Communications, Media Arts & Theatre NEWSLETTER csu.edu/CMAT BLACK MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY CONFERENCE REPORTED BY were able to join us,” said Dr. List. Over this four day period, DEANDRE WILLIAMS the conference hosted numerous The Department of panels covering important issues Communications, Media Arts in the industries of radio, public and Theatre (CMAT) at CSU relations, advertising, theatre, lm, spoke about the need to perfect held its rst Black Media and and television. On Tuesday, April your craft. CMAT alumnus, Entertainment Industry 27, Chicago State University Rodney “HotRod” Washington Conference (BMEIC) between President Z. Scott opened gave us the inside story of his rise April 27 to 30th, 2021. According the event. President Scott from WCSURadio to landing at to Dr. Christine List,Chairperson was followed by a keynote Power92 as an on-air personality of CMAT, there were more than conversation with Louis Carr, in the nation’s top 3 market. 380 registered participants. President of Media Sales for The conference allowed BET Networks. In the afternoon, “The BMEIC celebrated students to engage with black industry leaders, Melody Spann people who are actively working the deep connections our Cooper, Chairman of Midway academic program has built in the industry and to hear their Broadcasting Cooperation, stories. Most importantly, stu- within the media industry and Michelle Flowers Welch, in Chicago. Being a virtual dents were able to see the Chairman and CEO of Flowers networking opportunities that conference meant attendees from Communications Group, all over the city and the country Chicago State University o ers spoke with CMAT faculty about current and prospective students the trailblazing leadership roles to help them achieve success in they have undertaken in their their professional careers. respective industries. According to one of the Fifteen panels were held CSU students who attended during the four-day conference. the conference Rashna Green, Panelists included Keith Walker, “I attended the panel that Cinematographer on John Lewis: featured Michelle Flowers Welch. Good Trouble and Maya Angelou: She gave plenty of great advice And Here I Rise, and Daniel Willis on how she got her start. whose credits include directing What I was able to take away for Grey’s Anatomy. Hollywood from the discussion was to be Screenwriters Sara Finney sure that your profession meets Johnson, Executive Producer of your passion, and you will never Louis Carr, President of Media Sales Moesha, The Parkers, and Alisha regret your occupation.” for BET Networks Cowan, writer on South Side, .1 Communications, Media Arts & Theatre NEWSLETTER CMAT COLLABORATES WITH LEO BURNETT AND THE MGP ADVERTISING BOOTCAMP

REPORTED BY RASHNA GREEN within the Leo Burnett family of companies. The Department of Communications, CMAT seniors Malcolm Media Arts & Theatre is collaborating Conyers, Ryonn Gloster, with Leo Burnett, a world-class Jameelah Hargrove, and Chicago-based advertising Archie Shaw are currently company, and the Marcus Graham participating in Chi inColor, a Project (MGP). The project o ers project for which they design creative and diverse participants the advertisements for CSU. opportunity to learn skills and gain “I am so grateful to have been The Chi in Color project for the real-life experience in the media MGP Advertising workshop given this opportunity. It has been and marketing industry through a monumental experience for me. participation in a ten-week bootcamp These skills are priceless,” followed up by paid internships said Malcolm Conyers.

The speci c skills they have learned through “We believe that the South Side is a creative this bootcamp include: building agency hub waiting to be explored. Our goal with websites, investigating customer insight, this program is to promote creativity as a learning how to reach target audiences, career option for the talented students at CSU,” said Ramon Davis, the senior account supervisor for the project. Mr. Davis is also an alumnus of the MGP Bootcamp. His training through the program has a orded him a plethora of experience in marketing and advertising. He encourages diversity within this eld and for the participants to achieve their goals in a realistic, creative learning environment. Dedicated to increasing skilled minorities, this Bootcamp provides a real-world modern experience MGP Bootcamp analyzing audiences’ demographics, Zoom workshop including brand marketing, advertising, marketing on social media, and PR production. “Stay memorable, and software knowledge. and you shall soar,” said Mr. Davis.

.2 Communications, Media Arts & Theatre NEWSLETTER “WHOLE” WINS FILM FESTIVAL AWARD!

Spring 2021 has been an which was held via the exciting time for the students It’s a Short festival platform, in the Fall 2019 CMAT Cinema announced in November that Practicum. They found out Whole had won the prize for their class project, a dystopian Best Student Narrative Film. thriller called Whole, will have Whole is the story of a group its in-person premiere at the of young women who are sent Chicagoland Shorts Film to a “Completion Camp” where Festival this summer. Whole they learn the horrifying reality was also accepted into four of what happens when women international lm festivals are oppressed in the name of including London’s Rapport honor culture. Ryonn Gloster, Festival, the Out of Africa the screenwriter for Whole, Film Festival in Nairobi, Kenya, came up with the idea for this the Kwanzaa Film Festival allegorical lm with a social in Harlem, New York, and justice message after visiting the Collected Voices Film Kenya and meeting girls Festival in Chicago. who had been subjected The Collected Voices to the practice of female International Film Festival, genital mutilation.

According to Dr. Christine List, the instructor DeShae Cora, Jameelah Hargrove, for the CMAT Cinema Practicum, “The movie Andra Niles, Troi Tyler, Ziare Williams was made possible through hundreds of hours Warren and Norman Davis. of creative collaboration between CMAT students. For more information on the cast and crew It’s a tribute to them that so many lm festivals and to view the trailer for the lm, please want to screen their movie.” visit https://girltalkdigitalmedia. CMAT majors Ericka Henderson, wixsite.com/whole/meet-the-cast-crew. Ryonn Gloster and Evelio Zavala directed Whole while Jazman Cooper served as Director of Photography and Brandon Parks led the lighting department. Keyshawn Fields was responsible for location sound mixing. Julian Willliams was the editor and David Cross was the assistant editor. Whole featured CMAT major LaNelle Lewis in the lead role along with an ensemble cast that included Amanda Wilkerson, Cristal Boisseau, Ryonn Gloster, Marlon Tatum, Kimiante Ellis,

Cast and crew of Whole .3 Communications, Media Arts & Theatre NEWSLETTER CMAT THEATRE ALUMNUS CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR

REPORTED BY DEANDRE WILLIAMS embraced by the city’s theatre community and has performed CMAT alumnus Christopher in a number of roles including Taylor’s latest lm, Salt, has just In the Shadow of Justice in 2017, been released on YouTube. Down in the Dm’s, A New Attitude: Salt is about a man who takes Pattie Labelle Story, and Defacing interest in a woman that he meets Michael Jackson in 2018, Urban in a co ee shop. The man, played Love Story, A Raisin in the Sun by Taylor, becomes emotionally in 2019, and Radio Golf in 2020. attached to the woman which Taylor has also landed roles on leads him to seek therapy. television and was recently signed by a major casting agent. Since graduation, Taylor has been CSU Alum Christopher Taylor “It went beyond the classroom, which is not common. I am who I am because of Chicago State,” said Taylor. Taylor acknowledged that CMAT’s classes or workshops, and connected passionate professors and intimate Taylor with directors and other actors.” class sizes bene ted his career. He believes “It went beyond the classroom, which the small classes allowed professors is not common. I am who I am because to focus on his strengths and weaknesses. of Chicago State,” said Taylor. He said that Professor Khan drilled into him constantly. He ended the interview saying he misses and loves his CSU family, without them She understood how passionate he may have given up on this a long time he was about acting and paid close ago. He feels the professors and classmates attention to him. When asked how CMAT created a family vibe during his time as helped advance the acting skills he says, a student that has carried over. He loves “The professors, like Professor Khan and Dr. the support he receives, and CSU is the List, were not just teaching him but also fuel to his re. helped him nd jobs, told him of training .4 Communications, Media Arts & Theatre NEWSLETTER CHRISTINE HOUSTON, THE PEARL OF CHICAGO STATE AND TEACHING LEGEND REPORTED BY LINDA WALKER adapted and became NBC’s hit sitcom, 227. She worked When CMAT lecturer Christine over ve years as a sta writer Houston watches the Academy on now-classic television shows Awards ceremony on television, like 227 and Punky Brewster. actress Regina King’s accomplish- Houston says this experience helps ments stand out in the crowd. her bring expertise to her students Christine Houston created while teaching them the universal the play that became the format for scriptwriting. sitcom 227 which catapulted She emphasizes the importance Regina King into stardom. of using correct English, grammar, As a lecturer in CMAT, Houston and punctuation when writing teaches Screenwriting, Writing a script to submit to showrunners, for TV, and Playwriting. She is executive producers, and other recognized as a playwright, having potential readers for the purpose of being able to successfully break Christine Houston, creator of Two Twenty-Seven that was Two Twenty-Seven, the inspiration into the entertainment industry. for classic sitcom 227

Houston’s success as a eleven years ago, and it has playwright and a television sta become the joy of her life. writer gave her insight into the Houston sometimes wonders entertainment industry that she what her students think about has shared with her students. her teaching methods. She They realize that if she did it, admires the teaching skills of they can do it too. As a former Dr. Christine List, Chairperson student, I remember she ran of CMAT, whose class in screen- her classrooms like a television writing Houston took while she or playwriting seminar. She was a student at CSU. The two encouraged every student women became writing partners to tap into their creativity. and published a book called A CSU alumna, Houston left The Screenwriter’s Guidebook: Hollywood and returned to Inspiring Lessons in Film and Chicago to care for ailing family Television Writing. members. She decided to Houston’s Hollywood stories continue her education and humor bring a lightness by obtaining a B.A. in to her classroom. She hopes Communications at CSU. the students have enjoyed her

The revered sitcom 227 with stars Soon after her graduation, she teaching as much as she has Marla Gibbs and Jackee Harry was invited to teach. That was enjoyed teaching them. .5 Communications, Media Arts & Theatre NEWSLETTER RODNEY “HOT ROD” WASHINGTON: A DIAMOND IN CMAT’S JEWEL BOX

REPORTED BY LINDA WALKER Hot Rod is a graduate of CSU and majored CMAT alumnus Rodney “Hot in Communications, Rod” Washington is an on-air Media, Arts and Television personality for the popular (CMAT). However, the road Chicago radio station POWER was not easy. 92.3. Hot Rod lls the evening Hot Rod originally airwaves with hip-hop attended college in Iowa. music. His music audience Disappointed, he realized spans Millennials, Generations that great education and X, and Alphas. Hot Rod will experience was near his proudly admit that the road home in Chicago at CSU. to his success at POWER 92 When he enrolled in CMAT, CMAT alum Rodney “Hot Rod” started at Chicago State the sta was very hands-on. Washington in his element University (CSU). at POWER 92.3 Troi Tyler called Hot Rod “creative, innovative and energetic.”

Professor Devin Washington (no relation) personally assisted in making sure he chose the best classes. If he needed any mentoring, the CMAT faculty and sta were there. One of the premier ladies of Chicagoland radio was also at CSU, Troi Tyler. She called Hot Rod “creative, innovative and energetic.” She recalled his time at WCSU and how she helped him learn not to take no for answer. To hear Chicago State’s gem, Rodney “Hot Rod” Washington, tune in to POWER 92.3, Monday through Friday 7-10 p.m. and Saturday 6-10 p.m.

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