednesday. tion,” Kaine said Tuesday. “But I know the strong sense which conducts research and training on violent himself that way? Why did he send the the prospective freshman class? What Also named to the board was former secretary of of community spirit won’t let these questions divide behavior. package to NBC? Will a lot of students come will happen to his dorm room? Homeland Security Tom Ridge, as well as several spe- this student body.” Davies was the former director of the State Council cialists in the fields of higher education, violent behav- Kaine applauded the unity shown by students, espe- of Higher Education for 20 years before his retirement back for the rest of the semester? What will Why would he kill people he ior and medicine. cially in the face of the media firestorm that ensued. in 1997. Despite the independent investigation into how “I saw all these reporters asking divisive question, and Sood is the chairwoman of Child and Adolescent happen to his dorm room? doesn’t know? Will the university responded to the shootings, Kaine the students stayed strong,” Kaine said Tuesday. “They Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University. expressed support for Virginia Tech President Charles didn’t place blame, they weren’t going to let anything In addition, Kaine said that TriData Corporation will security change? Steger. divide them.” provide research and staff for the review panel. “Charlie has been acting as a very, very good presi- Also named to the review were Carroll Ann Ellis, No timetable or location has been set for the review, Can campus dent,” Kaine said on Tuesday. “… This kind of event Diane Strickland, Marcus Martin, Roger Depue, but according to a Kaine press release, that information could happen anywhere on any campus, and there has Gordon Davies and Aradhana Sood. is forthcoming. be safe? been an innocence taken away from the students. But Ellis is director of the Fairfax County Police — CT STAFF
OPTIONS FOR FINISH NOW ADD ASSIGNMENTS COMPLETE COURSE WITHDRAW COMPLETING Course grades will be taken Course grades will be taken from Course grades will be taken from Any courses that a student Students given several options for semester’s end from material that has been material that has been submitted material that would have been wishes to withdraw from THE SEMESTER submitted prior to April 16 plus any other material the submitted upon completion of this semester will not As students, faculty, staff and mem- is to turn in the material that would students and faculty have more Faculty members agree this sounds student wishes to submit for the course count toward the six credit bers of a community we have started have been submitted for grade upon peace in the coming days. Professor like the most reasonable option. It The university will offer four options for grading hour course withdrawal the healing process with resolve. regular completion of the course. Benfield asserts that the healing pro- allows for students to leave campus students to complete the semester on a course- limit. Hokies are spending time with fam- The Provost’s letter asks for discus- cess will be strengthened if there is less without any grade penalties. Benfield by-course basis. Students should contact ily and friends, remembering the sion of these events from various media coverage when students return states that he and other faculty professors for any further information. victims, and slowly but surely coming perspectives, and also mentions the to classes. members and counselors have made to terms with these events. choices students will have for comple- The Provost states, “Flexibility and themselves available if students need The Provost has issued a letter tion of the semester. attention to the needs of the students to talk. stating that classes will resume on Professor Benfield of the Biology is a high priority ... In support of their The letter encourages students to Monday, but the way students will department states, “we want to be emotional well-being, it is recom- return to class, and many people finish the semester is up to them. flexible, and do what the students mended that students continue to on campus hope that next week, Students have three options to want to do.” participate in class activities as part of normalcy will return to the campus. determine their semester grade. The Faculty members will meet Friday the Virginia Tech community.” The Provost concluded his letter The Collegiate Times followed developemnts in the days and weeks first option is getting a grade based to discuss further details, but the The letter goes on to state that the stating that the students whose lives on materials that have already been general consensus is geared towards course withdrawal option will be were taken will be awarded degrees submitted prior to April 16. The sec- allowing students to have flexibility. extended until the last day of classes, posthumously for which they were ond is already submitted material plus Members of the faculty have also and each student will also have that enrolled this semester. any other material a student wishes to expressed a wish to see less of the time to choose their course comple- after the tragic events of April 16. Whether or not they considered submit for a grade. The last option media around campus, hoping that tion method. CT STAFF it at the time, the student journalists and photographers were
TODAY SATURDAY SUNDAY recording the first draft of history.
✦ Hokie Hope: all day, worldwide ✦ Hokie Hangout: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m., ✦ Hokie Hangout: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m., Old Dominion Ballroom Old Dominion Ballroom ✦ Hokie Hangout: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m., Old Dominion Ballroom ✦ Hokies United picnic: 5 p.m., Drillfield ✦ Hokie Hike by YMCA around Angel’s Rest: 1 p.m., ✦ Memorial service for Dr. Kevin Old Dominion Ballroom P. Granata: 2 p.m., Blacksburg Presbyterian Church ✦ Relay for Life: 6 p.m., Johnson-Miller Track
summer/fall 2007 cmr
summer/fall 2007 cmr mission to reprint photos or stories. We had other Be ready to specify in an agency photo contract news organizations seeking space and computers. the length of time the rights belong to the agen- Every phone in the newsroom was ringing (not cy to sell and what uses, such as fellow college once with a news tip, and always with someone papers, are allowed. wanting something), so the staff ended up for- warding all the phones to the editor’s office. Yet 13. Consider alternatives when the story every time she would hang up the phone, it would impedes distribution. The day after the shoot- literally begin ringing again. ings, some roads leading to newspaper racks were closed. In some cases, street teams distributing At 11 p.m. on the day of the shootings, she papers might help. In other cases, online may be decided to leave the phone off the hook. Being the only choice. part of the story while trying to report the story is never a good combination, but during the crisis it 14. Be prepared if your offices are inaccessible. also impeded the work. Television producers try- Prepare staff at orientation with designated alter- ing to interview our editor inside the newsroom nate meeting places. Make arrangements with would tell other students who were working to be your printer, other newsrooms, or even labs with quiet. At one point, an adviser was talking with a computers to share space. Have an off-site copy student when the camera operator came over and of a cloned computer so you could transform told them to move, since they were in his shot. alternate computers into newsroom computers. Know how to access your servers from alternate The lessons? sites. Have an off-site backup of your server that is updated regularly. Consider who can have access to the newsroom – whether for coverage or to work. You may decide 15. Don’t lower your expectations. It’s easy for that working with professional publications may a tragic situation to make excuses for poor writ- foster good relationships later down the road, or ing, lackluster designs or sloppy copy editing. But that other student media operations deserve a students will maintain a higher sense of pride if, helping hand if they are in an unfamiliar environ- weeks after the event, they can point to what they ment. Regardless, set ground rules for all your did — instead of what they could have done. guests – and your own staff members – that ensure your publication takes priority. (Scott Chandler, design and production adviser of Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, contributed to this report.) 12. Consider how you will handle photography that is in great demand. We were overwhelmed with more than 100 calls from different media and agencies. If you are an AP member, the terms Kelly Furnas became editorial adviser of of your contract may dictate that photos go on the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech How do you wire. Will you put restrictions on them, such as no magazine and broadcast use? Will you reserve in 2005 after working for newspapers in Las prepare“ for the magazine and broadcast rights for possible Vegas and Tallahassee, Fla. something sales? like this? Will you distribute freely over AP to maximize exposure of your students’ work? We ended up dealing with an outside vendor to license our Kelly Wolff has been the general manager of photography except for some early photos we Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech The truth is, sent out on the AP wire. It was probably the only since 1999 and serves as the vice president you don’t. way to handle the number of reprint requests we of College Media Advisers as well as the trea- were getting, but we also lost a lot of flexibility surer of Southern University Newspapers in accommodating other college newspapers or trade publications. 8 cmr“ summer/fall 2007 8 cmr summer/fall 2007 cover storY
VT journalists respond to the acts of a madman monday, april 16, 2007 11:30 a.m. – Traffic from collegiatetimes.com is redirected to collegemedia.com, the 9 a.m. – Collegiate Times staff member calls Web site of the newspaper’s parent editor amie steele to report rumors company. of shootings at a residence hall. steele dispatches reporters and photographers 11:36 a.m. – The Collegiate Times begins posting to the scene and notifies the web staff. updates online again. 9:26 a.m. – University sends a mass e-mail to all Noon – University holds its first press students about the residence hall conference, announcing 21 killed and 28 shootings. injured. Two Collegiate Times reporters spend the rest of the day and much 9:30 a.m. – steele hears about shootings at another of the rest of the week at the media building across campus and dispatches staging area at virginia Tech’s alumni reporters and photographers there. center. 9:47 a.m. – The Collegiate Times publishes its first 12:30 p.m. – Cui is released from police custody, post about the residence hall shootings but without his cameras, camera bag, (“shots were fired on campus in West driver’s license or student ID. Officers ambler Johnson Hall in the early tell him they would contact him about morning hours. The Collegiate Times is his possessions. They are returned currently investigating the story. more approximately three days later. information will be posted as it is made available.) 1:45 p.m. – The Collegiate Times Web staff arrives in the newsroom. 9:50 a.m. – University sends a second e-mail reporting that a gunman is loose on 4:40 p.m. – University officials confirm that 33, campus. The student union that houses including a gunman, have been killed. the Collegiate Times newsroom is locked 5:38 p.m. – The Collegiate Times Web site uploads down. a redesigned format specifically for the 10:15 a.m. – Collegiate Times online director Chris shooting coverage. Ritter arrives at the newspaper’s off- campus business office and begins leading online operations there. Tuesday, april 17, 2007 10:16 a.m. – University cancels classes.
10:30 a.m. – The Collegiate Times photo editor 1:09 a.m. – The newspaper sends the first of 16 shaozhuo Cui, taking pictures of the pages to prepress. events unfolding outside the classroom building, is ordered to leave the scene. 6 a.m. – The Collegiate Times puts the as he begins to do so, police officers tell newspaper to bed. him to get on his knees. He complies, and officers then cuff his hands behind 9 a.m. – The newspapers are delivered. his back and, according to Cui, they say over the radio that “We’ve got a suspect matching the profile.”
11:01 a.m. – Trying to process 168 connections per Chronolgy prepared by Kelly Furnas second, the Collegiate Times Web server fails.
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technicianonline.comTECHNICIANRaleigh, North Carolina Late night @-/.5-%.4!, 42!'%$9 OBK@BGB:M>=;RLAHHMBG@L Shooting hits close to home robbery : : !- !"/54 !- !- !- marks fi fth 3HOOTING BEGAN AT 7EST !MBLER 2ESIDENT ADVISERS KNOCKED ON STUDENTS !LL STUDENTS AND FACULTY WERE NOTIFIED 0OLICE RECEIVED A CALL FROM .ORRIS *OHNSTON 2ESIDENCE (ALL #AMPUS POLICE DOORS IN DORMS WARNING THEM NOT TO OF THE HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION AT 7EST (ALL 4HEY RESPONDED TO THE SCENE WHERE University this year FOUND TWO STUDENTS DEAD IN A ROOM LEAVE THEIR ROOMS !MBLER IN AN E MAIL THE GUNMAN AND OTHERS DIED
A robbery that occurred "9 %2). &2!.#% *%33)#! 3#(/."%2' ;E: at Virginia Tech, they do hold AP PHOTO/THE ROANOKE TIMES, MATT GENTRY type of activity.” drills to ensure they can deal Virginia Tech students watch from the doorway of McBryde Hall in Blacksburg, Va., as police in ltrate the area where a shooting took place, And although the amount of : with such an incident. Monday. A gunman opened re in a Virginia Tech residence hall and then, two hours later, in a classroom across campus, killing 33 people. robberies on campus have in- Last month, the University creased from the three last year, conducted a train derailment Barnwell said that number is still exercise, in about fi ve less than the Universi- which vari- COUNSELING ty average, and far from the high- !0 0(/4/4(% 2/!./+% 4)-%3 -!44 '%.429 CENTER HELP ous depart- Tragedy crosses state border est year, which ranged between 3TUDENTS WATCH FROM THE DOORWAY OF -C"RYDE (ALL ON THE 6IRGINIA 4ECH CAMPUS IN "LACKSBURG 6A AS POLICE INFILTRATE THE AREA WHERE A SHOOTING ments within Walk-In Services nine and 12. TOOK PLACE -ONDAY ! GUNMAN OPENED FIRE IN A 6IRGINIA 4ECH DORM AND THEN TWO HOURS LATER IN A CLASSROOM ON CAMPUS KILLING PEOPLE Services are avail- The campus massacre PROFILES AT A GLANCE the school able from 9 a.m. NORRIS HALL This most recent robbery is shots reported worked to- to 4 p.m. on week- at Virginia Tech affected Category Virginia N.C. State similar to one that occurred Sun- ! gether to fi g- days except for 11 at 9:15 a.m. day night in the nearby Method several students at NCSU Tech ! Lahhmbg`l ure out the a.m. to 4 p.m. on • At least 31 killed, area carried out by perpetrators ! " ! Land grant Yes Yes kinks in han- Wednesday. multiple people with similar suspect descriptions. ! ! institution injured dling such an Colleen Forcina Barnwell said Campus Police is abm\ehl^ In an emergency • Suspected gunman Senior Staff Writer U.S. News rank- 77 81 emergency after hours: ing found dead inside working with Raleigh Police to situation. Call Campus Po- building determine whether or not the “Any ma- lice at (919)515- The nation witnessed a Founded 1872 1887 Building houses two incidents are related. : mhahf^ 3333 and inform engineering Undergraduate 21,627 22,767 &!$&$& jor incident the operator massacre on Virginia Tech’s The e-mail was sent about 7:23 population department on campus you would like campus yesterday — a shoot- a.m. Monday, and Barnwell said NG<\hffngbmr has to in- to speak to the ing that is reportedly the Male 58.3 % 55.9% that’s because Campus Police $4(4)-/4(9 2%%3% k^Z\mlmhmkZ`^]r clude many counselor on call. largest civilian shooting in population wanted to be sure they had all the &LAGS WERE LOWERED TO HALF STAFF OUTSIDE THE !LUMNI #ENTER AT 6IRGINIA different de- America’s history. VT Police right information before sending 4ECH ON -ONDAY AFTERNOON TO MOURN THOSE KILLED EARLIER IN THE DAY & %& ' & # ! '$ Tuition & fees $6,973 $4,784 "9 !,,)3/. .)#(/,3 in-state in-state ""& !%&$&$"'! partments,” John Dailey, deputy reported the gunman killed WEST AMBLER it out to the students. !33)34!.4 34!4% .!4)/.!, %$)4/2 : $18,929 $16,982 ' ! director of Campus Police, said. 33 people, including himself, JOHNSTON HALL “We wanted to get all the in- '! !"'! !% F^f[^klh_ma^NG<\hffngbmr out-of- out-of- shots reported “So we have to practice drills and injured 15 according to formation together,” he said. “If k^Z\m^]pbmalah\dZg]lrfiZmarZl state state at 7:15 a.m. with those different depart- CNN. we sent out wrong information g^plng_he]^]Fhg]Zrh_Z]^Z]er Setting Rural Urban At least two killed, ments.” “This is one of those things multiple people injured early, what good is that going to lahhmbg`lik^^hgma^;eZ\dl[nk`% Sgt. Jon Barnwell of Campus that you never think will ever Mascot Hokie Wolfpack • Dorm that houses up to 895 do for you?” OZ'%\Zfinlh_Obk`bgbZM^\a' residents FZgrlmn]^gml^qik^ll^]^fiZ& Police said his group discussed happen to you,” Rachel Wirth, Some students didn’t receive marZlma^rbfZ`bg^]ahpZlbfbeZk Monday how it would respond a freshman in architecture at SOURCE: CNN.COM the e-mail at all, however. A Virginia Tech is 224.84 miles from N.C. lbmnZmbhgfb`amieZrhnmbg C M Y K technician – north Carolina state university the daily tar Heel – university of north Carolina e did something we’ve and one-half hours away, that their story in their Words almost never done since I’ve was here in Raleigh. We have a lot of Wbeen at North Carolina State families with ties to Virginia Tech, so - we used a wire photo. My question they set out to document that. Our pho- was why we would not hesitate to send tographers did search for reaction pho- America’s collegiate someone up there to cover a football tos on campus, but none of the vigils game but didn’t send someone up there were until the next day and the only press responds to to cover something that will change other thing was people watching televi- many aspects of our campus life. We did sion. a Black Day in the have some discussion about why uni- So, after some debate about which versities from California were sending photo to use, the students chose to run Blue Ridge reporters/photographers and we didn’t. a wire photo. I was very pleased with the Part of the reality is that it came at a bad initiative they took to find local angles time, finals, for us. That’s part of the on the stories, particularly on campus reality of working for a student media safety. The alternative copy brought to outlet where academics take priority. light the comparisons between the two The staff felt that, although Virginia schools. If we had it to do all over again, Tech is our sister school and is only two I’d probably push a little harder to send 10 cmr summer/fall 2007 10 cmr summer/fall 2007 Showdown at Franklin Field One year gone Penn faces Princeton tonight with the Ivy League women’s lacrosse title on the line. A retrospective of Glen Miller’s first season at Penn. East Lansing, Mich. TUESDAY See Sports Back Page www.statenews.com April 17, 2007 See Sports | Back Page | MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE The Independent Student Newspaper of the University of Pennsylvania ◆ Founded 1885 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 , 2007 dailypennsylvanian.com PHILADELPHIA | VOL. CXXIII, NO. 61 MASSACRE VIRGINIA TECH MASSACRE ID of Va. Tech Deadliest shooting in U.S. history at Virginia Tech leaves at shooter confirmed ‘The darkness actually scared me’ BLACKSBURG, Va. is still no doubt that things are Screaming into the phone, she “Right now, everybody’s (AP) — The Virginia One day later, a ‘somber’ campus marred different. said, “I hear gunshots; there’s still in shock,” Woods said. “It least 33 dead, including gunman; motive not yet known Polytechnic Institute by tragedy deals with emotional aftermath “For the first time ever here, SWAT teams on the Drill Field; doesn’t even seem like any- student identified as the I walked outside and the dark- what’s going on?” body’s accepted that this hap- assailant in Monday’s By JASON SCHWARTZ can college campus, Virginia ness actually scared me,” soph- Woods rushed to the Drill pened.” deadly gun rampage Senior Staff Writer Polytechnic Institute students omore Mike Woods said of the Field — just in front of Nor- Despite having 26,000 stu- was a South Korean im- [email protected] struggled to come to grips with evening after the shootings. ris Hall, where the major- dents, Virginia Tech maintains WHAT HAPPENED migrant who had been BLACKSBURG, Va. — The their new reality. Woods was walking out of his ity of shooting occurred — and a tight-knit community, and stu- in the United States day after the most brutal attack And though the student body dorm for class on Monday morn- grabbed his girlfriend before since 1992 and who held ever to take place on an Ameri- largely remained in shock, there ing when his girlfriend called. returning to his dorm. See VA TECH, page 5 Timeline a green card signifying his status as a legal per- 7:15 A.M. Two students, a male and manent U.S. resident, female, were killed in West Ambler federal officials said Johnston dormitory. Tuesday. 9:26 A.M. An e-mail was sent to Cho Seung-Hui, a 23- students informing them of year-old English major, the shooting and asking them was listed with a home to contact police if they notice address in Centreville, anything out of the ordinary or if Va., a suburb of Washing- they have information about ton, D.C., near Dulles In- the case. ternational Airport. 9:45 A.M. A gunman begins shooting University officials said people in Norris Hall, across he lived in a dormitory on campus north of Ambler Johnston the Virginia Tech campus, dormitory. At least thirty-one but could shed no light on people were killed in the hall, a motive for the shooting including spree that left 33 dead. the shooter. 9:55 A.M. A second e-mail is sent to students, warning them of a gunman and advising them to stay in their houses or rooms away from windows. 77 10:17 A.M. A third e-mail was sent to DAYS PAST DEADLINE students, announcing that classes FOR NEW WEBMAIL were canceled and to stay away ANNOUNCEMENT from windows and lock their doors. The ‘DP’ will count the days since Jan. 31 — the last deadline 10:53 A.M. A fourth e-mail tells administrators set — that SAS does students that a second shooting has not switch to a new e-mail provider. occurred and a gunman is in police custody, campus entries are closed NEWS and people are required to stay in Taylor Howard/DP Senior Photographer Toby Hicks/DP Senior Photographer university buildings. Students hold candles aloft yesterday at the Drill Field on the Virginia Tech campus in Adam Lilienthal , a 2006 Virginia Tech alumnus and West Philadelphia resident, shows his GAPSA ELECTS Blacksburg, Va. The vigil was held in memorial of those killed in Monday’s shooting. support by wearing his alma mater’s sweatshirt at a Penn memorial service last night. Source: The Associated Press NEW CHAIR Daniel Grabell takes the helm as the Graduate 400 miles apart, students commemorate tragedy Students and Professional Student Dean Hoffmeyer/AP/Richmond Times-Dispatch Assembly chairman. PAGE 3 Susan Hylton, left, hugs her daughter, Mary McFillin, both of Vienna, Va., Monday after Hylton arrived on campus to pick up her daughter. McFillin, 19, is a student at Virginia Tech University. A gun- Thousands of students gather on Drill Field, At two separate candlelight vigils, Penn man killed 32 people Monday at Virginia Tech in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history. outraged OPINION lighting candles in honor of the 32 murdered “This shows students commemorate Monday’s massacre INCOMPLETE By PAUL RICHARDS screams, participants touched how everyone — By ASHWIN SHANDILYA effort to pay their respects to over lack CAMPUS SAFETY Staff Writer upon the wide range of emo- Staff Writer the Blacksburg community. [email protected] tions spurred by the tragedy. students, teachers, [email protected] “It was intended to be a qui- EDUCATION BLACKSBURG, Va. — Vice President for Student A small, dimly-lit room in the et place for students amid the of warning Adam Goodman argues Throughout silence and cheers, Affairs Zenobia Hikes ad- even people who corner of Rodin College House hustle and bustle of academic Emergency procedures exist, for a new curriculum thousands of candles lit the dressed the crowd by saying offered a haven last night for life to have a quick moment to that emphasizes social don’t go to school By Sue Lindsey Virginia Tech night sky at Virginia Polytech- that “we are here to grieve, but students trying to cope with pray or meditate,” said Rodin The Associated Press no concrete plan in place at responsibility. PAGE 6 nic Institute Drill Field. I want America and the world here — are Hokies.” Monday’s tragic shootings at House Dean Kenneth Grcich , shootingsVirginia Tech Students and community to see this outpouring on the Virginia Polytechnic Insti- who organized the service at Blacksburg, Va. — At first, shootings Richmond NATION members gathered there last Virginia Tech Drill Field this tute. the college house. “This has the shootings seemed like the sort MSU if shooting were to occur night to hold a candlelight vigil evening.” Carly Siegel As the news of the massacre affected everybody.” of thing police around the country in remembrance of students “We want the world to know: Virginia Tech freshman began to sink in, Penn student A few blocks away, 100 peo- are called to every day. A domestic MOURNING killed in Monday’s shooting. groups rushed to organize vig- dispute in a dorm room, something Blacksburg By Kristi Jourdan | The State News VIOLENCE And with speeches and See VA TECH VIGIL, page 4 ils and prayer services in an See PENN VIGILS, page 4 that could happen on a big college cross the country, college administrators are AT MSU CONTINUES campus without every student feel- Virginia Tech students react ing touched by it. Certainly not the asking themselves, “What if?” Q 1977 — A student beginning of the worst shooting ram- A What if the massacre on Virginia Tech was shot and killed in to the tragedy as several page in modern U.S. history. University’s campus took place closer to home? Olds Hall. schools experience bomb Q threats. PAGE 7 Thousands of Virginia Tech stu- ABOUT VIRGINIA TECH Founded in 1872, Virginia Tech is nestled in Blacksburg of southwestern On our campus, the answer isn’t reassuring. 1988 — A couple of TO SERVE AND PROTECT dents drove to classes Monday morn- Virginia, about 160 miles west of Richmond. With more than 25,000 full-time students, it has the people were shot and Change of address likely for SHS At least thirty-two people were killed and dozens PART THREE IN A FOUR-PART SERIES ing, unaware that anything had just state’s largest full-time student population. The school is best known for its engineering school and one was killed near STOCK MARKET happened. Those who checked their its powerhouse Hokies football team. Graphic by Allisence Chang/The State News wounded Monday after a gunman at Virginia Tech Kellogg Center. ▲ e-mail found a terse message from DJIA: 12,773.04 52.58 shot up dorms and classrooms before turning a gun Q 1993 — A domes- ▼ Medical facility may the university: “A shooting incident NASDAQ: 2,516.95 1.38 tic terrorism group occurred at West Amber Johnston on himself, The Associated Press reported. S&P 500: 1,471.48 ▲ 3.01 move to 36th and bombed Anthony For admissions, local earlier this morning. Police are on If a similar incident took place at MSU, univer- Likely future the scene and are investigating.” LOCAL REACTION Hall. A farm area was Market streets in 2008 location of SHS sity offi cials said there is no plan of action in place. bombed the same SPORTS Be careful, and tell police about MSU spokesman Terry Denbow said it’s diffi cult anything suspicious, the e-mail night. crime not a concern By PAUL RICHARDS advised. The university president to predict how university offi cials would react to a Q 2000 — Agriculture CHARLIE Staff Writer later said police thought a gunman Mich. native: ‘This is just proof shooting rampage. Hall was fi rebombed. [email protected] Q was on the loose but that he had “If you’re at a residence hall and someone comes 2005 — Double POWELL Q&A Parents, experts say ABOUT THIS SERIES If the University administra- fl ed campus. shooting outside Fee The ‘DP’ sits down with tion has its way, the Student That conclusion was proven hor- in shooting, I don’t know if we have a plan for Hall injures two men. academics outweigh This week, the ‘DP’ examines that it can happen anywhere’ men’s track coach Charlie the Penn Police Department and Health Services offices will be rifi cally wrong about a half mile from that,” Denbow said. “There are things you do in an Q 2006 — Two men Powell, an institution in worries about safety Philadelphia crime moving to a new home on 3535 the fi rst shooting, at Norris Hall, an emergency response that are based on the facts at were shot by Hubbard By Laura Misjak Penn athletics. BACK PAGE Market St. engineering classroom building. he said. Hall. No one was killed. Monday — The composition of the At an evening news conference, The State News “All I could hear was that and just sirens hand. It is wrong to impose a scenario. A lot of it’s By JON MEZA Over Commencement week- Source: MSU police Penn Police force police Chief Wendell Flinchum — more sirens than I’ve ever heard in this conditional upon what’s happening.” Chief Jim Dunlap SCORES Staff Writer end, the Board of Trustees will refused to dismiss the possibility that Nathan Johnson chose Virginia Tech town, ever,” said Johnson, who lives about [email protected] Yesterday — The Penn SWAT Current MSU police Chief Jim Dunlap said while there is BASEBALL conduct a final vote on whether L IL K a co-conspirator or second shooter and Blacksburg, Va., over the University of a third of a mile away from campus. team, and changes made to the L Y no campuswide action plan for students to follow PENN 6, Lehigh 5 (10) Roaming the mean streets of the facility should move for the U H was involved. He said police had Michigan and Ann Arbor because it was less About 20 minutes earlier, Johnson had Penn Police Department over the C WANT TO S interviewed a male who was a “per- “overwhelming.” received an e-mail stating that a shooting if a gunman attacks, university offi cials do have West Philadelphia is the dream of past few years 2008-2009 academic year. CONNECT? many high-school students. The potential new home, a son of interest” in the dorm shooting “This is a pretty quiet town,” the 20-year- had occurred on campus but that classes emergency response plans — such as phone trees, TOMORROW Today — Parents’ perceptions of who knew one of the victims, but he old Grand Rapids native said. “I felt like this were still in session. The police warnings Students on Facebook Parents, students, officials large office building already Student Health, which offers a e-mail and pagers, among other forms of com- local crime declined to give details. is a really, really safe town. You hear about were the fi rst indication of the incident’s have already started NEWS and experts all agree that Penn’s occupied by other medical of- wide range of clinical and medi- She added that the proposed Shots rang out at the classroom little robberies and stuff like that, but we magnitude. munication — to notify the community of what’s a group to remember academic reputation trumps con- Tomorrow — The rising murder fices, will give the center the cal services for Penn students, location would boost the number building as faculty there discussed don’t even lock the doors at night. I leave As of Monday evening, The Collegiate transpiring. the events that The Undergraduate Assembly cerns about the dangers of Penn’s rate in Philadelphia entire first floor of the building has been in its current location of appointments SHS can handle the e-mail, which had just been sent. my bike unlocked on my back porch.” Times, Virginia Tech’s student newspa- There also are about 30 emergency coordina- happened Monday. See elects its new chairperson for surrounding neighborhood for — twice as much space as the across from the Hospital of the and “be much more respectful At least 26 people were hurt, But at about 9:50 a.m. Monday, orders per, reported 33 people were killed in two tors responsible for advising and assisting faculty, what the students are the next academic year. prospective students. current Student Health facili- University of Pennsylvania for of privacy and confidentiality,” some seriously, and the shootings to stay indoors and away from all windows campus shootings, including the gunman saying on the site, Despite events like Monday’s about security on campus. ties, SHS officials say. 18 years. a concern that many students spread panic and confusion across bellowed through Johnson’s off-campus who turned the gun on himself, campus staff and students in buildings across campus if an www.facebook.com shooting at 40th and Spruce Jeannie Borin, president and “Finding a new place for Stu- The Market Street building have voiced. campus. home as a multitude of police sport-utility police said. emergency, such as a bad weather or a fi re, occurs. SPORTS The killings triggered not just vehicles with active public address systems The paper reported that two students, a streets , the shooting of a student founder of College Connections, dent Health has been a priority would feature a design more The Office of the Vice Provost swarmed the streets. The warnings were A freshman stars for Penn last year, and a separate shooting said safety is one of the top ten of the University for quite some conducive to a medical setting, for University Life has worked please see VA, page 2A issued continuously for more than an hour, please see LOCAL, page 2A please see SAFETY, page 2A women’s tennis, but questions last year at Philly Diner, families time,” Associate Vice Provost featuring “much less confusing” the state news – Michigan state university tEditorialhe (215)daily 898-6585 p• Businessennsylvanian (215) 898-6581 – universityVisit us online at dailypennsylvanian.com of pennsylvania Send story ideas to [email protected] a reporter and photographer up there. special sensitivity to the tragedy, which Blacksburg on April 17, the day after the We could find the NCSU angle up there became a driving force in their coverage. shootings. This was a story every col- too without overlooking it at home. They decided to create a four-page wrap- lege student on our campus was talking We have added a budget line item of around of our regular April 17 edition, about, and after the initial shock of the more than $500 specifically marked for with photographs and fairly extensive news, our editors wanted to try to tell the coverage of news events, (and) I do coverage of the tragedy. our readers what life was like from col- think we’ll be quicker to jump on cover- All of them worked tirelessly to make lege students’ perspective rather than ing a big story with such implications for the wrap come together, and they hold that of the network news channels. The our campus as a result of our discussions that week in a special place in their combination of articles and features from after this. hearts. the scene at Virginia Tech, our local cam- pus stories about student reaction and Bradley Wilson Jenny Fischer campus police preparedness, and “Penn Coordinator of Student Media Creative Services Manager profs ask, ‘What if it happened in my North Carolina State University Colorado State University Student Media class?’” gave our readers staff-generated local and national perspective. he Daily Pennsylvanian was one ecause several of our students at Eric Jacobs the Rocky Mountain Collegian of a handful of college news- papers to send staff members General Manager are native Coloradans, they have T The Daily Pennsylvanian. B (two reporters and a photographer) to vivid memories of Columbine and a summer/fall 2007 cmr 11 summer/fall 2007 cmr 11 +.6SFTQPOETUP TIPPUJOH QBHF Vol. 84, Issue 52 Thursday, April 19, 2007 May 2007 The University of Baltimore’s Student Newspaper since 1933 www.theubpost.com UB Rallies Support for Virginia Tech By Nedra Cruz Editor in Chief SENSELESS his week has involved one of the most horrific events of my lifetime,” said James Tyger,T president of the Virginia Tech Student Government Association, three days after the tragic events unfolded on his campus. “Now as we work to come together as a community, the compassion of our fellow human beings serves as our inspiration.” The morning after a Virginia Tech student shot and killed 32 stu- dents and then himself, University of Baltimore student leaders imme- diately rallied to plan a tribute that was held during UB’s semi-annual Block Party on April 19. The group organized a campuswide moment of silence, VT ribbon stickers and flyers were printed, and prepara- tions were made to collect dona- tions as well as provide a card wall so the UB community could send messages of encouragement to Virginia. “At this point, we are current- ly working on putting together a memorial wall and would be grate- ful if you or your school would be willing to send something as simple as a card,” Tyger said. “The outpouring of support truly serves as our strength during these trying times.” Students raised $767 at the Block Party that will be donated to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund estab- lished to support the families of Photo by Nedra Cruz the victims and the Virginia Tech The University of Baltimore paused for a moment of silence on April 19 to honor and remember the victims of the April 16 Virginia Tech tragedy. At 3 community. p.m., silence enveloped Gordon Plaza, as well as classrooms and offices throughout campus. Following the silence, the crowd listened to and clapped web–www.givingto.vt.edu along with Virginia Tech’s fight song. Pictured (L to R): Alicia Donohue, third-year law student; (back) Sara Chaconas, third-year law student; unidenti- EVAN DYSON/senior photographer fied; (back) Dan Mayer, second-year law student; Bansi L. Sawhney, Ph.D., professor of economics; Stephanie Barnes, forensic studies student; and Alyssa -ÌÕ`iÌÃ]Êv>VÕÌÞ]Ê>`ÊVÕÌÞÊiLiÀÃÊiÝ«ÀiÃÃÊÌ iÀÊiÌÃÊ>ÌÊ>ÊV>`i} ÌÊÛ}Ê>ÌÊ6À}>Ê/iV Ê/ÕiÃ`>ÞÊ} Ì]ÊÌ iÊ`>ÞÊ>vÌiÀÊÎÎÊÜiÀiÊi`ÊÊÌÜÊÃi«>À>ÌiÊà Ì}ð [email protected] Reddick, forensic studies student Block Party: Semi-annual campus party on Gordon Plaza. See Page 11. /ii All eyes on Tech as campus begins to cope 4Ç\£xÊ>°° with shooting that claimed 33 of its own Campaign Confusion Causes Revote Sylvan Beach to Virginia Tech By Chris Sheppard “Results were invalid due to a BY EVAN DYSON Norris Hall. According to police, the re- between the shootings. Receive Face-Lift Police Department managing editor sponding offi cers found the front doors barri- At press time, police had not yet pro- Managing Editor variety of factors,” wrote Jennifer receives 911 call to caded and chained from the inside. Once ac- vided details regarding the identities of the And Meredith Barr Sappington, outgoing USS president respond to West Students and faculty at Virginia Tech are cess was gained to the building, shots could victims from the second shooting. Offi cial Features Editor and jurisprudence student, in a state- still in shock after Monday’s massacre by a be heard on the second fl oor. As the offi cers information will be made available only after Ambler Johnston lone gunman that resulted in the deaths of 33 approached the area of the gunfi re, the shoot- all of the victims are positively identifi ed and ment issued on behalf of the USS. Residence Hall. people, including the shooter. ing ceased. According to police, the gunman families are notifi ed. As of Tuesday after- lthough the results of the “Primarily, several candidates helped Virginia Tech President Charles Steger ex- took his own life before offi cers reached noon, all families had been notifi ed but not University of Baltimore’s voters navigate the new CSI election 4\ÓÈÊ>°° tended his sympathies to the families of the him. Police found 30 victims throughout the all of the victims were positively identifi ed. victims and called the events “a tragedy that building in at least four classrooms, as well Dr. Marcella Fierro, the chief medical Graduate Student Senate software and were therefore present Faculty and students are noti- we consider of monumental proportions.” as a stairwell. Flinchum also confi rmed that examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia, A(GSS) and Student Bar Association when voters voted. Although it is The shootings at Virginia Tech are the several individuals jumped out of windows said that she is working to confi rm the identi- fi ed by e-mail of the homicide deadliest on record in the U.S., having more during the incident in Norris Hall. ties as quickly and carefully as possible. (SBA) elections were announced unlikely that any candidate intended investigation at WAJ and asked casualties than any previous attack, with 33 The gunman has been identifi ed as 23- However, it will still be days before this will on April 24 (see Page 9), the to act unethically, it is improper for a See Page 15 confi rmed dead and 15 injured. year-old Cho Seung-Hui, a senior English be complete. Undergraduate Student Senate (USS) candidate to assist a voter.” to report any suspicious activity. At approximately 7:15 a.m. on Monday, major at Virginia Tech. Cho was a resident Details regarding victims are becoming campus police received reports of a shooting alien, originally from South Korea, who available via social networking sites like results were delayed because of the In one instance, according 4\{xÊ>°° in West Ambler Johnston residence hall. Ac- moved to the United States in 1992 and lived Facebook.com and myspace.com and by need for a revote. to Susan Luchey, director of CSI, cording to police, there were two confi rmed in Centreville. At school he was an on-cam- family members who have come forward to Replacing paper ballots and voting candidate Adam Habibi, business VT PD receives fatalities. The hall serves as a co-ed under- pus resident and lived in Harper Residence announce the death of their child. graduate housing complex for 895 students. Hall. Offi cials originally declined to connect booths, elections were held online this management student, approached a second 911 call According to police, the deaths were According to police, those who knew the separate shooting incidents, as a ballistics year. Despite updated campaigning Luchey out of concern that he had concerning a believed to be an isolated event and domestic him described Cho as a loner. He legally evaluation had not yet been completed to in nature. purchased the weapons used in the shoot- compare them. rules to correspond with the new vot- violated the rules by leading voters shooting in Norris At 9:45 a.m., as police were interviewing ings. Since the attacks, law enforcement has Parents and students met throughout ing method, USS and the Rosenberg to a computer lab and encouraging Hall. Responding a person of interest, units were dispatched to executed two search warrants on his dorm Monday night at the university lodge, The Center for Student Involvement (CSI) them to vote for only him. the scene of a second shooting in Norris Hall, room. One of the offi cial search warrants Inn at Virginia Tech, where hundreds of offi cers fi nd the on the opposite side of campus. dated Monday lists retrieved items including members of the media also convened. raised questions about several candi- “In the past, there has been a doors barricaded According to students, an email was sent a chain from his closet, knife, various types Members of the Virginia State Police dates’ campaign practices that, while rule that you can’t be within 50 from the inside. regarding the fi rst incident, but classes re- of locks, assorted notepads and other docu- blocked the entrances to campus with their not necessarily in direct violation of feet of a polling place. I eliminated mained in session until the second shooting, ments, computer and computer related items, patrol cars and turned away motorists Mon- 4\xxÊ>°° raising questions about university offi cials’ a digital camera and a dremel tool. day night the rules set forth by CSI, were not that because—and this is really my Student Fee response. Wednesday morning, police confi rmed Tech reopened at 8 a.m. Tuesday, but condoned either. fault—I was thinking that we didn’t Offi cials notify campus of the “What you need to understand,” said Vir- that Cho had been involved with law classes were canceled and counselors were Distribution ginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum, “is enforcement offi cials in 2005 as a result of on hand to speak with students. The same Photo by Chris Sheppard This, along with the lack of major- really have polling places any more,” second murder scene. this is a campus of over 2,600 acres, well over complaints fi led by two female sudents. day, VT President Steger announced that Hannah Kamsheh, criminal justice graduate student and Rosenberg Center for ity votes for most candidates as Luchey said. “I wasn’t really thinking See Page 9 a hundred buildings, 26,000 students, faculty Police said that following a counseling ses- classes are canceled for the rest of the week. Student Involvement staff member, watches as Vincent Fertetta, criminal jus- required for election, led to the need and staff. A lockdown or shutdown does not sion at the police department he was sent to Norris Hall will be closed for the rest of the tice student, casts his vote in the re-elections. happen in seconds.” a mental health facility, but no charges were semester. for a revote. See ELECTIONS, Page 8 Complicating matters further is the fact fi led against him. According to Flinchum, the results of that approximately 6,000 students live on NBC also confi rmed that Cho mailed a the ballistics analysis confi rmed that one of campus. package to its offi ce containing photographs Index • Opinion 4 • Columns 6 • Closer Look 12 • Distractions 14 • Classifieds 17 • Sports 20 The majority of the fatalities occurred in and writings, and is believed to have done so see SHOOTING, page 5 the ub post – university of baltimore the breeze – James Madison university hen people ask me about my good, despite the fact that the four of staffed, overworked, and filing great experience covering the trag- us didn’t even have a change of clothes stories. Their professional conduct did Wedy at Virginia Tech, I usu- between us, much less all our driv- not falter as they dealt with the national ally give a one-word response: intense. ers licenses, money, and other essen- media crush. Their coverage did not After watching the second press con- tials. But it was not until we were in become sentimental, even as they iden- ference from The Daily Tar Heel office Blacksburg, confronted with a mourn- tified friends and professors on a cred- on April 16, where university officials ing maroon-and-orange student body ible list of the dead. Their generosity admitted that they believed more than and a landscape of satellite trucks, that to me extended from the office to their 20 people were dead, I started mobi- we confronted the enormity of our task. personal lives, providing information, lizing for Blacksburg. I gathered two During the next three days, sustained photographs, a computer for work and a other reporters, a photographer, stacks by massive amounts of caffeine and the futon for sleep. of empty notebooks, and ran to my car, accomplishment of writing good sto- I was in Blacksburg six days of the then drove the 200 miles to Blacksburg, ries for the readers back home, I made next 10. The experience taught me how Va., at about 80 mph. friends with the student staff of The to work well in a crisis, but it taught me Tearing down the road certainly felt Collegiate Times. They were under- more about the “Hokie Spirit.” Among 1 cmr summer/fall 2007 1 cmr summer/fall 2007 Nebraska’s Oldest College Newspaper CAMPUS YOUR WORLD 1874 THE DOAN E Red Cross Doanestock: in their Words returns for Event to host seconds four local bands page 4 page 8 http://owl.doane.edu Volume 141, Issue 21 April 19, 2007 Crete, Nebraska News/Jumps and Wire...... 2 Opinion ...... 5 Your World ...... 8 Stop Day 2007 ...... 10, 11 OWL Campus/Weekly...... 3, 4 Special Section ...... 6, 7 Doane and Beyond ...... 9 Sports...... 12 Compton wins by large m in America’s collegiate press in the elections Monday and Tuesday. pleased by his re-election, he expected a when StuCo had an effect on their lives. “It seemed like a very good response 428 students turn In the StuCo presidential running, votes better voter turnout. “I feel that some people that may in terms of the number of students who out to cast ballots went to Compton with 209, junior “I thought there have voted for me are just people that voted,” said Jacobs, noting that just Aaron Holmes with 125 and junior would be more (stu- didn’t get out and vote,” Holmes said. more than half of the student popula- in StuCo elections Laurel Wegener with 89. dents voting) because “Perhaps, some people just don’t tion went to the polls. there were three can- Curry, the only vice presidential can- care.” The StuCo positions for secretary didate, received 340 votes. didates,” Compton Wegener and Curry could not be and treasurer next year are left to Compton said his role as StuCo pres- said. “But they (stu- reached for comment. responds to a Black Day dents) voiced their Compton to appoint. Wegener is cur- Juniors Tyson Compton and Tomie ident this year gave him the edge. Kim Jacobs, vice president for “I had to prove myself,” Compton Compton opinions and that’s all Enrollment Management and Student rently the StuCo secretary and senior Curry were re-elected for another term said. “My idea of experience, action and that matters. I’m not going to disagree Leadership, said she looked at the num- Mandie Craven is the StuCo treasurer. as Student Congress (StuCo) president results gave people more to base their with the outcome.” ber of students who voted as a positive. Holmes said he would be willing to opinion off of.” Holmes said he didn’t understand She said she believed the turnout was accept one of those roles if Compton Students cast a totoal of 428 ballots Although Compton said he was why some students decided not to vote better than in years past. asked him. in the Blue Ridge Relay raises more 7PMVNF than "QSJM *TTVF $62K TNBMM"-, Manager: Doane 5IF4UVEFOU7PJDFPG.FUIPEJTUVOJWFSTJUZ probably in top three for funds XXXTNBMMUBMLNDDPN raised per capita The Mind of Campus KELLI BOWERS T a Killer Reactions It was the screech heard Ashley Young Aamer Madhani News Editor Chicago Tribune Megan Maryott, adviser to (MCT) the Relay for Life committee, With the tragedy at Vir- ginia Tech, everyone throughout reacted to the unveiling of the The gunman in the Vir- total money raised for the event. the nation has become wary of pos- “I was completely shocked,” ginia Tech shooting rampage, sible attacks elsewhere. Maryott said. Cho Seung-Hui, was a troubled “I realize that we are all Relay For Life raced by its 23-year-old senior from South touched by the horrors that occurred MAIN: Virginia Tech $45,000 goal this weekend, rak- Korea who investigators believe there,” said Dawn Hamerla, Direc- juniors Jim McCartin ing in the most dough the left an invective-filled note in his and Christine George tor of Public Safety at Methodist Doane College and Saline dorm room, sources say. University, in an e-mail sent out to share a moment of County event has raised in the The note included a ram- silence during a vigil Hitting close to home all faculty and staff on campus. on campus Tuesday. six years it has been held on bling list of grievances, accord- Hamerla felt that now campus. Photo by Jason arly Monday morning, and Smith's friends are safe and ing to sources. They said Cho Arthurs from from An exhausted group of would be “an appropriate time” to Recent tragedy at sound. also died with the words “Ismail Raleigh News & one person took the lives fundraisers was elated when a call attention to the plans that we Observer. of 32 students at a college Still, Smith said, he has ques- Ax” in red ink on the inside of have here at Methodist in the case E Virginia Tech yellow sign was rolled out at 6 one of his arms. TOP LEFT: Virginia campus 1,104 miles from Crete. a.m. Saturday, showing that it of an emergency. While there are Tech students gather In three short hours 23-year-old brings to Cho had shown recent signs no measures being added to the at a makeshift memo- had raised more than $62,000 Cho Seung-Hui, a senior English for the American of violent, aberrant behavior, ac- system, the procedures currently in rial Monday. Photo by cording to an investigative source, Ted Richardson from major at Virginia Tech, ended 33 forefront issues Cancer Society. place are being evaluated. First of Raleigh News & lives and shattered countless A glitch in the including setting a fire in a dorm of safety 6 all there is a “heightened sense of Observer. others. database system room and allegedly stalking some awareness” among everyone here BOTTOM LEFT: But Virginia Tech wasn't that totaled team See women. Virginia Tech fresh- MELA on campus. At the beginning of the 1,104 miles away on Monday. fundraising photos A note believed to have men (from left) STAFF WRITER school year students, staff, and fac- Virginia Tech was here. from the Nathan Goodman, caused some been written by Cho was found in ulty are given a handbook entitled "We all became Virginia Tech team totals to event VIRGINIA TECH Sarah Carlson, Sarah his dorm room that railed against dents is the top priority at Emergency Operations Plan Sum- Peet and Danica Van on Monday," Mike Hartwell, For them, the situation was all read $0, even “rich kids,” “debauchery” and Thorn support each Doane. The college's current mary that tells what to do in differ- director of physical plant, said. too real. though these teams had raised “deceitful charlatans” on cam- other during a memo- safety and security plans were ent emergency situation events that An attack on a college cam- Smith heard about the shoot- quite a bit of money, Maryott pus. rial service on pus is bound to hit home with already under review prior to said. As a result, the committee may happen on campus. Methodist Tuesday. Photo by ings at 11 a.m. and started mak- Monday's events and Brand said The English major from TRAGEDY also has an air siren which would students across the nation. For had been under-reporting totals Richardson ing calls and sending e-mails. further discussion was needed Centreville, Va., a rapidly grow- go off in an emergency situation BOTTOM RIGHT: some at Doane, it hit closer than "I was nervous … very nerv- all evening. The glitch was after what occurred at Virginia caught by Team Recruitment ing suburb of Washington, D.C., on top of Garber Hall, there are 17 Virginia Tech fresh- they would have liked. ous," Smith said. came to the United States in 1992, man Emily Canis sits Senior Jessica Kottich and Tech. Chair Tammi Marsh when try- emergency alarm boxes throughout Kottich called home to find Doane College's safety and an investigative source said. He on the parade field junior Tim Smith both have ing to calculate team sweep- campus, and every one of the po- across from Norris out whether her family had security committee met on friends currently attending stakes points. was a legal permanent resident. lice officers on campus has trained Hall on Monday heard anything. His family runs a dry clean- Photo by Richardson. Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. Fortunately, both Kottich’s see VIRGINIA TECH/page 2 Lincoln Community at the Rapid Response to the Active Manager for the American ing business and he has a sister Shooter which is located at the NC Cancer Society Ronda Bruns who graduated from Princeton Justice Academy. There is also ac- said that parent and faculty sup- University, according to the tion taking place for the installation port made all the difference this source. of lights out on the football field. Stop Day: All-around good time year. She said she thought Investigators believe Cho College Heights Country Club, Doane would be in the top three “I’m very saddened by it Inside at some point had been taking and I wish it could have been pre- S T O P DAY all other Stop Day events took schools in the nation in per medication for depression. They 2007 List of vented. It appeared the student had place on campus. capita fundraising for colleges are examining Cho’s computer The location of Stop Day may Among the Stop Day changes winners and universities with fewer than a problem that was ignored. By ig- Page 4 for more evidence. have changed, but the day’s tra- Senior Sam Cole said he was a campus beer garden for 3,999 students. Doane will take noring the problem it turned into ditions continued among Doane enjoyed Stop Day on campus Change first place in the High Plains The gunman’s family lived a tragedy. God bless the families of-age students. in an off-white, two-story town- students. more. Sophomore Lesley Hansen made for Division, just as the college did and college,” said Larry Smith, the Stop Day house in Centreville. Stop Day, a day when all “I think it (Stop Day on cam- said she liked the Stop Day last year, Bruns said. bookstore manager. classes are canceled, was held on pus) provides a better sense of Page 4 She added that Doane had a “He was very quiet, always “My thoughts and prayers improvements, including the by himself,” neighbor Abdul Doane campus Wednesday, a community,” Cole said. change of venue and the campus Photo total understanding of the need go out to that community. Living for cancer research. Senior Krystal Lewallen and freshman change from previous years in Although the softball games beer garden. spread Shash said of the gunman. Shash in a college community myself I’m Michael Vargas slide down the slip ‘n’ slide which the location was at remained at Tuxedo Park and Pages 10 “Doane is at the top of the said the gunman spent a lot of his reminded that something like that Wednesday during Stop Day. the golf tournament at the and 11 Tuxedo Park. see STUDENTS/page 2 see RELAY/page 2 free time playing basketball, and could happen anywhere,” said Joey wouldn’t respond if someone Harris, residential coordinator for SPORTS DOANE AND BEYOND greeted him. He described the Garber and Pearce Halls. Tiiger Country 81 family as quiet. Tiger softball claws Travel Interterm restrictions rile up WEEKEND 73 70 Wed evening the Rev. Dr. 59 58 47 by one, drops other would-be participants page 9 WEATHER continued on page 3, Killer Methodist students hold a candle light vigil in honor of the shooting vicitims. Photo by Tiffany Nabors Continued on page 2, Campus page 12 www.weather.com Friday Saturday Sunday the doane owl – doane College small talk – Methodist university the university-sanctioned memorials to the 32 victims lay tributes to the gunman and senior English major Sueng-Hui Cho. While it was not a consensus, sev- eral members of the college community saw Cho as a part of the tragedy. “He was still a person, too,” said junior Matthew Quinn, “He was still a Hokie.” Erin France State and National Editor The Daily Tar Heel owell Raines, the former execu- tive editor of the New York the ub post – university of baltimore HTimes, was known for “flooding the zone,” unleashing major manpower, summer/fall 2007 cmr 1 summer/fall 2007 cmr 1 America’s collegiate press responds to a Black Day in the Blue Ridge to cover the biggest of stories. In keeping give us for last week’s mistake. I hope just about one of those first-hand experi- with the sports metaphor, this is a story this once, people will think, better late ences: about losing the ball out of bounds late than never.” “The nation has come together and in the game … and then executing a full- Dave Waddell united - and the colleges even more so. court press to try to make up for it. Adviser, The Orion While on the Drillfield days ago, out The Orion comes out each Wednesday, California State University-Chico of nowhere came a marching band of students from Alabama playing “Glory, and The Virginia Tech killings, of course, Glory, Hallelujah.” When talking to happened on Monday, April 16. The rion reporter Karen McIntyre someone later, I found out that they DID Orion’s April 18 edition had nothing on was among the three-member come out of nowhere. They got in a van its front page about murders of historic team of journalists from Cal- and drove from Alabama to come show proportions that occurred on a college O State Chico who, like many of their coun- Virginia Tech their support. It was mind- campus. The only “story” was of fewer terparts at college newspapers across blowing.” than 100 words on A-2. the country, journeyed cross-country Orion photographer David Flannery While it’s possible to explain such an to Blacksburg , report first-hand what he wound up learning much from the oversight, it’s impossible to excuse it. they found. McIntyre wrote in the news- professional press that descended on Readers don’t care about a newspaper’s paper’s blog that she felt compelled to the Virginia Tech campus, most of it its problems; they just want the coverage help the Orion atone with its readers for unprofessional pursuit of the story at all they’re entitled to. failing to initially recognize the impact costs. Here’s what he wrote on April 23 in “A lesson in ethics:” By the end of that week, The Orion of that April 16 at Virginia Tech. Here’s “I have never enrolled in a journalism had dispatched three student journal- what she told readers in an April 24 blog entitled “Better late than never” ethics class. After today, however, I feel ists—reporters Karen McIntyre and like I could teach one. Ashley Gebb and photographer David “BLACKSBURG, Va. — The largest “I am at Virginia Tech to cover the Flannery—more than 2,500 miles to shooting spree in modern U.S. history aftermath of the events of April 16th, and cover the reopening of the VT campus. happened April 16, on a college campus at that, and we didn’t have more than I’m appalled at what I have seen. I simply They spent five grueling days there and cannot believe the way broadcast media sent back stories and photos that were three inches in our paper about it. And the little bit we had wasn’t even on the has treated the students, teachers and impressive in terms of both their quality front page. The Orion messed up. And staff here.. The mainstream U.S. media and quantity. McIntyre later would write I am part of The Orion. We all made a has invaded this small college town of that The Orion “put more time, sweat mistake. Blacksburg, and pushed an already frag- and stress into covering this tragedy than ile people to a breaking point. Today “The Virginia Tech massacre was not any other college newspaper in our state, the Student Government released a on the front page of The Orion last week. statement to the press asking them to and probably the country—Virginia But it will be this week. And it won’t be Tech’s Collegiate Times excluded.” leave…. I keep listening in on students an AP story pulled from the wire. It will being interviewed, and it felt like these The students’ blogging in particular be real, and it will be of way more qual- people who had just experienced a trag- was illuminating and insightful, and ity than it would have been last week or edy become a commodity, something to it confirmed, in my mind, the price- if we had tried to do it any other way be bought and sold. than coming out here and walking in the less educational value of this venture. “As a photographer, I ended up choos- McIntrye, in her final Blacksburg blog, shoes of a Hokie…The Orion does care. No story can fully explain what it’s like ing to leave my long lens at the office dated April 24, had this to say: to be on the Virginia Tech campus. No because I wanted to force myself to talk “The tragedy happened on April 16. words can describe the unity in this little to these people. I cared about the story, But it’s not over. It’s a story, it’s a lot of community of Blacksburg. No story can and I wanted to make sure the VT stu- stories, and there’s still much more that do this justice, but I just hope that after dents knew that I did. [But] I kept seeing old men (pros) with video cameras shov- needs to be said about it. reading this week’s issue, people can for- give us for last week’s mistake. I hope just ing themselves through people to get “Our coverage is late, but not because this once, people will think, better late right up in the faces of crying people…. we didn’t care…. The Orion does care. than never.” I could understand capturing the pain No story can fully explain what it’s like and suffering of VT for the first couple of Orion assistant news editor Ashley on the Virginia Tech campus. No words days, but a week later, I think doing that Gebb expressed to readers back home can describe the unity in this little com- is completely insensitive and unneces- her awe at singular responses from fel- sary. The story has since moved on, it munity of Blacksburg. No story can do low college students. In her April 24 blog this justice, but I just hope that after has become a story of moving on, and entry about the unity among college stu- it’s time for the nation to let Blacksburg reading this week’s issue, people can for- dents, entitled “It’s all the same,” she told mourn in peace. 14 cmr summer/fall 2007 14 cmr summer/fall 2007 in their Words &;G::8DENE:GE:GHDCÕ699>I>DC6A8DE>:H*%8:CIH 8DK:G6<:DC DG>DCDCA>C: I=:H8:C:>C Niner Nation lll#i]Zdg^dc#Xdb member responds 6;I:GB6I=D; to Lutz letter Ha^YZh]dld[K^g\^c^VIZX]igV\ZYnC:LH K>G<>C>6I:8= K^g\^c^VIZX]dca^cZhidg^ZhC:LH I’M WITH COACH SPORTS P. 9 Dg^dcWad\hVWdjiK^g\^c^Vig^eC:LH H=DDI>C< The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Kda*->hhjZ&( 6+"6, thurs=:R APRIL 19, 2007 HI6N8DCC:8I:97NH> HjhiV^cVW^a^inegdkZhidWZbdgZ i]VcV&)"aZiiZgXdYZldgY[dgV ]^ee^ZZck^gdcbZciVa^hiV\ZcYV dcXVbejh#6. 55 HEDGIH I]ZigVX`iZVbdjih]^cZhi]Z XdbeZi^i^dc^c]jgYaZh!gZaVn! hiZZeaZX]VhZVcY_VkZa^cVii]Z ''cYVccjVa8]^XdIl^a^\]i >ck^iVi^dcVa#7' 55 :CI:GI6>CB:CI HijYZciEjWa^XVi^dchE]did\gVe]nHiV[[ViK^g\^c^VIZX] 6ccVWZaaZDbWVX K^g\^c^VIZX]hijYZcihVcYhjeedgiZgh\Vi]ZgVii]ZbZbdg^Va^c[gdcid[7jggZhh=VaadcBdcYVn!dcZlZZ`V[iZgi]ZYZVYa^Zhih]ddi^c\^cJ#H#]^hidgnidd`('d[ i]Z^gXaVhhbViZhÉVcYiZVX]ZghÉa^kZh#I]Zh]ddiZg!HZjc\"=j^8]d!aViZg`^aaZY]^bhZa[#HiVgi^c\Vi./)*V#b#!i]ZhX]ddaWZaalVhgjc\('i^bZhid]dcdgi]Zk^Xi^bh# K^g\^c^VIZX]hijYZcihgZijgcidXaVhh Ted Richardson/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT 8dXd8V[]dhihadXVah^c\Zg" 6H=A:N<:77 «ÀʣȰ ÃiiÊ«ii`ÊÌ iÊV>ÃÃÀÊ`À° Virginia Tech graduate student Ken Stanton (right) comforts a fellow student near classmate Kate Tresslen (second from left) during a memorial service at Lane hdc\lg^iZgh?dh];jc`VcY8Vgan Stadium on Tuesday, April 17, 2007, a day after 33 people were shot to death on campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. 6HH>HI6CIC:LH:9>IDG ÕÀÌ Þi>ÀÊ ÃÌÕ`iÌÊ ,> iÊ -iÞvÕÊ Ã>`Ê ºÊÌÀi`ÊÌÊÌÊÌ Ê>LÕÌÊÌ]»Ê-iÞvÕÊ 6cc# 8) ÌÊ Ü>ÃÊ >À`Ê ÌÊ LiÊ L>VÊ Ê V iÃÌÀÞÊ V>ÃÃÊ Ã>`° @6G:CB8>CING: `>Þ°ÊÊ / iÊ«ÀviÃÃÀÊ>Ãi`ÊvÊ>ÞiÊÜ>Ìi`ÊÌÊ Virginia Tech nightmare raises local safety concerns HI6;;LG>I:G º/ iÊ«>ÃÌÊÜiiÊÜiÌÊLÞÊÀi>ÞÊv>ÃÌ]»Êà iÊ VÛiÀÊV>ÃÃÊ>ÌiÀ>]Ê>`ÊiÊÃÌÕ`iÌÊÃ>`Ê Ã>`°ÊºÌ½ÃÊ`ÊvÊiÊL}Ê`>Þ°» ÞiðÊiÀÊ«ÀviÃÃÀÊ`iV`i`ÊÌÊVÌÕiÊ - 1,]Ê 6>°Ê pÊ >ÃÃiÃÊ Li}>Ê - iÊÌÀi`ÊÌÊVViÌÀ>ÌiÊ>`Ê`Ê iÀÊÜÀ]Ê V>ÃÃÊ>`ÊÌ`ÊÃÌÕ`iÌÃÊÌ iÞÊVÕ`Êi>ÛiÊ JOSH LANIER | Nineronline 55 ;:6IJG:H `>ÞÊ>ÌÊ6À}>Ê/iV ]ÊLÕÌÊÃÌÕ`iÌÃÊ>ÀiÊ LÕÌÊÌ iÀÊÃÌÕ`iÌÃÊ`ÃÌÀ>VÌi`Ê iÀÊLÞÊÌ>}Ê ÃÌÊ`iV`}ÊvÊÌ iÊÃiiÃÌiÀÊi`i`ÊvÀÊÌ iÊ >LÕÌÊ ÜÊ ÃV>Ài`Ê Ì iÞÊ ÜiÀiÊ iÛiÀÞÊ ÌiÊ eaZVhZhZZ8A6HH 6+ ith the tragic events unfolding cluding campus police, are required to “If something of this magnitude were on the campus of Virginia Tech undergo strategy and tactical training to to occur, we would immediately turn on THE DEAL WMonday morning that left 33 prepare them for incidents such as the one the warning siren,” said Director of Busi- students dead, many are left to question if at Va. Tech, which was the worst mass ness Continuity Morgan Roseborough. Timothy Cacciatore, UNC Charlotte is prepared to handle such shooting in the nation’s history. “The siren would sound and a message of who is a member of the an event. “Currently [Police and Public Safety what students should do and where to go Engineering Fraternity :Xd;Zhi Director of Police and Public Safety is] not looking into changing its policies,” would play immediately afterwards.” Theta Tau, is hosting an 8]^XdHiViZegZeVgZh[dgh]ddi^c\i]gZVih Marlene Hall hopes to calm students’ and said Hall. “We don’t know all of the facts Students would also get messages via event Thursday evening parents’ fears on this topic. of what happened, but as more facts come mass email, voicemail, televisions located at 7 p.m. at the Belk “We have steps in place in case such out we may have to reassess our poli- around campus and emergency messages H:G<>D9:A<69D «Ã]Ê>VVÀ`}ÊÌÊÌ iÊ-ÕÌÌiÀÊ ÕÌÞÊ ).3)$% 4(% /2)/. Tower. Currently, he is i]g^kZh^c something like this were to occur at UNC cies.” located on the UNC Charlotte homepage, trying to get speakers HI6;;LG>I:G - iÀvvÊ i«>ÀÌiÌ°Ê >ÀiÞÊ Ã>`Ê Ì >ÌÊ Charlotte,” said Hall. “All of our officers Many measures taken by the Universi- among other methods. IldhijYZciZcigZegZcZjghh]VgZ and invites all students to iÊ Ü>Ìi`Ê ÌÊ VÌÊ ÃÕV`iLÞV«°Ê (OKIE SUPPORTERS FROM ACROSS have had training to handle something ty are reactionary, or put in place to warn Hall said if a student is ever involved i]Z^gZmeZg^ZcXZhVcYi^ehid THE COUNTRY RALLY AROUND like this and know what to do in that situ- students of pending problems or dangers. in a situation, the best course of action is come and bring a candle Ê9ÕL>Ê ÌÞÊ>ÊÌ Ài>Ìii`ÊÊ«ÀÊ iÊ``ÊÌÊëiVvÞÊÜ ÊÀÊÜ >ÌÊ iÊÜ>ÃÊ if they wish. hiVgi^c\i]Z^gdlcWjh^cZhhZh COMMUNITY 0AGE ! lZilZVi]Zg ation.” The most recent addition is the warning to call Police and Public Safety immedi- £nÊ ÌÊ }Ê Ê >Ê }Ê Ã«ÀiiÊ Ì >ÌÊ ºÜÊ Ì>À}iÌ}°Ê North Carolina Police Officers, in- siren. ately at 704-687-2200. [gdbi]Z\gdjcYje#9( >iÊ6À}>Ê/iV ÊÊ`»ÊLÕÌÊ``Ê -ÕÌÌiÀÊ >`Ê 9ÕL>Ê VÕÌÞÊ ÃV ÃÊ ÌÊ>>}iÊÌÊV>ÕÃiÊ>ÞÊ >ÀÊLivÀiÊ ÜiÀiÊVÃi`ÊÀ`>ÞÊ>ÌÊÌ iÊÀiµÕiÃÌÊvÊ>ÜÊ 6IRGINIANS TURN TO RELIGION IN DA<6BJxDO See TRAGEDY on page 3 ÌÕÀ}Ê ÃivÊ°ÊÊ ivÀViiÌ°Ê FACE OF CRISIS 0AGE ! HI6;;LG>I:G ivviÀÞÊ/ >ÃÊ >ÀiÞÊÃÕÀÀi`iÀi`ÊÌÊ >ÀiÞ½ÃÊÌ Ài>ÌÊV>iÊÌÜÊ`>ÞÃÊ>vÌiÀÊ 9ÕL>Ê ÌÞÊ>ÕÌ ÀÌiÃÊ>ÌiÊ/ ÕÀÃ`>Þ° Ì iÊ `i>`iÃÌÊ Ã Ì}Ê Ê 1Ìi`Ê -Ì>ÌiÃÊ /PINION ,ESSONS LEARNED FROM / iÊÈä`i}ÀiiÊÌi«iÀ>ÌÕÀiÊ>`Ê REASONS TO READ Eda^XZ7adiiZg/ >ÀiÞ]Ê Ón]Ê V>i`Ê ÃÊ «>ÃÌÀÊ >`Ê ÃÌÀÞ]Ê Ü iÊ -iÕ}ÕÊ ]Ê ÓÎ]Ê 6IRGINIA 4ECH 0AGE ! À>Ê->ÌÕÀ`>ÞÊ``ÊÌÊÃÌ«Ê Õ`Ài`ÃÊ v>ÞÊiLiÀÃÊÌ iÊ} ÌÊvÊ«ÀÊ£nÊÌÊ ÕÀ`iÀi`ÊÎÓÊÃÌÕ`iÌÃÊ>`Êv>VÕÌÞÊ>ÌÊ vÊ «i«iÊ vÀÊ }>Ì iÀ}Ê Ê Ì iÊ Survey indicates where UNC Charlotte ÌiÊÌ iÊÌ >ÌÊ iÊ >`Ê>Ê {ÇÊ>ÃÃ>ÕÌÊ i`>Ê>Ê >ÜÊÌÊViiLÀ>ÌiÊÌ iÊ 8Vaad[i]ZLZZ` Àvi]Ê «ÀÛÃi`Ê iÝ«ÃÛiÊ `iÛViÃÊ >`Ê eaZVhZhZZI=G:6IH 6+ £äÌ Ê>Õ>Ê VÊiÃÌ° XBOX º ÛiÀÞÊÌiʽÛiÊViÊÌÊ VÊiÃÌ]Ê Ì½ÃÊLiiÊÀ>}]ÊLÕÌÊÌÊ`iýÌÊ`>«iÊ IldgZedgi^c\ «i«i½ÃÊ Ã«ÀÌÃ]»Ê Ã>`Ê ÃiÀÊ ÀiiÊ OWNERS teaching students accept career positions eVgi^ZhcdlVYk^h^c\ GZhjaih^c[dg6#H#ZaZXi^dc ÀLiÀ]Ê`ÀiVÌÀÊvÊÌ iÊ ÛÀiÌ>Ê potential employees in an unprofessional didn’t allow some students to meet with i]Vii]ZhjW_ZXihl]d VÌÊ>`Ê,iÃÕÀViÊ iÌiÀ° GET Andrew Stark THE DEAL 6H=A:N<:77 vvViÀÃÊ>}ÊÜÌ Ê `iLÀ°Ê , Ê>`Ê°-°Ê,iVÞV}ÊÀ}>âi`Ê UT Staff Writer and unwelcoming manner,” said Stepha- CMS officials. XVaaVgZbV`^c\ nie Tucker, a UNC Charlotte student. Chrislyn Luce, Coordinator of Gradu- Charlotte-Mecklenburg 6HH>HI6CIC:LH:9>IDG Þ`ÊÃ>`ÊÊ>Êi>ÊÌ >ÌÊÃ}Ê Ì iÊiÛiÌÊÌÊViiLÀ>ÌiÊ >ÀÌ Ê >Þ]ÊÜ V Ê gVX^VaanYZgd\Vidgn READY Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools will Tucker has been to a job fair before, ate Internships, had a similar job fair ex- schools will host a job gZbVg`hVcYi]gZViZc" Ì iÊ iiVÌÊ ÃÊ iÊ vÊ Ì iÊ >À`iÃÌÊ «ÀÌiÃÊi>À}Ê>LÕÌÊiÛÀiÌ>Ê host a job fair April 21 at the Charlotte but she was not impressed with the way perience. “I went to a teacher job fair at fair designed to attract / iÊ iiVÌÊ VÕVÊ ÃÌ`Ê Ì }ÃÊ iÊ >ÃÊ >`Ê ÌÊ `i>Ê ÜÌ °Ê ÃÃÕiÃÊ>`ÊÌi>V }Ê«i«iÊÜ >ÌÊÌÊ`Ê Merchandise Mart, showcasing what the CMS booth was run. “They passed UNC Charlotte recently. CMS has the graduates to available ^c\idWjgcXgdhhZh out application packets and herded the largest booth, but the most uninterested Õ``i`Ê>ÀÕ`Ê>ÊV«ÕÌiÀÊÊÌ iÊ iÊ ÃÊ `Ã>««Ìi`Ê Ì >ÌÊ ÃÌÕ`iÌÃÊ >LÕÌÊÌ i]Ê ÀLiÀÊÃ>`°Ê TO ROCK they have to offer to potential teachers. teaching positions. Studies VcY]VgbgZedgi^c\ ÌiÀiÌÊ /iV }ÞÊ ÀÊ Ê Ì iÊ `Ê ÌÊ ÃiiÊ ÌÊ Õ`iÀÃÌ>`Ê Ì >ÌÊ LÕÌÊ xääÊ «i«iÊ >ÌÌi`i`Ê Ì iÊ Some jobs will be handed out on the spot groups out of the way for the next group,” people I encountered. They were not par- indicate that CMS has a in order to fill the void of roughly one Tucker said. ticularly friendly nor did they seem very lower percentage of UNC eVginVcY]Zg[Vb^an# iÊ iÀ>Ê1ÊÊ/ ÕÀÃ`>ÞÊ Li}Ê µÕ>vi`Ê ÃÊ «ÀÌ>ÌÊ Ê >Ê iÛiÌ]Ê >`Ê ÀiÊ Ì >Ê ÓäÊ VÕÌÞÊ A&E p. 6-7 thousand jobs CMS must fill nearly every CMS consistently has the longest interested in recruiting. Charlotte alumni than ;dgbdgZ!hZZEV\Z6) Ü>Ì}Ê vÀÊ Ì iÊ ÜiÀÃÊ ÌÊ LiÊ «ÀiÃ`iÌ>ÊV>``>Ìi°ÊÊÊ >`Ê V>«ÕÃÊ }ÀÕ«ÃÊ «>ÀÌV«>Ìi`Ê LÞÊ school year. lines at job fairs such as these because “The system is too large and unre- other neighboring school ÀiÛi>i`° º1vÀÌÕ>ÌiÞ]Ê Ì ÃÊ iiVÌÊ >Û}Ê LÌ ÃÊ >ÌÊ Ì iÊ iÛiÌ°Ê ÀÕ«ÃÊ CMS is a massive district overseeing they have so many schools and so many sponsive. But, to be fair, there are good systems. The job fair will Õà i`Ê ÛViÃÊ >ÕVi`Ê Ì >ÌÊ ÌÕÀi`Ê ÌÊ >Ê ««Õ>ÀÌÞÊ VÌiÃÌÊ >`ÊvÀ>ÌÊ>`ÊÜÀà «ÃÊ>LÕÌÊ 17 high schools, 34 middle schools, and prospective employees. schools within the system that are trying be held on Saturday, April At a recent job fair, CMS again had everything they can to be successful,” "Ã>âiiÊ `iLÀÊÜÊÌ iÊÃÃV>Ìi`Ê Ì >ÌÊ``½ÌÊvVÕÃÊʵÕ>vV>ÌÃ]»Ê V«ÃÌ}]Ê ÀiÕÃ}Ê >ÌiÀ>ÃÊ >`Ê Today, we are over 90 elementary schools. With all of 21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at those schools to manage, some people the largest booth. “CMS ran out of time Luce said. the Charlotte Merchandise Eda^XZ7adiiZg 6) -ÌÕ`iÌÃÊ«ÀiÃ`iÌÊ«ÃÌÊÜÌ ÊxÓÊ iÊÃ>`° Ì iÀÊiÛÀiÌ>ÊÃÃÕiÃ°Ê all Hokies feel as though the district is too big to due to the long lines,” said Kari Mur- Kathleen Bell, a CMS media relations Mart off Independence De^c^dc 6- «iÀViÌÊvÊÌ iÊÛÌi° Þ`Ê``ÊÌÊ>}ÀiiÊÌ >ÌÊ>Ê« ÌÊ -iÀÊ >`Ê V >Þ]Ê , ½ÃÊ help them on a personable level. ray, Senior Assistant Editor for Publicity spokesperson, was unaware of the prob- Blvd. “CMS has a bad rep; they approach and Outreach at UNC Charlotte, which lems at the job fair. Bell, who has Hedgih 7& `iLÀÊ Ã>`Ê iÊ «>ÃÊ ÌÊ vÃ Ê vÕ`Ê Ê ÃÊ >ViLÊ «ÀviÊ >ÃÃÃÌ>ÌÊ `ÀiVÌÀ]Ê Ü>ÃÊ `Ã>««Ìi`Ê Ì iÊÃiiÃÌiÀÊLÞÊÌÀ>ÃÌ}ÊvÀÊ Ã Õ`Ê >ÛiÊLiiÊLÀÕ} ÌÊÕ«Ê`ÕÀ}Ê ÜÌ Ê Ì iÊ À>Ê LiV>ÕÃiÊ ÌÊ «ÀL>LÞÊ VIEWPOINT p. 5 :ciZgiV^cbZci 8& See TEACHING on page 3 VÃÃiÀÊ vÊ ÕÌVÕÌÕÀ>Ê Ì iÊiiVÌ° Ài`ÕVi`Ê Ì iÊ ÕLiÀÊ vÊ «i«iÊ Ü Ê >C9:M 8db^Xh 9) >vv>ÀÃÊ>`Ê«ÕÌÌ}ÊÊÌ iÊÜÀÊ iÊ Þ`]Ê Ü Ê ÃÊ ÜÊ Óä]Ê >`Ê >Ê >ÌÌi`i`Ê Ì iÊ iÛiÌ]Ê LÕÌÊ Ã iÊ ÃÌÊ >`Ê REMINDER 8VaZcYVg 8. «ÀÃi`ÊÃÌÕ`iÌð « ÌÊ vÀÊ ÃÕiÀÊ ÓääxÊ Ì >ÌÊ vÕ]Êà iÊÃ>`° CONTACT US iÊ «iÃÊ Ì iÊ iiVÌÊ ÀiÃÕÌÃÊ Ã Üi`Ê Ê `}Ê>ÊvÕiÊÌ >ÌÊ º/ iÊ À>Ê ÃÕVÃ]Ê LÕÌÊ ÜiÊ ii`Ê Ì]»Ê FRI SAT SUN ;ZVijgZh 9& I]ZDg^dc 7>AA7G6C8= Registration for Fall ‘07 is underway. MON 704-687-2324 68º 73º 76º 8aVhh^[^ZYh 9* ÜÊ ÌÊ >vviVÌÊ ÃÊ Ài>Ìà «ÃÊ ÀiÃiLi`Ê >Ê LiiÀÊ L}Ê Li `Ê ÃÊ DhVoZZ:YZW^g^gZVYhi]ZZaZXi^dcgZhjaihI]jghYVn#6 V >ÞÊÃ>`°Êʺ̽ÃÊ>ÌÕÀ>]Ê>`ÊÜ >ÌÊ 78º tips, comments, letters: Check to see if you have holds and make advising 48º 50º 55º 57º HjYd`j 9* ÜÌ Ê««iÌÃÊ À>`Ê Þ`Ê>`Ê i]gdc\d[:YZW^g^hjeedgiZghgVc[gdbi]Z7BJid]^h [email protected] >ÃÊÌâiÀ]ÊÜ Ê>ÀiÊVÕÀÀiÌÞÊ°-°Ê appointments if necessary. the orion – California state university-Chico the university times – university of north Carolina Charlotte “I also kept hearing the same ques- stand back and wait. righteously noble garbage that everyone tions from the reporters. ‘How many “[The] mainstream media seemed interviewed was saying. It was a straight doors down from the killer did you live?’ to either ignore common courtesy or up cop out on their part. ‘How has the shootings/massacre/killings flat out not possess it that bothered me “I learned a lot about journalism this affected your life?’ The worst though, the most. They didn’t care how people week. I learned even more about myself. I was that each of these questions even- felt, they just wanted a story, and they learned more through real experience than tually led up to a conclusion question forced it out of this little Virginia college any book or classroom could ever teach about blame. The reporters wanted to town…[I]t was pretty obvious that these me. I know where to draw the line, and I hear students express judgment for who people had already made up their minds know how people deserve to be treated.” is to blame, be it the school, the police, before they got here, and they searched Dave Waddell society, the killer, it didn’t really matter. It out people to prove it…. I have to give Adviser, The Orion just needed to be something tangible that them a failing grade for the VT coverage. broadcast could hold onto. Every student They got the story out, but at what cost California State University-Chico that I talked to expressed their disdain to the people affected? The students at for the obvious presence of the media. VT have their own opinions. Today I saw “I have always thought that I didn’t a group of students with cameras stop- need to take classes in photojournal- ping reporters and journalists, directly ism to understand it, and I feel the same confronting them in a documentary style today. Seeing things like this helps me to about whether or not it was appropri- understand the type of photographer, the ate that the media is still here. . . . [T]he type of journalist, and the type of person most I overheard from those being inter- I want to be. Sometimes you have to get viewed were the words “responsibility,” the story, and sometimes you have to “obligation” and “necessity,” the same summer/fall 2007 cmr 1 summer/fall 2007 cmr 1 in memory remembering DAVE ADAMS David L. Adams, 59, director of student media at Indiana In 1981 he joined the faculty at Kansas State University, University since 1989 and an adjunct professor at Indiana where he also served as executive director of the Journalism University’s School of Journalism, died unexpectedly at his Education Association. After his move to Indiana in 1989, he home in Bloomington on June 2. quickly became a thoroughgoing Hoosier, but he never for- A devoted mentor to hundreds of students, Adams was got his Kansas roots. He named his pugs Dorothy and Toto, publisher and adviser to the Indiana Daily Student, the and one room in his home was devoted to Oz memorabilia. Arbutus yearbook, and the idsnews.com Web site at Indiana In 2002 Adams was a visiting professor of communication University. The Society of Professional Journalists named at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu. In 2001 he was the Indiana Daily Student its winner for Overall Excellence a Fulbright Senior Specialist at Zambia Institute for Mass for College Daily Newspapers in 1998, 2004, and 2005, and Communications Education Trust in Lusaka, Zambia, and in March 2007 the College Media Advisers selected the in 1997-98 he held a Fulbright Lecturing Fellowship at the Arbutus as Best Large Yearbook. Adams was inducted into China School of Journalism in Beijing. the College Media Advisers Hall of Fame in 1997. A member of the Bloomington Rotary Club since A passionate advocate for student journalists 1989, he was a member of its scholarship com- and their First Amendment rights, Adams was mittee. A former director of IU Credit Union, he named Journalism Educator of the Year in 2004 was an active member of Unity of Bloomington. A by the Scholastic Journalism Division of the longtime board member of Bloomington PFLAG Association for Education in Journalism and Mass (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Communication. A board member of the Student Gays), he was treasurer and a member of the schol- Press Law Center for nearly 20 years, he was presi- arship committee. The Indiana chapter of the dent from 2003 until 2006. He was past national National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association president of the College Media Advisers and the has named its newly established scholarship the Society for Collegiate Journalists. From 1992 until David L. Adams David L. Adams Memorial Scholarship. 1947-2007 his death he was adviser to the campus chapter of Adams is survived by his partner, Chunming the Society of Professional Journalists. “Jimmy” Chou, of Bloomington, with whom he was Born in Iola, Kansas, on Oct. 30, 1947, Adams received joined in civil union in Vermont in 2001; his son, John D. his bachelor’s degree in 1969 in English and journalism at Adams, of Overland Park, Kan.; his brother Charles Adams, Washburn University, Topeka, Kan., which named him a of Haysville, Kan.; his stepmother, Betty Adams, of Los Distinguished Alumni Fellow in 2001. He received a master’s Lunas, N.M.; and several nieces and nephews. degree in journalism from the University of Kansas in 1972 Memorial contributions may be made to the David L. and a Ph.D. from Kansas State University in 1984. In 1975 Adams Scholarship/School of Journalism, IU Foundation, he joined the faculty of Fort Hays State University in Kansas. P.O. Box 500, Bloomington, IN 47402. 16 cmr summer/fall 2007 tribute Adams left an indelible mark on student journalism The legacy that CMA Hall of Famer David Adams left to student Journalists, for which he was also a national board member journalists at Indiana University and to student journalism in for nearly 20 years, and he was named the scholastic journal- general is enormous. By the standards by which most advisers ism educator of the year by the Association for Education in are held in regard, Dave had either done it or won it in his long Journalism and Mass Communication. career. If Adams’ accomplishments and the accolades bestowed on him At IU, the Indiana Daily Student and the Arbutus yearbook, are taken by most advisers as coins of their realm, what the best among the many other student publications, are consistently advisers do on a daily basis to advance student journalism can judged among the best in the country, and Adams, who died at be an elusive concept outside the newsrooms. In an oft-quoted his Bloomington home in June, has played a major role in their article he authored for the Cmr, Adams related what he envi- success. sioned as the role of the adviser, and his answer to the outsider’s Beyond the IU campus, Adams served at various times as perennial question about what exactly it is that advisers do national president of both CMA and the Society of Professional bears repeating. “What do you do as a media adviser, anyway?” 1. Establish a learning atmosphere that 4. Help • provide opportunities for you and the emphasizes student leadership • help the staff to establish policies at the students to be exposed to the larger • always allow the students to make con- beginning. These should include job media world. Attend conventions and tent decisions, even the big ones. descriptions, governance structure, edito- workshops; participate in professional rial policies or code of ethics, and operat- organizations; bring media speakers to • remember that experience is indeed the your students. best teacher. ing policies. • help the staff in its recruiting efforts. • Keep current in new technologies and • remember you are an administrator in media trends. student media, even more than you are a Facilitate contacts around campus in areas teacher or coach. Make sure the student that could yield potential staff members. 8. Provide career encouragement editor or manager is perceived as the 5. Protect and defend • encourage good students to go into leader, not you. • safeguard the students’ opportunity media careers. Know what jobs are out 2. Train to produce their media without undue there. • Work with students to increase their restraint or pressure from outside groups. 9. Motivate competence not only in skills specific to Remind students that they have one of • as adviser, you will be a key motivator, their area (such as writing, photography, the most important jobs of any: practic- offering encouragement, support and scripting, on-air speaking) but also inter- ing the First Amendment in responsible counsel to the staff members. Because personal skills (tolerance for their peers in ways and helping others in the campus your job often allows for close relation- a working situation, leadership, team- and community to understand why this set of ships with key staff members, you have morale-building, management). constitutional guarantees is essential in a golden opportunity to help build each our democratic society. • develop ways to ensure students learn students confidence and self-esteem. how to meet deadlines, including how to 6. Educate outside groups 10. Respect and foster diversity cope when the unexpected happens. • take every opportunity to educate admin- • as adviser, you will be a key resource in • Work with students in content-production istrators, other students, alumni and the helping the staff bring diversity to written areas to expose them to concerns and public in the legal and pedagogical under- and visual coverage in campus media. You processes on the business side (advertis- pinnings of CMA’s code of ethics, which will help the staff to develop an accep- ing, billing, bookkeeping). emphasizes the benefits of “learning by tance of others views and uniqueness as doing” and decries all external control. You 3. Coach humans. Diversity in staffing, in cover- may often have to remind these groups age and in opinions and issues covered • recruit, train, inspire and befriend a staff that you are not the school censor and do ensures a relevant campus medium, and of students whom you set free to do their not want to be. the adviser is the continuity in the organi- best work and bring forth their highest 7. Provide resources zation that fosters such diversity in staff- levels of creativity and fair play. • oversee the finances to ensure stability ing and coverage from one staff to the • do periodic critiques, stressing both posi- and businesslike practices, so moneys will next. tive areas and areas needing improve- be available when needed. ment. Critiques can be written or oral, or both. • either learn to be a computer expert or arrange for outside technical support. summer/fall 2007 CMR 17 Student journalists are chronicling campus events in a way that no one else could . . . or would. History i n t h e m a k i n g b Y K e l l e Y C a l l a w a y As the awful events of April 16, 2007, unfolded in the shooting WHO else WOULD BE writing this stuff down? rampage at Virginia Tech, student media across the country imme- diately sprang to action, questioning security on their own cam- Student media are the primary recorders of history on their puses, telling the stories of those affected, informing their commu- campuses. Editors, managers and writers cannot assume some- nities of memorials to honor those who died. But they were doing one else is chronicling events, and no-one else probably is. The more than that, even if they didn’t realize it. They were chronicling Georgia Southern community is probably typical of many of the story of their institutions, and they were writing the first draft our universities in that very few individuals are chronicling the of their university’s reaction to historic events. happenings of the day, except for the student media staffs. The Many journalists either don’t consider the historical impact of Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society at Georgia Southern has been their jobs, or they just aren’t aware of the implications their words naming the university’s Professor of the Year since 1971, but could have down the road. As advisors, we have to make students when the centennial history book wanted a list of all the past aware that what they cover now will not only have an immediate recipients, the society didn’t have it. No one in the organizations impact on their schools, but will also tell the story of the institution had ever stopped to keep a list. So how did the historian unearth long after the students themselves have graduated. The bottom line who had won the award for the past 30-plus years? He found it is that student journalists have a much more important job than on the pages of the student newspaper. many of them realize. It would be easy to think that local papers, with their full-time I had worked in student media for more than ten years before I reporters, do a better job of capturing the historical impact of truly understood the impact a paper has on the history of the com- an institution. But this just is not the case. They might get the munity it serves. I could grasp the day-to-day importance, but not facts, but student publications can get the feelings. Not only are until I worked on our institution’s centennial book did I see the student reporters better at understanding the moods on their historical value of student news media. campuses, student sources are likely to be more candid talking As Georgia Southern University approached its centennial to fellow students than talking to professional reporters. year, our marketing department commissioned the writing of a Perhaps more importantly, students choose the content of their comprehensive history of the school’s first 100 years. I was hired own publications, so it is a better gauge of what is important to as a proofreader on the project, and as I started delving into the students. If on-campus housing is full, the professional media chapters I started realizing the impact the student publications I may congratulate the school on filling every bed and discuss the worked with had on the historical process. When the author of story as another sign of the university’s success. The student me- the book wanted to inject student opinions or student reaction, his dia, however, will probably tell the story of new students living source was almost always the student newspaper or yearbook. The in residence hall lobbies, and may continue coverage with a dis- only sources quoted more in the final product were the two local cussion on the need for more student housing. The same story newspapers, and that’s only because they were around to cover the means different things to different audiences. founding and early years of the university. Students also will cover the trends, fashions and hotspots that Student editors don’t always realize the power they wield in the are popular on campus. When historians look back and try to here and now, so it is more difficult for them to grasp their his- capture a generation, these are the things they are looking for. torical importance. As Spiderman has taught us, with great power Students know what students like. Student publications, because comes great responsibility: student journalists need to realize the of who is doing the reporting, are the best place to get this in- long-range impact of their work, and advisors need to guide them, formation. as I put it, to “think forward historically.” 18 cmr summer/fall 2007 1. Make sure student media represent the diversity of 4. Impress on reporters the need to cover and to an institution’s opinions and interests and not just follow up on new developments. Just because stu- that of the editors. This means that the staff needs dent editors think everybody knows about some- How to to be diverse, and we aren’t just talking about color thing, doesn’t mean everyone does. Especially in and creed. Make sure that the entertainment sec- our new multi-media world, alumni access student tion hires CD reviewers who appreciate all types of media websites and keep up with their alma maters think music (not everyone likes hard rock); ensure that through the student publications and sites. When liberals and conservatives alike contribute to the Georgia Southern announced plans for a Starbucks editorial pages. This diversity is good for the pub- in the student union, our reporters covered it for lication now and in the future; it is also good for the better part of a year. But the new staff never forward students. Encourage student reporters to find out covered the actual opening the following year about groups on campus, including organizations because they assumed, by then, every one knew that are not officially recognized by the school, and the shop was open. Historians will have a hard time historically popular groups on Facebook.com. uncovering when the shop opened and what its 2. Student journalists should pay attention to political immediate impact was. movements, and always attend and cover student 5. Learn the art of the follow-up story. We all know government and faculty senate meetings. If they how important it is to follow up on a story: it helps have the time and resources, consider attending readers in the here and now, and is the best way to and covering meetings of other prominent campus inform a community and remain objective. But it is groups. Most of the time, before a policy becomes a invaluable to the history of an institution. There is policy, groups on campus are discussing the plausi- nothing worse for a historian to read a story about, bility of initiating the change. While sometimes the say, a bombing conspiracy on campus, but then meetings might seem boring, the notes from those never know what happened to the suspects. In meetings may become invaluable when a policy 1999, five Georgia Southern students were accused is approved. Knowing what faculty are discussing of plotting to set off an explosive device on the far is vital to the life of a journalist. Faculty, especially end of campus to create a distraction so they could tenured faculty, can be very opinionated. rob the financial office. The student paper followed 3. Make sure journalists stand up for the students in the story from day one until four of them were situations when they may be tempted to back down. sentenced for the conspiracy. That sentencing hap- Sometimes administrators pressure reporters to pened almost a full year after the story broke, but back off stories that reflect unfavorably or place the the new staff understood the importance of follow- university in a bad light. But for the real truth to be ing through with coverage. If the accused students told now and to be recorded for the future, students had been cleared, but no one had ever reported it, need to press for those stories. More importantly, then only the accusation would be on the record. and harder to recognize, sometimes student report- Journalists have to tell the whole story every time. ers back off a story or subject because of pressure 6. All photos should have a caption. Try to get the from other students. Last spring country artist Kenny names of the people in the photo. You never know Chesney announced a surprise concert for Georgia who will become famous or part of a story later Southern students with tickets going for $10. A on. And just because everyone today knows what local bar was supposed to begin selling tickets on the university president looks like it doesn’t mean a certain day at a certain time, but that morning someone will in fifty years. If the photo doesn’t run, reports started coming in that the bar claimed tick- put the information in the metadata. ets weren’t on sale yet, and students were turned 7. Think of the “What If?” It sounds morbid, but you away only to find out that tickets went on sale 20 never know when you might be taking the final minutes later. In pursuing the story surrounding the picture of someone or an event that something. confusion, our reporters started uncovering some Even if the university hosts the same event every shady practices, and even some of our own staff year, take fresh photos of it, just in case it ends up asked that the paper stop investigating because being the last time the university hosts the event. they were afraid the show would be canceled. It was Take pictures of the star football player anyway, because through conversations with our reporters, because you never can tell. Last spring, our photog- Chesney discovered that his “Keg in the Closet” tour raphers spent an extremely hot Saturday afternoon had been booked at a bar that didn’t even have an taking pictures of the spring football scrimmage alcohol license. Chesney and his people felt they had game. The paper was done publishing for the year, been lied to by the bar owners. Students at Georgia so it was hard to understand taking pictures of a Southern, who had been first happy with the paper practice game. But three months later, Georgia for announcing the concert, turned against its staff Southern’s star player, Teddy Craft, was killed in a when they started uncovering the lies told by the bar motorcycle accident. The pictures from the scrim- owners. But the journalists pursued the unpopular mage were the last pictures of Craft playing foot- story and the truth behind Chesney’s appearance is ball. on the record for all time. summer/fall 2007 CMR 19 1. When changing the format of a publication, 4. get a filing system for photos. everyone has consider what historical value might be lost. a different way of doing this, but remem- Preserving this is especially true now in the age of the ber to focus on dates, events and places. put declining yearbook. remember that individ- subjects and other information in metada- ual, labeled pictures of students, faculty and ta. create a system and stick to it. and save staff will be lost. how does switching the for- everything. mat change the historical value of the publi- 5. remember to finish the year with a Year in the past cation? review section. this is the number one easiest 2. consider binding all editions at the end of place for reporters, editors and historians to the year. most libraries already have connec- start finding information they need. consider tions to binderies, but there are binding com- going month by month and highlighting panies that can provide the same service. the most important stories on campus that having everything in one place makes it easy month. remember to include captions with to browse (easier than most online archives), pictures with full information for future gen- and is also a really nice gift for former editors. erations. it also gives historians a place to start. 3. Keep an archive room, with at least two year’s Kelley Callaway is the interim worth of publications. this gives our students physical copies to grab and remind them- Coordinator of Student Media at selves of what has been covered during the Georgia Southern University, where previous years. it also allows for easy access for people in the university community to as a student she was editor in chief get their hands on any issues they found par- of the George-Anne newspaper she ticularly important. also consider keeping now advises. She previously advised electronic records of everything. at georgia southern we post a pdf of each edition on student media at Methodist College. line, and this also allows us to have an easy to She is managing editor for College Media Review. access electronic version of each edition. :&"3*/3&7*&8 .!4)/.!, 9%!2 ). 2%6)%7 4FQUFNCFS 5ISFFNPSF 0DUPCFS &SVQUJPOT #PTUPO3FE4PY IVSSJDBOFT DBVTFXPSSJFT XJO8PSME4FSJFT IJU'MPSJEB 4QFDUBDVMBSJOUIFTFOTFPG 5IF$VSTFPGUIF#BNCJOPJTPWFSUIF BTIBOETUFBNTQFXFEJOUP 4PYXJOUIFJSmSTUUJUMFTJODF 'SBODFT *WBOBOE UIFBJSBOEQSPNQUJOHJOJ +FBOOFIJU'MPSJEBXJUI UJBMFWBDVBUJPOT UIFFSVQ 4QBDF4IJQ0OF JOUISFFXFFLTPGFBDI UJPOXBTTPNFXIBUNJOPS XJOT91SJ[F PUIFS%BNBHFSFBDIFT 4MPXMZFSVQUJOHNBHNB 4QBDF4IJQ0OF BOBJSMBVODIFE CJMMJPOBGUFSGPVS CFHBOCVJMEJOHBOFXMBWB TVCPSCJUBMTQBDFQMBOF NBEFUIF IVSSJDBOFTIJUUIFTUBUF EPNFPOUIFTPVUITJEFPG mSTUBOETFDPOEQSJWBUFMZGVOEFE JORVJDLTVDDFTTJPO UIFFYJTUJOHEPNF IVNBOTQBDFnJHIU %FDFNCFS 4PDJBM4FDVSJUZ OVNCFSTPVU 4UVEFOUTEFBUI &BHMF*%TJO HSBCTIFBEMJOFT *OBNPWFNFBOUUPNBLF 5IFEFBUIPG(46TUVEFOU TUVEFOUTTBGFSGSPNJEFO -BWPO+POFTDBQUVSFEOBUJPOBM UJUZUIFGU TDIPPMPöDJBMT $BNQBJHOGPS/BUJPOBM%JTUJODUJPO IFBEMJOFTBGUFSIFXBTLJMMFE CFHBOQIBTJOHPVUUIF PVUTJEFB/FX0SMFBOTOJHIU VTFPG4PDJBM4FDVSJUZOVNCFST (46BOOPVODFEJUTQMBOUPSBJTFNJMMJPOBOEXPSLUPXBSETCFDPNJOH DMVCEVSJOH$ISJTUNBTCSFBL BOESFQMBDJOHJUXJUIOFXi&BHMF*%wOVNCFST BOBUJPOBMMZSFDPHOJ[FEVOJWFSTJUZ 5ISFFCPVODFSTBU$MVC3B[PP XFSFDIBSHFEJOUIFEFBUI /PUVJUJPOJODSFBTF $JWJMSJHIUTMFBEFSTBMMFHFUIF XIJUFCPVODFSTUBSHFUFE+POFT "GUFSQSFTTVSFGSPNUIF(PWFSOPS UIF6OJWFSTJUZ4ZTUFNPG(FPSHJB#PBSE XIPXBTCMBDL+POFTXBT PG3FHFOUTBCBOEPOFEUIFJEFBPGIBWJOHBNJEZFBSUVJUJPOJODSFBTF JO/FX0SMFBOTXJUIB(46 TUVEFOUHSPVQ QMBZJOHJOBOB 'FCSVBSZ UJPOBMnBHGPPUCBMMUPVSOBNFOU (SVCFT /PWFNCFS SBJTFDBVTFTTUJS +BOVBSZ (46QSFTJEFOU#SVDF(SVCF #VTTJOHUP ESFXmSFGPSB QBZSBJTF UIBUTPNFGBDVMUZNFNCFST BOEGSPNQPMMT #BTFCBMMTUBEJVN DBMMFEJOBQQSPQSJBUF5IF TPVSDFPGUIFGVOETXBTUIF *OBOFõPSUUPJODSFBTF SFOPWBUJPOTOFBS (46%FWFMPQNFOU'PVOEB WPUFSUVSOPVUBNPOHTU DPNQMFUJPO UJPO XIPTFMFBEFSTBJE(SVCF TUVEFOUT UIF.VMUJDVMUVSBM EFTFSWFEUIFCPPTUJOQBZ 4UVEFOU$FOUFSQSPWJEFE 8PSLBU(46TCBTFCBMMTUBEJVN TIVUUMFTGSPNDBNQVTUP OFBSFEDPNQMFUJPO3FOPWB UIFWBSJPVTQPMMJOHQMBDFT UJPOTUIFSFXFSFQBDJOHBOFBS JOUIF4UBUFTCPSPBSFB CSFBLOFDLQBDFBTDPOTUSVD UJPODSFXTXFSFSBDJOHUPIBWF UIFTUBEJVNSFBEZGPSUIF YEAR IN REVIEW sections are a great way to CBTFCBMMUFBNTPQFOJOHHBNF 1BSLJOH BHBJOTU(FPSHJB5FDI capture the spirit of the past year and provide SVNPST (46QSPGFTTPS EJTNJTTFE EJTDPWFSTOFX a historical roadmap for the future. However, TFBTRVJSUTQFDJFT 1BSLJOHBOE5SBOTQPSUB 'BMMUVJUJPO your students need to understand that a year UJPOEJTQFMMFENZUITUIBU #JPMPHZ1SPGFTTPS%BOOZ(MFBTPOBOE IJLFDFSUBJO QBSLJOHDIBOHFTXPVME TPNFPGIJTTUVEFOUTNBEFBEJTDPWFSZ in review section is more than a picture page UBLFBõFDUJOUIFTQSJOH PGBOFXTQFDJFTPGTFBTRVJSUTPõUIF 5IF6OJWFSTJUZ4ZTUFNPG(FPS "U$IFG3PFTXFBSFPĒFSJOHBOVODPNNPOEJOJOHFYQFSJFODFBUBĒPSEBCMF PG"MMDIBOHFTUIBU HJBBOOPVODFEUIBUUVJUJPO #SJOHJOUIJTBEWFSUJTNFOUXIFOZPV DPBTUPG(FPSHJB QSJDFT8FBSFGFBUVSJOHUXPDIFGTGSPN1BOBNB$JUZ#FBDIXJUIBDPNCJOFE WJTJUGPSBGSFFBQQFUJ[FSBU$IFG3PFT XFSFJOUIFXPSLTBSFUP XPVMEBMNPTUBTTVSFEMZHPVQ (above), and a really good section needs to ZFBSTPGFYQFSJFODF$IFG3PFTIBTUXPMBSHFEJOJOHSPPNTXJUITNPLJOH XJUIUIFQVSDIBTFPGUXPFOUSFFT-JNJUFE UBLFBõFDUUIJTDPNJOHGBMM JOUIFGBMM JOBCBSSPPNBUNPTQIFSFTPZPVDBOTNPLFBOEESJOLXIJMFZPVEJOF UPPOFGSFFBQQFUJ[FSQFSUBCMF QMFBTF provide copy and context to the visual ele- ments (left). 0 cmr summer/fallC 2007 A SH 4 One BookGuy Buck 1550 Chandler Road survey of 150 participants in student newsrooms across the country found that student journalists A have demonstrated signs of intergroup bias, favoring their own medium and career choice. Participants who have experience in converged newsrooms, however, are more positive in their ratings of conver- gence than their traditional-media peers. They also reported valuing the convergence experiences and trusting journalists from other media. Implications Refereed Article for student media are discussed. College Media and Convergence: Student journalists’ attitudes and perceptions about convergent media operations Vincent F. Filak, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Ball State University Andrea Miller, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Louisiana State University Convergence remains an important issue at the collegiate and and rewards, advisers who operate under ethical guidelines set forth professional levels, with newsrooms continuing to look for ways to by organizations such as College Media Advisers and the Society of produce media across multiple platforms and educators looking to Professional Journalists cannot. Thus, if advisers are to aid students prepare students for this new journalistic realm.2 For the most part, in moving toward a fully converged news operation, it is important the issues of technology and law have been resolved.3 However, the to understand what leads to the conflicts between the student me- issue of cultural differences among print and broadcast journal- dia groups and how to resolve them. It is also important to assess ists has remained the key sticking point in convergence efforts in whether exposure to converged media operations will help dimin- professional newsrooms.4 Work in this area has demonstrated that ish cultural problems and improve working relationships or merely these journalists are often engaged in an intergroup bias dynamic antagonize students from these groups and create a more hostile in which they favor their own group and work while looking less working environment. favorably on the work and skill of the other group, thus sparking An on-line survey has been executed using the College Media cultural conflicts.5 This issue has also arisen at the college level.6 Advisers listserv and student media participants from the research- At many universities, student media has become a testing ground ers’ universities. The goal was to gauge opinions about convergence for convergence, with varying levels of success. Often, the success and if students felt they were getting the necessary support to con- of these efforts is tied directly to the students’ level of “buy in.” To verge successfully. If students feel there are barriers to convergence, date, no study has examined the perceptions held by student media it is unlikely to succeed. With this survey, we hope to get to the root practitioners regarding convergence. Furthermore, no study has ex- of the disagreements, and offer advisers information to help over- amined whether students engaged in convergent newsroom experi- come these obstacles. With such an approach the students will feel ences are finding ways to get past medium-based biases and see the more “ownership” of the converged operations and want to contrib- value of convergence. ute on all levels. This study seeks to draw from intergroup-bias research and or- ganization-based research to examine the attitudes and perceptions student media practitioners hold in regard to convergence. It is clear LITERATURE REVIEW we need more research on what the basic root problems are for suc- cessful convergence within student media organizations. While in- structors can foist convergence upon their students through threats We first define convergence in the industry, the university class- room, and finally college media. We will look at differences in con- summer/fall 2007 CMR 21 Refereed Article vergence applications and the obstacles to its success unique to each media platforms, many admit teaching print, broadcast, and online venue. This is followed by the theoretical application of intergroup journalism concurrently has been difficult.19 Additionally, some re- bias to college media attempting this “blending” of mdia. searchers have suggested that, since many professors and advisers have come from traditional newsroom settings, they could be bring- Defining convergence ing their medium-based biases with them into the classroom.20 Student Media & convergence Convergence at the professional level is defined as the integration of print, broadcast, and online technology into single newsrooms or agencies.7 Newsrooms spanning the states, from Arizona to Virginia, Student media are often the first place in which college students have attempted convergence with varying levels of success.8 In terms truly ply their trade for a broad audience. Students are also required of resources, convergence is a massive financial commitment. For ex- to deal with many of the same things their professional colleagues ample, when three Tampa Bay area news outlets converged, parent are, such as angry sources, demanding officials and pressure from company Media General paid $35 million to construct a new con- every angle. Even more, they face the potential for censorship from vergence home. Physical and management structures can be put in administrators, backlash from fellow students and theft of their place to facilitate convergence, but the commitment must be made at products.21 Jared Flesher, a former college journalist who moved into all levels of the news organization. Resource networks must be built, the professional ranks recently, perhaps summed it up best when he policies must be implemented, and finally, perhaps the most impor- noted, “College journalism is community-based journalism in its tant and difficult aspect, staffs must be reorganized and buy into the purest form: we write about the people we sit next to in class and the culture of the convergent newsroom.9 ones we see at parties on Friday night.”22 College journalism courses Studies of converged newsrooms have found that culture is the can provide theoretical propositions and hypothetical situations but main stumbling block to successful convergence: Journalists are of- it takes the crucible of a newsroom to make those situations real. It ten resistant to change, tainted by the decades-old tradition of sepa- is the experiences in these newsrooms that some feel provides the 23 ration of print and broadcast.10 The conflicts between the newspaper, bulk of journalism education for college journalists. Thus, while television, and online cultures are common and extremely difficult curriculum changes that are geared toward providing students with to overcome.11 The different outlets have competed with each other convergence experiences are important, student media experiences and worked in opposition so long, they have been trained to dis- are more likely to galvanize student opinion on the issue. like and distrust one another.12 In converged newsrooms, television’s To date, there has been very little studied in regard to the levels ability to get news to the public first often meant print journalists of convergence within student newsrooms. In a 2002 survey of stu- were asked to hand over their stories for dissemination via the air- dent media organizations, of the 187 who identified as having more waves. This did not sit well with print journalists where success is of- than one publication on campus, only two indicated sharing news- ten based on who “scooped” whom.13 Even after converged products gathering and dissemination between outlets. Even more, 180 said are complete, the individual units still have to publish and broad- there was no sharing of information. Despite continued evidence cast their own unit’s product. Journalists, once autonomous, feel like of professional newsrooms implementing convergence at a grow- they have “two different bosses” which adds confusion and stress to ing rate, few college media organizations are combining traditional the situation.14 news outlets into a converged newsroom.24 Problems in creating an operational model of convergence for the Hammond, Petersen and Thomsen25 studied an attempt to cre- classroom have also been a challenge. Some research has suggested ate a converged news operation at Brigham Young University. Over that students need to have some experience in multiple platforms if a five-year period, newspaper and television students were put in they are to truly be a valuable contributor to a converged newsroom a single newsroom and directed to work together to create their upon graduation.15 Other researchers suggest that the tenets of tra- news products. The approach resulted in an unmitigated disaster, ditional journalism, such as strong writing and reporting, will be with television students accusing newspaper students of hiding the most valuable tools students possess, even in the face of an ever- news from them in order to break it in the next day’s paper and increasingly convergent world.16 For the most part, academics have newspaper students accusing television students of failing to work found the best way to prepare students for convergences is to ensure with them on stories. In the end, the only thing most of the students that they can “think, report, and write across print, broadcast, and could agree on was that they disliked each other and convergence online media platforms.”17 This approach, while logical, has proven as a whole. One of the points the authors noted in their article on difficult, with many universities citing financial or staffing limits this experiment was that cultural differences were unexpected, but as the key roadblocks to convergence.18 While 60 percent of U.S. were the main problem these students faced as print and broadcast journalism schools are preparing students to work across multiple became “us” versus “them.” 22 cmr summer/fall 2007 More recently, BYU has pulled back from its all-out conver- practices. Groups must perceive an advantage to participating in gence approach to curriculum and media and has begun to rethink convergent activities, for example, a better job after graduation. A the process.26 However, since the study by Hammond and his col- 2005 study found that the majority of newspaper and TV executives leagues, numerous colleges and universities have begun to train stu- surveyed believe convergence skills are important for new hires.33 dents in the ways of convergence27 with some others, such as Ball For those already in the field, a study of four converged news orga- State University, the University of Mississippi and others, looking nizations found that journalists perceived the experience in a con- for ways to create convergent opportunities for the college media verged newsroom as a career booster.34 An acceptance of conver- outlets on their campus. gence may be the result of a perception of advantage. Therefore it is necessary for journalism educators and student media to find ways Theoretical framework to incorporate convergence into their own environments35 stressing this perceived advantage. Intergroup bias refers to the way in which members of compet- In sum, college media is just now traveling down the path of ing groups tend to show favor toward their own group rather than convergence. By identifying cultural and institutional obstacles ad- members of another group.28 In student media, students are not visers can help avoid clashes that lead to stereotypes, unit-specific only colleagues, but peers – many are the same age, experiencing autonomy, and lesser journalism – thus better preparing students similar life lessons such as balancing school and work. They relate to for a multi-media world. Given the theoretical basis of intergroup and associate with each other on many levels – as college students, bias and previous work conducted on convergence, we propose the young adults, print or broadcast journalists. The decision to join a following hypotheses and research questions: group (student media) and enact a certain role (print or TV journal- ist) is done to make the individual gain a sense of belonging: a sense perhaps stronger for young adults.29 Hypothesis 1: Newspaper and television students will rate their medium and career choice significantly higher than The competitive environment of newsrooms also makes inter- their rating of the medium and career choice of the out- group identity stronger. Journalism is a highly competitive profes- group. sion where success is based on beating the competition to a story – the competition being the other news outlets. This highly charged Hypothesis 2: Participants who identified themselves as environment promulgates intergroup bias. The more competitive newspaper or television students would be more likely to the activity, the more likely intergroup bias will persist and mem- believe that the administration supports the other medi- bers will show in-group favoritism.30 These in-group biases can lead um more. to stereotyping and distrust that quash any opportunity to work to- gether toward a common goal. Hypothesis 3: Participants exposed to convergence would Physical distance between newsworkers is another obstacle in be more positive and less cynical about convergence. successful convergence. In an attempt to mitigate that problem, newsrooms have been built for the sole purpose of housing con- Research Question 1: Will exposure to convergence create vergence. These close quarters have led to new attitudes toward the a significant difference among newspaper and television “other.” As a result of working in close proximity, a study of four students in regard to how they rated their own medium professional converged newsrooms found newsworkers admitting and career choice as well as the medium and career choice the experience has led to respect for people in other parts of the of the outgroup? news organization and a valuing of pooling the media outlets’ re- sources.31 Research Question 2: What do students who have partici- Group members will favor fellow group members during alloca- pated in converged newsrooms think about their experi- tion of resources.32 Thus the perceptions of where the loyalties of ences? the student media leadership lie may become a factor in efforts to METHOD converge. Is the student media director a former print or broad- cast journalist? Perceived favoritism in terms of resources can af- Participants were solicited through student media advisers who fect perceptions of importance and pecking order within student were members of the College Media Advisers group. Participants36 media as well as work performance. Those units that see themselves were emailed a link to an online survey along with an email explain- as the “lesser” may have less inclination to help create the overall ing what the survey would entail. They were then asked to rate a converged product. series of statements on 1-7 Likert scales (1= strongly disagree, 4 = Perception is also important in the adoption of new journalism neutral, 7 = strongly agree) that would allow us to ascertain their summer/fall 2007 CMR 23 Refereed Article attitudes regarding several aspects of media and convergence. We were labeled convergence approval and convergence cynicism, re- received a total of 150 usable responses.37 spectively. Medium-based Bias Indices Converged newsrooms Participants were asked to rate several statements that measure their attitudes toward print and broadcast news, both as valuable Finally, we asked students who stated that they participated in media and as career choices. Previous research in this area38 has converged news operations to respond to a series of statements that identified four variables that measure intergroup bias among jour- measured to what degree they felt connected with their convergence nalists and journalism students: print superiority as a medium, partners and the quality of work provided by those workers.41 broadcast superiority as a medium, print superiority as a career, and In addition, we asked the participants to tell us what medium broadcast superiority as a career. These variables have been validat- they worked for (with an option for multiple media) and whether 39 ed and refined in several subsequent studies and thus a finalized they worked in a converged newsroom as well as several demo- version of the items was used here. graphic variables, including age, gender, year in school and years spent in student media. Print Medium Superiority (PMS, e.g. “I believe most of what I read in the news section of the newspaper” alpha = .81) and Broad- cast Medium Superiority (BMS, e.g. “I believe most of what I see on RESULTS the television news” alpha = .82) each consisted of five items and spoke to the value and importance of each medium. The Print Ca- To test group-based differences, we had asked participants to reer Superiority variable (PCS, e.g. “Newspaper writing is the most identify which medium they worked for. Participants42 were then rewarding field in journalism” alpha = .85) and the Broadcast Ca- coded into one of three categories: newspaper, television or other. reer Superiority variable (BCS, e.g. “I like the idea of working in the The other category included radio stations, magazines and year- field of television news” alpha = .78) each contained six items. The books. items spoke to the importance of working in the ingroup field or the Hypothesis 1 stated that newspaper and television students will problems associated with working in the outgroup field. rate their medium and career choice significantly higher than their As an additional measure of intergroup bias, we asked students rating of the medium and career choice of the outgroup. A series to rate to what degree they felt the administration at their school of one-way ANOVAs were performed with a Scheffe’s post-hoc test provided support for their medium and their outgroup’s medium. to isolate the specific differences among the three groups. All three Four items yielded two variables, each with two items: administra- ANOVAs were significant (PMS F= 11.18, p < .001; BMS F= 13.58, tive newspaper favoritism (“The newspaper gets more resources p < .001; PCS F= 38.35, p < .001; BCS F= 36.68, p < .001). Results than other student media outlets,” alpha = .80) and administrative showed print and television students were more positive in rating television favoritism (“The television station gets more resources their own medium and career choice than they were in rating the from the administration than other student media outlets,” alpha medium and career choice of their outgroup. Furthermore, they = .83) were also more favorable in their ratings of their ingroup medium and career choice than were the participants who had fallen into the other category. Hypothesis 1 was supported. Attitudes toward convergence Hypothesis 2 stated that participants who identified themselves In order to assess what the participants felt about convergence, as newspaper or television students would be more likely to believe they were asked to rate a series of statements that reviewed posi- that the administration supports the other medium more. Two one- 40 tive and negative aspects of shifting to a converged newsroom. The way ANOVAs were conducted with Scheffe’s post hoc tests to exam- items were factor analyzed, and, after removing all cross-loading ine differences among the groups. Both ANOVAs were significant items, two factors emerged. The first factor contained 7 items (e.g. (Administrative television favoritism F = 7.01, p < .01; Administra- “Convergence helps audiences learn about an issue in a comprehen- tive newspaper favoritism F = 7.41, p < .01). With the administra- sive way” alpha = .89) that dealt with the positive aspects of con- tive newspaper favoritism variable, television students were signifi- vergence. The second factor contained 5 items (e.g. “Convergence cantly more positive in their ratings, indicating that they believed means more work for individual journalists” alpha = .60) and dis- the newspaper was being favored. With the administrative televi- cussed the drawbacks and negative aspects of convergence. They 24 cmr summer/fall 2007 sion favoritism variable, newspaper students gave the higher rating, The items were measured on 1-7 Likert scales, but given the size stating that the television station was being favored. Hypothesis 2 of the sample, we thought it would be more valuable if we condensed was supported. the scales to account for three basic ideas: some level of agreement, Research Question 1 asked if exposure to convergence would neutrality and some level of disagreement. We then assessed two create a significant difference among newspaper and television stu- basic areas in which we asked them about their convergence experi- dents in regard to how they rated their own medium and career ence: the quality of their convergence experience and the issues of choice as well as the medium and career choice of the outgroup. cooperation and trust among the media outlets in their newsroom. We examined both the item in which participants were asked to Convergence quality: The participants appeared to have some is- identify the medium they worked for as well as the item that asked sues with the quality of the work they had been provided by their if they were working or had worked in a converged news environ- partner. Only 16.2 percent of the participants agreed to some degree ment. Using these items, we recoded the group membership to cre- that they used material provided by their partners without major ate six groups: newspaper with convergence experience, newspaper revision while 46.5 percent of the participants disagreed with that without convergence experience, television with convergence expe- statement to some extent. When asked to respond to the statement, rience, television without convergence experience, other with con- “The stories our partner gives us meet or exceed our standards,” vergence experience and other without convergence experience. In the agreement rose to 23.4 percent with the disagreement sitting the four ANOVAs, all were again significant, (PMS F= 4.82, p < .001; at 32.6 percent. In addition, 27.9 percent of the participants agreed BMS F= 5.65, p < .001; PCS F= 15.40, p < .001; BCS F= 15.69, p < to some degree that their news partner provided them with quality .001) but the differences were primarily between the newspaper and story ideas while only 18.6 percent disagreed to some degree with television participants without convergence. However, in the Print that statement. When asked to rate the level of quality they saw in Career Superiority variable, the newspaper participants without the finished stories from their convergence partner, the numbers convergence were significantly higher than all other participants ex- rose for agreement (30.3 percent) and fell for disagreement (11.6 cept the others who had convergence experience. In the Broadcast percent). As a whole, however, the participants were overwhelm- Career Superiority variable, the newspaper students both with and ingly neutral about their convergence arrangement and the level of without convergence experience were more negative in their ratings quality work it had created. than broadcasters without convergence experience. In none of the Cooperation and trust: In examining the issue of trust, the par- four analyses did convergence experience lead to significant differ- ticipants indicated fewer medium-based biases and more coopera- ences within a medium or career choice. For example, print students tive attitudes. Only 17.1 percent of the participants agreed to some with convergence experience were not significantly different in their degree that they were suspicious when people from other media ratings of any of the four variables than were print students without wanted to work with them, as compared to 48.8 percent who dis- convergence experience. agreed with that statement to some degree. A similar statement, “I Hypothesis 3 stated that participants exposed to convergence don’t trust ‘them’” also had 17.1 percent of the participants agreeing, would be more positive and less cynical about convergence. Two while 58.5 percent disagreed. one-way ANOVAs were conducted.43 The convergence approval In regard to the equity of the convergence arrangement, 14.6 variable yielded significant differences (F = 7.16, p < .01) with those percent of the participants agreed to some degree that convergence exposed to convergence being significantly more positive in their meant their group would be left to do all the work. In contrast, 46.3 ratings. No significant differences existed, however, between the percent disagreed to some degree with that statement. In reacting to groups with the convergence cynicism variable (F = 2.55 p > .1). the statement “We don’t get anything out of this partnership,” 12.2 Therefore the first part of Hypothesis 3 was supported because ex- percent of the participants agreed to some degree while 51.2 percent posure made the participants more positive; however, the latter part disagree. of H3 was not supported because the participants with no exposure In rating their overall experience, participants were overwhelm- were not more cynical. ingly positive. In rating the statement, “Working with our partner Research Question 2 attempted to assess what students who have makes our news product better,” 58.5 percent agreed to some extent participated in converged newsrooms think about their experiences. with only 4.9 percent disagreeing. Additionally, 61 percent of the Of the 150 responses we received, 43 students from 12 universities participants agreed that their experience in working with individ- stated that they worked in a converged environment. Although this uals in other media has been positive with only 4.9 percent again small grouping makes for an invalid statistical analysis, we thought showing any level of disagreement. it would be valuable to examine these responses. Thus, we have pre- sented them here from a merely descriptive perspective. summer/fall 2007 CMR 25 Refereed Article DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION setting were likely to be positive about the experience. Given the problems that some student newsrooms45 and many professional newsrooms46 have reported regarding bias and cultural issues, these This study suggests that students who identify themselves along findings suggest that some newsrooms are finding ways around traditional medium-based lines are likely to demonstrate intergroup these traditional stumbling blocks. behavior. Newspaper students were more likely to believe that news- Another perceived stumbling block is that the students believe papers were the best source of information and that a career in the the administration does not support or like their medium. It is al- newspaper business was more valuable than a career in television most like sibling rivalry. But this finding about administration shows news. Television students thought just the opposite, which mim- that at least one of the causes may be from the top down, at least in icked earlier findings from professional newsrooms. In addition, perception. Therefore, again the importance of the administration both groups were likely to believe that their group was slighted by and the advisors showing unity is of utmost importance. the administration and that the other group was better supported The advisor in a student media environment can be a large part and liked. of this positive or negative experience. While this study asked about Students who were exposed to convergence were more positive in administrative support of other outlets, it did not ask specifically their ratings of the benefits of convergence, although no differences about the advisor’s support of other outlets. Studies in professional were found between the groups when assessing the drawbacks of newsrooms would support the notion that advisers probably also convergence. These findings have some value, in that it is clear that display some level of outlet bias. If advisers speak or act unfavor- students are capable of finding value in this approach to journal- able toward other student media outlets, the students may model ism but have not been blinded to some of its negative ramifications. this behavior. This is a question that needs to be asked in the future Since contact alone has not been shown to be a panacea for decreas- concerning convergence and educational environments. Do jour- 44 ing bias and distrust among groups, we thought the deeper look nalism professors and advisers who exhibit intergroup bias them- into how students who were participating in converged newsrooms selves influence their students? This possibility is one advisers must felt about the process would give us a better sense of things. be cognizant of as they perform their duties and interact with all Overall, students in the converged newsrooms were overwhelm- student media. ingly positive about their experiences, reporting that they felt they Journalism students say they believe they would work better in a had gotten something of value out of the partnership. They also re- non-competitive newsroom environment than a competitive one.47 ported lower levels of distrust in their answers regarding partner- Again, the adviser is a large part of the success of a positive news- ships with outgroup members. Although they reported general neu- room culture – creating situations where the students can all work trality regarding the quality of work provided to them by members as a team. If within the newsroom, internal rivalry and competition of other media, the findings in this section demonstrated that those is no longer emphasized, students can focus on outdoing another participants who worked with other journalists in a cross-platform media organization – the external “other.” This “team-style” report- 1 The first author would like to thank the Lilly 4 B William Silcock and Susan Keith, “Translating 6 Scott C. Hammond, Daniel Petersen and Endowment Inc. for its support of this research the Tower of Babel: Issues of Language and Steven Thomsen. “Print, Broadcast and On-line through a Lilly V early-career faculty support Culture in Converged Newsrooms: A Pilot Convergence in the Newsroom,” Journalism & grant. Study,” Paper presented at the Association Mass Communication Educator 55 (2000): 16- 2 Edgar Huang, Karen Davison, Stephanie for Education in Journalism and Mass 26. Shreve, Twila Davis, Elizabeth Bettendorf, Communication conference, Miami, Florida 7 Bill McConnell. “The national acquirers,” and Anita Nair and, “Facing the Challenges of (2002): 17; Jane B. Singer, “More than Ink- Broadcasting and Cable, 131 no. 51 (2001): 22- Convergence,” Convergence: The Journal of Stained Wretches: The Resocialization of 26. Print Journalists in Converged Newsrooms,” Research into New Media Technologies 12, no. 1 8 Anna America, “Cornfield Convergence” (2006): 83-98. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 81, no. 4 (2004a): 838-856. Presstime June 22 (2002): 22; Tom Callinan, 3 Wilson Lowrey, George Daniels and Lee “TV Reports Next Step in Phoenix Convergence Becker, “Predictors of Convergence Curriculum 5 Vincent F. Filak, “Cultural Convergence: Strategy.” Gannett News Watch, (August, 2001), in Journalism and Mass Communication Intergroup Bias Among Journalists and Its http://www.gannett.com/go/newswatch/2001/ Programs,” Journalism & Mass Communication Impact on Convergence,” Atlantic Journal of august/nw0824-1.htm. (accessed August 11, Educator 60 (2005): 32-46. Communication 12, no. 4 (2004): 216-232. 2002); Kelly Dyer, “Faith in Convergence,” Presstime March (2002): 47.; Jane B. Singer, 838- 856. 26 cmr summer/fall 2007 ing is beginning to replace the traditional beat model of staff man- items that will measure the level of convergence in which an outlet agement.48 has engaged, the issues of trust and cooperation that surround a The importance of experiential learning at the college level can- converged media outlet and the overall value that participants feel not be understated, especially in regard to the field of journalism. results from converged media operations. While the rudiments of While classrooms, homework and tests can accurately measure how those variables exist, more work must be done. well students will do in some fields, journalism requires that stu- In addition, studies need to examine the issue of convergence dents go beyond their texts and classes if they are to become suc- and editorial control. In some organizations, the student media cessful. Student media are perhaps the best ways to give students are housed in and run by the university, thus making it more of those learning opportunities, as the production of a real news prod- a laboratory experience whereas other schools have completely in- uct, while on deadline and with fellow students of limited experi- dependent media outlets. To what degree administrative control or ence gives students a very realistic look at what they will find in the administrative direction influences the creation of converged news- field. rooms would be interesting. In some cases, it could be argued that Given all of this, we felt that it was valuable to see to what degree the fear of taking editorial control away from the students might be these learning experiences were meshing with convergence, which a mitigating factor in creating a convergent newsroom. is one of the rapidly expanding areas of mass communication. While Future work should also look to do more in-depth analysis of newsroom experiences can give journalists skill-based knowledge, what makes some of these newsrooms successful in their ability to they can also provide students with social norms that might inhibit diminish bias. Again, we believe the advisors can be a large part of or enhance their openness to this new approach to journalism. Our this by promoting team work and a positive attitude toward other work here provides an opening gambit in the discussion of student outlets. While some students in this study still reported having media and convergence in that regard. feelings of ingroup superiority, the data strongly suggested that This study has some clear limitations. Given the general paucity they still felt convergence was worthwhile and that trust among of research on each topic, let alone the complete lack of research that media partners was becoming less of an issue for them. If advisors connects the two, this study is meant to be little more than a first cut can foster and cultivate this trust and cooperation in students, it at the issue of convergence and how it affects student journalists. is possible much of the ingroup bias could be overcome. If future The sample of those involved in converged newsrooms is based on work can tap into exactly what makes these students react to con- convenience and is too small to conduct rigorous statistical analyses. vergence in this fashion and if advisors are a factor, not only will Furthermore, the scales from which most of the convergence items that work be able to provide a roadmap for future student media have been drawn49 are not strictly rooted in a theoretical paradigm convergence efforts, but also a blueprint for professional news- and have not been extensively validated. Future work should set out rooms that seek to find ways to make convergence work. to establish a series of variables based on these and other similar 9 Vincent F. Filak, “Cultural Convergence: 15 Lynn Zoch and Erik Collins, “Preparing for 18 Joe Foote, “Convergence Challenge,” Intergroup Bias Among Journalists and Its a Career in the Unknown: What Convergent Feedback 43 (2002): 7-13.; Patrick Sutherland, Impact on Convergence,” 216-232. Newsroom Managers Want and Need,” Paper “Diffusion of Courses with World Wide Web 10 Elizabeth Birge, “Teaching Convergence: But presented at the Association for Education in Features: Perceptions of Journalism and Mass What Is It?” Quill 92 no. 4 (May 2004): 10-13.; B Journalism and Mass Communication confer- Communication Program Administrators,” William Silcock and Susan Keith, 17. ence, Kansas City, Missouri (2003). Paper presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication confer- 11 Jane B. Singer, 3-18. 16 Edgar Huang, Karen Davison, Stephanie Shreve, Twila Davis, Elizabeth Bettendorf, ence, Washington, D.C. (2001). 12 Kenneth C. Killebrew, “Managing in Converged and Anita Nair and, “Facing the Challenges of 19 Laura Castañeda, Sheila Murphy, and Heather J. Environment: Threading Camels Through Convergence,” (2006). Hether, 57-70. Newly Minted Needles,” Paper presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and 17 Laura Castañeda, Sheila Murphy, and Heather 20 Vincent F. Filak, “The Impact of Instructional Mass Communication conference, Washington, Jane Hether, “Teaching Print, Broadcast, and Methods on Medium-Based Biases and D.C. (2001). Online Journalism Concurrently: A Case Convergence Approval,” Journalism & Mass Study Assessing a Convergence Curriculum,” Communication Educator 61 no. 1 (2006): 48- 13 B William Silcock and Susan Keith, 17. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator 61. 14 Jane B. Singer, 3-18. Spring (2005): 57-70. 21 Mac McKerral, “Freedoms of the Academy are at Risk,” Quill 92 no. 3 (2004): 4-5. summer/fall 2007 CMR 27 Refereed Article Dr. Vincent F. Filak is vice president-elect of Andrea Miller is an assistant professor in the College Media Advisers and is an assistant Manship School of Mass Communication at professor at Ball State University, where he Louisiana State University, where she is also teaches undergraduate courses in news writ- the adviser for Tiger Television, LSU’s stu- ing and graduate courses on media theory. dent-run TV station. She received her Ph.D. He also serves as the faculty adviser to The from the Missouri School of Journalism in Ball State Daily News. He taught news writing 2003 after working as a television reporter, and reporting at the University of Wisconsin anchor, and producer for 10 years, including and the University of Missouri, and he also worked as a night-side city six in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. Miller has been teaching, advising, desk reporter at the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, Wisconsin. He and researching at LSU since 2003. received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. He is the co-editor of Convergent Journalism: An Introduction (Focal Press, 2005), and his research has been published in Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism, Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, Visual Communication Quarterly, Newspaper Research Journal, Atlantic Journal of Communication and Educational Psychology. 22 Jared Flesher, “Between Right and Wrong,” 32 Michael Billig and Henri Tajfel, “Social 40 The items were drawn from previous conver- Columbia Journalism Review 44 no. 6 (2006): 10 Categorization and Similarity in Intergroup gence studies as well as current professional and 23 Andrea Tortora, “What J-profs Should Be Behavior,” European Journal of Social scholastic literature regarding the plusses and Teaching You,” Editor & Publisher 128 no. 29 Psychology 3 (1973): 27-52. ; Henri Tajfel, minuses of convergence. (1995): 48-49. “Cognitive Issues of Prejudice,” Journal of Social 41 We drew the statements from a previous study Issues 25 (1969): 79-97. 24 Steve E. Chappell and Laura Widmer, of convergence operations that used single “Enhancing Traditional Student Media with New 33 Camille Kraeplin and Carrie Anna item descriptive measures as opposed to vari- Media Techniques,” College Media Review 41 no. Criado, “Building a Case for Convergence ables, and thus we replicated this approach. See 3 (2003): 25-30. Journalism Curriculum,” Journalism & Mass Larry Dailey, Lori Demo and Mary Spillman, Communication Educator Spring (2005): 47-56. “Most TV/Newspaper Partnerships are at Cross 25 Scott C. Hammond, Daniel Petersen and Steven 34 Jane B. Singer, 3-18. Promotion Stage,” Newspaper Research Journal Thomsen, 16-26. 26 no. 4 (2005): 36-49. 35 S. E. Chappell and L. Widmer, 25-30. 26 Deb Halpern Wenger, “The Road to 42 To assess whether any of the demographic vari- Convergence and Back Again,” Quill (2005): 40. 36 Participants were told that they could cease ables would confound our statistical analyses, we 27 Elizabeth Birge, 10-13. participation at any time and that there was no ran a correlation matrix with all of the primary penalty for withdrawing from the study. No variables of interest and the demographics we 28 Miles Hewstone, Mark Rubin and Hazel Willis, incentive was offered for participation. collected. No significant correlations were noted “Intergroup Bias,” Annual Review of Psychology so none of the items was retained for further 53 (2002): 575-604. 37 Missing data were replaced through mean sub- stitution. No more than 5 percent of any case or analyses. 29 Vincent F. Filak, “Cultural convergence: any variable was replaced in this fashion. 43 The exposure to convergence variable served as Intergroup Bias Among Journalists and Its the independent variable and the convergence Impact on Convergence,”216-232. 38 Vincent F. Filak and Esther Thorson. “Print and Broadcast Journalistic Bias: An Intergroup- approval and convergence cynicism variables 30 Marilynn B. Brewer, “In-group Bias in the Conflict Perspective on Convergence,” Paper served as the dependent variables. Minimal Intergroup Situation: A Cognitive- presented at the International Communication 44 Miles Hewstone and Rupert Brown, “Contact is Motivational Analysis,” Psychological Bulletin 86 Association conference, Seoul, Korea July (2002). Not Enough: An Intergroup Perspective on the (1979): 307-324. 39 Vincent F. Filak. “Cultural convergence: “Contact Hypothesis,” in Eds. Miles Hewstone 31 Jane B. Singer, 3-18. Intergroup Bias Among Journalists and Its and Rupert Brown, Contact and Conflict in Impact on Convergence,” 216-232.; Vincent F. Intergroup Encounters (Oxford, UK: Basil Filak, “The Impact of Iinstructional Methods Blackwell, 1986) on Medium-based Biases and Convergence Approval,” 48-61. 28 cmr summer/fall 2007 college media REVIEW college media review is the flagship journal ofc ollege media advisers, inc. it is the leading academic journal on advising collegiate media, both print and electronic. it is an all-encompassing journal that serves collegiate media advisers. 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Once an article is published, the author will receive two complimentary copies of that issue by first class mail, prior to regular second-class mailings. College Media Review will gladly comply with any requests for verification letters confirming acceptance of an article. summer/fall 2007 cmr New York CMACollege Media Advisers Spring National Convention March 15-18, 2008 Making the move to the Marriott Marquis on Times Square ©Jeff Greenberg EARLY REGISTRATION BEFORE FEB. 8, 2008 $85 per student delegate; $95 per CMA member adviser; $135 per non-member adviser 08 For convention information, please visit our website at www.collegemedia.org. For room information, contact the Marriott Marquis on Times Square at 1-800-228-9290. Be sure to mention “CMA Convention.” 30 cmr summer/fall 2007 It just got bigger and better. 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For room information, please call the Roosevelt Hotel, (212) 661-9600; be sure to mention “CMA Workshops.” You must register by Feb. 8, 2008, to qualify for these special rates. Online: http://theroosevelthotel.com/ For more information, please go to MediaProWorkshops.org. Online registration will be available Fall 2007. summer/fall 2007 cmr 1 Inspire. Innovate. CREATE. Inspire. Taylor has the resources to encourage, enliven and excite you and your staff. By offering innovative Innovate. CREATE. technology solutions and online platforms, Taylor sets the printing industry standard. Everything you need to create your book is HERE. www.tayloryearbooks.com 8039 AdFinalB&W-Here Logo.indd 1 7/20/07 1:15:43 PM