Lots going on

Most weeks it is pretty crazy around the J-School. This week was no exception. It was likely worse because of my travels last week. Then there's been the weather. I really don't expect snow squalls in mid-October, but oh those Tigers are making the sunshine any way.

The faculty are meeting on Friday for the second day-long retreat on reinventing journalism education. Stay tuned. Some profound changes should be happening as a result.

On the good news front, senior Sara Beth O’Connor has won a Future Teacher Scholarship for $1,000 from the Journalism Education Association. She will be presented with the check at JEA’s annual meeting in November. Faculty member Cheryl Pell nominated her for the scholarship. I will receive a national Friend of Scholastic Journalism Award from the JEA at the same conference.

Our Editor-in Residence Bill McWhirter (Mac to his students) will be attending for the first ever Business Journalism Professor Seminar to be held January 7-12 at Arizona State University in Tempe. Bill’s son is currently enjoying an extended period of fame based on his video on Youtube. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6tlw-oPDBM) He appeared on Good Morning America and David Letterman this week!

And next Monday, the best scholastic press association in the country is hosting its annual journalism day. Cheryl Pell and her staff have created an event-filled day full of great sessions for newspaper and yearbook high school students and their advisers. The workshop for middle school and junior high students is set for Thursday, November 2 on the MSU campus. For more information, checkout http://mipa.jrn.msu.edu/ for more info.

Until next week, Go TIGERS!