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I'm James Tidwell, Chair of the Department of Journalism
here at EIU.
And as many of you know, news delivery has changed
dramatically over the last five to ten years with the onset of
the internet, and the faculty has struggled to know exactly
how to change our curriculum to meet those needs.
We've come to the conclusion that technology obviously is
playing a major role here, and we have changed our curriculum
to mirror those changes.
In the future more and more journalists will be doing their
editing and writing and designing on the fly in a
mobile situation, and that's why we have also
initiated a laptop initiative.
Starting this fall, all incoming freshmen are required
to purchase a laptop computer with the software
we think they'll need to complete our courses and
the software they'll need to learn to be
good journalists in the future.
My name is Bryan Murley.
I am the Assistant Professor for New and Emerging Media
in the Journalism Department here at Eastern.
To go along with the industry's technology innovation, many more
journalists are having to become skilled in multimedia reporting.
We felt that having a class where they learn to use those
multimedia tools would be an advantage for them.
When they leave school, they will have those skills that
a lot of journalism students don't at this time.
So we went to the College and proposed a new course,
Introduction to Multimedia Journalism, which would be
a required course for all of our majors.
In order to facilitate that course, we purchased 2 sets of
20 what we call mojo packs, which is a camera bag with a
digital video recorder, digital audio recorder, a microphone.
So the students in those classes use those mojo kits
to learn how to report using audio, video.
They also learn how to use web logs and
other types of social media.
We figure that allowing those students to use that in those
classes and throughout their career here, they are learning
and will be better prepared when they leave.
My name is Brian Poulter, and I am a professor in the
Journalism Department here at Eastern.
It is very important that we pay attention to technology,
but more importantly teach students how to
use it correctly, and I think that's one of the things that
our department is known for.
When future employees look at our students they know that
they're going to get students that have worked with
the latest technologies, and oftentimes know more
about those technologies than the people that are
hiring them, and so that makes our students
very knowledgeable and hireable.
And one of the things that's been a big step toward
making sure we continue that success is our laptop
initiative and our use of digital still photography,
digital video photography, and the ability of students to
not just do the journalistic work with those pieces of
equipment in the classroom, but now with our laptops
and the equipment we provide for them in classrooms
they can go out in the field and do those things
the way they will in the real world.
For example, in photography what my students are working with
right now, at least in some of my classes, they edit in the
field, they create in the field, they make decisions
in the field, and then they get that content back.
And without the ability to get that real life skill,
we're doing a great disservice if we didn't provide that
opportunity to learn those things.
So I think that's one of the things that's really unique
about Eastern and our journalism program is we're making sure
they get access and practice in terms of things that
this is the way we do it in the real world, not in the
abstract thing called the classroom.
[no dialogue].
(Dean Jeff Lynch). It's a pleasure now for the
second time in seven years to recognize the
Journalism Department for their contributions to
technology on the campus.
There's an irony here, though, that's not lost on me.
We're celebrating a technology that is almost single-handedly
responsible for the death of the American newspaper.
Well, I should say of many American newspapers.
And living in the state of Illinois with Springfield
politics and our recent governor experience, imagine
a state like ours without newspapers.
The good news is that what the Journalism Department does
with its technology is not only teach skills, but it teaches
the ethics and the traditions of American journalism.
They have produced, you may or may not know, several
Pulitzer Prize winners, and that tradition of fine
American journalism lives on even if the medium and
the landscape of American journalism does not.
So please join me in celebrating James Tidwell, Brian Poulter,
and Doug Lawhead.
And I would ask that the department give me
a mojo kit because my mojo fades at about 2 in the
afternoon and I need a mojo kit, so thank you very much.
[audience applause].
[no dialogue].
It's also my pleasure to celebrate the work of Nick Shaw,
who is a new member of the Theatre Department, now in
his second year--do I have that right, I hope, yes.
Nick was a very welcome edition to the Theatre Arts Department.
I have to tell you frankly he saved our bacon in the
first year of the Doudna.
We're in a very technologically sophisticated Fine Arts Center,
in fact it's state of the art, and Nick was the only one
who knew how to navigate the place, could make the lights
work and make the sound work, and we were quite impressed.
I do want to quote from John Ertling, the Chair of the
Theatre Arts Department, who very succinctly and I think very
eloquently describes what Nick has given to our program.
John says, "We are talking about integrative learning
"in its most practical sense.
"This is discussion of theatrical design concepts
"formulated in the classroom, translated into line drawings,
"copied to the computer, draftings plotted out and
"prepared as working drawings, carried to the shop
"where students read, interpret, and produce
set pieces for production".
So they are involved in both the conceptual and the actual
practical making of set designs, which prepares them in
very sophisticated ways to take their place among
professional theatrical troops.
So Nick, thank you very much on behalf of the College.
[audience applause].
[no dialogue].
(Dr. Hoadley). As they're taking their
group picture, we'll go to the last category
which is service to the campus, and so would the
awardees please move over to the steps.
And the first award is being given out by the School of
Continuing Education, so Dean Hine and Ms. Collins will be
making that presentation.
[no dialogue].
(Dean Hine). Well, it's my great pleasure
to announce Mr. Antoine Thomas, who is our
school communication winner this year.
With Mr. Thomas' courteous and enthusiastic attitude,
he has assisted the School of Continuing Education staff
with our off-campus initiatives, especially with
off-campus advising through Elluminate and Web2 tools
such as Facebook, podcasting, and Twitter, among others.
This summer we had an all day retreat for the
School of Continuing Education, and our staff
looked at technology issues.
And Mr. Thomas was instrumental in getting that organized, and
set up, and offered it, and we greatly appreciate his help.
Always the School of Continuing Education can rely on him to
support instructors for our off-campus programs and classes,
especially with online classes and WebCT.
The School of Continuing Education is more and more
relying on a wide variety of technologies to offer
off-campus programs and classes, advising, et cetera,
and a wide variety of student services.
We can always count on Mr. Thomas to be very courteous,
supportive, and helpful with his expertise and knowledge.
Thank you, Mr. Thomas, for your help.
[audience applause].
[no dialogue].