The Illini Media Company will honor 10 inductees into the Illini Media Hall of Fame Class of 2023 during a ceremony on Saturday, April 29, in Chicago. Five of the inductees are journalism alumni from the College of Media. Illini Media, which oversees The Daily Illini student newspaper, WPGU 107.1 FM radio station, and the Illio yearbook, aims to recognize the distinguished careers and contributions of alumni through the annual Hall of Fame award.
The College of Media inductees include:
Anita Banerji (BS ’98, news-editorial journalism), senior program director for media and tech at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Andrea Darlas (BS ’94, broadcast journalism), award-winning anchor and reporter at WGN Radio and WGN-TV in Chicago, and currently senior director of constituent engagement for the University of Illinois; Darlas will also be the emcee at the Hall of Fame luncheon event
Ed Epstein (BS ’74, journalism), journalist for various news outlets including the Chicago Sun-Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Washington and Capitol Hill correspondent
Kyung Lah (BS ’93, broadcast journalism), CNN senior national correspondent based in Los Angeles
Erika Rosenberg (BS ’91, news-editorial journalism), president and CEO of the nonprofit Center for Governmental Research
Mike VanBlaricum with some of the Ian Fleming Foundation’s vehicles on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA. (Photo by Christina Gandolfo for the UI Alumni Association.)
It’s a toss-up for Mike VanBlaricum on which he loves more—anything related to James Bond and the fictional character’s creator, Ian Fleming, or his beloved Alma Mater, the University of Illinois. Luckily, he’s rarely had to choose.
In fact, VanBlaricum has found opportunities over the years to combine his passion for both, benefitting several different entities at the University, including the College of Media and its students.
VanBlaricum, who graduated with three degrees in electrical engineering (BS ’72, MS ’74, and PhD ’76), is the president of the Ian Fleming Foundation. He was the driving force behind the creation of the Ian Fleming Foundation Undergraduate Research Scholarship for media students nearly a decade ago. He says there were several reasons for creating this scholarship.
It was a way for the Ian Fleming Foundation, formed in 1992 by VanBlaricum and two friends, to fulfill one of its main purposes—education. It also enabled them to honor the late Ian Fleming and highlight his journalistic endeavors.
“We wanted to make students aware that Ian Fleming was a journalist, a book reviewer, and a travel writer, as well as being a novelist and short story writer,” VanBlaricum said. “That’s why his books are so well written—he is trained as a journalist.”
The scholarship is also a nod to the late film critic and journalism alum Roger Ebert (BS ’64), since it was designed to provide incentive and support to outstanding undergraduate students participating in research around film. Plus, the fact that Ian Fleming and Roger Ebert started their careers as journalists seemed like a “wonderful match.”
The origin of the scholarship may be multi-faceted, but the goal is more singular—to get undergraduate students involved with research at an early phase of their educational careers.
Undergraduate students in every College of Media major—advertising, computer science + advertising, journalism, or media and cinema studies—from freshmen to seniors, are eligible to apply if they are participating in research (either their own or with faculty) or an independent study project with a Media faculty member. The research can cover any area of film history or criticism, advertising in film, contemporary film production including the areas of film merchandising/memorabilia, travel writing, or history, and evolution of print journalism.
“I think for undergraduates in the College of Media, who are going to be writing and producing as they get older, doing research as freshmen and sophomores is pretty cool. I wish I had done stuff like that when I was that age,” VanBlaricum said.
VanBlaricum is somewhat of an expert when it comes to research. His career in research and program management spans more than 35 years, and much of that time was spent at Toyon Research Corporation based in California, which specializes in technology development and defense systems analysis. He retired from Toyon Research Corporation in 2010 but still serves as president emeritus of the company.
His “Bondiana” collection, a term VanBlaricum coined himself, began in his 30s and required a talent and dedication only a true researcher could possess. Over the years, the self-professed “collector at heart” has amassed over 10,000 items, ranging from Fleming’s literary works and related books to merchandise such as toys, games, records, posters, and other ephemera. The Ian Fleming Foundation owns over 40 vehicles featured in James Bond movies, including a helicopter and submarine, which they loan to museums and charity events.
Lately, he spends much of his time organizing and preserving his collection. He is currently in the process of donating a portion of his Ian Fleming/James Bond collection to the University of Illinois Rare Book and Manuscript Library. To date, he has already donated over 800 items.
VanBlaricum and his wife, Pam, who also earned three engineering degrees at Illinois, currently reside in California but come back to visit Illinois often. They own a home in Urbana that they purchased when their two daughters were attending the University of Illinois.
Mike VanBlaricum holds a British first edition of Ian Fleming’s first book, Casino Royale, published 70 years ago in April 1953, at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library. (Photo by L. Brian Stauffer.)
In the fall, they enjoy going to Illini football games as well as various Lyric Theatre and other School of Music presentations. In the spring, they look forward to coming back for Ebertfest. Along with the camaraderie and the possibility of running into old friends, VanBlaricum likes to “see movies on the big screen with an astute audience and to hear people explain and critique the films.”
VanBlaricum, a faithful volunteer at the University of Illinois since he was a student and co-chaired Engineering Open House in 1972 with his wife, continues to be an involved alum.
He has served as president for the Electrical & Computer Engineering Alumni Board, for the Spurlock Museum Board of Advisors, and for the Illinois Music Advisory Council. In addition, he was the creator and a lead developer for the Illinois Distributed Museum, which highlights innovations at the University of Illinois. He’s also a generous donor, giving to many units, including his major home Grainger Engineering, the Spurlock Museum, the School of Music, and the University Library.
VanBlaricum’s enthusiasm for the University of Illinois and his Bond/Fleming collection doesn’t seem to be waning anytime soon; however, he unfortunately had to choose between Ebertfest and Bond this year.
He and his wife will be in London during Ebertfest weekend, attending the 70th anniversary of the publication of Fleming’s first book, Casino Royale. The Fleming estate is having an event to commemorate the anniversary and is launching a new re-booted series of Bond novels.
“As my wife, Pam, says, nothing new can come out without me having to buy the whole set,” said VanBlaricum, who is excited to add another item to his collection.
Joanna Raimo (BS ’22, MACS; pictured at right) and Gio Giles-Sanchez (BS ’22, MACS), creators of A Tint of Red,won the 2022 UIUC Student Film Festival Jury Award, selected by members of the College of Media faculty.
The pair’s film, a 21-minute psychological horror, was one of 19 short films and videos screened at the UIUC Student Film Festival last April at the Knight Auditorium at Spurlock Museum.
The annual event, which is organized, promoted, and produced by students in the MACS course “Film Festivals,” features films of all genres created by undergraduates, filmmaking clubs, and production classes across the University of Illinois campus.
The festival drew a crowd of more than 200 attendees in person and has nearly 400 views on the livestream channel. Watch the film fest recording here.
Jon Knipp, lecturer for the Film Festivals class, described A Tint of Red as a “rich, well-made film.”
“Among the jury’s comments was an appreciation of the film’s formal command and creative use of genre tropes,” Knipp said.
Paige Terando, a New Voices Intern and a freshman in media and cinema studies, talked to Raimo and Giles-Sanchez about the film’s origin, inspiration, and what it felt like to win the jury award in a recent interview.
What is your current job title and where do you work?
Joanna: I am a recent graduate from the College of Media with a degree in Media & Cinema Studies and English. I just finished my first post-college job, working on a political campaign for Congressman Brad Schneider, which was a temporary position. Now, I’m looking for other jobs and have expanded into a path into politics as well, which was not a path I expected to go down but have really enjoyed.
Gio: I am a recent graduate as well, also with a degree in Media & Cinema Studies. Currently, I am a weekend anchor, producer, and reporter for KOTA and KBN Black Hills Fox, in Rapid City, South Dakota.
What were some valuable takeaways you got out of helping organize the film festival through the MACS course?
Joanna: MACS 464 (now MACS 366) had only been around two or three years before being hit by COVID-19, and this was the first year that the festival happened with the turnout that was expected. Everyone who attended the festival that I spoke to said it was cool to see student filmmaking. I really enjoyed planning the festival as well. It was fun to see everyone in the class have their own piece. I did social media marketing for the film, which is something I can use in the future.
What inspired you to make the film A Tint of Red?
Gio: Originally, this script was one I wrote for fun, within a week over winter break. It came from all the different media I was consuming at the time, in particular a game called Layers of Fear. It inspired me to create a story with a similar theme: art and death. I had a fascination with artists and art galleries, which after some brainstorming, left me with the idea of artists being pressured into being perfect in the industry. In the beginning, this film was modeled to be a slasher film. After Joanna and I started talking and brainstorming other ideas, we changed the idea to a psychological horror.
What was the process behind making this film?
Joanna: My senior year was coming up, and I knew that I wanted to create something bigger. Being a MACS student allows you to be a part of many small projects, but for this, I really wanted to do something of my own. One day in class, Gio was telling me about a script he had written and I asked him if I could look at it. That led to me asking if I could direct and edit this into a piece. One of the challenges we faced with the horror genre is how dramatic it is. We were excited to play with the styling and makeup effects we had within the film. The original script Gio gave me was 50 pages long, which we unfortunately had to cut down, to make this a short film.
Gio: After Joanna showed such an interest in the script I wrote, I asked her if she would want to work on it with me, and she agreed. She helped dial the film back from a slasher to a look into the (mental illness) struggle of a fine arts student. We had found a balance: I prefer to write the story and have someone else put their touch on it, which allowed us both to connect.
What techniques or theories did you learn in various MACS courses that you applied to this film?
Joanna: We began working on A Tint of Red when we were in JOUR 317 with Ken Erdey. On Camera Performance for UI7 is a class I recommend to anyone interested in journalism or anchoring. Also, getting to know your professors and networking is so important to do while in school. Victor Font (MACS lecturer) throughout the years has taught me so much about production. He taught me to just film, always be filming. Professor Amanda Ciafone and Jonathan Knipp were a big part of helping support us. All these professors helped us find resources to further this project. A lot of the things you learned in class, you learn to apply on set, which makes it really special.
Gio: I often read about lighting in classes, like MACS 100 and actually being able to play around with those skills was really cool to work with. Using gel filters, fill lighting, key lighting all were a big thing I was able to take away from classes and from this film. Jorge Murga did an amazingly beautiful job with the lighting within this film.
On winning the Jury Prize:
Joanna: Receiving the Jury Award for the 2022 UIUC Student Film Festival means so much to me, my co-director Gio Giles-Sanchez, assistant director Angelle Cortes, and our cast and crew. We spent many, many hours outside of our busy academic schedules to create A Tint of Red for the student film festival. We were eager to showcase our skills and prove that we could not only complete a substantial and challenging project before graduation, but that we could do it creatively and do it well. Receiving this award makes it all feel worthwhile!
(Photo by Isabella Pennebaker, photography intern.)
Molly Cornyn recalls the time she and the cast of her musical just happened to run into Roger Ebert one night at a local Steak ‘n Shake after one of their high school performances. Ebert, the late Pulitzer-Prize winning film critic and Media alum (BS ’64, journalism), was a huge fan of Steak ‘n Shake, so it’s not that implausible to have spotted him there one random evening enjoying a meal.
However, Cornyn and her fellow cast members didn’t waste the opportunity to strike up a conversation with Ebert and sing their best musical number for him. Cornyn is proud to say they received Ebert’s iconic two thumbs-up rating for their impromptu performance and she left the diner with a smile on her face and a story for the ages.
Years later, Cornyn is now helping to plan Roger Ebert’s Film Festival as the new project coordinator for the College of Media. While the Ebert encounter never came up during the application process, the Champaign native had numerous qualifications to make her a stand-out candidate for the position.
“Molly’s experience managing the logistics for multiple complex projects in the entertainment industry makes her a perfect fit, and she has jumped right in,” said Dean Tracy Sulkin. “Moreover, we’re happy to welcome home a Media alum who understands and is invested in the mission of Ebertfest.”
Cornyn (BS ’06, media studies) will help plan, promote, and manage Ebertfest, which runs April 19-22 at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign.
“I think [Ebertfest] is a shining gem of what we have in this community,” she said. “I know that people at both the University of Illinois and outside of it are excited about the festival and think it’s really something special. Being able to be involved in that and bring that to the community is rewarding.”
After earning an MFA in producing for film and television from Chapman University in California, Cornyn spent five years at Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas, which owns and operates nine resort properties in the area, starting out as an entertainment public relations coordinator and then a film and special events manager.
Cornyn said she shot between 90 to 130 productions every year, which included “tons of cooking shows,” some with Gordon Ramsay whom she says is very nice to work with, despite his volatile persona on television. She also worked with producers of the Jason Bourne movie series for a scene that involved a car crashing into one of Caesars’ properties.
“Every project was different, the people you worked with were different, and that just made it exciting, something different every day,” she said.
When Cornyn decided to come back home to be closer to her family, she was hired at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, coordinating all aspects of a visiting artist’s performance. She enjoyed her time at Krannert Center, but also still held onto the dream of making her own films one day.
After two years there, she decided to take the leap and delve into freelance filmmaking but ultimately discovered filmmaking “wasn’t for me.” However, she never lost her passion for film, and when she saw that the job description for Ebertfest project coordinator sought certain logistical and project management skills that she excelled at, and involved a familiarity with film, she knew the job would be a great fit.
“The aspect of [the position] still being involved in film, which I love and didn’t necessarily want to get out of film entirely, [was appealing],” Cornyn said. “I was just trying to find my place, my niche [with film].”
Cornyn, who volunteered at Ebertfest as a student, believes her education and work experience in production will be a great asset in her new role.
“Producing is project management. It’s certainly having an eye for the creative and making space for the creatives to do what they do, and it’s also managing budgets, timelines, paperwork, and all the various people,” she said.
Her goal will be to balance the needs of all parties involved, from sponsors to vendors to attendees. Above all, she wants to maintain the integrity of the festival and the vision co-founder and host Chaz Ebert, wife of Roger Ebert, has for it.
Cornyn said continuing Ebert’s legacy through Ebertfest is very important for the film industry and the community at large.
“I think a big part of what Roger Ebert wanted from this festival was to educate people and give them the opportunity to see movies that are really phenomenal, that they might have never heard of, and having people who are involved or educated [about film] who can talk about them is so fantastic,” Cornyn said. “It’s important to remember people like him. He’s from this community, he cared about it, and gave a lot to it.”
A diverse selection of films that generate empathy have been curated for the 23rd Annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, running April 19-22 at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign. Ebertfest—co-founded and hosted by Chaz Ebert—will honor the 10th anniversary of her husband Roger Ebert’s death by screening films and bringing filmmaker guests who exemplify the theme of “Empathy at the Movies.”
Roger Ebert, a renowned film critic, University of Illinois journalism alumnus, and Urbana native, spoke often about the power of cinema and its ability to transform perspectives. Chaz said his guiding principle was empathy.
“For me, the movies are like a machine that generates empathy,” said Roger Ebert. “If it’s a great movie, it lets you understand a little bit more about what it’s like to be a different gender, a different race, a different age, a different economic class, a different nationality, a different profession, different hopes, aspirations, dreams, and fears.”
“Empathy can be generated through pathos and humor and by sharing communal experiences,” said Chaz. “This year in Roger’s memory we will gather together in what Roger has called the temple of cinema to reaffirm our connections to each other.”
(Credit: Victoria Labalme)
Joining this year’s Ebertfest will be director Frank Oz, known for creating and performing many beloved characters on The Muppet Show and Sesame Street, bringing to life Yoda in the Star Wars series, and directing numerous films, from Little Shop of Horrors to What About Bob? to The Stepford Wives.
“We are eager to welcome this special guest whose work is the very embodiment of empathy,” said Chaz.
Oz will accompany the screening of his film Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself (2020), a biography that explores identity and illusion while the storyteller and magician attempts to answer, “Who am I?” The film originated as a play written and performed by DelGaudio and directed by Oz, which ran Off-Broadway for 72 weeks. Derek DelGaudio and Janet Pierson, director emeritus of SXSW Film Festival, will also be in attendance.
THIS YEAR’S LINEUP ALSO INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING FILMS AND GUESTS:
The German cinematic masterpiece Wings of Desire (1987) made director Wim Wenders’s name synonymous with film art. “You’re seduced into the spell of this movie,” wrote Roger Ebert in his original review. The film, which was shot in black and white and color, features Bruno Ganz as Damiel, an angel who is willing to give up his perch high over Berlin, his ability to hear thoughts, as well as his immortality to return to earth after falling in love with a trapeze artist. Created shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Ebert wrote that “the film is like music or a landscape: It clears a space in my mind, and in that space I can consider questions. Some of them are asked in the film: ‘Why am I me and why not you? Why am I here and why not there? When did time begin and where does space end?’” Michael Barker, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, will attend.
Directed by Emmy and Peabody Award-winner Rita Coburn, Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (2022) explores the life of the African American singer and civil rights pioneer, who died in 1993 at the age of 96. The film highlights Anderson’s career, art, and legacy as a Black classical singer with a breathtaking and rare vocal range as well as her work to further civil rights. The film allows viewers to hear Anderson’s own voice and point of view through archival interview recordings, photographs, and personal correspondence with family and friends, including Martin Luther King Jr., Josephine Baker, and Langston Hughes.
Director Rita Coburn and producer Brenda Robinson will attend. Following the screening will be a live performance by Viveca Richards, an opera soprano from the University of Illinois Lyric Theatre.
After a series of award-winning short films and music videos, Japanese Brazilian writer and director Edson Oda delivers a heartfelt vision on the meaning of life in his film directorial debut, Nine Days (2020). The ultra-original American fantasy drama that invites viewers to reconsider their worldview was a winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. In the RogerEbert.com review, Oda was praised for centering the film around “the eternal issues of the human condition: What does it mean to be alive? How do we appreciate life while we are here? Is it even possible?”
This year’s selection from the Ebertfest audience choice movie poll is Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story(1953). In Roger’s review of the film—which he called “one of the greatest films of all time”—he wrote, “Ozu is not only a great director but a great teacher, and after you know his films, a friend. With no other director do I feel affection for every single shot. … It ennobles the cinema. It says, yes, a movie can help us make small steps against our imperfections.”
An expert on Yasujiro Ozu’s work (to be announced) will be in attendance.
Continuing Ebertfest’s tradition of hosting a live music performance with a silent film, the Anvil Orchestra, based in Vermont, will accompany the German Expressionist silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), directed by Robert Wiene. It depicts the story of an insane hypnotist who uses a somnambulist (a sleepwalker) to commit crimes. The Anvil Orchestra—fondly named after a misspoken introduction by Roger Ebert at the Alloy Orchestra’s first Ebertfest appearance—is comprised of two-thirds of the Alloy Orchestra, which has since disbanded.
Additional films and guests will be announced in the coming weeks.
Passes to see all films with reserved seating are available to purchase online or at the Virginia Theatre box office, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign, 217-356-9063. Individual movie tickets will go on sale on April 3.
Ebertfest is sponsored by the University of Illinois College of Media and Chaz Ebert.
Note: Anyone interested in supporting the event as a festival sponsor may contact Molly Cornyn, the festival’s project coordinator, at mcornyn2@illinois.edu.
After a 24-year career at the Charlotte Observer, journalism alum Rogelio Aranda has become assistant news editor with the American Heart Association. He will continue to be based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In his new editorial role, Aranda will help to raise awareness around heart disease and stroke through the AHA’s news service. He will also contribute to the AHA’s Spanish-language news site, overseeing the translation process.
Aranda worked in a variety of positions at the Charlotte Observer, including news and sports copy editor and designer, wire editor, interim sports editor, and, most recently, local news editor.
Before moving to North Carolina in 1998, Aranda worked at the copy/design desk at the Daily Herald, suburban Chicago’s largest daily newspaper.
Anderson Cobb facilitates workshop on her play about insurrection
Nicole Anderson Cobb (MS ’16, journalism) recently facilitated a community workshop about her play Homegrown: An Insurrection Play, following a free screening at the First Mennonite Church of Champaign-Urbana.
The play had previously run at the Station Theatre in Urbana in December and was also available to view virtually in February.
During the workshop, community members gathered to discuss the themes of the play and how they relate to a person’s civic duty.
Learn more about her play in this News-Gazettefeature.
12/15/22
Nicole Anderson Cobb (MS ’16, journalism) was recently featured on Illinois Public Media radio program The 21stto discuss her play, Homegrown: An Insurrection Play. The play ran December 2-11 at The Station Theatre in Urbana. During the interview, she discussed the insurrection and the process of writing and producing the play.
Anderson Cobb, an author, historian, and playwright, said Homegrown: An Insurrection Play considers the impact of January 6, 2021, on a fictional church community grappling with the pandemic, political polarization, and racial protest. She holds multiple degrees from the University of Illinois: BA ’95 in political science, MA ’99 in history, and PhD ’07 in history.
Illini Sports Night hosted a live pregame show at State Farm Center on February 19 before the Fighting Illini women’s basketball game—the first-ever collaboration between the B1G+ network and the student-produced broadcast. The half-hour show aired on B1G+, which livestreams non-televised games.
Emmie Larson, senior in journalism and executive producer of Illini Sports Night, said students prepared for their national broadcast for three weeks.
“It was awesome to see that hard work and preparation create a live show,” she said. “This is something we’ve all never done before. It was cool to know we were capable of doing that.”
The pregame show focused on the Illinois women’s basketball team and the Penn State team, featuring interviews with players on both teams, commentary from the student anchors, and a sit-down with Illinois women’s basketball head coach Shauna Green. (Watch their special broadcast below and see behind-the-scenes photos.)
Illini Sports Night is part of UI7 Newsroom, where students write, produce, and report on all sports at the University as part of the journalism curriculum at the College of Media.
“The Illini Sports Night team had the opportunity to expand the reach of the program on a national scale and gain invaluable experience that will serve them in their future career pursuits,” said Kenneth Erdey, instructor and technical coordinator for Richmond Studio, the site for the student broadcasts.
Adrian Carrasco, senior in journalism and producer of the show, said he’s learned a lot from this experience and from his peers.
“That’s the great thing about working here—everybody’s so prepared and on it,” he said.
While their pregame show at State Farm Center did have some unexpected elements, Carrasco said they all took it in stride and learned something new.
During their live show, former women’s basketball head coach Theresa Grentz was honored with a banner unveiling—something the Illini Sports Night team thought would happen after their show ended.
The team quickly adjusted the end of their show, with anchors remarking on the historical impact of the moment, before transitioning to B1G+ programming.
“As our job, we kind of have to be ready for everything,” Carrasco said. “We have to be ready to solve any issues that come and just be on our A-game.”
Larson said one of her biggest takeaways from the show was that you can never be too prepared.
“If you keep your head in the game, you can create something very cool and very successful,” she said.
The Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising and the Hub for Brand Innovation and Advertising Technology have created a new professional workshop series for students through the Emerging Leaders Program, which aims to immerse students in the advertising industry.
Thirty advertising students were selected for the 2022-23 academic year to gain experience in innovative areas of advertising, and network with University of Illinois alumni and industry guests in three workshops at the Illini Center in downtown Chicago.
“These immersive events allow students in the Emerging Leaders Program to interact with and learn from industry leaders in an experiential learning format,” said Michelle Nelson, professor of advertising and acting head of the department. “These experiences will also give students a unique advantage when they enter the job market.”
The program has focused on three themes in their workshops: programmatic advertising, brand strategy, and product marketing.
Susan Muirhead, associate director of the Brand Hub, was glad to develop an opportunity for students to apply their advertising skills outside of the classroom and gain a closer look at the advertising industry.
“I hope [students] learn about what the industry is doing so they’ll get a pulse on what’s happening and what the emerging trends are,” Muirhead said.
The sessions consist of a three-hour workshop where students work on a group project or exercise, followed by a two-hour networking event where students engage with peers and attending professionals and alumni.
Muirhead said the events have been a fun opportunity for both students and professionals to meet each other.
“I think [the industry professionals] are really impressed with the energy, the passion, and the talent, and how bright our students are.”
In October, the first workshop on the future of advertising technology was presented by The Trade Desk, which offers an independent media-buying platform.
“I learned about measuring audiences and media planning and the digital aspect of advertisements,” said Asia Griffin, a senior in advertising. “Just being able to network and talk to people at The Trade Desk was a great experience.”
In February, global advertising agency Leo Burnett presented on brand strategy and the students completed a Cultural Insights exercise, a tool actively used by the brand strategy team at Leo Burnett.
“I want to be more involved with Chicago-based companies,” said Joshua Watson, junior in advertising. “It’s also a good opportunity to learn more about what Leo Burnett is, what a job looks like there, and even just seeing all the people [who work] there.”
TikTok will host the last workshop in April, focusing on TikTok search engine optimization and product marketing.
Danielle Rowaiye, a junior in advertising, has enjoyed the program so far.
“I’m just excited to get to meet up with the same people again and have that same opportunity to network and to learn,” Rowaiye said.
Students and companies interested in participating in future Emerging Leaders Program events can contact Susan Muirhead at muirhea@illinois.edu.
Students in the College of Media will have access to a state-of-the-art broadcast studio and newsroom this fall after nearly $2 million in renovations are completed at the Richmond Studio.
Since 1999, the studio—connected to Campbell Hall, the home of Illinois Public Media—has served as the site for the college’s broadcast journalism courses. Three student broadcasts are currently produced at the studio for the University of Illinois public access TV channel UI7, including UI7 Live, Illini Sports Night, and Good Morning Illini.
The renovation project, which will begin in mid-March and is expected to reach substantial completion before the Fall 2023 semester begins, is made possible thanks to a gift from Richard and Leslie Frank. In 2020, the Franks gave the College of Media $7.5 million—the largest gift in college history—to establish the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media and to renovate Richmond Studio. This project is the first major overhaul of the building since it was erected in 1996, funded by a $2 million gift from Jack C. and Marjorie Laird Richmond.
“Through their enthusiastic support and generosity, Richard and Leslie Frank are ensuring our next generation of broadcast journalists will enter the profession ready to make an impact,” said Mira Sotirovic, associate professor, Karin and Folke Dovring Scholar in Propaganda, and head of the Department of Journalism.
The renovation project includes a fully remodeled studio with a new control room. A new equipment storage and check-out room will be built, as well as a video and audio production room where students will be able to record podcasts.
The existing classroom and computer lab located adjacent to the studio will become a collaborative room that serves not only as a class meeting space with a lab but also a newsroom and green room. A scrolling, LED news ticker will be installed around the perimeter of the newsroom and computer lab area. (Pictured above is a rendering of the newsroom and green room.)
Most of the current equipment—including studio cameras, lights, and the control systems—will be upgraded to more modern versions that newsrooms around the country are currently using, allowing students to learn best practices.
“My commitment to the University of Illinois, and Leslie’s career and passion for journalism, inspired us to want to give back to the journalism program by creating a new, state-of-the art broadcast facility,” Rich Frank said. “We are really impressed with the program here and the people who are dedicated to making it one of the top in the country.”
“Shaping journalists starts at the university level,” said Leslie Frank. “We feel that the University of Illinois has a fantastic journalism program and think our contribution will only enhance it, giving students more advantages and opportunities to become successful in their future journalism careers.”
Students on the set of Richmond Studio broadcast an episode of UI7 Live. (Photo by Kenneth Erdey.)
Kenneth Erdey, instructor of journalism and technical coordinator for the Richmond Studio, says he’s excited to see the new opportunities the renovations will bring to students.
He expects to see expanded televised programming, live reporting from various locations outside of the studio, and more breaking news coverage, which will be beneficial to students.
“On-camera talent is going to get better because there’s going to be more opportunity for them to [be on-air],” Erdey said. “Newscasts will improve because there will be more opportunities to cover breaking news.”
Alison Davis, lecturer of journalism and Emmy-award winning documentarian, is thrilled about the revamped studio and increased access to experiential learning.
“The renovated space will not only give students access to the latest technology but it will be a space for collaboration,” Davis said. “We hope students in all classes will use Richmond to further their creativity and journalism skills whether it is joining the UI7 Newsroom RSO, creating a podcast, anchoring a newscast, or producing their own TV show.”
Erdey, who has taught at the studio for 12 years, says his goal has always been to give students a sense of a real, working newsroom.
“I want this building to be a working experience, but also allow students to make the mistakes they need to make before they get their job,” Erdey said. “The work students are doing here is not just college work, it’s [broadcast] television.”
March 10 is the last day classes will be held at the studio before it’s closed for construction. However, students will continue reporting for the duration of the semester, making video stories to be uploaded to ui7newsroom.com. Live studio shows will be limited to one special per show.
“The Department of Journalism is dedicated to preparing students for an industry that will continue to evolve with changes in technology,” Sotirovic added. “When Richmond Studio reopens, the new experiences it will offer will give students a distinct career advantage in today’s dynamic media environment.”
