Media guru on campus Thursday

Dianne Lynch, dean of the Park School of Communications at Ithaca College and one of the savviest people I know in forecasting the digital revolution and its impact on traditional media companies is coming to campus this Thursday and Friday. She will be meeting with students in several classes and with faculty. If you are interested in meeting with her, just let me know.

That’s the good news.

Now some puzzling news. Maybe you could explain this to me. This term we held the 2d annual Howell essay contest that awarded a $3,000 scholarship and a $1,000 award for a 2,500 word essay on media bias and the ongoing presidential race. We had seven applicants. For the Mary Adelaide Gardner Scholarship that pays full tuition (in state or out of state) for a student’s senior year in the J-School, we had just three applicants. For our regular scholarship awards announced at the annual Awards Program (this year scheduled for 3 p.m., Sunday, April 27) we had half as many applicants as in the past.

What gives?? I keep hearing and reading about the high cost of tuition and how students are buried under loans. This is good money and few are competing to get it.

I don’t get it. I paid my way through school. I had loans. I tried my hardest to land any scholarship that would have helped cover my tuition costs. We send global emails to qualified students. We post flyers up on bulletin boards in the hallways, and we ask faculty to announce these opportunities to students in their classes.

Please let me know your thoughts on this!