Hello everyone and welcome to our monthly “Good News” outlet. Let’s dive into what November had in store for us!
To start things off, we would like to recognize TCOM as the winner of our 2020 pumpkin competition. The video they created (below) should bring a smile on your face. We also want to give a shout-out to CICS and the departments of Journalism and Communication Studies for their creative submissions!
Students
- Journalism junior Duncan McLarty was named to the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards Celebration Inspiration Honor Roll. He has provided Points of Light for many this year, working tirelessly to deliver groceries & supplies to those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.
- Cardinal Cinema short films produced by TCOM students premiered on WIPB on November 6. The Constellation Quest crew tweeted that they “edited the whole film, composited 150 VFX shots, filmed pick up shots and recorded V/O” while in lockdown.
- Journalism Senior Aric Fulton has been recognized as the 2020-21 Future Teacher Scholarship Award recipient at the virtual Fall JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention. Read more.
- Every year, graduate students in the CICS program compete in the Accenture Challenge as part of their CICS 601 class taught by Dr. Ray Steele. Congratulations to the two winning teams! 1st Place: Adam Gill, Adrienne Heckler, Sean Miller, Christopher Nouhan, Mackenzie Powell. 2nd Place: Yinka Ajibola, Jonathan George, Jake Skinner, Seth Tocco, Jessie Whitaker.
Alumni
- Communication Studies graduate Betsy Mills (’10) was reelected to the Henry County Council. Read more.
- Journalism graduate Frank Mrvan (’92) is a newly-elected member of the US House of Representatives (Indiana, 1st Congressional District). Read more.
- TCOM grads Katelyn Calhoun (’13) and Hannah Lindgren (’13) are featured in a short piece about the Joe and Carol Trimmer Indiana Film Fund. A campaign established in 2020 to provide more opportunities for filmmakers to tell Indiana stories.
- Communication Studies alumna, Dr. Scarlett Hester, delivered the keynote presentation at the third annual Ball State University Undergraduate Communication Research Conference that was held on Nov 7.
- TCOM aluma Amanda DeLotelle started a nonprofit to feed the hungry amid COVID-19. Together with several partners, DeLotelle helped found the nonprofit Miami Valley Meals to provide nutritious food to those in need and also employment for out-of-work chefs and culinary professionals. Read more.
- TCOM alumnus Dwight Smith was named one of three “Volunteers of the Year” in recognition for his work as a lead ambassador, spearheading alumni activity in Los Angeles, and motivating ambassadors across the country to engage others within their region.
CCIM Alumni Council & Departmental Alumni Societies
- CCIM is the first college at Ball State to launch its Alumni Council. After an inaugural call in mid-October, the CCIM Alumni Council met on November 16 for a virtual working session aimed at building alumni engagement across the college.
- All CCIM units also launched or revived their alumni societies at a departmental level with the following presidents: Tom Gayda (Journalism), Betsy Mills (Communication Studies), Dottie Kreps (Telecommunications), and Christopher Anderson (CICS).
- The Department of Journalism will soon share its alumni stories, expertise, and perspectives in two new media forms. The first one is Flock, a revival of the alumni periodical that existed a decade ago. The magazine will launch at a virtual event slated for December 4 with alumna Brittney Ermon as the keynote speaker. The other is Birds of a Feather, a new podcast series featuring new Journalism alumni at each episode. The series will debut on December 7. For any questions, contact Adam Kuban who spearheads both initiatives.
Faculty and Staff
- Dr. James Chesebro, TCOM Professor Emeritus, was recognized posthumously on Nov. 21st with a Distinguished Scholar award by the National Communication Association. He is awarded for his lifetime achievement in the field of human communication.
- Dean Paaige Turner represented the field of journalism at the 22nd Annual State of Indiana Holocaust Remembrance candlelight ceremony. “We light this candle to remember that journalists have a responsibility to speak for those who cannot, and to question decision-makers to protect those who cannot protect themselves.” Watch the Dean here.
- CICS’ Dr. Becky Hammons was recognized by Ball State for her work on smart cities as part of the university’s “Achieving Academic Excellence” spotlight series. Read more.
What to watch
- CCIM students Emma Trent and Ameliah Kolp hosted the college’s first virtual tour on Instagram live. You can watch the recording here.
- Cardinal Compass: Campus and Community Conversations aired on November 20 on Indiana Public Radio and WIBP. This month, President Mearns and Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour discussed how Muncie and Ball State can work together to improve the entire community. Watch the episode once it becomes available on Ball State PBS’ YouTube channel.