newsletter 2016 final

Summer 2016 1
The Expression
Organizations & Clubs p. 2-3
Summer 2016
Events p. 13-21Experiential Learning p. 4-12
Competitions & Awards p. 26-31Community Service p. 22-23
Other News p. 32-36
West Texas A&M University Department of Communication
Research p. 24-25
West Texas A&M University’s
National Student Advertising
Competition team, Buffalo
Advertising, won second in the
nation in Anaheim, Calif. on June
6 at the American Advertising
Federation’s ADMERICA national
conference. The team was awarded
$2500. In addition, Project Manager
Amanda Koontz was selected as the
top presenter in the competition.
Koontz said, “WTAMU has
made history in this competition by
placing second. We might be a little
school, but we have big hearts and
ambition. I believe one of the main
distinctions of our success has been
theabilitytoletourtruepersonalities
and ideas communicate with our
judges. WT has great talent growing
in our communication department.
We’re able to collaborate in smaller
groups, blurring lines between
academic and professional careers.”
As this year’s corporate
sponsor, Snapple challenged student
teams to come up with solutions to
help the brand connect better with
audiences and expand its base
across the United States. Each team
created a written campaign proposal
and a 20-minute presentation. They
competed within their respective
districts, and the top schools went
on to a semi-final round. The final
eight selected to attend the national
competition finals in Anaheim, in
addition to West Texas A&M, were:
George Washington University,
Purdue University-Calumet,
Ringling College of Art + Design,
St. John’s University, University of
California Berkeley, University of
Virginia and Webster University.
The judges for the final round
included executives from Dr Pepper
Snapple Group and its agency
Deutsch Los Angeles.
“I just wish they gave us
about 50 extra trophies because so
many people deserve to share in
the victory: our WT community,
the AAF-Amarillo chapter, AAF
10th District, alumni and donors,”
said Lori Westermann, the team’s
adviser. “This recognition speaks
Buffalo Advertising Wins 2nd in U.S.
continued on p. 27

2 Department of Communication
Organizations & Clubs
The Advertising/Public Relations
Society is nationally affiliated
with the American Advertising
Federation (AAF) and the Public
Relations Student Society of
America (PRSSA).
Students have the opportunity
to build their resume and portfolio
by being part of the organization.
Industry professionals often visit
group meetings to share insights.
Each fall, members compete in
the Houston Advertising Federation
Student Competition, and each
spring members participate in the
Bateman Competition, National
Student Advertising Competition,
PRSSA National Assembly and the
local American Advertising Awards.
Students who are part of this
society have access to scholarships,
invitations to national conventions,
rallies and internship opportunities
across the country.
Ad/PR
Society
National Broadcasting Society
AD/PR Society inducts new members during the fall 2015 induction.
The National Broadcasting Society
(NBS) offers students interested in
audio and video production, film,
radio and TV the chance to learn,
connect and compete.
Thesocietyhelpsstudentsmake
the transition to the professional
world by allowing them to meet
professionals at conferences, to
submit their work for regional and
national competitions, and to attend
different conventions.
This year’s South Central
Broadcasting Society’s fall
conference was in Fort Worth, and
the national NBS conference was in
Burbank. The chapter was named
the top NBS chapter in the nation at
the national convention in March.

Summer 2016 3
Forensics Team
Lambda Pi Eta is the official national
communication student honorary
as established by The National
Communication Association in
1988. Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society
was chartered at West Texas A&M
University in the fall of 1995.
The main purpose of LPH is
to recognize, promote and reward
outstanding academic achievement,
to stimulate interest in the field of
communication and to promote and
encourageprofessionaldevelopment
among communication majors.
This year Lambda Pi Eta has
been recognized for its community
service projects. Members helped
plan the annual Communication
Week events, prepared boxes for
Operation Christmas Child and
hosted the UK debaters.
Students inducted into LPH. Back Row: Cailey Crist, Jonathan Mitchell,
Roy L. Calvin, III, Matt Donaghy and Ben Wentz. Front Row: LeeAnna
Taylor, Tina Ward, Hannah Ellis, Alex Gonzalez, Christy Bates, BethAnn
Ervin and Abigail Hoover.
The WTAMU Forensics Team
participates in the American
Forensic Association, which
includes 11 individual events in
tournaments held at the state,
regional and national level each
year.
WTAMU’s team is composed
of students who compete in
individual events in persuasive
speaking, after dinner speaking,
programmed oral interpretation,
communication analysis, prose and
poetry.
Connie McKee serves as
Director of Forensics and helps
studentsprepareforthetournaments.
Lambda Pi Eta
Team members qualifying for
the national tournament included
Bethany Thompson, Bob Barker
and Drew Dunn.
In the summer, the team helped
with a regional co-op to assist area
high school students prepare for
next year’s competition.

Experiential Learning
Live Crew is the official West
Texas A&M University live sports
broadcast for WTAMU’s football
games, local high school football
games and basketball games on
the video board. The games are
streamed online on gobuffsgo.com
Live Crew is completely run by
mass communication students who
have a love for sports broadcasting
and wish to be behind the camera.
Students who are part of Live
Crew work in a mobile television
control room while broadcasting the
games on WTTV and KWTS.
Not only do these students
shoot football and basketball games
to gain the priceless experience, but
there are several paid positions as
well.
Student positions include
operating a camera, switching as
technical director, running instant
replay, adding graphics, and
managing the audio board.
“It’s been the most valuable
hands-on experience of my college
career,” Technical Director Allison
Myers said. She first started as a
production assistant for the sideline
cameraandmadeherwayuptoCrew
Chief. “It’s something every media
WTTV is the WTAMU’s closed-
circuit television channel.
Its programming is administered
by the broadcasting program.
WTTV’s content is provided
by departments and organizations
across campus, and it airs programs
from News One, Live Crew sports
broadcasts, KWTS and rebroadcasts
home WT football games.
Live Crew
WTTV
student should take advantage of.”
The experience gained at the
college level has given Live Crew
members the opportunity to get
prestigious jobs and internships in
sports broadcasting.

Summer 2016 5
News One
News One is a live, weekly
newscast that broadcasts from the
digital studio on West Texas A&M
University’s campus.
News One is comprised of
students in the TV news production
course and the on-air couse where
students learn everything from
reporting and anchoring to studio
and field camera operation.
Every week students fill all
positions required to produce live
broadcasts, from technical positions
to on-air talent.
Students also toured local TV
news stations and received critiques
from industry professionals.

KWTS “The One”
KWTS91.1FMisanon-commercial
college station on the West Texas
A&M University campus that
promotes the freshest music and
newest talent on campus. KWTS
is fully operated by students and it
runs at 6,000 watts, which reaches
approximately nine counties in the
Texas Panhandle.
KWTS began broadcasting in
1972 with only 10 watts of power
--just enough to blanket the campus.
Former University President Russell
C. Long was the first voice heard on
91.1 in Amarillo and surrounding
areas. The first 91 minutes were
programmed with specific music
to commemorate the history of the
station and the evolution of college
radio.
The spring staff directors were:
Anthony Miller, general manager;
Dane Glenn, program director;
Tim Rivera, music director; Payton
Northup, sports director; Caitlyn
Pichla, marketing director; Keith
“Jersey” Augustine, production
director; Johnny Story, broadcast
engineer; and Randy Ray, faculty
adviser.
KWTS continues to provide
the most diverse programming in
the Texas Panhandle with special
shows featuring sports, talk, jazz,
country and Christian.
The One has successfully
competed on a national level,
raising awareness of the power of
the Broadcasting/Electronic Media
program.

Summer 2016 7
The Prairie is the official West
Texas A&M University student-run
newspaper. It started in 1919, and it
has been informing and educating
people about news and events
happening in the university and
Canyon communities ever since.
The Prairie has grown a lot
since its beginnings and now it
is considered the primary source
of news and current events on the
WTAMU campus. It has more
than 20 student volunteers and
staff reporters, photographers and
designers.
Students have the opportunity
to work in a professional newsroom,
work against a deadline, have their
work published and experience first
The Prairie
TheEternalFlameistheUniversity’s
official magazine. Communication
students are in charge of entirely
writing, producing, editing and
organizing the 40+ page magazine
biannually; therefore, students
who want to get involved with the
Eternal Flame can work as editors,
writers, photographers, artists, copy
assistants, graphic art assistants,
reporters and account sales
representatives.
The Eternal Flame covers on-
campus events, sports, Greek life
functions and other activities that
reflect student life.
Eternal Flame content can also
be found on Facebook at Eternal
Flame, Twitter at WTEternalFlame,
Instagram at wtamueternalflame,
Flickr at WTEternalFlame and
online at www.wtamu.edu/
eternalflame.
Eternal Flame
hand the power of the press at The
Prairie.
The Prairie made a huge shift
this year when it went to a monthly
printed edition of long-form content
and weekly updates online. The
online version of the newspaper can
be found at theprairienews.com.

Buffalo Advertising Gives Real-World Opportunities
Buffalo Advertising is West Texas
A&M University’s award-winning
Competition team and student-
operated advertising agency.
The national competition
requires American Advertising
Federation (AAF) college chapter
teams to develop a written integrated
marketing proposal and a 20-minute
presentation in response to a real-
world advertising challenge for the
case study client. This year’s client
was Snapple.
Panhandle Storytelling Guild Delights Little Audiences
The Panhandle Storytelling Guild
promotes storytelling events
for community audiences at the
Canyon Public Library, WTAMU’s
Kids Kollege, the Panhandle Plains
Historical Museum and the annual
spring storytelling festival. The
organization began in 1991.
The organization is composed
of students enrolled in storytelling
classes whose main goal is to raise
awareness of the art of storytelling.
Students in COMM 2341 worked
in conjunction with High Plains
Public Radio (HPPR) to create and
produce the program People of the
Plains. Eighteen students took part
in this multi-step program to create
narratives, perform the human-
interest stories publicly, record
the performances, and submit the
performances, soundbites, and
written information to HPPR for
website publication and possible
broadcast. Some students worked
individually while others worked in
pairs or groups of three.
A representative from HPPR
visited the class periodically to
Students Produce Stories for Public Radio
guide students through the process
and provided mini-lessons on
interviewing, releases and website
submission. This experiential
learning activity will continue in
the Fall 2016 semester.

Summer 2016 9
Bateman Team Raises Awareness for Veterans
Camo Slamo
MRE contest
22-boot display
The Public Relations Student Soci-
ety of America hosts the Bateman
Case Study Competition each year.
The WT Bateman Team,
composed of five students,
organized an intensive month-long
campaign for this year’s assigned
client, Student Veterans of America.
The team worked with the WTAMU
VeteransNetworktoraiseawareness
about student veterans on campus
and around the world.
The team’s campaign,
“Connecting with Heroes,” included
a press conference; an MRE (aka
“Meal, Ready to Eat”) contest to see
who could prepare one the fastest;
a military appreciation baseball
game including a tailgating party,
homerun derby and the first fly-over
at a WT baseball game; a 22-boot
display on Feb. 22 to raise awarness
about veteran suicide rates; and a
clean-up of the Texas Panhandle
War Memorial.
Memorial
clean-up
Press conference

The Prairie Introduces New
Multimedia Journalism Studio
The Prairie, West Texas A&M
University’s student newspaper,
introduced its new Multimedia
Journalism Studio with a ribbon
cutting ceremony at the beginning
of the fall semester.
The studio is designed to meet
the needs of modern journalism
production and education by
providing students with the
opportunity to produce audio, video
and photography projects.
“Today’s journalists must
be able to produce reports that
can be accessed on multiple
digital platforms,” said Dr. Butler
Cain, assistant professor of Mass
Communication and adviser to
The Prairie. “Our Multimedia
Journalism Studio will give
WTAMU’s mass communication
students the opportunity to develop
and hone those skills by producing
journalism for both professional and
academic purposes.”
The studio is equipped with
digital audio recording equipment
used by The Prairie to produce
podcasts. It includes a web camera
that can be used to conduct
interviews with newsmakers from
anywhere on the globe, and it also
features digital cameras that can
record a live newscast from the
studio set or can be taken to the
scene of breaking news.
“I’m excited about the
possibilities that the Multimedia
Journalism Lab offers to our
students, to create podcasts and
video stories, and tie that into the
digital version of The Prairie,”
said Dr. Trudy Hanson, head of the
Department of Communication.
The Multimedia Journalism
Studio also functions as a space
for digital photography projects.
Students across the program will
produce work with the latest
editions of industry-standard editing
software. The studio will allow
students to put into practice what
they are learning in the classroom.

Summer 2016 11
WT Leadership is an
interdisciplinary course open
to junior and senior students of
any major. It involves training to
facilitate leadership skills in teens.
Students take the course for two
consecutive semesters.
The course collaborates
with Teen Leadership Amarillo
& Canyon, a program of the local
organization Leadership Amarillo
& Canyon, which is dedicated
to strengthening sophomore and
junior high school students’ skills to
enable them to become future civic,
corporate and political leaders.
WT students have the
opportunity to learn about the
needs and resources in the local
community, hear from local leaders,
and visit and volunteer at local non-
profit and for-profit organizations.
WT Leadership Strengthens Skills
WT Leadership students practice
solving problems by trying to put up
a backpacking tent blindfolded.
Students Go From Athens to London
Dr. Amy Von Lintel and Dr. Kris
Drumheller teamed up for a study
abroad program. Students taking
COMM/MCOM 4300, ARTS
3392, COMM 5300 and ARTS
6395 classes traveled to Athens and
London from May 16 to 26.
Students studied issues
of cultural heritage through a
focus on the Parthenon Marbles.
They explored the connections
between contemporary Britain,
contemporary Greece and Ancient
Greece while learning the crucial
issues of cultural heritage.
Students visited monuments
and museums in both Greece and
England, including the Parthenon,
Acropolis Museum, the British
Museum and Stonehenge. More
information can be found at http://
wtathenslondon.wix.com/mysite.
Photo by Abigail Summers

On April 7, One Sessions featured
Blues Boy Willie along with the
Texas Blues Rangers band. Blues
Boy Willie, also known as the
One Sessions Rocks the Studio
On Nov. 19, electronic media
students hosted One Sessions
featuring Mount Ivy, a self-
identified Space Rock band from
Amarillo, whose members are
Broderick Adams, vocal and guitar;
Topher Petsch, bass; Sidney Busbee,
drums; and Juan Duran, guitar.
Mount Ivy
Blues Boy Willie
One Sessions is a biannual live,
acoustic concert produced by
broadcasting/electronic media
students under the supervision of
the mass communication faculty
and staff. The event is held in the
Fine Arts Complex’s AT&T HD
Studio.
Students choose an artist or
band, design the set and run the
show.
Each program is recorded in
high definition and edited together to
produce a live-performance DVD.
One Sessions has won numerous
national awards.
Blues Boy Willie performs live in the studio.
“King of the Juke Joints,” is a blues
man and harmonica player from
Memphis, Texas who is known for
his unique urban sound.
Mount Ivy

Summer 2016 13
Events
WT’s National Broadcasting
Society hosted the fourth annual
Department of Communication
Thanksgiving Potluck on Nov. 23 at
the Jack B. Kelley Student Center,
Legends Club.
All communication
students were invited and each
communication organization was in
charge of one part of the meal.
In addition to enjoying a meal
together, December graduates from
the mass communication program
were recognized.
Students Gather for Potluck Meal

Events
Students Celebrate Communication Week
The Department of Communication
held its annual Communication
Week from Feb. 15 to 18 with the
theme Reel Talk: Through Your
Lens. Students from different
programs within the Department
of Communication organized the
events.
Events included the Reel Talk
video competition, Alumni Table
Talk, Reel Talk Project Runway,
a lecture from filmmaker Will
Bigham, as well as the screening of
his feature film “The A-List.”
The Reel Talk video
competition consisted of having
students from different programs
create a short video promoting their
respective programs. The winning
team was the graduate students.
“The overall experience was
great. We were able to highlight
the program and show all of its
greatness,” said Caleb Hubbard, a
member of the winning team.
For Alumni Table Talk, a
group of alumni were invited to
return to campus to talk about their
work, answer student questions and
give advice and feedback based on
their experience. This year, alumni
included Tyler Sweeney, senior
specialist/digital content strategy for
RPA Advertising; Katie Gustainis,
marketing coordinator for Real Ale
Brewing Company; Paola Albarran,
news anchor at Telemundo; Eric
Cruz, video freelancer; Daniel
Proffitt, youth minister at Trinity
Fellowship; Maddisun Fowler,
part-time instructor of mass
communication at WT; Cassie
Montgomery, communication
consultant for Blue Cross/Blue
Shield; and Matt Hamilton, sports
director at KFDA, Channel 10.
“Itisreallycooltocomebackto
WT and give some of the knowledge
that I have now, especially giving it
back to students when I was exactly
in their position,” Sweeney said.
Albarran, who is also a part-
time instructor at WTAMU, said that
the Alumni Table Talk experience is
amazing because she gets to see her
students and know what they want
in their future as well as talk to them
about opportunities.
The Reel Talk Project Runway
consisted of a fashion show where
faculty members were dressed up
by teams of students as different
movie characters. The characters
included Prof. Lori Westermann as
Mrs. Incredible, Prof. Kim Bruce
as Sadness, Dr. Sarah Vartabedian
as Jack Sparrow, Prof. Carolyn
Baum as Mrs. Doubtfire, Dr. Noah
Franken as Indiana Jones and Dr.
Dustin Hahn as Darth Vader. Mike
Knox, Christie Spring and Dr.
Steve Severn served as judges and
selected Westermann as the winner.

Summer 2016 15
To conclude Communication
Week, filmmaker Will Bigham,
spoke to students and faculty. His
feature-length film “The A-List”
was screened at the JBK Legacy
Hall. “It is great to come back here
and talk to you guys because I see
myself in all of you guys. This is
where I am from, I took classes here
at WT, and I see hopes and dreams
in everybody’s eyes,” Bigham, said.
“Wherever I‘ve gone, there is a
possibility for everybody.”

New Inductees Join the
Communication Hall of Fame
The Communication Hall of Fame
began as an effort to increase the
visibility of the Department of
Communication and raise funds
to support student travel and fund
student scholarships.
This year, four graduates of
DepartmentofCommunicationwere
inducted to the Communication Hall
of Fame and were honored on Oct. 9
in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center,
Legacy Hall. This year there were
also three new awards presented:
The Rising Star, Community Partner
and Eternal Flame.
The 2015 inductees were
Dr. Leigh Browning, professor of
business and communication; Judy
H. Carter, director of Amarillo
College’s honors program; Virginia
Myers, retired speech professor at
Wayland Baptist University; and
Charly Martin, former NFL player
and founder and director of the
Charly Martin Football Academy.
The recipients of the Rising
Star award were Kirk Scarbrough,
former director of Constituent
Communications for Teach For
America, and Jackie Kingston,
KAMR anchor. The Community
Partner Award was given to the
American Advertising Federation-
Amarillo for its continued support
and the Eternal Flame award was
presented to Billy Smith, executive
director of the American Paint
Horse Association.
Dr. Leigh Browning joined
WTAMU as a faculty member
in 1991. She was the director
of broadcasting, faculty adviser
for KWTS 91.1 FM and the
coordinator of Maroon Productions.
She earned her bachelor’s degree
from West Texas State University,
her master’s degree from Kansas
State University and her doctorate
from the University of Southern
Mississippi. She was assisting as
the faculty sponsor of the Enactus
team in the College of Business at
the time of her death on April 20,
2015.
Judy H. Carter received her
master’s degree from West Texas
State University in 1985 and has
worked at Amarillo College since
1992, creating several programs
such as the Global Competency
Certification program and trips to
Great Britain, Germany, Nepal,
Cambodia, Italy, China and India.
Since she started directing the
honors program at AC, it has grown
to more than 300 students. Carter
was one of the first professors
to develop online classes and
media-rich courses. She was also
honored with the Southern States
Communication Association’s
Events

Summer 2016 17
Outstanding Community College
Educator Award.
Virginia Myers earned
her B.S. from West Texas State
University in 1949 and her master’s
degree from WT in 1965. Myers
has been the president of the Texas
Speech CommunicationAssociation
as well as the West Texas Speech
Association. She is also the author
and co-author of several public
speaking textbooks.
Charly Martin received his
B.S. in mass communication with
an emphasis in broadcasting from
WTAMU in 2007 and his M.S.
in sports and exercise sciences
in 2014. Martin set Lone Star
Conference records from 2003 to
2008 as an undergraduate, he was
named as the Lone Star Conference
Academic Player of the Year in
2008 and was the Panhandle Sports
Hall of Fame Player of the Year in
2008. Martin founded an annual
free football camp, where he directs,
teaches football and inspires young
players. His NFL career began
in 2013 and includes stints with
the Carolina Panthers, the Seattle
Seahawks, the San Diego Chargers,
the Jacksonville Jaguars and the San
Francisco 49ers.
Rising Star Jackie Kingston
graduated from WTAMU in
2009 with a degree in mass
communication with an emphasis
in broadcasting. Kingston has
anchored several time slots on
stations in Amarillo. She currently
serves as evening anchor and web
producer for KAMR. Kingston has
served the community as a volunteer
of several organizations around the
Panhandle.
Kirk Scarbrough, another
recipient of the new Rising Star
Award, is a 2010 WTAMU graduate.
He joined Teach For America’s
teaching corps as an elementary
teacher in San Antonio for 2 years.
He then moved to New York City
to join the organization’s national
communications team, as director
of constituent communication for
Teach For America.
Billy Smith, recipient of the
Eternal Flame Award, graduated
from the University of North Texas
in 1984, got his master’s degree
in public relations and advertising
from Texas Tech University in 1989
and received a doctoral degree in
education in 1999. Smith worked 8
years as a practicing journalist and
then started working at WTAMU.
Currently he is the executive
director of the American Paint
Horse Association.
The American Advertising
Federation-Amarillo (AAF) was
the recipient of the Community
Partner Award. This award
recognizescommunityorganizations
that offer outstanding support to the
Department of Communication. The
AAF-Amarillo was distinguished
for its longtime support of the
department’s student advertising
team.
The next Communication Hall
of Fame is scheduled for Oct. 21,
2016.

British Debaters Visit Campus
The Department of Communication
and Lambda Pi Eta sponsored two
UK Debaters from Oct. 14 to 16 to
participate in a parliamentary style
debate against two members of the
WT Forensics Team.
The debate was held at 6 p.m.
on Oct. 15 in the Fine Arts Complex
Recital Hall to a standing-room-
only crowd.TheWTAMU Forensics
Team members were A. J. Stamps
and Allisa Ray, and representing
the UK were Chessy Whalen and
Matthew Wilmore.
Whalen was raised in
Yorkshire and just finished her
B.A. in History at Balliol College
Oxford. She has represented Oxford
at various national and international
tournaments and organized the
Oxford Inter-Varsity and Oxford
Women’s debating competitions.
Wilmore recently completed
an LLM in Human Rights at the
University of Edinburgh. He has
worked as a debating coach and
judge for the English Speaking
Union by having run sessions across
England, Scotland and Belgium.
Matthew is an accomplished
competitive speaker having won
the European Championships in
2014 and reaching the out-rounds
of several competitions.
The UK Debaters had the
opportunity to get a taste of the area
by visiting the Panhandle Plains
Historical Museum, ziplining at
Ceta Canyon and visiting Cadillac
Ranch. They also enjoyed a dinner
hosted by Dean Mallard at her home
with LPH members, WT Forensics
Team members and the Department
of Communication faculty.
Events

Events
Buffs Host Storytelling Festival
This year’s Storytelling Festival
theme was Buff Tales featuring
four-time Grammy-winner David
Holt.
The festival included two
Kids’ Concerts at the Branding
Iron Theatre, which brought more
than 400 children to campus, a
Storytelling Workshop and an
evening concert at the Branding
Iron Theatre for the public.
Graduate students enrolled
in the Art of Storytelling Seminar
produced the festival and performed
in the evening concert.
One of the highlights for the
graduate students was performing
“This Little Light of Mine” with
Holt in the opening performance for
the evening concert.
This event was sponsored by
the WTAMU GuestArtist Series and
the Department of Communication.

Summer 2016 21
Students Featured in
FAH Subscription Series
On April 28, the Department of
Communication hosted a Fine Arts
and Humanities Subscription Series
Festival of Excellence where
students from across the department
demonstrated their work to members
of the subscription series.
Afterenteringthebuildingviaa
red carpet, visitors attended sessions
run by student groups spread around
the building, including the Bateman
Team, Forensics Team, storytelling
students, One Sessions with Noah
Jenda, Buffalo Advertising, KWTS
and News One. Students and
professors also shared study-abroad
experiences in one room. The
Prairie and Eternal Flame members
were in charge of taking photos as
paparazzi at the entrance.
Members of the
Communication Alumni Network
also had a table to talk about their
work supporting the department.
There was a silent auction
with items donated by students,
faculty and alumni to benefit a new
scholarship for Public Relations/
Advertising students named for
Prof. Lori Westermann.

Community Service
Students in the undergraduate
storytelling class performed story
dramatizations at the Canyon
Public Library.
Lambda Pi Eta (Communication
Honor Society) participated in the
OperationChristmasChildprogram
and helped with Communication
Week.
KWTS staff and NBS members
regularly clean a section of highway
for the state Adopt-a-Highway
program.

Summer 2016 23
Ad/PR Society members encouraged
students in the department to collect
canned goods for the High Plains
Food Bank during the annual Can
Tree for the Pantry canned food
drive.
KWTS staff and NBS members
volunteered at the Amarillo Bulls
game for Family Support Services.
KWTS staff and NBS members built
a shack for Shack-a-Thon.
NBS students volunteered at Family Support Services’annual Mardi
Gras fundraiser in March.
NBS members volunteered at the
2016 Walk to End Alzheimer’s in
Amarillo.

Student Research
Students Attend SSCA Conference
On April 7-10, four undergraduate
Communication Studies students
attended the Southern States
Communication Association’s
undergraduate research conference
in Austin. Miguel Soto, Madison
Mangum, Tre Calvin and Ben
Wentz presented their rhetorical
essays at the Undergraduate Honors
Conference.BenWentzwasselected
to present on the Top Papers Panel.
Students in Dr. Cain’s Media History
class created posters to present in
Cornette Library.
Students in Professor Albarran’s
Mass Communication Theory class
created posters to explain theories.
Classes Present Research

Summer 2016 25
Students Win Killgore Grants
Students Present Research and Win
Two mass communication
students were awarded Killgore
Undergraduate Research Grants:
Alan Rose and Amanda Koontz.
They each wrote a grant
proposal and made a verbal pitch
to the Killgore Grant committee.
Their research was realated to
branded entertainment and audience
perceptions.
In January, Koontz and Rose
had the opportunity to attend the
Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
in Las Vegas, Nevada as part of their
grant funding.
They attended media and
entertainment conference sessions
to understand the future of branded
entertainment and current trends in
the media industry.
Koontz said, “Attending
CES is unlike anything I have
ever experienced. A year’s worth
of technology innovation and
information is crammed into a
week. One moment you’re brushing
up against a YouTuber and the next,
you’re overhearing an executive’s
conversations about a media
merger.”
Graduate and undergraduate
students participated in the annual
Student Research Conference on
April 14 in the Jack B. Kelley
Student Center.
Students presented their
work via posters or speeches.
Student entries were judged by an
interdisciplinary group of faculty.
Communication master’s
student Laura Dangerfield won
first place. Undergraduate mass
communication student Marissa
Rivera earned fourth place. Tre
Calvin also presented his research.
Espinoza Named McNair Scholar
Jonathan Espinoza was selected for
the McNair Scholar program. He
began research under the direction
of Tanner Robertson in the summer.
The focus of his research project is
to evaluate levels of compassion in
a diverse cross-section of college
students on topics relating to the
LGBTQIA student population via
one-one-one interviews and focus
groups. Espinoza will continue his
research project throughout the
school year.

Competitions & Awards
Students Travel to Houston
Advertising Student Competition
Buffalo Advertising Competes at 10th District
National Student Advertising Competition
student advertising team, Buffalo
Advertising, earned first place and
a special judges award for best
promotion in the 10th District
Competition (NSAC) in Lubbock
on April 15. The team’s first-place
finish sent them on to the semi-final
round of interviews.
The team was selected as one
of the top eight teams in the country,
which allowed them the chance to
go to Anaheim to compete at the
national competition in June.
Ad/PR Society students participated
in the annual Houston Advertising
Student Competition and
Conference where they were placed
into teams of 10-12 students from
more than 20 universities across
Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma
and Texas.
The teams had 8 hours to
create an incorporated marketing
campaign and a video of their
presentation.
Annissa Riojas was part of the
second place team and Alan Rose,
along with his team, won third
place.

Summer 2016 27
Buffalo Advertising Wins 2nd in U.S.
to the phenomenal collaborative
environment we enjoy at West
Texas A&M.”
This was Westermann’s 13th
and final year as adviser to the team.
“Attending ADMERICA
2016 as a professional and seeing
the West Texas A&M University
Buffalo Advertising team compete
and make history by winning
second place in the nation was
such an amazing opportunity,” said
Zivorad Filipovic, an alumnus of
Amanda Koontz receives the
AAF District 7 Bolton-MacVicar
National Best Presenter Award from
AAF CEO James Edmund Datri
and Secretary/Treasurer of the
AAF Council of Governors Dawn
Reeves. “I was very surprised to be
awarded as Best Presenter because
there are so many ways to approach
a presentation like this,” Koontz
said.
the Buffalo Advertising team and
current marketing director for the
Amarillo Symphony. “I was on the
team in 2013 and attended nationals
as a student during that year. Lori
Westermann has brought this team
to a new level. I am the professional
I am today because of the NSAC
and the leadership and support of
Lori throughout the years.”
Stephanie Price, marketing
and communications manager
at Panhandle-Plains Historical
Museum said, “I am very proud
to have been here, in Anaheim,
to witness this historic win for
WTAMU. Each student has so
many things to be proud of and as
the incoming president of AAF-
Amarillo I know that our club is
ecstatic. We love supporting our
WTAMU students, and seeing
them come home with this amazing
second-place title makes it all the
better.”
Dr. Trudy Hanson said,
“As head of the Department of
Communication, I have watched the
Buffalo Advertising Team develop
this year into a group of amazing
professionals. These students
spent their spring break writing the
plans book for competition. They
spent countless nights working
on their presentation. While there
were only four presenters for the
formal presentation, the rest of the
team provided support, making
sure every detail was addressed.
To earn a second place finish in
national competition is a first for
our department and attests to the
quality education advertising and
public relations majors receive at
WTAMU, but most importantly,
that by working together great
things can be accomplished.”
The NSAC team rehearses before the
national competition in Anaheim.
continued from front

Students Win Texas Intercollegiate
Press Association Awards
ON-SITE CONTEST
Print News Writing, Honorable
Mention: Preston Thomas
PR Release Writing – 1st place:
Matthew Donaghy
Feature Photo – 1st place: Kiersten
Newton
2-Person Photo Essay, Honorable
Mention: Matthew Donaghy, Anh
Nguyen
PR Crisis Management, 3rd place:
Alan Stamps
Sports Action Photo, Honorable
Mention: Christian Lucero
PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED
CONTEST
General Magazine
Honorable Mention: George Lozano
Overall Excellence, Honorable
Mention: Eternal Flame
Newspaper Division 3
Feature Story, Honorable Mention:
“South Korea” by Jasmin Ruiz
News Feature Story, Honorable
Mention: “Refugees” by Jasmin
Ruiz
Page One Design, Honorable
Mention: “The Walking Dead” by
David Dueñes and Megan Moore
Online Division 2
Best Interactivity, 2nd place: The
Prairie - Preston Thomas
Best Recurring Podcast, 3rd place:
Plus INT - Preston Thomas, Gabriel
Silvas, Edgar Fonseca, Russell
Sanderson, Shannon Thomas and
Will Amos
Radio
Sportscast, 3rd Place: “Basketball”
by Anthony Miller, Malcolm
Montgomery and Payton Northrup
Television
Audition , 3rd place: Kase Wilbanks
Documentary, 2nd place: “Steps to
Promise” by Martha Alvarez, Buck
Mayden, Allison Myers and Kase
Wilbanks
Production, Honorable Mention:
“Two Passions” by Isaac Gallegos,
Caitlin Dunsmore and Zach Martin
Sports Feature, 1st Place: “Lacey
Taylor” by Isaac Gallegos
Broadcasting
Education Association
Festival of Media Arts
Society of Professional
Journalists – 2015
Mark of Excellence
IBS College Radio
National Awards
Audio – PSA, Promo or
Commercial, Honorable
Mention - KWTS – Handsome
Man Morning Show Promo
by Robert Dueñes and David
Dueñes
Radio Sports Reporting -
“KWTS Weekly Sports Update
-Volleyball” by Anthony Miller
& Payton Northrup
Best Campus News -
“Enrollment” by Kase Wilbanks
Best Sports Play by Play –
“West Texas A&M Volleyball”
by Payton Northrup, Anthony
Miller & Malcolm Montgomery
Best Sports Update – “Rec
Sports” by Kase Wilbanks
Best Promo Series – KWTS
“The One” 91.1 FM – Station
Imaging by Bri Leeper
Best Talk Radio Show –
Handsome Man Morning Show
- Robert Dueñes and David
Dueñes
Best Station Blog – www.
wtamu.edu/kwts by KWTS
Staff

Summer 2016 29
Members Win Big at Nationals
chapter brought home 14 awards
from the NBS National Convention
in Burbank in March:
• NBS Chapter of the Year
• NBS Model Chapter
• Member of the Year: Anthony Miller
• NBS Rookie of the Year: Tran
Nguyen
• NBS Community Service, Honorable
Mention
• Audio News Package: “WTAMU
Athletic Training” by Allison Myers
• Audio Sports Package: “WT
Softball” by Anthony Miller
• Audio Sports Play-By-Play
Programming: “WT Lady Buff
Basketball Game 2015” by Anthony
Miller, Malcolm Montgomery &
Payton Northrup
• Audio Studio or Live Performance
Segment: “WT Jazz Combo Live
Recording: Tall & Lanky” by Timothy
Rivera & Cody Wesley
• Audio Promo: “Top 21 Promo” by
Avery Taylor
• Video Studio or Live Performance
Segment: “One Sessions with
Tennessee Tuckness - Soul Searchin’”
by Malcolm Montgomery, Avery
Taylor, Brent Klein & Advanced Video
Crew
• Video Commercials: “Around
Amarillo in 30 Seconds” by Hope
Stokes
• Professional Category in Web/
Other: “Buckets of Rain” Multitrack
Recording by Randy Ray
• Induction into AERho Honor
Society: Anh Nguyen
Student Work Honored with
Telly Awards
The Telly Award is the premier
award honoring the finest film and
video productions.
At the 37th Annual Telly
Awards, “One Sessions – Tennessee
Tuckness” received a Silver Telly
and three Bronze Telly awards.
“Steps to Promise –
Downtown Women’s Center”
received 10 Bronze Telly awards.
“Travis Mills – The Citadelle
Art Foundation” received four
Bronze Telly awards.

Students Bring Home ADDYs from
American Advertising Awards
Juan Paiz won a Gold ADDY for
poster design.
Buffalo Advertising won a Gold
ADDY for the 2015 NSAC plans
book.
Ad/PR Society members served as
hosts/hostesses for the event and
helped with decorations.
At the American Advertising
Awards’ White Party on February
20, WTAMU students received
three Gold ADDY Awards and six
Silver ADDY Awards.
Silver ADDY Awards
Publication Design (cover):
“Eternal Flame” by George Lozano
& Matt Donaghy
Publication Design (spread):
“A Living Tradition” by Jacie
Youngblood, George Lozano &
Matt Donaghy
Radio Advertising Campaign:
KWTS “The One” 91.1 FM –
Station Imaging by Bri Leeper
TelevisionAdvertising Campaign:
KWTS “The One” 91.1 FM – Web
Video Series by Martha Alvarez,
Allison Myers & KWTS Staff
Cinematography: “Steps to
Promise: Downtown Women’s
Center” by Buck Mayden &
Advanced Video Crew
Cinematography: “One Sessions
– Tennessee Tuckness” by Aaron
Alcozer, Avery Taylor, Jonathan
Davis, Malcolm Montgomery &
Advanced Video Crew
Gold ADDY Awards
Book Design (entire book) : “Click
into the Flavor of Now” Campaign
by Amanda Koontz, Cecy Borunda,
Seth Gillitzer, Buck Mayden &
Natalia Molina
Magazine Design (entire
magazine): “Truth Behind
Tradition” by Matt Donaghy &
George Lozano
Out of Home (poster): “The
American Dream” by Juan Paiz

Summer 2016 31
Coming October 21, 2016
Students, Faculty Awarded at
University Honors Banquet
At the University Honors Banquet
on Friday, April 30, Department
of Communication students won a
number of awards, including Man of
the Year (Miguel Soto) and Woman
of the Year (Bri Leeper).
Other award winners included:
• Jack B. Kelley Leadership
Scholarships—Andrew Alexander,
Reece McKillip
• Greek Leadership Scholarship—
Shaina Dulakis
• Military Veterans Ball
Scholarship—Jonathan Espinoza
• Distinguished Presidential
Ambassador—Miguel Soto
• Peer Leader Award—Kelsey
Knight
• Student Senate Teaching
Excellence Award—Dr. Butler
Cain
• Outstanding Student Organization
Adviser, finalist—Prof. Randy Ray
• Presidential Ambassadors
(incoming)—Desiree Chambers,
Shaina Dulakis, Britt Snipes,
Aileen Taylor, Jonathan Espinoza,
Marissa Martinez, Katie Rowan,
Kinsey Weir

Faculty
Research
Summary
Faculty Awarded
The annual faculty excellence
awards were given at the Sybil B.
Harrington College of Fine Arts &
Humanities meeting in the spring.
Prof. Carolyn Baum was recognized
• 15 articles in peer reviewed
journals
• 2 books
• 6 book chapters
• 36 peer-reviewed paper
presentations
• 5 faculty workshops
• 20 international service
activities
• 13 national service activities
• 22 regional service
activities
• 9 state service activities
• 13 local service activities
• $7224.00 grants awarded
for professional service; Prof.
Paula Schlegel was recognized for
instructional responsibilities; and
Dr. Emily Kinsky was recognized
for intellectual contributions.
Faculty
Present
Research at
Cornette
Library
Other News

Summer 2016 33
Dr. Li Chen
received a B.A.
in Journalism
from Fudan
University in
Shanghai, China
in 2009, an M.A.
in Media Studies
from Syracuse
University in 2011, and a Ph.D.
in Mass Communication from the
University of Iowa in 2016. Her
research interests include social
media, political communication and
health communication. In particular,
her dissertation explored the ways
in which health care professionals in
China used social media to disseminate
medical knowledge and to facilitate
civic participation during the health
care reform. Li will teach Mass
Communication Theory, Mass Media
Law, and Mass Communication Ethics
in the fall.
Department Welcomes New Faculty
Patrick Osei-
Hwere received
his B.A. in
English and
Philosophy from
the University of
Ghana in 1991.
He worked
in various
positions in radio, television, and
publishing before travelling to the
U.S. for graduate studies. He received
his M.S. in Journalism and M.A. in
CommunicationandDevelopmentfrom
Ohio University in 2003. He attended
Indiana University for his doctoral
studies. His areas of specialization are
journalism, advertising, and health and
development communication. Osei-
Hwere has taught in different roles at
the Department of Communication
since 2008. Courses taught include
Introduction to Mass Communication,
Media Writing, News Reporting,
Journalism and Advertising Research,
and Media Ethics. He is passionate
about teaching as well as the creativity
and science behind creating effective,
purposeful communication. He loves
playing the bass guitar and keyboard
and enjoys songwriting. He lives in
Amarillo with his wife and son.
Dr. Mary Liz
Brooks received
a B.S. in Mass
Communication,
specializing in
advertising and
public relations,
from West Texas
A&M University
in 2000. She then studied at Angelo
State University where she received
her M.A. in Communications. After
graduating from ASU, she then worked
for 8 years in the non-profit industry
as a marketing director for a faith-
based, continuous-care retirement
community in San Angelo, Texas. In
2012, she pursued her doctorate in
Media and Communication at Texas
Tech University where she graduated
with her Ph.D. in August of 2015. She
then began her academic career in the
Department of Communications at
Susquehanna University, a private,
liberal arts school located in central
Pennsylvania. While a graduate student
at Texas Tech and during her time at
Susquehanna University, she taught
primarily advertising, marketing, and
public relations courses. Her research
interests include the representation
of marginalized groups in the media,
with a specific focus on the aging
population. Brooks is married to Jason
Brooks, a native of Amarillo. They are
the parents of 7-year-old Lauren and
5-year-old Colin.
V a n e s s a
D i r k s m e y e r
is a WT
Communication
a l u m n a ,
graduating with
her B.S. in
2009 and M.A.
in 2010. She has been a part-time
instructor with the department for a few
years. She currently resides in Clovis,
N.M., where her husband is active duty
in the United States Air Force. They
have an 8-month-old son who keeps
them very busy. She will teach Public
Speaking and is extremely excited to
rejoin her Communication family full
time.
Lacy Cannon
received
a B.S. in
Communication
from WTAMU
in 2002 and a
Master of Arts in
Communication
in 2007. Cannon
taught at Randall High School for 14
years and enjoyed teaching speech and
debate there. She has been a part-time
instructor at WT for the last 6 years
and is looking forward to coming back
to her alma matter full time in the fall.
She enjoys traveling and laughing
with her husband.

NEW Leadership Texas selected
Britt Snipes, a junior public
relations/advertising major from
Borger, for the a residential institute
focusing on college women and
politics, which ran from June 2 to
7 at the University of Texas. The
6-day, non-partisan program is
designed for undergraduate college
women to give them the skills and
knowledge for effective leadership
in public policy, leadership and
public service.
In addition to meeting with
mentors, Snipes participated in a
variety of workshops and hands-
on activities that included public
speaking, advocacy, networking
and conflict resolution.
Snipes served as an intern
in Washington, D.C., with
Congressman Mac Thornberry in
2015, and that experience ignited
her passion for politics even more.
“It’s important for my
generation to be aware of what’s
going on in our country,” Snipes
said. “I’m excited about NEW
Leadership Texas because it solely
focuses on women’s leadership
roles in politics and government.
Sometimes, we, as women, assume
we can’t tackle the role of a
leader, but NEW Leadership Texas
challenges that misinterpretation.
Being a woman shouldn’t affect or
hinder my ability to lead. I hope
to gain the confidence to become
an effective leader and utilize my
strengths when I return home. I
want to challenge the status quo.”
NEW Leadership Texas
Other News
CAN supports
COMM
The new Communication Alumni
Network provides financial support and
social resources for the Department of
Communication, its students, faculty
and administrators and serves as a
liaison for the flow of information
between the department, alumni and
friends.
CAN allows alumni an
opportunity to give back to the
department, reach out to future
graduates, and continue to foster
university and industry connections.
Throughout the year, CAN supported
the Communication Hall of Fame,
provided student meals at Advising
Parties, assisted with Communication
Week and the Communication
Subscription Series, and also hosted
the CAN Wine & Cheese Reception for
alumni, faculty and recent graduates of
the department.
Alumni and friends of the
Department of Communication can join
the Communication Alumni Network
by visiting BUFFALUM.COM and
selecting the Communication Alumni
Network as the special interest group.

Summer 2016 35
Students Land Impressive Internships
Kelly Ramos worked this summer
at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight
Center in Greenbelt, Md., as a
journalism and multimedia intern.
Amanda Koontz participated in
the AAF Multicultural Advertising
Internship Program (MAIP) this
summer in New York City at
mcgarrybowen.
Seth Gillitzer worked in Los
Angeles this summer as an intern
with the National Football League
(NFL) and the NFL Network.
At the end of each spring semester,
the Department hosts two end-of-
year award ceremonies: one for
communication studies students,
including master’s students, and one
for mass communication students.
At these ceremonies, awards are
given and graduating seniors are
honored.
End of Year Celebrated

In December 2015, 32
undergraduate and 8 graduate
students from the Department of
Communication graduated. In
May 2016, 42 more undergraduate
and 4 graduate students from the
department completed their degrees.
Communication Buffs Graduate

newsletter 2016 final

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