LAWRENCE, Kansas – We began doing “Little Scottie” in October 2008 as a color webcomic with no consistent format or structure and only a self-imposed weekly deadline. Since then, we’ve completed 150 strips. 118 of them appeared in The University Daily Kansan newspaper over the course of three full semesters and a summer.
LAWRENCE, Kansas — In the wake of several suicides involving gay teens ranging in age from 13 to 19, “cyberbullying” has quickly become the buzzword du jour.
These events are a stark reminder of what those of us in the gay community already know: being gay isn’t easy. But while the issue of anti-gay bullying is very real, cyberbullying is not simply limited to straight people targeting gays.
Since the early days of chat rooms, message boards and instant messaging, there has been an opportunity for people to attack others with little or no consequence.
LAWRENCE, Kansas — Contrary to what some are suggesting after last Tuesday’s “Little Scottie” comic, we are not homophobic bigots with an axe to grind. In fact, we agree that “the heterosexual community often hypersexualizes the queer community in order to vilify them.” There is one problem. We are not part of the heterosexual community. We’re gay.
LAWRENCE, Kansas – In a demonstration of trigger-happy media and bloggers, a slew of folks jumped all over the story that Duke senior Jon Scheyer had tweeted his cell phone number following his team’s National Championship victory Monday night. He didn’t.
LAWRENCE, Kan. – At a time when four-year college graduation rates are falling, it seems that putting a program in place to expedite high school graduation might be a bit off the mark. But that’s exactly what the National Center on Education and the Economy wants to do. As part of an initiative announced last week, a select group of schools in eight states will begin offering – among other things – an option to take a series of “rigorous” exams that would allow students to graduate high school two years early.
LAWRENCE, Kan. – What is it with male athletes in the Big 12 these days? Specifically, I’m talking about the Big 12 North. Okay, so to be fair, it’s hardly a trend. But being in the heart of Jayhawk country, it is definitely a theme that stood out immediately.
While the blogosphere is having mixed reactions to Deadspin’s rumor-based exposé on sex scandals involving ESPN management and talent, I was drawn to a different sex-related story on their home page, one about Chase Mejia.
To be honest, what caught my attention even more than “X-Rated” in the story’s headline was the mention of “Kansas State” in its description. That piqued my interest. Sure, I’m typically neutral with regard to sports teams, but I’m still a Jayhawk. I can’t help it.
After reading through Barry Petchesky’s post, I was led to a story on Herm’s Perm, posted yesterday. Already entertained by the header image and slogan, I read more about Mejia, who apparently attended the Herm’s Perm crew’s high school alma mater, Shawnee Mission Northwest.
LAWRENCE, Kan. – What has gotten into the Kansas Jayhawks? Two incidents of fighting between members of the school’s football and basketball teams in less than 24 hours are inexcusable and embarrassing.
At a time when Kansas football has started their season 3-0, breaking into the top 20 in all polls, and Kansas basketball is the preseason number one, these guys should be enjoying themselves and prepping for opponents.
Instead, word spreads of an altercation involving guard Tyshawn Taylor and other players on both teams. It turns out that, according to a KU Public Safety report published on the Lawrence-Journal World website, an argument involving 8 people escalated to an all out fight with more than 100 people present.
LAWRENCE, Kan. – I’ve never really loved editing. Something about it always seemed anticlimactic to me, which is largely why I prefer live television over film. There is just something about the adrenaline rush of doing anything live in the moment that you can’t match in an edit room. But it’s a necessary evil and one that is becoming more and more a part of live broadcasting.
For the last six years I’ve been living in college towns: four years in Lawrence and two years in Syracuse. The University of Kansas offers the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications; Syracuse University boasts the prominent S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Whether students in those schools intend to be reporters, producers, directors, writers, announcers, anchors or something entirely different, nearly all of them will take at least one or two classes that require them to edit video.
(Both universities also have separate film departments, KU’s in its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and SU’s in its College of Visual and Performing Arts. In most cases, students do more work with video than actual film, and editing is often required.)
LAWRENCE, Kan. – On a cold January night in Eastern Kansas, the heated rivalry between the Kansas Jayhawks and Missouri Tigers was reignited inside Allen Fieldhouse. The gates opened and the students poured in, decked out in their crimson and blue, filling the highly-sought-after student sections to the brim.
Meanwhile, outside the venue in the 53-foot-long high definition production truck for ESPN’s first night of “Student Spirit Week,” temperatures were also rising beneath the collars of some of the telecast’s key production personnel. As has become the custom at KU, countless students donned their royal blue “Muck Fizzou” t-shirts, displaying the now-trite spoonerism reflecting the student body’s hatred for the Tigers. And, while ESPN may be on cable, it still has standards for what it will and won’t allow on the air. The t-shirts did not make the cut.
Often the case – as with the Fieldhouse’s TV-unfriendly layout – since the school won’t change, the network must. The result: director Ken Dennis and his team of camera operators must be constantly vigilant to keep the shirts off the air. So, no matter how brilliant the paint job is on your face, if your torso is covered in a “Muck Fizzou” shirt, don’t count on getting any air time. To complicate matters further, since the game is in high definition, Dennis must be aware of the wider frame that HD allows, ruling out even more shots.
ROSWELL, Ga. – During the chaotic first round of the NCAA Tournament, details are likely to fall through the cracks. Such was the case on CBS Sports’ broadcast of the Kansas-Bradley game Friday night when a graphic, identifying legendary Kansas broadcaster Max Falkenstien, contained an incorrect spelling of Falkenstien’s last name. While it’s an easy mistake, and one that I made on a graphic promoting Falkenstien’s appearance on Jayhawk Sports Talk: Monday, the error is just as inexcusable on KUJH as it is on CBS. Falkenstien, who has been calling KU football and basketball games since 1946, ended his 60-year career as the voice of the Jayhawks when Kansas lost to the Bradley Braves, 77-73, in their opening round game at The Palace of Auburn Hills. On February 27, he was a guest on Jayhawk Sports Talk: Monday two days before calling his final home game at Allen Fieldhouse. The first-round broadcast was produced by Mark Wolff and directed by Suzanne Smith.
ROSWELL, Ga. – Relatively true to form, I have remained fairly busy despite being on a month-long break from KU and KUJH. Since returning to Atlanta, I have been on the road, attending NFL games in St. Louis and Green Bay on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, respectively. In St. Louis, I spent the Rams-49ers game in the Rams Radio booth with play-by-play man Steve Savard and Coach Jim Hanifan, filling in for the irreplaceable Jack Snow. For my first ever game at Lambeau Field, an essential destination for any NFL fan, I sat in the CBS Radio/Westwood One booth for the national radio broadcast, where Dave Sims and Jeff Bostic called the 170th meeting between the Packers and Bears with Kevin Kiley on the sideline. This weekend, with bowl season in full swing, I will likely attend the Peach Bowl and Sugar Bowl, both of which will be at the Georgia Dome this year, as well as the Falcons-Panthers game. Translation: a weekend chock-full of football is in store, a good time to say the least.
LAWRENCE, Kan. – After directing 32 shows in just over four months, my first semester as a director for KUJH wrapped up last night with two shows in a span of 90 minutes: the Wednesday edition of Jayhawk Sports Talkand the Jayhawk Sports Talk: Bowl Special. Doing two shows on back-to-back nights takes a lot of energy, but I’ve had the pleasure of working with 15 people, who have made my first foray into studio directing a truly memorable experience.