Recognition banquet honors MCOM scholars

26,000 in award money given out

By Olivia Obineme

Published: Monday, May 4, 2009

A band of TU musicians played to honor students and their family members as they enjoyed dinner at The Student Recognition Banquet for students majoring in Mass Communication and Communication Studies Friday evening.

According to lecturer Jenny Atwater, more than 230 people, those invited and guests, filled the three Chesapeake rooms, making the turnout the “largest event in the history of having the event.”

The Programs in Projects organization planned the event.

“It went very well,” Atwater, chairwoman of the committee, said. “It was really exciting to see all of the family members coming with the students.”

To begin the ceremony, Charles Flippen, chair of the Department of MCCS, welcomed everyone and shared his thoughts on the event.

“It is one of the highlights here for us who work here and I think it is one of the highlights of the year for our students… and we get to say nice things about each other in the work that we do,” Flippen said.

The main portion of the banquet was the student recognition and awards. Students received many scholarships and awards, several receiving multiple scholarships.

“I just thank God for the opportunities I had, the scholarships, the awards and the professors that I had,” senior mass communication and communication studies double major Omogboyinde Onijala said.

Onijala, who will be graduating this semester, received three scholarships.

“There was over 26,000 in award monies given out,” Communication Studies Unit Coordinator Audra McMullen said.

“Scholarships have not been affected by the recession this year [FY 2009] or next year [FY 2010] because of the advanced planning from the foundation office.”

However, McMullen is concerned about scholarships in the future saying that the department is likely to see a decrease in funds available for the fiscal year 2011.

“[But] this has already been taken into consideration and the foundation office is working hard to make sure some type of funding is still available,” she said.

Those who were recognized as outstanding students in the department were nominated by their professors, advisors, and even people who did not teach them.

Out of the many students whom the faculty may have wanted to recognized, only a selected few were chosen.

“We have a big list that we come up with every year and the students have to meet the criteria of an overall 3.25 GPA and they have to be a mass communication or communication studies major,” Atwater said.

“It’s up to the professors. Some of the professors race to nominate a student that they have had in mind. This is something we look forward to.”

Senior journalism and new media major and communication studies minor Rebin Wong was excited to have been recognized as an outstanding student.

As a Malaysian native, it was more difficult for Wong than the average student whose first language is English.

“TU has so many amazing teachers who have helped me a lot… I really have enjoyed my educational journey here,” Wong said.

Most of the students who were awarded Friday emphasized that students need to take every opportunity they can to get ahead and be successful in the future.

“I think you feel proud at the end of the year to see the students, to see the parents, to see how much they have achieved,” Stacy Spaulding, a professor on the committee said.

“The students have consulted their professors but it is really about them and their work. It is wonderful to recognize that.”

Courtesy of The Towerlight