Faculty, Students Participate in 2009 BEA Conference

Faculty members and students in the School of Communications participated in the annual Broadcast Education Association conference April 22-25 in Las Vegas.

From left, Phoenix14News adviser Rich Landesberg, student Kelsey Lodge, NAB president David Rehr, students Leigh Lesniak, Drew Smith, Mitch Pittman and Sarah Sager at a private party.
  • Associate professor Vic Costello hosted the Festival of Media Arts in his capacity as the chair of the BEA Festival.
  • Department Chair Don Grady moderated the Research in Progress Paper Competition, which is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.
  • Assistant professor Rich Landesberg moderated the Student News Showcase, which featured winning entries in BEA’s Student News Competition.
  • Incoming faculty member Naeemah Clark moderated “Suds in Cyberspace: How Soap Operas and the Internet are Converging to Tell a New Story. Clark also presented on the panel, “Robin’s Blog: General Hospital goes online to teach about pregnancy, parenthood, and HIV.”

Students were also honored at the BEA Festival of Media Arts.

  • Phoenix14News won first place in the Television Newscast Category in the Faculty and Student News Competition Awards.
  • Conor Britain placed third in the Promotional Category in the Student Video Competition Awards and Showcase for his Elon men’s basketball commercial.
  • Max Cantor received an honorable mention in the Student Long Form Category of the Student Division of the Student and Faculty Documentary Competition Awards for his documentary, “Cinema 93.”
  • Eugene Daniel and Joey Matusek won first place in the Television Sports Reporting Category in the Faculty and Student News Competition Awards for their feature, “Terrell Hudgins: In His Own Words.”
  • Eryn Gradwell placed first in the Instructional/Educational Category in the Student Video Competition Awards and Showcase for work she produced at the Internet Governance Forum in Rio de Janeiro two years ago.
  • Tim Johnson placed first and second in the Promotional Category in the Student Video Competition Awards and Showcase. His first place award was for his video “What’s Your Reason,” and his second place honor was for his promotional video ahead of the Elon-Wake Forest soccer game.

Other honors:

  • Assistant professor Ken Calhoun won the Award for Excellence for a screenplay titled “Dizzy” that was based on a short story he wrote called “Noise Gate.”
  • Students Shea Northcut and Laura Beth Ward were given their Harold Fellows Scholarships, which are sponsored by the National Association of Broadcasters, during the BEA Awards Ceremony and Reception.