Valentine's Day Fundraiser a Sweet Success!

Candy, pinatas, and Valentine's Day-themed photo opportunities successfully combined on Feb. 14 when the Communications Club staged quite the happening! Students, staff and faculty donated bags and bags of candy that were sold for $2 a handful. Swings at the colorful pinatas were $1.50 for three tries. And over at the Student Center photos were $8 for three. More than $500 was raised during the daylong event. The students want to use the fund to acquire T-shirts promoting Spiked, the new student-produced online magazine. 

Here are some photos from the fun day that day picture perfect weather!

Here are the three candy sale VIPs (from right): Tay Travis, Summer Gray and Aliyah Jerrell. They were here from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (ish) and were so good about inviting passing students to stop by our table of goodies! 

Chasity Gilmore (right) is president of the Communications Club and the editor of the new Spiked magazine. Next to her is Midrina Tucker and also here is Aliyah Jerrell. 

Sheen Magazine Has Exciting Student Opportunities!

Sheen magazine is a beautiful 16-year-old bi-monthly publication that is all about beauty tips and successful, inspiring people.

And it is based right here in South Carolina in Greenville (Fountain Inn to be specific). 

The magazine was launched around 2006 in part to promote the company's Nairobi hair and skin products.

Representatives say 100,000 copies of Sheen are printed six times a year and distributed nationally and internationally. They also touted their associated online presence as drawing one million views.

Check out Sheen's behind-the-scenes photo shoot video.

Many thanks and congratulations to the Communications Program's Andrea Milford-Williams and Rolonda Davis for the fine event on Feb. 16 that they organized for our students featuring representatives of Sheen magazine! This could be an excellent ambassador and internship opportunity for our major for years to come. Kudos to the Career Center also for its part. 

Sheen promotions director Darren Martin (pictured) explained these student opportunities and after the event, numerous students sought more information. We have lots of students from S.C.'s Upstate region so this could be an exciting opportunity for them! 

Martin said he is looking for SC State students to serve as Sheen ambassadors. He is seeking writers to become columnists to share "the HBCU experience...and we could also select someone to set up promotions...we could ask you to set up a fashion show on campus," he said. 

Editor-in-chief Kristyn Harris, a Lander University (Greenwood, S.C.) graduate, told the students when asked that the best part of her job is "the connections" she makes, meeting and getting to know the celebrities often in the magazine and on the covers, and the many freelance writers and photographers she brings in to provide content. 

Current and former students interested in connecting with Sheen can do so by calling (864) 862-6782, emailing info@sheenmagazine.com, or writing to PO Box 6533, Greenville, SC 29607.

The Communication Program is committed to bringing high-quality professionals to campus on a regular basis during the school year. 

SC State Radio Rebounding from Pandemic

The small staff at the radio stations of SC State operating out of Nance Hall became even smaller since the COVID-19 breakout more than two years ago. Carl A'see lost pretty much all of his volunteer and part-time on-air people (one of whom died). A student-run online station also went dormat. 

But things are looking up. A'see has recently added two ESPN stations to his rebranded Statement Media organization. 

Meeting with students in Patrick Harwood's Radio Production on March 29 A'see said he is giving interviews for new announcers for his WSSB 90.3 FM jazz station. And he wants students to know his door is open for those who are highly motivated, willing to work hard and learn about the radio business. 

 A'see (wearing a red mask) has been with SC State radio since 2008. And he is an SC State alumnus. 

"The Possibilities are Endless" Public Information Manager Tells Students

"Community service." Women's History Month Speaker Janet Parker told South Carolina State University communication students that if they only remember one thing from her March 15 virtual talk that it be those two words.

Parker is the public information manager for the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office in Charlotte. Here is her Linkedin site.  

Prior to this position, she was a broadcast journalist for many years at stations in Columbia and Charlotte where she was a producer, reporter, anchor and executive producer. During her virtual talk, Parker said at the University of South Carolina she started as a psychology major but didn't really like her first classes in that field of study.

SC State Radio Manager Carl A'see Expands with Two ESPN Stations

Note: SC State students interested in working with SC State's radio stations should contact manager Carl A'see at cdasee@scsu.edu or stop by the station studios on the third floor of Nance Hall.

The university recently announced the expansion of its radio stations not by one, but two! 

SC State, under the guidance of radio general manager Carl A'see, has launched ESPN Orangeburg consisting of WPJK AM 1580 and 92.9 FM. 

Along with its national lineup of ESPN programming, the SC State stations will feature coverage of local college and high school sports. 

"The partnership shows the university's commitment to serving the Orangeburg and surrounding communities and strengthens SC State University's community engagement and outreach through sports via radio," A'see said in a university news release. "Students will have the chance to learn, train and cover live local sports events, do sports reporting and work behind the scenes in station operations." 

Operating four stations now (WSSB 90.3 with its jazz format and a student online station are the other two) SC State is in rarified air among not only HBCUs but all U.S. colleges in that it owns commercial radio stations. 

A'see (pictured above right) recently sat down with junior communications major Rodney Nelson (left) of Andrews, S.C. We learn more, not only about these exciting new developments but also about Carl A'see himself. 

SC State Radio is located in Nance Hall on the SC State campus. Carl A'see can be contacted by phone at (803) 536-7485 and by email at cdasee@scsu.edu. 

2021 "Top Prof" is Our Justin Smith!

"A decision among some wonderful people had to be made, and our EAC Professor of the Year for 2021 is Mr. Justin Smith."

These words from Department of English and Communications chair Dr. Janice Hawes announcing Professor Smith as our "Top Prof" of the year. The honor is well-deserved for Mr. Smith who does an amazing job organizing and producing "Bulldog News Now" (BNN) and who is also a fairly new appointee to SC State's Faculty Senate.

Congratulations Mr. Smith!

Despite the challenges opposed by the coronavirus pandemic this school year, Smith has persevered with BNN and with his team of communications students has weekly produced informative high-quality news, sports and entertainment programming.

For a 2019 behind the scenes look at BNN click here. Below, in the television studio's production room, Smith speaks with students about BNN's new equipment and other issues.

 

Want to Work in TV News? WIS-TV's Von Gaskin Shares Some Wisdom

 

Broadcasting majors were treated to valuable real-world advice from Columbia's WIS-TV veteran meteorologist Von Gaskin. During a 75-minute Zoom call on Feb. 25 Gaskin encouraged the students to be determined in reaching their goals. "You have to keep pushing yourself to the next level," she said. "That's how you will make it, you have to keep working hard."