Sierra's Sage Advice to SC State Communications Students

On March 16 SC State students learned the power of perseverance, patience and positivity.  

The Communications Program's Media Professionals Speaker Series brought from Columbia Sierra Artemus, of WIS-TV. She is the producer and sometimes host of the station's daily "Soda City Live" program. 

Sierra also has her own podcast, SiTV, and is a sought after speaker, brand strategist, community activist, and youth advocate. 

A native of Columbia, Sierra graduated from Richland Northeast High School and the University of South Carolina (B.S. Broadcast Journalism). 

Sierra's' degree from USC was 11 years in the making. She says she had to pay her own way through school and this caused some stops and starts. 

"You've got to be eager and hungry," she told the students. Sierra's career path reflects this attitude. 

Sydaija Smalls Turns Internship into Fulltime Reporting Job!

 

All of us in the Communications Program and Department of English and Communications are so proud of December 2022 graduate Sydaija "Syd" Smalls who did not waste time gaining a great job! She is a news reporter/multimedia reporter at Charleston's WCIV-TV.  

Syd can also be seen on the Fox 24 7 p.m. newscast in Charleston.

Syd took the big walk across the stage at SMH on Dec. 16. That semester she had an internship at the Charleston station. News Director Cathy Hobbs was so impressed with the Goose Creek High School graduate (and now SC State grad) that by early 2023 she offered her a job. 

Before coming to Orangeburg, Syd studied broadcasting and other media at Trident Technical College. At SC State she quickly became a mainstay at Bulldog News Now (BNN) as an anchor and reporter. 

Syd graduated with top academic honors and is also an excellent role model for current and prospective students in how hard work and determination can pay off! And the value of having a high-quality internship where you impress the professionals there is important too. 

Check out Sydaija Small's Linkedin site here. 

In fine fashion, Syd always represented SC State, BNN, the Communications Club, and our program.

In September 2022, Syd and Midrina Tucker (below) covered U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to Columbia. 

Go Syd! Bulldog Nation is howling with joy and pride! 

Communications Club Launches Spiked Magazine!

 

Congratulations to the staff of SC State's new online magazine, Spiked! It debuted in late February 2023 and is quite fresh, fun, interesting and well-produced. 

Click here to see it front to back.

Chasity Gilmore (pictured right with Aliyah Jerrell and Midrina Tucker) deserves credit as the mastermind of this publication. It was Chasity who expressed the goal to begin a magazine "for SC State students by SC State students." 

She brought together a talented, dedicated staff of fellow Communications Club members. Together they created this first issue. 

This is an important new addition to campus life and we are excited for the future of Spiked!