Spring Break ’24 and More!

Spring Break ’24 and More!

Spring Break is a cherished time in the academic calendar. It represents an opportunity to step back, recharge, rest, and even have fun away from campus before the final sprint to the end of another successful academic year.

Whether traveling, visiting family, or catching up on final projects or grading (and/or sleep), it’s a well-earned moment for the CCOM community at Butler. It’s also another opportunity to reflect on what we’ve accomplished so far in 2024.

Fairbanks has been buzzing all semester, before this quiet week of respite. So, I’m taking this time to provide a recap of some of the highlights. Away we go!

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CCOM Distinguished Lecturer: Dr. Nneka Logan

CCOM Distinguished Lecturer: Dr. Nneka Logan

College campuses are hotbeds of thought and action. From student projects and presentations to diverse co-curricular groups. From the intensity and joy of intramural and NCAA intercollegiate sports to intellectual explorations of contemporary issues, Butler University is a shining example of passion as a guide for growth and understanding. 

Contributing to these campus efforts, CCOM will host our annual Distinguished Lecture Series on Monday, Feb. 19th in Gallahue Hall (Room 104) at 4:15 p.m., shining a spotlight on Dr. Nneka Logan and her topic: “Exploring the Relationship between Corporations, Race and Responsibility in the Age of AI.”

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20/20 Fo(u)r Vision and Inspiration

20/20 Fo(u)r Vision and Inspiration

New can be exciting, and, if we’re fortunate, it lights a passion while inspiring our vision. Excitement greets me still every single day after completing my first year at Butler with CCOM. The Fall 2023 semester was successful in myriad ways and I was able to reflect on all of our accomplishments during winter break. 

During the down time my family headed to warmer weather—visiting the magical place “Where Dreams Come True,” for the first time with my 9-year-old son, Connor. Something new, and at first intimidating, for him was encountering a full-sized roller coaster.

We boarded the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Coaster and three minutes of twists, turns, and constant screaming later, we pulled into the exit and he was THRILLED. The positive new experience inspired him to try more roller coasters. A new year can also inspire us to do new things. It’s why now, as 2024 is just in its infancy, I am inspired by and excited for all the things ahead of us.

REASONS TO BE EXCITED IN ‘24

Morgan Snyder ’07, Sr. Director of Public Relations at Visit Indy and a CCOM Dean’s Advisory Board member, recently wrote 24 REASONS 2024 IS A BLOCKBUSTER YEAR FOR INDIANAPOLIS. It is a terrific piece highlighting tentpole events like hosting the NBA All Star Game, the Solar Eclipse in April, renovation at the Madam Walker Legacy Center, and much more.

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CCOM Community Warmth & Well Wishes

CCOM Community Warmth & Well Wishes

The winter holiday season, for many, is a time of joy, celebration, family, and friends. On a college campus, this aura kicks into full swing upon the return from the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s hectic but full of positive energy, engagement, and a rewarding, sometimes exhausting, sense of accomplishment. This holiday season in CCOM provided numerous reasons for cheer, provided gifts full of meaning and recognition,and has inspired our college resolutions for the coming year.

A good friend of mine used to call exams, “celebrations of knowledge.” Whether it’s final exams, final projects, or final papers, it is something to acknowledge with a smile—for our hard working faculty, who have to grade each assignment on a tight deadline, as much as the students who have to perform the work. A small group of these students, after getting everything graded, finished their current course of studies.  

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Thankful As We Move Forward

Thankful As We Move Forward

Descriptions of Thanksgiving can offer many Hallmark-esque ways to define it—too often trite and fleeting. When I say Thanksgiving for me brings grace and gratitude to the forefront, I mean it on a deeply personal level.

Two years ago, my younger brother, Michael, lost his fight with addiction on Thanksgiving eve.  For the rest of my life I will never forget how I spent that holiday. Nor will I forget how from the seeds of grief we can experience and truly treasure the fruits of that grace and gratitude. Through my brother’s struggles and the heartbreaking nature of learning of his passing, my reflections on Thanksgiving help ground me in appreciation for the time we have with each other and the things we can accomplish and experience with the time we are given.

Like favorite plates at the family table during the holidays, here I’m going to share individual items that I’m able to reflect upon and cherish as I give thanks for the love, opportunities, and ever-expanding communities in my life. 

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Chill-inducing: Homecoming & Halloween 2023

Chill-inducing: Homecoming & Halloween 2023

PHOTOS: Amy Ulrich ’98 with Prof. Scott Bridge at Homecoming (left); Dean Joe Valenzano and Mary Duffer in Dr. Tatsiana Karaliova’s office in Fairbanks Center on Halloween (right).

Autumn, in many parts of the country, provides a soundtrack of crunching leaves accompanying a seemingly brush-stroked backdrop of reds, yellows, browns, and crisp greens as the transition from summer to winter occurs. This change in setting and temperature—and boy did the temperature change quickly this year—also alerts us to some of the most creative and enjoyable festivals and celebrations held in our communities. This fall, Butler introduced me to a new celebration, and reminded me why an age-old holiday remains a personal favorite.  

Homecoming may adopt the natural colors of the changing leaves and graying sky as its background setting, but Butler Blue and white still dominated Oct. 27 – 29 as school pride elevated with each alum who arrived on campus. It was extra-special for me, as I had never attended a Homecoming event before. With the excitement of a child on Christmas morning, I wanted to soak up everything as fast as I could. 

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“Dawgs Helping Dawgs” – Chicago Style

“Dawgs Helping Dawgs” – Chicago Style

There is no substitute for experience. Julius Caesar claimed it is the teacher of all things. And as a teacher for my entire professional life, I can tell you how accurate that statement is. A recent example is the Oct. 11-13 Butler Career Trek in Chicago during fall break. 

Or maybe I should instead refer to the trek as fall break-through based on the myriad opportunities Butler students had to visit a variety of companies and learn from top-notch professionals while building their networks in a structured experiential setting. 

Accompanying 13 students, representing numerous Butler colleges, for a snapshot of what life after graduation in the Windy City could be like was exciting, especially as we entered each new building—immersed in impactful brands. Two powerful stops during the trek were relative but distinct global strategic communications firms in the heart of downtown. 

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Butler CCOM: Where Great Stories…Live

Butler CCOM: Where Great Stories…Live

From left, Lawrence Taylor, IJHF executive director; Stephanie Salter, IJHF board president; Joe Valenzano, Butler University College of Communications dean; and Steve Key, IJHF board member, announced the partnership between IJHF and Butler University Sept. 12.

I raced against my father and four brothers to claim the sports section of the The Bergen Record every morning while growing up. Lifting it in the air, on successful days, like I had just captured the opposing team’s flag on the playground. The runner-up would happily settle for the feature stories, recaps, and scores from the New York Daily News, as the rest waited for the remaining second-hand scraps of knowledge. 

Whether it was those journalistic institutions, or as I grew older, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, one thing remained consistent. A connection between me and the men and women crafting the words and collecting the quotes and facts as they documented and explained day-to-day history. These storytellers became my earliest heroes and made a moment from earlier this summer that much more impactful. The College of Communication at Butler University was presented the opportunity to partner with the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame (IJHF), and I couldn’t be more honored for CCOM.

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A Wealth of Experience

A Wealth of Experience

Writer William Arthur Ward once observed, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”  

I have experienced inspirational guides at every level of my learning. Mr. Frank DeVito, whose encouragement and care in high school showed me education was more than just books and lectures. My undergraduate and graduate school professors included Dr. Sandra Berkowitz, Dr. Lyombe Eko, Dr. George Raymond, Dr. Michael Speigler, and Dr. Joe Cammarano. They taught different disciplines, but each inspired and mentored me in ways I’m still realizing. These higher ed heroes taught me information—but the most important lessons they shared with me were the experiences that helped shape their lives as critical thinkers and contributors to our overall society.

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Doghouse Treasures

Doghouse Treasures

Relocating is a way of life in some professions. My higher ed path has taken me from New Jersey to Chicago; Providence, R.I.; Orono, Maine; Atlanta; Las Vegas; Dayton, Ohio; and now Indianapolis. The process of moving can be stressful but there is an element of excitement and adventure for us lifelong learners. When packing and unpacking boxes there are time-capsule moments of nostalgia as certain board games, comic books, pictures, and personal keepsakes sweep us back to different points in time. I like to think this is the case with most people, and that finding these seemingly lost memories fills their hearts with joy as they reminisce.

Butler’s College of Communication (CCOM)—well before being named the College of Communication—was quilted together with a fabric of groundbreaking ideas, experiences, and individuals who have nurtured our college evolution.

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