SR

alisbury
eporter

Salisbury Universitys
Communication Arts Newsletter

Communication
Arts at Salisbury
University
By Annabel Bonnett

From India to the Eastern Shore

By Jessica Crew
Born in Bombay, India and beginning with a graduate degree in
Chemistry from the University of
Bombay, one may wonder how Dr.
Andrew Sharma made his way to
Salisbury, Maryland to become a
professor for the Communications
Department at SU.
Dr. Sharma has been on the move
throughout his life. He started in
India, found his way to Louisiana,
Illinois, Indiana and New York, until
he discovered the eastern shore of
Maryland.
Along the way, he received a
post-graduate diploma in Communications from Xavier Institute of
Communications in India, a Masters degree from Southern University and earned his Ph.D. from the
Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University.
Dr. Sharma worked in the advertising industry and Production as
he earned his degrees, and went
on to teach at Guru Jambeshwar
University in India, Ball State University and the State University of New

York, until he found his place at

Salisbury University.
He has brought his expertise in his
areas of specialization, including
Television/Video, Radio/Audio and
Film Production, Advertising Communication Strategies and Media
Effects and developed a study
abroad program for SU called Bollywood and Beyond in India for the
winter semesters.
Logan OMeara, senior Communication Arts major, felt that Dr.
Sharmas approach to teaching
and engaging his students was
effective when she took his course.
I enjoyed Dr. Sharmas Advertising
and Campaigns class because I
felt like he challenged his students
in the classroom every day to be
better, said OMeara. Im glad I
got the experience!
For any students interested in learning more about Dr. Andrew Sharma
or want to learn a thing or two from
him, visit his website and check out
which courses he teaches.

The Communication Arts Program

at Salisbury University is one of
the finest that the institution has
to offer. With 560, and growing,
declared majors so far, it is safe to
say that the Communication Arts
Program has many unique experiences to offer to its students.
The Communication Arts Program is
comprised of four individual tracks,
Journalism/Public Relations, Media
Production, Human Communication Studies, and Media Studies.
Each of these tracks requires core
requirements, as well as track electives.
There are also numerous student
groups available to Communication Arts students, such as Lambda
Pi Eta, the National Communication Arts Honor Society, Society of
Professional Journalists, National
Broadcasting Association, Public
Relations Student Society of America, SU-TV and WXSU.
Communication Arts students are
also provided with many study
abroad opportunities, including locations such as Scotland, Vietnam,
India, Ecuador, Italy, Spain, and
England.
Dr. Bryan Horikami is currently the
Chair of the Communication Arts
Department, and highlights the
opportunities that studies in this
program can bring to students.
He explains that Communication
Arts majors can brand themselves
appropriately with many different
careers or specialties.
Another advantage to the program is that the faculty members

come from diverse backgrounds.

This is advantageous to students
who chose this path of study because in a way, having a degree
from SU is having a second generation degree from Penn State,
Syracuse, University of Florida, and
whatever institutions from witch
our faculty are alumni, adds Dr.
Horikami.
The unique structure of the program, paired with the depth of
courses offered in the major provides Salisbury Universitys Communication Arts students with many
experiences.

Theres More
Adventure After
Graduation
By Madelyn Granger

Professor of Communication Arts at

Salisbury University, Frances Kendall reminds students that there are
plenty of worthwhile opportunities
after graduation, one in particular
being the Peace Corps.
In 1978, two years after receiving
her Bachelors degree, Kendall
joined the Peace Corps. She was
sent to Korea to help combat tuberculosis and other health related
issues.

Frances Kendall photographed on the coast of a Korean island.

At that time, most women in
Korea were giving birth in their
homes, said Kendall. I got to
participate in a great project that
involved opening maternal child
health care centers in multiple
towns.
The Peace Corps, a national organization of diplomacy and volunteer, has strived to promote global
goodwill since 1961. In over 140
countries, it tackles issues involving
climate change, pandemic diseases, food security, and gender
equality and empowerment.
Due to the commitment and
sudden removal from family and
cultural norms, Kendall admits that
the Peace Corps may not be for
everyone.
They will send you somewhere
that is nothing like the United
States, but if you are looking for adventure, it is a great thing to do,
explains Kendall.
Her last 10 months in Korea were
spent on an island 100 miles off the
eastern coast. It was a beautiful,
volcanic looking island with villages
on the seashore, recalls Kendall.
I remember it feeling undisturbed
and quaint with no light pollution
or car exhaust. During the winter,
the only light that could be seen at
night came from the far out boats
fishing for squid.

There are many possible benefits

to joining the Peace Corps including Graduate partner schools and
fellowships programs that offer
financial assistance to returned
Peace Corps volunteers. Another beneficial organization is the
National Peace Corps Association
that connects all volunteers for
networking purposes.
Kendall agrees that the Peace
Corps is perfect for young adults
looking to immerse themselves in
a new culture and make a difference in the world around them.
Joining the Peace Corps was life
changing, remarks Kendall. I go
years not thinking about it, but then
suddenly the memories rush back
and its incredible.

Communication
Arts at Salisbury
University
By Annabel Bonnett

The Communication Arts Program

at Salisbury University is one of
the finest that the institution has
to offer. With 560, and growing,
declared majors so far, it is safe to
say that the Communication Arts
Program has many unique experiences to offer to its students.
The Communication Arts Program is

comprised of four individual tracks,

Journalism/Public Relations, Media
Production, Human Communication Studies, and Media Studies.
Each of these tracks requires core
requirements, as well as track electives.
There are also numerous student
groups available to Communication Arts students, such as Lambda
Pi Eta, the National Communication Arts Honor Society, Society of
Professional Journalists, National
Broadcasting Association, Public
Relations Student Society of America, SU-TV and WXSU.

who chose this path of study because in a way, having a degree

from SU is having a second generation degree from Penn State,
Syracuse, University of Florida, and
whatever institutions from witch
our faculty are alumni, adds Dr.
Horikami.
The unique structure of the program, paired with the depth of
courses offered in the major provides Salisbury Universitys Communication Arts students with many
experiences.

A Love for Television

By Diamond M. Holton

Communication Arts students are

also provided with many study
abroad opportunities, including locations such as Scotland, Vietnam,
India, Ecuador, Italy, Spain, and
England.

Influences in the journalism

world can affect how and what
aspect of the field you choose
to go in.

Dr. Bryan Horikami is currently the

Chair of the Communication Arts
Department, and highlights the
opportunities that studies in this
program can bring to students.
He explains that Communication
Arts majors can brand themselves
appropriately with many different
careers or specialties.

For one associate professor in

the Communication Arts Department, his love for radio soon
switched to television. Professor
David Burns said his influence
was from a friend who had a
radio show at a local community college who asked him to
come along.

Another advantage to the program is that the faculty members

come from diverse backgrounds.
This is advantageous to students

I was like this is pretty cool. Can

I do this?, Burns said. So when
I went to college the next year
I studied radio, and became
the station manager of my own
radio show.
Burns soon began taking classes, which initiated his love for
television. He really enjoyed
directing and producing shows
leading to a local job at a television station doing news stories
and also being on air.
The love he has begun to
spread to Salisbury University
not only as a professor, but as
a faculty advisor for Salisbury
University Television and the

Dr. David Burns

National Broadcasting Society
Alpha Epsilon Rho. One particular class he does teach is CMAT
343 Video Field Production.
Students learn how to do
things in a controlled studio
environment, but now lets go
out into the world and see what
kind of mischief you can make
out there, Burns said. Thats
sort of the class everybody has
to take.
Jackie Watkowski, secretary
of SUTV, said that he helps all
his students out by having their
backs. She felt she learned
more about news and the business of television.
There are going to be harsh
critics, but you will learn from
them and you will gain a lot
more information from those
critics than just getting by,
Watkowski said. With him he
definitely has taught me dont
give up, do your best and take
criticism well.
Outside of the college, Burns is
no more than just a dad to a
11-year-old and a photographer who loves to do girl scouts

and take pictures. Even when

he steps away to do all of that,
his love for teaching still remains
making sure he has an impact
on the next generation of storytellers.

WXSU Offers
Opportunity, Transmits Good Vibes
By Brad Davis

One disc jockey cycles out,

another cycles in. Thus begins a
typical day at Salisbury Universitys 96.3 WXSU radio station.
The student-run organization
has brought music to the student body since its genesis 42
years ago. Carsen Kralstein,
the stations general manager,
remarked that she has seen the
station go from a mere twelve
DJs during her freshman year
to a hundred DJs by her senior
year.
Without WXSU I think campus
would be pretty quiet during
the week, Kralstein said. I
think it adds life to the campus,
it spreads music into peoples

Two members of WXSU.

The WXSU Logo.

days and it is a great way for
the students to express themselves.
The club has offered students a
unique opportunity to let their
voices be heard, playing popular songs students know and
love as well as indie and music from local up-and-coming
bands. In addition, the station
broadcasts student talk-shows
where student hosts are able to
offer insight into current events,
both small-scale and global.
Kralstein acknowledges how
she has seen the station allow
students to learn and grow as
members of a radio station, as
well as grow into their own skin.
The DJs have opened up and
as the General Manager I get
to watch their progress,
Kralstein said. Its pretty amazing.

Communication
Students Abroad
By Brannigan Ross

For students, the opportunity study

abroad, to immerse yourself in
another culture - taste their food,
learn their history, understand what
it really means to be part of their

nation - is an invaluable experience. That dream can become

reality for many students, thanks to
the Communication, Culture and
Identity in Scotland course.
In the winter semester, Salisburys
Communication Arts students have
the chance to visit Scotland for two
weeks, allowing them to interact
with the Scottish community. As a
study abroad student from Scotland, I wanted to find out what students who take part in the trip can
expect, and how it shapes them.
Students totally evolve in the two
week span, said Dr. Jennifer Cox,
Assistant Professor and organiser of
the last two trips. Its very exciting
to see how students develop [in
that time].
The trip is based in Edinburgh,
which Dr. Cox described as the
cultural mecca of Scotland. Students also get to visit Glasgow, and
travel through the Scottish Highlands to Inverness.
During their time in Scotland,
students have the chance to go
on pub crawls through the capital, visit historic landmarks, go on
a Scottish Whisky Tour, and climb
Arthurs Seat - an iconic Edinburgh
landmark. It is not all pub crawls
and sightseeing, though. Students
have to complete journal entries
on what they have experienced;

a final exam on their trip; and a

final project on how the trip made
them feel about their own cultural
identity, and Americas place in
the world.
Theres no reason not to do it,
Dr. Cox said. Anyone who wants
to do it - do it! It will pull you out of
your comfort zone.
Spending time abroad is highly valued by employers, and SU students
are getting an opportunity they
cannot pass up.

Experiences with
European Media
and Culture
By Karly Oristian

A once in a lifetime trip abroad

awaits Salisbury University students.
For the past 10 years, Professor
Darrell Newton of the Communication Arts Department has and
continues to take lucky SU students
to England for the Summer Session
I period.
The 4-credit class is called CMAT
399: International Studies in Com-

Dr. Darrell Newton

munication and its offered to all

majors. The program takes place
from June 2 to June 27 and offers
students the opportunity to do an
individual, communications-related
project while touring London and
other parts of Europe.
The course is split up into two
sections. The class meets each
weekday at SU for the first part
from June 2 until June 10 for pretour lectures that will help students
develop a clearer understanding
of European media and culture.
Students then depart for England
from the June 11 to June 21 and
will tour the BBC, British Museum,
British Film Institute and the British
Library, while also visiting different
universities, the city of Warwick and
the country of Wales.
Tuition and other fees for the program will cost between $2,000 and
$2,500 for in-state residents. The
final price depends on the number
of participants but includes airfare,
tuition, travel, room and board.
During the trip, students will stay
at Brunel University in the Uxbridge
area and will travel by train and
the Tube for educational purposes and personal exploration.
Newton says students should utilize
these unique opportunities in order
to become global citizens and
ultimately become competitive in
their job searches post graduation.
My favorite part about this program is watching students have a
good time, do well on their assignments and learn to view the world
differently, Newton said.

When When Door

Closes, Another
Door Opens
By Alexis Luther

The door stays open, welcoming

any passersby. Bright colors and
pieces of art surround the office.
Tapestries hang gracefully with
bookshelves that hold a number of
books waiting to be re- read, all of
which defines her.

Dr. Vinita Agarwal

Dr. Vinita Agarwal is not just a professor, but an empowered woman
with a detailed and cultural background. New Delhi, India, where
Dr. Agarwal spent most of her life,
did not have many opportunities
to expand in the educational
society. After finishing her Masters
and earning careers in broadcast
journalism, consumer programming
and Public Relations, Agarwal and
her husband moved to the U.S. to
earn a PhD.
Her desire to become a professor
came from a place of contentment when she wished to open the
minds of the next generation and
the idea to translate research for
those who were eager to learn.
Although Agarwal now calls the little town of Salisbury, Maryland her
home, she also keeps a little piece
of her heart open for her first home,
New Delhi. Among the things she
missed most about home is the
love of the authentic Indian street
food and the hustle and bustle of
the Capitals streets.
After visiting India, Agarwal enjoys
the quiet and comfort of the smalltown feel. Agarwals favorite hobby in the U.S. is to run, I dont think
twice about it. While in India, one
has to be very cautious about the

timing and safety during certain

hours of the day. Agarwal appreciates that she feels safer in America.
After reminiscing about her past
she said, This is now my home.

What is SPJ?
By Rachel Taylor

The Society of Professional Journalists is an organization that brings

together journalists from across the
industry to connect, network and
discuss what it means to be a journalist.
Salisbury Universitys own chapter
of SPJ has grown over the past few
years continually adding members
and expanding club activities and
trips.
SUs SPJ President Brooke Reese
sees SPJ as a place for journalists in
college to learn about issues that
journalists face and also to have
some fun.
People should join SPJ in order to
gain an understanding of where
news comes from and being able
to portray it in a way for people to
understand, Reese said. Our job
as journalists is to take information
and put it into laymans terms in
order for the public to understand
what is going on.
This past September SPj traveled
to Orlando for the national conference which is just another example

The Society of Professional Journalists at WBAL TV11.

of how much they have grown
from a nonexistent club 3 years
ago to a nationally recognized
chapter.
We learned a lot in Disney and
Im honored to have taken the first
chapter from SU to the national
conference, Reese said. Its a
big deal because were such a
small chapter going to this event
which is on a larger scale.
To show students a first-hand perspective of the journalism industry,
SPJ brings in local professionals for
workshops that cover everything
from photography to interviewing
skills.
These workshops play a role in
helping students studying journalism and allow them to interact with
different issues before experiencing
them in the real world.
I think its important for people to
know about us because our platform of journalism is unique, Reese
said. We come from all realms of
different fields so the knowledge
behind the club is expansive.
Were also looked at to define
ethical and moral issues that face
journalists.

Haven Simmons
By Mike Goode

If you take a stroll along the first

floor hallway of Devilbiss Hall on a
Tuesday or Thursday night, you will
not hear the sounds typically associated with the classroom. Instead
you will hear everything from classic 80s rock ballads that everyone
knows to obscure folk music no one
knows. But this is not your typical
classroom, this is Haven Simmons
classroom.
Simmons began his fifteen year
media career working the sports
desk at a local paper when he was
only fourteen-years-old. I guess one
could say he was born to work in
the media. From there he went on
to work as a sports editor and two
ABC affiliates. He also worked as a
police reporter and a government
spokesperson.
In 1997, Professor Simmons found
his way to Salisbury University where
he has been making students earn
their grades ever since. There is
no easy A in the world of Haven
Simmons, you have to work hard to
succeed in his class.
My favorite part about teaching
is seeing good, energized students

succeed, Simmons said. Its very

rewarding to see the light in their
eyes, the light bulb is on, and they
want to succeed. I love hearing
success stories from my students.
Professor Simmons says he plans
on teaching for a couple more
years and then moving to Eugene,
Oregon to retire with his wife. In his
spare time, he enjoys playing basketball, doing adjunct work for the
Federal Emergency Management
Agency, and making students work
their hardest.

Human Communications
Track
By Cheyenne Powell

Salisbury University offers students

many academic programs for
students to choose from. The Communications department itself has
four tracks to choose from. One of
the tracks available for students to
study is Human Communication.
Students learn oral and written
communications skills that important for a wide variety of jobs.
They will work in small groups and
one-on-one learning to achieve

Melany Trenary

this goal. Professors also take into

count the new technological and
cultural diversities that shape the
interaction of individuals.
Students are required to take 10
communications classes. Out of
those 10 four need to be a 300
or 400 level course. There are a
variety of electives for students to
choose from based of their interest
and career path. Studying abroad
is also an option for students to
choose from.
While focusing on organizational, interpersonal and intercultural
communications students have a
variety of career paths and graduate school options. They can go
into human resource, education,
event planning, government and
health care.
When choosing a major or track
one of the Human Communications professors Melany Trenary had
some advice for students. I would
advise those trying to decide a
major or track to get out into their
community and volunteer in an
area of interest to find what they
are passionate about, Trenary
said.

Internships and
the Importance of
Networking
By Gabriella Tancona

An internship is one of the most

important and crucial requirements
for any students hoping to leave
Salisbury University with a degree
in communication arts. Not only
is it their first step out of the classroom and into a real-world working experience, but also define a
students path on what they want
to do with their lives. What many
find to be the most difficult part of
the internship experience is actually finding and securing the position,
but what those same students do

not realize is that the key to getting

a great internship, is networking.
For many, the only searching they
do is online or through a list provided, and while that may work
for some, most students who have
successfully secured an internship
will say that networking for them,
was key in finding their internship.
Dr. Jody Morrison, the Internship
Director for communication arts,
says, When networking, students
most popularly find their internships
through their personal and social
contacts. But it is often times not
necessarily that first level contact
like asking a parent or asking a
best friend. Sometimes the contacts you need will not be your first
thought, but someone who will
come up in a conversation with
a cousin, whose neighbors wife
works for the company you are
trying to get an internship with.
No matter where you go or whom
you are talking with, always look for
the next way to branch out. You
may not get an internship offer on
the spot, but you never know when
that contacts sisters, husband will
get you that internship for the company of your dreams.

Contact
Jackie Wellfonder
jlwellfonder@salisbury.edu
410-543-6229
Fulton Hall 261
Salisbury University
Salisbury University
1101 Camden Avenue
Salisbury, MD 21801