Spring 2016

Mass Communication Department Newsletter

Byline Editor Gillian Foss

Connect with Mass Comm:

Iona College Mass Comm Group

@ICMassComm

Iona College Department of Mass Communication Alumni

Job Postings | Internship Opportunities | Networking

Additional Helpful ResourcesIona College Mass Communication

Advising Bloghttps://icmcadvising.wordpress.com/

North Avenue Nation Bloghttps://northavenuenation.wordpress.com/

www.iona.edu

NEW

New For Fall 2016!Check out Iona’s new minor: Media, Politics and Society.

Consult the program’s website for more information!

http://www.iona.edu/MPSminor

The Main Event:Media Day For Prospective Students

is a Success The Mass Communications Department partnered with Iona College Admissions on April 1 to host the first-ever Media Day -- an all-day event dedicated to demonstrating to prospec-tive students the merits of the mass communications curriculum at Iona. The nearly 50 prospective students and parents who attended got to meet with Mass Comm faculty, tour the depart-ment and gain in-depth information on the four Mass Comm concentrations. The visitors also spoke with student leaders, who answered questions about Mass Comm clubs, activities and internship opportunities. The opportunity to tour the Mass Comm facilities and the Iona Campus was a draw for many of the prospective students and parents. The guests began their tour in LaPenta Student Center, where they visited the WICR studio and the Ionian office, meeting and asking questions to student leaders and advisers for the two media clubs. They then made their way to Murphy to tour the department’s state-of-the-art broadcast studio and multimedia classrooms. The tour concluded with refreshments and an extensive Q&A session, during which the Mass Comm faculty and student leaders answered questions from the prospective students and their parents. Despite being the first-ever event of its kind for the Mass Comm Department, things ran smoothly. Judging from the reacition of the guests, Media Day was a big success. The event will surely be held in semesters to come.

Prospective students look on during a Q&A session with faculty and student leaders.

www.iona.eduSpring 2016

Student SpotlightMeet Two of the Mass

Communication’s Department’s Top

A d v e r t i s i n g S t u d e n t s For Iona juniors Kiara Walcott and Cassie Alfveby, the field of advertising is filled with life-changing opportunities and creativity. Walcott, a native of Jamaica, N.Y., has already interned with AOL, where she worked with the copywriter and design team on projects for AOL’s many subsidiary brands. Alfveby, who hails from the self-described “middle of no-where” town of North Branford, Conn., has held social media internships at Regal Crest Enterprises and New York Medical College. Between the two of them, they have played active roles in a variety of campus organizations such as the Golden Key International Honors Society, the Iona College Annual year-book, Relay for Life and Iona Players. In addition to their active extracurricular presences at Iona, both students were recently inducted into the Mass Com-munications Honors Society – a testament to their hard work and intense focus on the advertising industry. “Advertising is storytelling, and as an English [double] major with a passion for reading and writing, there is nothing I love more than a story,” Walcott said. “I want to be able to control the narrative and influence people to better their lives and better themselves. With advertising, there is no better plat-form.” Alfveby echoed this sentiment, saying that as an ardent advocate of fine arts, the creativity inherent in advertising drew her to concentration. “Being a Mass Communications major allows me to use my creative talents in a professional way, and I couldn’t be more

satisfied with my decision,” Alfveby said. The fact that both students attributed their success-es to multiple advertising faculty members speaks to the breadth of the department. Walcott credits her growing interest in advertising to Dr. Tony Kelso and Prof. Laura Esposito, as well as English professors Dr. Anne Clark, Dr. Christina Carlson and Dr. Thomas Moretti. “All of them have impacted my Iona experience thus far,” she said. Alfveby recognized Ed Roberts as having been a standout mentor both in the classroom and in the profes-sional field. Roberts helped Alfveby secure an internship, and he continues to help her with crafting cover letters and resumes and searching for a job. “The internship provided such a good model for what I want to do for the rest of my life,” she said. The biggest challenges for both Alfveby and Wal-cott in advertising have also been the best learning expe-riences for them as students. Walcott noted that she now has the ability to “critically engage with advertisements and work to create them” in both individual and group settings. Alfveby admitted that time management has been her biggest hurdle during her Iona experience due to her involvement in so many organizations on campus, but that she would not have it any other way, because often the advertising industry operates on a deadline basis. With the spring semester winding down and their senior years fast approaching, Walcott and Alfveby are greatly looking forward to their futures in advertising. Alfveby advises Mass Comm students to establish good relationships with their professors. “They all have connections in the field and are more than willing to help you in your job and internship search,” she said. Walcott advises students to identify what they want to do and concentrate on that goal. “Trust yourself, and trust your plan,” she said. “Ev-erything else is noise.”

Kiara Walcott recieves her Mass Comm Honors Society award from Dr. Petrausch.

As my senior year is quickly approach-ing I have not yet decided exactly what I would like to do, but my dream is to do communications work for a children’s hospital or a nonprofit organization.

“”Cassie Alfveby

2

www.iona.eduSpring 2016

A Spring of Scholarship

This semester, the Mass Communications De-partment welcomed inductees into the Mass Communication Honors Society; honored the top 10 percent of its senior class into Kappa Tau Alpha; and was represented by four students at the college’s Scholars Day event.

It has been a busy spring for high-achieving Mass Comm students, evidenced by a myriad of events honoring their dedication to continued excellence within their fields. On March 31, the department welcomed 26 new students into the Mass Communications Honors Society, honoring undergraduate students in the department who have maintained a 3.5 grade point average or higher. After introductory remarks by Dr. Petrausch, the honorees came to the stage one by one to accept their certificates. Dr. Petrausch then led the new inductees in reciting the official oath of the honors society as proud family members looked on. A week later, the department honored an even more select group of students, as six senior Mass Comm ma-jors were inducted into Kappa Tau Alpha, the prestigious national college honor society that grants lifetime member-ship to those who excel in the fields of journalism and mass

communication. Robert Boncardo, Maddison Capobi-anco, Katlyn Cromer, Amanda Danella, Julia Klinger and Ian Sacks were honored for placing in the top 10 percent of their graduating class, as well as for their leadership and passion for their chosen fields. The stu-dents were provided with cords and a pin representing the society that they will wear at their commencement ceremony in May. Kappa Tau Alpha, which was first established in 1910, currently serves 96 chapters across the nation. Finally, four Mass Comm students -- the largest number in several years -- were chosen to present their work at the Seventh Annual Iona Scholars Day Event on April 12. Mass Comm major Justin Ratchford’s presen-tation, “Women in Hollywood,” explored how women are depicted in films by using the Bechdel Test, find-ing gender bias in Hollywood movies. Kayla Coughlin presented her study, “Cops’ Take on Cop Shows,” as a highly popular part of the poster presentation series. Ian Sacks called on his vast knowledge of sports with his project, “The Art of a Champion: How to Assemble a Winning Team in Major League Baseball and the Na-tional Basketball Association.” Darya Khritankova also made a poster presentation, “World, New York, and All That Jazz,” which employed research from both a Mass Comm and musical perspective. The Mass Comm Department congratulates all of the students who were recognized this spring for their work in their fields of study. They provide inspira-tion to the faculty, their families and their fellow stu-dents.

Mass Communication Honors Society inductees recite the group’s oath before becoming official members of the

esteemed group.

Katlyn Cromer, with Mass Comm Department Chair Robert Petrausch, was one of six students from the department to finish in the top 10 percent of her graduat-ing class and earn an invitation to join Kappa Tau Alpha, the prestigious national

mass communication honor society. 3

Spring 2016 www.iona.edu

Your Advising Corner

How to develop S.M.A.R.T. goals as a

college student

by Kathy Dowden

S.M.A.R.T is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, rele-vant/realistic and time-based. To be a successful college stu-dent it is crucial to not only set goals, but to keep SMART in mind when developing your plan.

Here’s how it can work for you:“I am going to get better grades this semester.” Does this sound familiar to any of you? Probably. Although it is a worthy goal, how is this going to happen? Have you examined what kept your grades from your goal in the past?

Here’s an example of a S.M.A.R.T goal:“Last semester, I got a B-, two Cs, a B and a D in economics. If I am honest with myself I admit I cut a more than a few classes, I watched a lot of Net-flix the week of midterms and I was late with some assignments. I don’t think the professor in my economics elective knew my name. This semester I want to keep all my final grades above a C+. I will go to all my classes unless sick. I will review my class notes every night and stay after a few times with my profes-sors if I have questions.” Now this student is being S.M.A.R.T! By the midterms s/he will be able to measure these realistic goals when grades are posted!

Alumni in Action

Anthony Carlo for News 12

Anthony Carlo ‘15 landed a job as an on-air reporter for News 12 Bronx. The Mass Comm broadcast media concentration alumnus has made the Iona community proud, packaging and reporting local news stories on topics ranging from the crossing guard shortage in New York City to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administrative efforts to reduce homelessness in the area. Recently, Carlo reported from Yankee Stadium on opening day, where he spoke with fans and provided coverage of the beginning of the new baseball season. Be sure to tune into News 12 and see this hardworking Mass Comm alumnus in action!

Notable Faculty Achievements

Kathy Dowden: Selected to present at a recent National Association of Academ-ic Advisors drive-in conference on April 8 at Marist College. Her topic was “The Accidental Advisor: How a New Professional Survived Her First Year Advising in a Decentralized Faculty Model.”

Professor Kelso: Recipient of the Hugh J. McCabe Memorial Award for Social Justice, to be presented at the May 21 undergraduate commencement ceremony. Professor Kelso was given the award due to “longstanding and multi-layered com-mitments to diversity – academic, co-curricular, and institutional - demonstrating exemplary leadership in promoting social justice in the Iona community.”

Professor Cosby: In February, she attended the AEJMC Midwinter conference and presented 2 papers: “Finding God on a Deserted Island: Religious Rhetoric on the TV Series Lost” - which won Best Paper at the conference - and “The Portray-al of Black Women in Primetime Television.” In mid-April Professor Cosby also attended BEA (Broadcast Education Association) to present her research on: “Pres-idential Candidate Concession Speeches: The Rhetoric of Defeat” and “Hip Hop Culture as a Mobilizing Agent for Social Change and Political Engagement Among Black Youth”.

Professor Bard: Presented his research “Fox News in Primetime after the 2012 Presidential Election” at the recent Pop Culture Association/American Culture Association conference.

Professor Breslin: His article “‘Wood-Stein’ and Watergate: A Reflective Review of ‘All the President’s Men’ 40 Years Later” was published in the Spring 2016 news-letter Clio: Among the Media, which serves as the quarterly newsletter within the History Division of AEJMC.