News in the Communication Department
Viking Fusion Film Festival Winner Wins Again!
The winner of the Viking Fusion 48-Hour Film Festival, "Meeting Mufasa," won the award for Best Comedy at the 2013 Bald Shorts Film Festival sponsored by Georgia College & State University. The short film was produced by Berry students Sydney Kelly, Rachael Wheeler and Nathan Sutton.
Treese Wins in International Competition!
Berry Senior, Kim Treese, has elevated
studying abroad to a new height. She took a break from her studies in
Spain to compete in the International Forensic Association Championship
Tournament, March 10-12 in Antwerp, Belgium. Kim competed in four of her
usual events and added a fifth experimental event called "Tour of
Antwerp." Her results were remarkable. Out of 24 competitors in
Communication Analysis, Kim was named Berry's first International Champion!
She also placed fourth in Persuasion and finished as a semi-finalist in
both Prose and Dramatic Interpretation. In the "Tour of Antwerp"
event, students were given a few minutes to develop the "perfect day in
Antwerp tour." The winner was selected by the mayor of Antwerp.
Kim's experience traveling abroad obviously paid off as she placed first
in the "Tour of Antwerp" event as well! All in all, Kim's impressive
one-person team performance landed Berry in sixth place out of 18 colleges and
universities.
Berry Hosts Novice Nationals
Berry College hosted the 31st Annual Novice
National Forensic Tournament, March 8-10. Twenty-four colleges and
universities from across the nation competed in team parliamentary debate, individual Lincoln-Douglas
Debate, Readers’ Theater and 12 speech and performance events.
Competition featured over 140 students in their first year of intercollegiate
forensic activity. After 3 days of competition, Berry's novice squad
emerged with a fifth place finish in overall team sweepstakes! Berry's
performance highlights include the first and second place Readers' Theater
productions! Berry novice Nicole Wilson finished a close second in After-Dinner
Speaking. Preston Willis, in his first-ever competition, brought home
sixth place in Impromptu Sales. Mallory Ellington and Natalie Wickenkamp
finished sixth and seventh place respectively in Communication Analysis.
Overall, 18 Berry students contributed to the solid fifth-place finish.
19th Consecutive Win at GIFA!
The Berry
College Forensics Team spoke, performed and argued their way to a state
championship at the Georgia Intercollegiate Forensic Association’s State
Championship Tournament, Saturday, February 23, on the campus of Southern
Polytechnic State University in Marietta. The occasion marks Berry’s 19th
consecutive GIFA State Championship. Several Berry speakers earned
individual state championships, including: Melissa Moore in four events, Alexandria
Wisner in four events, Desiree Austin Holliday in three events, and Brittni
Trollinger in Personal Narrative. Alexandria Wisner and Nicole Wilson placed
first and second in Persuasive Speaking, which qualifies them for the nation’s
oldest and most prestigious tournament, the Interstate Oratory
Contest. This year’s contest will be held in Shreveport, April 25-28. Clay
Henry earned distinguished honors placing second in the Pentathlon
competition.
Campus Carrier Wins Awards at GCPA Press Institute
The Campus Carrier staff won seven awards
for excellence in journalism in the Georgia College Press Association Better
Newspaper contest. The newspaper won
third place for general excellence in its division at the annual ceremony in Athens
on Feb. 2. Other staff awards included first place for general layout and
design excellence, second place for best campus community service (features)
and improvement excellence, and third place for best campus community service
(news) and general advertising excellence. One individual third place award was
given to Sydney Kelly for best review. Bonny Harper, a senior from Athens, serves as editor-in-chief for the Carrier.
Movers and Shakers
Two of our
COM alums have been recognized in Georgia
Trend magazine’s 2013 list of the 100 most influential Georgians. Dr. John Barge is
superintendent of Georgia’s public school system, and Joe Cook is executive director
and river keeper for the Coosa River Basin Initiative. They were both COM majors
who graduated in 1988, and both were involved in Student Publications--Barge as editor of the Cabin Log and Cook as photo editor for the Cabin Log and the Campus Carrier. See link to the Georgia Trend article online.
Viking Fusion Wins CMA and CBI Awards
Viking
Fusion has recently won two awards and been named as a finalist for two other
awards. The first award, Best Radio
Entertainment/Talk Program, was given for the audio drama “Disconnected” at the
First CMA (College Media Association) Pinnacle Awards. Fusion also won
Best Vodcast for “The Conference Room – Canceled Part 2” at the CBI (College
Broadcasters Inc.) Awards. Viking Fusion was also named as a finalist in the
EPPY awards (Editor & Publisher) in the Best University/College Journalism
Website category and the Best University/College Investigative or Documentary
Report category. The latter nomination was for the multimedia stories created
by COM students who traveled to Florence, Italy this past summer. The subject of this report was how one Jewish
family survived Italy’s fascist persecution.
Berry Journalism Students Win National Reporting Award
Berry College Communication students recently placed fourth in the national Newspaper Project Award competition in Chicago. Conducted
by the Association for Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication
and administered by its Newspaper and Online News Division, the
competition “recognizes publications produced by students and professors
in journalism classes or as special curricular projects connected to
courses.” The students produced War for Water for the Berry Communication course, Digital Storytelling, taught by Brian Carroll,
associate professor of communication. The Berry students placed fourth, after first-place
winner Temple University, second-place Syracuse University and
third-place Northwestern University.
Dr. Kathy Richardson Wins Teacher of the Year Award
Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson, professor of communication, has been named the SPIG (Small Programs Interest Group) Teacher
of the Year for 2012. She will be honored Aug. 11 at a SPIG luncheon held in
conjunction with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
annual meeting in Chicago. Richardson holds a doctorate of philosophy and a master
of arts from the University of Georgia and a bachelor of arts from Shorter College.
She has taught a wide range of courses and has held multiple positions,
including professor, coordinator, chair, acting dean, associate provost,
interim provost, and director of institutional research. She is the current
advisor for the Public Relations Student Society of America Berry College
chapter, prior editor of Journalism & Communication Monographs, and on the
editorial boards of Mass Communication and Society and Journal of Mass Media
Ethics.
Dr. Jason Peterson's Dissertation is Honored
Dr. Jason Peterson’s dissertation, “Full Court
Press: How Mississippi Newspapers Helped Keep State College Basketball
Segregated, 1955-1973,” has been honored as a winner of an Honorable Mention
Award in the 2012 AJHA Margaret A. Blanchard Doctoral Dissertation Prize
competition. In particular, the prize jury noted the originality of his
argument, the thoroughness of his research and the clarity of his writing.
Berry Novices Win National Honors
Three
members of the Berry Forensics Team spent the latter half of their Spring break
competing in the Novice National Forensic Tournament at Lafayette College in
Easton, Pennsylvania. Berry's
abbreviated squad earned an incredible sixth-place overall finish, out of 24
schools from across the nation! Berry finished ahead of such notables as
Cornell University, the University of Houston, San Jose State University and
the University of Pennsylvania. Berry's effort was led by Freshman, Jamie
Bingham. Jamie earned the national championship in Persuasive Speaking! Beyond this, she finished second in Communication Analysis, second in
Impromptu Sales and fourth in After-Dinner Speaking. Bingham's
all-around excellence earned her third place in the Pentathlon competition.
Senior Kim Treese placed fourth in Communication Analysis and sixth in Prose
Interpretation. Junior Clay Henry teamed with his teammates to place
second in Reader's Theater with their performance of Appalachian Trials.
Berry Forensics Team GIFA Champs Again--18th Time!
The Berry College forensics team brought home the state
championship from the Georgia Intercollegiate Forensic Association's
State Championship Tournament on Saturday, February 25. This year's
win marked the 18th consecutive team state championship for the Berry speakers.
Seven Berry speakers earned individual championships in 12 of the 14
events offered at the tournament. Individual state champs include: Lauren Holstein in Rhetorical Criticism,
Persuasion and Dramatic Duo; Melissa Moore in Extemporaneous, Impromptu and
Editorial Impromptu; Desiree Austin Holliday in Prose and Dramatic
Interpretation; Jennifer Allman in Poetry and Dramatic Duo; Ariel Rainbow in
Informative; Jamie Bingham in After Dinner; and Alexandria Wisner in Personal
Narrative. Lauren Holstein's outstanding performances in six
events earned her the Jack Haley Individual Sweepstakes Champion Award as
the tournament's top speaker. Holstein joins Alexandria Wisner as the students
who will represent the State of Georgia at the 143rd Interstate Oratory Contest
in Boston in April.
Georgia College Press Association Better Newspaper Contest
The Berry College student newspaper, Campus Carrier, claimed a total of eight awards for journalism excellence in this year’s Georgia College Press Association Better Newspaper Contest. The newspaper received the second place award for general excellence in its division at the annual ceremony, held Feb. 4 at the GCPA Press Institute in Athens, Ga.
Staff achievement within a variety of categories was awarded in the Senior B Division, which includes all four-year Georgia colleges and universities with enrollments under 8,000. Campus Carrier staff awards included:
• First place – Best Campus Community Service – News
• Second place – Best Campus Community Service – General Excellence
• Second place – Best Campus Community Service – Editorial Excellence
• Second place – General Advertising Excellence
• Third place – Best Campus Community Service – Features
• Third place – Best Campus Community Service – Sports
• Third place – General Photography Excellence
• Third place – Improvement
In addition to the awards won by the Campus Carrier during the GCPA Press Institute, one Berry student was elected to a leadership position within the organization. The new vice president of GCPA is Kelly Dickerson, a junior Communication and Biology major.
CBI National Student Production Awards Announced
Students from across the nation submitted their best work for the 2011 CBI annual national student production awards competition. CBI offers awards in 24 categories and
the competition is open to both members and non-members. Viking Fusion, Berry College’s student-produced multi-media website received two nominations, while a group of students in COM 425 (Narrative Video Production) also received recognition. Nominated for Best Promo are COM 425, Berry College “Smoking Mime” and Viking Fusion, Berry College “Viking Fusion Promo”. Viking Fusion was nominated for Best Student Media Website. Winners will be announced at the 2011 National College Media Convention, held by CBI, ACP and CMA in Orlando, FL from Oct. 27 through Oct. 30. Participants will have the opportunity to learn and interact
with peers, as well as experience the surrounding attractions. College Broadcasters Inc. represents students involved in radio, television, webcasting and other related media ventures. It ensures a commitment to education and the student pursuit of excellence through active involvement in electronic media; promotes cooperative efforts between the association and other national, regional and state media organizations and facilitates the discussion of issues related to student-operated electronic media. More information is available here.
"The Conference Room" Wins 2011 Emmy Award
"The Conference Room," the student-produced show for Viking Fusion, won the 2011 Southeast Regional Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement: Student Production Excellence at the June 18 awards show in Atlanta. The black tie awards show, hosted by director Kenny Leon, was attended by the producers of "The Conference Room"--Steven Walker, Thomas Yungerberg, and Alex Middleton.
Berry Sweeps GIFA for 17th Year!
The Berry Forensics Team won the Georgia Intercollegiate Forensic Association State Championship Tournament for the 17th consecutive year on Saturday, January 26, on the campus of Southern Polytechnic State University. Berry students claimed the top spot in 12 out of the 13 events offered at the tournament. Thomas Yungerberg, Alex Middleton, Lauren Holstein, Kylia
Goodner, Melissa Moore, Rex Bearden, Jennifer Allman, Desiree Austin-Holiday and Gabriel Kelly were all Berry State Champions. Based on her outstanding finishes in five events, Lauren Holstein was also awarded the state championship in Pentathlon! Two Berry speakers, Alex Middleton and Alexandria Wisner, will represent the State of Georgia in the 142nd Interstate Oratory Contest in Harrisonburg, Virginia in late April. They earned this honor by placing first and second in Persuasive Speaking. Over all, Berry swept the event.
Carrier Staff Wins Awards at GCPA Press Institute
The Campus Carrier student newspaper earned awards through the Georgia College Press Association Better Newspaper Contest Saturday at the GCPA Press Institute in Athens. Berry’s
Campus Carrier competed within Senior B Division, which includes all Georgia colleges and universities with enrollments under 8,000. “I’m really proud of the staff because winning awards at the state level is a nice recognition of their hard work,” said editor Ashley McIntyre. The newspaper won first place in Best Community Service Features; second place in Best Community Service Sports
Excellence; and third place in Improvement. Individual staff member award winners were Lauren Jones, first place for Best Feature Story; Tristan Harrison, third place for Best Review; and Austin Wolff, third place for Best News Article Based on Objective Reporting.
Berry Forensics Team Articulates Champions in Florida
Eight members of the Berry Forensics team competed in the University of West Florida’s JJ Marks Invitational Forensics Tournament, January 28-29, in Pensacola. Fourteen teams from six states (Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, New York, Illinois and Wisconsin) gathered to battle in 14 competitive speech events ranging from After-Dinner Speaking to Parliamentary
Debate. Berry students took first place in five of the events--more than any other school. The abbreviated Berry squad placed 3rd overall in Team Sweepstakes. Junior, Alex Middleton brought home first place in Rhetorical Criticism, and he teamed with sophomore partner, Jennifer Allman for first place in Dramatic Duo. Junior, Thomas Yungerberg earned tournament
championships in two events: After-Dinner Speaking and Dramatic Interpretation.
NeSmith Chosen as Peter Jennings Project Fellow
Junior Nicole NeSmith was recently named as a 2011 Peter Jennings Project Collegiate Fellow, along with only five other college students from Yale, Dartmouth, Amherst and West Point. The six fellows will join 36 journalists for the 5th annual Peter Jennings Project for Journalists and the Constitution, taking place March 4-6 in Philadelphia, PA. The fellows will participate in several programs focused on various constitutional views from the eyes of journalists. Nicole is also the editor of the Cabin Log, the school's yearbook.
COM Class Project Film Wins 1st Place in RIFF
A film produced as a class project in a Berry Communication class took 1st place in the college category of the Rome International Film Festival's student film competition. The film, "Trapped," is about two people who are trying to escape the life they have been given but cannot. It was produced by recent COM grads Katie Keegan, David Reeves, Hannah Watwood, and current student Brittany Page for Curt Hersey's Narrative Video Production class. The script was written by Kat Higgins-Thomas (in Mr. Hersey's Scriptwriting class) and starred Holly Thomas and Jon Gill.