A publication for Alumni and Friends of Kent State University Summer 2008 Volume 7 — Issue 4 m A G a z i n e Media Convergence Kent State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications moves to a new high-tech home in Franklin Hall It Must Be Summer WKSU brings Garrison Keillor back to Blossom Music Center The future starts here, at Kent State University Dr. Lester A. Lefton, President Franklin and JMC students, and puts Kent State among a handful of top universities Kent State University has opened whose students are truly ready for the new another portal to the future. age of information and ideas — the world’s Some of you who remember creaky old most valuable currency. Franklin Hall — built in 1926 — from You can read this fascinating story in this your undergraduate days will be amazed issue of Kent State Magazine. And come by by its transformation into a high-tech Franklin Hall sometime. Jeff and the faculty home for our beyond-the-curve School are proud to show you the changes they have of Journalism and Mass Communication implemented. (JMC). Another type of media convergence The $22-million upgrade created more happens this summer, as Kent State’s own Gary Harwood, ‘83 than just new space and 21st-century WKSU hosts a live performance of Garrison technology. The building is designed to Keillor and his “Prairie Home Companion” Photo by reflect the profession that trains there — at Blossom Music Center, summer home of Kent State President open, interactive, creative and wrapped the Cleveland Orchestra and Kent/Blossom Lester A. Lefton around the new media reality: “convergence.” Music. This will be Keillor’s fourth Blossom Convergence refers to the future of appearance, a testament to this stunning media in which journalists with a variety outdoor facility and to the worldwide reach of skills — print reporting, video, digital and influence of WKSU-FM. photography, Web design and even blogging You can share in the pride that Kent State, — will converge to produce a single story. your university, is leading on several fronts Generations of mistrust and competition in the next wave of media innovation. It is between, say, print and broadcast journalists, the same spirit of creativity and foresight are being swept away by technology and Kent State brings to its role as a major audience demand. Franklin Hall will help research university, preparing our students to our JMC faculty produce graduates with compete in the global marketplace. the multimedia skills to lead this media As alumni, you remain our most revolution. important product as well as the measure of Much credit goes to JMC Director Jeff our success. We hope Kent State Magazine Fruit and the active, innovative faculty of helps all 180,000 of you stay connected the school. They saw the future and brought to this great university and engaged in its it back to the university. That spirit infects future. Kent State’s Downtown Gallery, which recently moved to Main Street in the heart of Kent, is the only commercial-style university gallery On the cover: of its kind in the Kaitlyn Lionti, a senior broadcast United States. journalism major and news direc- Read more about it tor of TV2, in the 2,000-square-foot on page 12. studio and state-of-the-art broad- cast control room in the newly Bob Christy, ‘87 renovated Franklin Hall. Photo by Jeff Glidden, ’87 Photo by K ENT STATE MAGAZINE • Summer 2008 • VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 4 Kent state MAGAZINE c o n t e n t s Summer 2008 • Volume 7 • Issue 4 Board of Trustees Features Andrew J. Banks R. Douglas Cowan, ’64 Dennis E. Eckart Emilio D. Ferrara, D.D.S., ’59 Sandra W. Harbrecht, ’71, Chair Aimee L. Huter, student Patrick S. Mullin, ’71, Vice Chair Gina Spencer, student Jane Murphy Timken Brian D. Tucker, ’75, Secretary Jacqueline F. Woods Executive Officers Dr. Lester A. Lefton, President Dr. Robert G. Frank, Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs, and Provost Dr. Patricia A. Book Photo by Jeff Glidden, ’87 Vice President, Regional Development Dr. David K. Creamer, M.S.A. ’86, Ph.D. ’90 Senior Vice President, Administration Eugene J. Finn, Vice President, Revolution in the Newsroom .... .page 2 Institutional Advancement The School of Journalism and Mass Communication Issue to Issue Dr. Harold Goldsmith has a new high-tech, convergent-friendly home in Vice President, Franklin Hall. Enrollment Management and Student Affairs News Flash ....... page 14 Edward G. Mahon Vice President, Information Services, • Partners form minority business accelerator It Must Be Summer............. .page 6 and Chief Information Officer • Moerland named Arts & Sciences dean Dr. Kathy L. Stafford, ’70 WKSU-FM brings “A Prairie Home Companion” to Vice President, Blossom Music Center for a live national broadcast. University Relations • Hillel at Kent State breaks ground Willis Walker, J.D. for new home Interim Vice President, Human Resources, and Chief University Counsel A Secret Revealed ............. .page 8 • DEVO founder receives honorary degree Dr. Michael Kalinski emigrated to the U.S. with Magazine Editorial Committee • Press acquires Ohio History a vast store of memories and professional knowledge, Thomas R. Neumann Associate Vice President, as well as a document that would end the secrecy of University Communications and Marketing steroid research in the USSR. Class Notes . page 22 Flo Cunningham, ’83, M.A. ’86 Director, University Communications • Flashback: Intramurals and Marketing Editor • Beyond the Push of a Button ... page 10 Alumnus brings legal expertise to For the complete list of committee With the help of a new device, physically disabled inner-city schools members, follow the Contact link at people can now turn computers on and off. www.kent.edu/magazine. • Alumna wins prestigious writing award Comments and letters can be sent to: • Back by popular demand, the University Communications and Marketing, Art Is Smart Downtown ....... page 12 Kent State University, P.O. Box 5190, Kent, Homecoming parade Ohio 44242-0001 or [email protected]. The School of Art’s Downtown Gallery makes it big on Main Street. • Alumni meet with President Lefton www.kent.edu Published quarterly in conjunction with Upcoming Events Great Lakes Publishing Co., 1422 Euclid Ave. Unheard Voices............... page 16 Suite 730, Cleveland, Ohio 44115 A Kent State doctoral candidate studies sexual Back cover [email protected] violence during the Holocaust. Countdown to Centennial ...... page 18 When it comes to majors, education, nursing and business are consistently top choices among students. Blue and Gold Pride........... page 20 New book celebrates the rich history of KSU athletics. p a g e 1 Revolution In Franklin Hall, faculty and students embrace convergence Mojos. One-man-band reporters. from the already heaping plate of requests Bubble journalists. from the industry, says Jeff Fruit, director of Call them what you will, today’s reporters Kent State’s School of Journalism and Mass are toting more than just notepad and ink to Communication (JMC). cover the story. The journalists’ toolboxes are “Yes, you have to have strong writing brimming with technological tackle — digital skills; yes, you have to have good critical and and video cameras, audio recorders and a analytical thinking skills; and yes, you have to laptop computer equipped with Internet have some expertise outside the program. All access and editing software. of these are things that our alumni say they Where are the photographers? See the had in order to compete in the marketplace,” Mojos. Fruit says. “But now we’ve added multimedia What about the videographers? Ask the skills to the list; and you need to be better bubble journalists. in something other than your core area of “‘Mobile journalists go out with a notepad, expertise, whether it’s writing, photography or a video camera and a digital camera. They videography.” write the story, capture the audio and video Today’s multimedia environment suggests and file to the Web,” says Bryan Wroten, editor that students need to be great at one thing, of the Daily Kent Stater for Spring Semester pretty darn good at something else and have a 2008, senior newspaper journalism major working knowledge of everything else, he says. and honors student. “‘Bubble journalists’ are “That was not the case 10 years ago, and reporters who are able to encompass and that was not the case when I was in school. handle it all.” Being good at one thing was enough,” Fruit While some might debate whether or not a says. “Today, for many students, it’s not. You story or video should be reviewed by an editor need to have a broader range of skills.” prior to being uploaded to the Web, from Exceptional writing skills remain critical Wroten’s viewpoint, there isn’t necessarily a for students in JMC, but to clinch their dream right or wrong way to handle the situation. job, they need “a little something more,” “It’s just one approach that can be used to see if it works,” he says. “It is weird for me to think that as a newspaper journalist, I will have to do all of these things and more.” Beyond the byline Today, journalism, public relations and advertising majors are expected to have additional skills, with nothing subtracted p a g e 2 47 By Rachel Wenger-Pelosi, ‘00 Photographs by Jeff Glidden, ‘87 Revolution in the newsroom p a g e 3 Creating convergence Fruit says. The list includes because none of the other Fruit traces the first from state capital funds and competent photography employees understood rumblings of media about $2 million in private abilities, videography know- how to use Facebook or convergence to a 1996 support and gifts, included how, some Web or page YouTube,” he says.