The ceremony will be on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. in the Creative Arts Center (CAC) on WVU’s Evansdale Campus. Gradautes must arrive by 8:30 a.m. for line-up. Graduates will report to the Davis Theater for check-in and instructions. Please leave your personal belongings with a family member or friend, as the Davis Theater will not be locked during the ceremony.

The doors to the main theater will open approximately 45 minutes before the ceremony. Please remember that all guest seats are assigned by ticket number. Guests will need to have their printed tickets to enter the theater. Should a guest forget the ticket, printers will be available at the CAC.

For those guests without tickets, there will be overflow seating available in the CAC lobby with monitors for viewing the ceremony in real-time. The event will also be webcast live at http://graduation.wvu.edu/commencement/webcasts.

When you check in, you will receive a Photo/Name Card to complete. You must complete BOTH sides of this card and KEEP IT until you cross the stage during the ceremony. This card has several important purposes: 1) Your name will be read from this card when you cross the stage. 2) The photo company, GradIMAGES, will email you with proofs of your graduation photos so you can order them online. A current email must be on the card. 3) The SOJ will also use the contact information on the card to send you your first SOJ alumni magazine later in the summer.

The ceremony is expected to last approximately 90 minutes and will be followed by light refreshments in the main lobby of the Creative Arts Center.

Additional Details

Parking: Parking will be available in the Creative Arts Center parking lots. Officials will be present to direct traffic.

Diplomas: In 2012, the University made a change in protocol as to how diplomas are distributed. In the recent past, diplomas were presented to students as they walked across the stage. Beginning in 2012, diplomas are mailed to graduates within three weeks of the graduation ceremony. Graduates will, however, receive a commemorative diploma cover, featuring the seal of the University, as they cross the stage.

If you have further questions, please contact Christa Vincent at (304) 293-7016 or check the SOJ Commencement website (http://journalism.wvu.edu/events/may-commencement-2013).

The University of Arizona is sponsoring a study abroad session this winter.

Dec 27, 2013 – Jan 12, 2014
• Learn to work as a journalist in other countries.
• Understand and appreciate Arab culture in all its diversity.
• Possibility to earn college credits
• Work with students from San Jose State University and Sultan Qaboos University (Muscat, Oman).
• Five days in Dubai; Eleven in Oman.
• Led by Maggy Zanger, UA Journalism & Diane Guerrazzi, San Jose State University Journalism.
• Cost:approx.$4000,which covers all lodging, food and ground transportation. Plus airfare. (Costs may go down with more students and if we secure university housing in Muscat)
• Produce a documentary film or multimedia travel stories.

For more information, contact:

zanger@email.arizona.edu

studyabroad.arizona.edu

The SOJ’s computer labs will be open during finals week. The hours are posted below.

Monday:
G1 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
G2 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday:
G1 10:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
G2 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
G3 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Wednesday:
G1 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
G2 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Thursday:
G2 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Friday:
G2 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

WVU’s First Annual News Trivia Bowl, sponsored by the School of Journalism’s chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, will be this Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Mountainlair’s Gluck Theater. Admission is free, but all attendees are asked to donate $1 for The Rack, which helps to feed financially strapped WVU students.

The WVU New Trivia Bowl is a fun quiz-show format testing knowledge of news and news trivia. Four three-person teams will compete; two semifinals followed immediately by the final. The winning team gets a trophy and $150. There will be free snacks and door prizes. Josh Copen, WFGM morning show host and comedian, will emcee the event!

Before leaving the University, seniors are invited to celebrate one last time as part of the Senior Send-off: A Zero-Year Reunion—a special event for graduates hosted by the WVU Alumni Association and the WVU Division of Student Affairs at The Erickson Alumni Center on April 25 (5-8 p.m.)

More details at:
http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2013/04/19/wvu-graduating-seniors-add-senior-send-off-reunion-to-your-to-do-list

SOJ-logo t-shirts and sweatshirt sale – The Society of Professional Journalists is offering a sale on SOJ-logo t-shirts ($9) and sweatshirts ($18). The front of each bears the logo of the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism; the back features a large flying-WV logo. These 100% cotton items are available in either navy with gold lettering, or gold with navy lettering. We have a very limited inventory in some sizes, so get your order in quickly. Order by email (tell us T-shirt or sweatshirt, size, color) at wvu.spj@gmail.com , or see SPJ adviser Professor Tom Stewart.

Kathy Killian, the Vice President of Human Resources for the Philadelphia Phillies and Jaclyn Vocell, the life coach on popular MTV’s hit show “MADE” will temporarily trade the video camera at MTV to speak to students at West Virginia University on Saturday, April 20, 2013 for the speaker series; “Advice from the Pros.” The event will focus on Women with Careers in Sports, Media and Entertainment. Jeanette Robertson from Underarmour and IFBB Bikini Pro Becky Clawson will join Ms. Kilian and Ms. Vocell as panelist for the event.
The event is presented by the WVU Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, The Office of the President and the Office of Student Affairs. The event will take place on Saturday, April 20th in the Mountainlair Ballroom from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Attendance is free and the Morgantown community is invited.
“The WVU Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is pleased to support this event that highlights the ever advancing inclusion of women in the sports and media industry. This event is a celebration of the achievements of our distinguished panel as we learn significant lessons from their success. We are honored to participate in this event as a way to inform our University community of the great opportunities within this expanding industry.” Says David M. Fryson, Esq., the Chief Diversity Officer for the WVU Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

The event will be moderated by Doctoral Student Marc Williams from the College of Education and Human Resources. Marc is the creator of “Advice From The Pro’s speaker series and the CEO of Award winning band marketing firm Williams Communications, LLC. The speakers will give advice about the industry and they will focus on topics like career paths, the importance of education, family and sports to the value of networking in the sports industry.

David Durham, Director of the WVU Career Services Center – “We are very excited to be part of the “Advice From the Pros” speaker series. Events of this nature are critical to our mission of helping our graduates become among the nation’s leaders in career readiness. Many of our graduates are interested in career fields that are difficult to break into. Sports, media and entertainment are perfect examples. Graduates planning for careers in any of these areas will need to understand these challenges and recognize what is required to be successful in them. Events like this will provide our grads with a key advantage and are becoming a more significant part of our programming at the WVU Career Services Center.”
The event is co-sponsored by: the Office of Residence Life, WVU Television, the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, U92 FM, the Career Services Center, The Student Government Association, The Mountaineer Maniacs, and Williams Communications, LLC.

Martin Hall Agency, a student-run agency at West Virginia University, has planned a concert, zumbathon, and guest speaker event to educate and inform their campus and local community on the positive impact of new technologies and practices in shale gas development and the benefits of natural gas as an energy source. The campaign is designed to raise awareness that America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) and the natural gas community are dedicated to the safe and responsible development of this clean, affordable and domestic energy source for power generation and transportation.

Through these efforts, students will have the opportunity to attend three exciting events for free and have the chance to learn more about natural gas and its benefits. MHA’s kick-off concert will take place on April 10th from 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the Mountainlair with the band “Black Action Cop” on stage at the famous student hangout, Side Pocket. Students can also play pool and enjoy great food and beverages while listening to the band on stage. The band will speak about the opportunities and benefits of natural gas in between songs; fact cards on natural gas will also be distributed throughout the concert.

The zumbathon will take place on Saturday, April 13th from 1:00-3:00 p.m. in the blue and gold room at Towers dorm on the Evansdale campus. In between dances, there will be trivia about natural gas and participants will have the opportunity to win gift cards, gift bags, and other prizes. Refreshments will also be provided for the participants.

The closing event for the campaign will be a natural gas speaker event. MariBeth Anderson, director of corporate development with Chesapeake Energy and a West Virginia representative for ANGA, will speak to students about the opportunities and benefits of natural gas on April 15th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in Ming Hsieh Hall on WVU’s downtown campus.

The campaign is the culmination of a program Martin Hall Agency students have been participating in this term through the ANGA Collegiate Energy Challenge, which is designed to give students unique, real-world business experience creating a marketing campaign for a national organization. “Working on the ANGA Collegiate Energy Challenge has given me valuable real-world experience that I can apply once I graduate. I’ve also learned a lot about natural gas during my experience,” said Gordon Claggett, the head of the Campaign and Strategies Department.

Participating schools from across the country are competing for the opportunity to present their campaign ideas to industry experts as part of the Scholastic Achievement Award competition. Three student teams will be invited to present their campaigns in Washington, D.C. and will have the opportunity to win cash awards for their school.

“I’m very happy and excited to have the opportunity to participate in the ANGA Collegiate Energy Challenge because it has allowed me be creative and design advertisements for different events,” said Jenna Britton, a member of the advertising department.

Watch for more information about the ANGA Collegiate Energy Challenge at WVU throughout this spring term. For further inquiries regarding the WVU project, please contact Lindsey Lambert, the PR department head, at (304) 888-3516.

About America’s Natural Gas Alliance: America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) exists to promote the economic, environmental and national security benefits of greater use of clean, abundant, domestic natural gas. They represent 27 of North America’s largest independent natural gas exploration and production companies and the leading developers of the shale plays now transforming the clean energy landscape. As they make decisions about the clean energy future, ANGA seeks to inform and engage all stakeholders about the opportunities presented by greater use of this clean energy resource-improving air quality, adding jobs to the economy and enhancing energy security. Find out more at www.anga.us

About EdVenture Partners: EdVenture Partners is an organization dedicated to developing innovative industry-education partnership programs. The objective of such programs is to provide hands-on, real-world experience to students in tandem with providing marketing solutions and recruiting access at colleges and universities to clients. EdVenture Partners has designed and managed programs at over 1,000 campuses in North America and internationally. Find out more at www.edventurepartners.com

Sign Up for News Trivia Bowl: A few open slots remain for three-person teams in SPJ’s first News Trivia Bowl. It only cost $15 per team to enter, and the winning team will get a trophy and $150. Contact Professor Tom Stewart (tom.stewart@mail.wvu.edu) for information.

SPORT MANAGEMENT CONSORTIUM, April 4-6, 2013

The theme of this year’s event is “International Innovations in the Field of Sport Management.” The event will cover global aspects of sport management, as well as marketing and PR strategies.

Students will also tour the Basketball Indoor Practice Facility and Mountaineer Field. This event will include presentations, a Q and A session with our representatives, free food, and an excellent opportunity to network with other students from WVU as well as other acclaimed universities.

Speakers include:

• Michael Jackson (Temple Univ.)
• Brendan Dwyer (VCU)
• Chris Mann (Genesco Sport Enterprises) via Skype
• Oliver Luck (WVU AD)
• Ariana Andis-Klein (US Lacrosse)

For more information, contact Lauren Fozard at Lfozard@mix.wvu.edu