Communications Studies: a Hodge-Podge
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University Of Nevada, Las Vegas November 19, THEYELL VoTuWie 20 lggue~T3 Communications Studies: a Hodge-podge byBarbara Scatantlno is of rhe- comprised 29 speech, journalism program for the past requested some new full-time addition of these classes there YELLAuociate Editor toric and related classes as will op- 14 years and has yet to come up positions for his department, but be more the area of to four in journalism posed classes relating to with a viable curriculum. another department took priority than has ever before been With the mass offered communications the print media and five classes Dr. Larry Kokkeler, Chairman and the Communications Depart- at UNLV. media looming high and wide on relating to the electronic media. of the Communications Studies ment received no new positions. the journalistic horizon, the Uni- Although these nine mass media Department, says that three years Only when Larson leaves UNLV However, he is not versity of Nevada, Las is have been codified completely Vegas courses and ago a position was defined for at the end of the spring semester satisfied with the curriculum, for lagging somewhat behind in de- are listed in the general campus someone to teach the print me- will there be a part-time media the is more on signing of emphasis theory- courses study that catalog, only five of the "how to" dium specifically, and applicants position to fill. classes and is would enable type lacking in solid students to develop classes have been offered to were screened for the position, There will be some new classes a marketable writing and technical laboratory skill in the radio, students since September of 1974, but none were found. offered in the spring semester, classes taught by television or print professions. it rather slim full-time depart- making pickings for Since that time, the department but they will be taught by non-fa- ment faculty. Interested students must pre- students who wish to enter the has changed its priority culty sently- from personnel. migrate to other univer- fields of radio, television or print strictly a print emphasis to a sities and media schools around Information Office Director Kokkeler also feels that UNLV journalism. combination of print and electron- Mark Hughes and Editorial the country to a Assis- is "most assuredly" losing stu- acquire strong Dr. Marvin Loflin, Dean of the ic journalism hoping to obtain tant Walt Belcher foundation and an will co-instruct dents and revenue by its procrast- ability to obtain College of Arts and Letters, says more than one new faculty mem- a relations course; a of public KSHO- ination in developing a solid job any kind in the various that it has only been a short time ber. However, the department News mediums. TV Director Dave Cooper media program. since the Communications De- only received one part-time posi- will instruct a course on Media are the mass courses now available partment has metamorphosized tion which began in the fall of media and at UNLV politics; and Vic Kies- in communications from strictly a theatre arts and 1974 with the addition of Profes- er, national "Since the media courses were but at best advertising manager introduced studies, they are speech emphasis to a combination sor Richard Larson, who has been for the Las Vegas Sun instruct last fall, the number of merely a will hodge-podge serving to speech and media communica- teaching both print and electronic a publicity method course. majors in my department has either whet the student's appetite tions emphasis. media classes. Michael Director of jumped from 25 to 80, even with Stowers, the for more and instilling in him the Loflin also pointed out that the Kokkeler says that to effective- Audio-Visual UNLV will offer minimal program now offer- desire at ed," he said. to go elsewhere, or to staff of the Communications De- ly offer a well-rounded print and TV and Radio Production once enroll in these courses for "fun" partment is still small, consisting electronic journalism curriculum, again and Richard Larson will The registrar's office reports or as an adjunct to another of only four full-time faculty and a more than one faculty member teach a class on the press and that there are 76 students enroll- college media major. faculty members. would have to be hired, prefer- society. ed in this semester's three few part-time classes, ah of which are course ably full-time faculty. taught by 1he present of study in Sources state, however, that Professor Larson. the Communications Department UNLV has been kicking around a This year, again, Kokkeler Kokkeler says that with the UFO's: Fact or Fiction? by Darla Anderson But are all the UFO's seen a statement which sr..Med to Part of the mystery of UFO's-- While elaborating on UFO's YELL Staff Writer really "flying saucers?" Accord- indicate a sense of f.. ; ity some- unidentified flying objects-is: and the scientific research invol- ing to UFO researchers, about how, the source of which is not Where do the fairy tales end and ved, Dr. Schutz tells of Hynek's As his six friends looked on, 22- 80'/i of the sightings reported can apparent on the surface. the actual scientific research be- observations. found after year-old Travis Walton was struck be explained. A bright planet, He said, "If you define UFO's gin? Though these questions may "Or. Hynek has says, by a ray of blue light from a meteor or other astronomical as visitors from outer space, there never be answered hilly, a visit to thirty years experience," he object. Frightened by phenomenon, aircraft or birds or is no evidence they exist. I've the office of Dr. Michael Schutz, "that about 80'/i of the reported hovering is what they saw, the six compan- balloons can explain most so- never seen one. I think further UNLV Professor of Sociology, can sightings can be explained. It got in their car and drove off. called "UFO sightings.'' Meteor- study of UFO's would be scienti- at least help in the understanding not that the people are frauds. ions well-meaning people, Returning a while later with the ological conditions can complete fically useless. I think my own of the "strange" objects in the They are sheriff, they discovered that the the picture. study was a waste of the govern- sky. but they are ignorant of the different illusions which can hovering object was gone-and so Also causing a lot of problems ment's money." Dr. Schutz could be called was Travis Walton. are media reports of UFO's, But other researchers, like Dr. UNLV's resident UFO expert. He occur. One such case about scene from a science fiction which usually stimulate people to J. Allen Hynek, also physicist, has a strong personal interest in happened A a in Las story, or maybe another "War of report more sightings, whether disagree. Dr. Hynek feels that them,and even based his doctoral two months ago here Vegas. It late afternoon and the Worlds" scare? No, this true or not. the of UFO's being thesis on the sociological implica- was possibilities in the incident was reported to have But there is that small percent- manned by beings from other tions of the phenomenon of a manat the swimming pool actually happened early this age around which the aura of are strong, and that by UFO's. Dr. Schutz. is also back of Caesar's Palace looked planets over the month down near Tucson, Ari- mystery remains. These are the "soft" data-people's personally acquainted with Dr. J. to Dunes. There, gathering was a zona. During the last few reports which are investigated, reports of sightings, etc.--we Allen Hynek, one of the foremost hovering over the Dunes, round His first was months, UFO's have been making and, although they have not been might be able to identify new experts on the subject of UFO's in light. thought headlines again. People have proven true, they have not been physical phenomena, and confirm the world. Continuedon page 6 been gathering together and dis- proven false. They are simply, the visitors-from-outer-space appearing "UFO voyages." unidentified. theory. on associate of nursing, died Sunday, There have also been of There are different types of also to set up Ruth Flanigan, professor reports It is possible She had served as a faculty member in UFO's following the Apollo good sightings. They may be cameras to continuously cover November 9th, at the age of 61. the since 1968. spacecrafts. nighttime, daylight or radar wide-screen areas to find and film nursing department received her Bachelor or Since the late 1940'5, when sightings, (although radar sight- occurrences associated with stud- A native of Kansas City, Mrs. Flanigan the of in 1941. After unidentified flying objects were ings are usually not too reliable, ies of meteors and other astro- Science in nursing from University Missouri a number of years, she returned to first described "flying since radar can not discriminate nomical practicing in the profession for as sau- phenomena. of Teias at Austui. cers", UFO's have reportedly between a flock of birds and a school forher Master's Degree from the University UFO), and close with Lastly, the situation lends itself She later served as director of the Shrine Hospital for Crippled come in all shapes, ranging from encounters and socio- the UFO and/or its occupants. readily to psychological Children at Galveston, Texas. cigar-shaped to mushroom-shap- logical If this is a mass of the Nevada State Nurses ed, and in all size*.