Orientations, info meetings highlight week before classes start
Last week, The Media School hosted several events to welcome different groups of students to campus. A week-long orientation for new graduate students, a call-out meeting for students interested in majors in The Media School and a welcome reception for freshmen Ernie Pyle Scholars were all a part of the week’s schedule.
Graduate student orientation
This fall, students from around the world interested in studying subjects ranging from communications and cognitive sciences to game design and research will begin their graduate studies at The Media School.
During a week-long orientation, they met with faculty and advisors, toured the buildings and facilities, and attended panel discussions led by faculty, staff and students across the spectrum of studies in school. These discussions, which included topics from media and society, production and criticism, media technologies and games, and social science, introduced the new students to various subject areas.
This exposure to types of media outside of their own studies is one of the most important aspects of the orientation process for students, according to Director of Graduate Studies Harmeet Sawhney.
“Many students come to grad school with a lot of preconceived notions,” he said. “They may get here and realize areas of study exist that they’ve never even thought of. Those are the moments we are trying to create at orientation.”
Media School majors informational meeting
IU students interested in Media School majors attended an informational meeting Aug. 20 at Ernie Pyle Hall. Dean James Shanahan kicked off the sessions by asking anyone new to Bloomington to raise his or her hand.
“You’re new to Bloomington, I’m new to Bloomington and The Media School is fairly new to Bloomington,” Shanahan told students. “There there are going to be a lot of changes, but they’ll all for the better.”
After Shanahan’s welcome, students heard about degrees the school offers, how to contact academic advisors, media-related student organizations they can join, administrators and how they can help, and future internship and career possibilities.
The presentation was followed by a panel discussion with undergraduate studies director Jim Kelly, senior Janica Kaneshiro, junior Ben Nichols and junior Madison Reinsma. The panel members advised attendees on how to succeed in and out of the classroom and make the most of time spent at the school.
“Get to know your academic advisors,” Nichols said. “I was close with my advisor, and one day, I got an email from her that said ‘Do you want to have pancakes with Mike from Breaking Bad?’ I got to meet Jonathan Banks.”
Freshman Cody Thompson, who intends to pursue a degree in journalism, asked the panel how students could stand out and set themselves apart from others in The Media School.
All panel members agreed that making connections and building a network of peers, faculty and professionals is vital to a student’s success at IU and after graduation.
“Meet someone new every day while you’re at college,” Kelly advised. “You will learn as much from the peers who sit in class with you than you will from what is being taught in the class.”
Ernie Pyle Scholars welcome
The newest Ernie Pyle Scholars, journalism’s honors students, were welcomed to campus with a brief reception in Ernie Pyle Hall Aug. 20.
Freshman scholars mingled with each other, older classes of scholars and faculty advisors. After some time for chatting, Kelly opened with remarks about the long lasting bond that is often developed among classes of Ernie Pyle Scholars.
“The people in this room will be some of your best friends for your whole life. They will stand by you at your wedding,” he said. “You will look back on this four years with the utmost fondness.”
After Kelly’s welcoming, the scholars class of 2019 heard from their faculty advisor, Tom French. French admitted he had spent several hours poring over each scholar’s applications and even searched a few of them on social media.
He proceeded to share interesting tidbits about each of the students, including achievements they have made, what type of journalism they intend to study and who inspires them.
French shared that one student aspires to write for Rolling Stone magazine, one student was a varsity football player and member of a barbershop quartet, one student wrote an inspiring essay redefining the feminism and one student is a Syrian-American interested in politics in the Middle East.
While all of the new Ernie Pyle Scholars have different interests and talents, French said he believes they will all become leaders in all things journalism at IU.
“Ernie Pyle Scholars are leading the IDS, the radio station and the television station,” French said. “If you visit any student media organization, you will find Ernie Pyle Scholars at the forefront.”
Other events during the week included the school’s advisors attending a College of Arts and Science Majors Fair at the Indiana Memorial Union. At The Media School table, advisors passed out information and fielded questions about the degrees and specializations.