Alumni: We need your participation

by Eli McDaniel and Miles Moore

The Day of Giving has become an essential day for the Department of Mass Media and its students. On Feb. 1, we need our community of alumni and friends to join us by making a special donation or sharing your Washburn story.

Washburn students come from a variety of economic backgrounds and despite working multiple jobs, sometimes their budgets do not reach far enough to provide them valuable career-building opportunities.

With a goal of $5,000, the Mass Media Accelerator Fund will be established to benefit students seeking opportunities beyond the classroom.

With the combined gifts of our alumni and friends, we will help students offset the cost of submitting their work to contests or festivals or attending a professional luncheon or small conference.

Students and faculty won't be the only ones working hard on the Day of Giving. We are inviting our alumni to join the Mass Media Department in person in the Shawnee Room of the Memorial Union for a come-and-go event.

If you want more information about joining us for our workroom, please reach out to Regina Cassell directly, at regina.cassell@washburn.edu.

"I've been telling my students that our goal is to create a media frenzy around the Day of Giving," said Regina Cassell, senior lecturer in mass media. "We want alumni to bring their laptops, contacts and great ideas as we all work together to promote the celebration of Washburn's birthday."

Cassell said there will be faculty and students ready to mingle with alumni and friends, and of course there will be food and drinks as well.

Click HERE or visit washburngivingday.org to contribute to the Mass Media Accelerator Fund Initiative.

Be sure to share your job and life updates, too. Use this link to our Google Form.

photo by Regina Cassell

Students taking the spring MM403 Advanced Professional Writing course will create the newsletters and magazines for the spring semester. (from left) Kayla Locke, Eric Enns, Miles Moore, Eli McDaniel, Ben Doole, Brooke Peterson, LeSha' Davis and Jami Morain.

Welcome to spring 2024!

Hello friends and alumni:

We are Jami Morain and LeSha’ Davis, students of MM403 class, and we hope everyone had a relaxing holiday break. This year a new group of students will be bringing you a fresh set of content and a new Messenger magazine.

I am LeSha’, a senior majoring in English with a writing emphasis, who has been at Washburn since my sophomore year. Coming to Washburn has been a blessing in disguise because the community and the opportunities on campus are something I needed at the time. My professors and advisors have been my core and so helpful on my journey to completing school. Having the chance to work on campus and grow my skillset is an amazing opportunity.

I’m Jami, a mass media major with a concentration in contemporary journalism and a minor in communication. I am new to Washburn, transferring from Emporia State University this fall. Even though LeSha’ and I are from different departments, Day of Giving has brought us together.

As students of Washburn, Day of Giving is significant because it celebrates Washburn’s birthday and it's a time for gifts and stories to be shared. We are hoping for high participation because funding mass media's 2024 initiative will help accelerate the careers of current Washburn students.

Can you help us establish the Mass Media Career Accelerator program? Gifts of all sizes are important and impactful.

We could also use your expertise in reaching out to other Mass Media alumni and friends,encouraging them to participate in the 2024 Day of Giving.

Alumna finds success at home in Japan

By Trevor McCollum

Eriko Hiranoi, ‘22, embodies the creative and impactful power the Washburn Department of Mass Media has in shaping careers in the film industry.

The film and video concentration equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of filmmaking, encompassing directing, producing, editing and scriptwriting.

"Mass media classes have helped me work in the real film industry," said Hiranoi.

Hiranoi fondly recalls her interactions within the Mass Media Department as the highlight of her academic tenure and credits professor Matthew Nyquist and peers for fueling her passion for filmmaking.

“Eriko was one of the most articulate and impressive students I have had the honor of teaching,” said Nyquist.

After graduation, Hiranoi returned to Tokyo, Japan, where she currently resides. One of her standout projects includes her role as a sound operator for the 2023 film "(Ab)normal Desire." The experience of working under a renowned Japanese sound operator offered her invaluable insights into storytelling through on-set sound recording.

Looking ahead, Hiranoi is determined to dive deeper into her passion for storytelling with sound. Her focus lies on refining her expertise as a sound operator, particularly in documentary filmmaking. She aspires to enhance her skills in operating a boom mic and leveraging ambient location sounds to amplify storytelling elements within documentaries.

Join the WU Mass Media Faculty

The Department of Mass Media at Washburn University is advertising a lecturer position in digital media.

The ideal candidate will have a master's degree and professional experience.

Would you or someone you know be a good fit for this teaching position?

Learn more or apply here.

Messenger Archives: Find out what your former classmates are up to. We no longer print the Mass Media Messenger, but our entire archived magazine collection is available online for everyone to view.

Staff Box

2024 Advanced Professional Media Writing Class: Braylon Alexander, LeSha' Davis, Ben Doole, Eric Enns, Cordesia Harper, Kayla Locke, Eli McDaniel, Miles Moore, Jami Morain, Miriam Parades and Brooke Petersen.

Faculty Adviser: Regina Cassell

Mass Media Faculty: Regina Cassell, Sam Finch, Kristen Grimmer, Matt Nyquist and Maria Stover

The Mass Media Newsletters are created during the fall and spring semesters by Washburn University students in MM 403 Advanced Professional Media Writing and is emailed to anyone who would like to subscribe.

Sharing is encouraged.

The Department of Mass Media

Henderson Learning Center, Room 316

(785) 670-1836

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Alumni: We need your participation

Alumna finds success at home in Japan

﻿By Trevor McCollum

Join the WU Mass Media Faculty

Messenger Archives: Find out what your former classmates are up to. We no longer print the Mass Media Messenger, but our entire archived magazine collection is available online for everyone to view.

By Trevor McCollum