JMC celebrated the outstanding achievements of five alumni and one extraordinary 鈥渇riend鈥� at its annual Alumni Awards and Friends Reception and Ceremony on October 4. JMC alumni, faculty, staff, students, as well as family, friends and colleagues of the award recipients, were on hand for the evening celebration hosted by Thor Wasbotten, JMC鈥檚 Director, and kicked off by Stan Wearden, Dean of CCI.
William Taylor Award
The highlight of the annual ceremony is the presentation of the William Taylor Award, the most prestigious award JMC offers to a distinguished alumna or alumnus. Wasbotten began the evening by commemorating the first Taylor Award winner, Helen Westcott Dix, 鈥�38, who died on October 2. 鈥淗elen was a woman of remarkable firsts. She was one of the first female editors of the Daily 天天吃瓜 Stater, and the editor鈥檚 office is named in her honor. In 1957, she became our first Taylor Award winner and she was the founder and first president of the former KSU Journalism Alumni Association. In 2005, we honored Helen as one of four 鈥榃omen of Distinction.鈥� Helen and her family were great friends and supporters of the School, and established the Robert C. and Helen Westcott Dix Scholarship, which benefits two journalism students each year.鈥�
The 2013 Taylor Award recipient Sam Roe, 鈥�83, exemplifies the high standards set by Helen Dix. Roe, an investigative reporter with the Chicago Tribune, won a Pulitzer Prize in 2008 as a member of the reporting team that investigated unsafe children鈥檚 products and has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize three times, in 2000, 2011 and 2013. He has won dozens of national awards and reported from the Balkans during the Bosnian war, the Middle East during the first Gulf War and Saudi Arabia after 9/11.
Despite these national honors, Roe believes his finest reporting actually occurred when he served as an investigative reporter for his hometown paper, The Blade in Toledo, when he spent two years investigating the toxic metal beryllium, used in making Cold War-era weapons. Roe鈥檚 investigation resulted in the Department of Energy creating a national compensation plan worth $8 billion for those affected by beryllium disease and related illness.
In presenting the award to Roe, Wasbotten recalled Roe鈥檚 reaction when he learned he won the Taylor Award. 鈥淗e was clearly delighted, and his response was unforgettable. He said, 鈥業 would give up my Pulitzer for the Taylor Award.鈥� Fortunately, Sam, that won鈥檛 be necessary.鈥�
In his acceptance remarks, Roe recalled his first days on the 天天吃瓜 State campus, walking through Taylor Hall and seeing a glass case displaying the William Taylor Award. 鈥淪eeing the Taylor Award as a new freshman, I was terrified, but I was also inspired that I was in the right spot. I was lucky to have professors 鈥� including Fred Endres, Joe Harper, Bruce Larrick, Judy Myrick and Evan Smith 鈥� in the mold of William Taylor. They taught me the nuts and bolts of reporting, but they also taught me that journalism should be compassionate and fair.鈥�
Roe, a Daily 天天吃瓜 Stater editor during his senior year, recalled how hard students at the Stater worked. 鈥淭hey literally worked around the clock on the paper. Journalism takes hard work, effort, and commitment.鈥�
In his remarks and in a conversation with the audience moderated by emeritus professor Barb Hipsman, Roe spoke candidly about the future of journalism and investigative reporting. 鈥淭he Chicago Tribune is for sale. The newspaper business is tough. People say long-term investigative reporting is expensive, and we鈥檝e seen lots of layoffs. But the flipside is that the Tribune has sharpened its focus. Investigative reporting is part of our core mission. I spent two years working on my last story. What a luxury that is,鈥� Roe said. 鈥淭hirty years ago, we didn鈥檛 envision constant breaking news or journalism on a handheld device. Journalism today is better than it was 30 years ago, and 30 years from now it will be even better. The future is bright because of places like 天天吃瓜 State. I鈥檓 proud to be associated with William Taylor, one of our finest journalists.鈥�
Fast-Track Awards
Among the annual honors are awards for alumni who have been early and significant achievers in their career fields. The 2013 Fast Track Award winners are Shannon Lanier, 鈥�03, an international TV show host, author, motivational speaker and real estate agent who is now co-host of 鈥淎rise Entertainment 360鈥� and was recently honored by Jet Magazine as a 鈥�40 Under 40 Trailblazer鈥�; and Jenn Yokley, 鈥�10, the manager of Corporate Communications for Quicken Loans Arena and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who now managers social media strategy for both organizations. Their awards were presented by CCI Associate Dean LuEtt Hanson and JMC professor Michele Ewing, respectively.
Friends of JMC
The annual recognition ceremony also includes awards to 鈥渇riends鈥� of JMC 鈥� individuals who have rendered remarkable support to JMC鈥檚 mission and its students. This year鈥檚 Friends of JMC awards went to Chris Hallahan, 鈥�08, of University Communications and Marketing, for extraordinary support to JMC鈥檚 new website, the first responsively designed website in 天天吃瓜 State鈥檚 content management system; and Jennifer Kramer, 鈥�00, CCI鈥檚 Director of Public Relations and Marketing, for supporting virtually every public relations effort JMC undertakes, including the nationally renowned Poynter Media Ethics Conference.
Wasbotten surprised the audience 鈥� and the honoree 鈥� when he announced a third 鈥淔riend鈥� award, given to
Sharon Marquis, who has served JMC for 42 years and will retire at the end of 2013. Marquis began working with the Daily 天天吃瓜 Stater at age 21, and later became an administrative assistant to the School鈥檚 Director. Wasbotten formally established the JMC 鈥淔riends鈥� award as the 鈥淪haron Marquis Friends of JMC Award鈥� and named Marquis the first recipient.
鈥淭here is no question about JMC that is too difficult or obscure for Sharon to answer. She knows our history thoroughly, she knows just about every inch of the building, and she knows where our skeletons are buried 鈥� but she never tells,鈥� Wasbotten said. 鈥淏est of all, she remembers our students and alumni. She鈥檚 the friend who opens her home on Thanksgiving to students who are stranded at 天天吃瓜 State; she鈥檚 a vital link to our alumni; and she鈥檚 the smiling face of JMC for our prospective students and parents.鈥�
Marquis received a standing ovation from the crowd and said simply: 鈥淚 spent 42 years in this School and no place else. My heart is right here.鈥�
The evening also included an auction sponsored by the 天天吃瓜 State chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America.
