Photo credits to Noah 'Zachary' Tate

Ken Sanders

Mass Communication students make their voices heard at Tougaloo Polls

Article by Zachary Tate

For the first time in in over a decade both Mr. And Miss Tougaloo have been from the Mass Communication department. The 2023-2024 Mr. and Mrs. Tougaloo are Cory McCall and Kaitlin Myricks, respectively, both proud juniors in the Mass Comm department.

Cory McCall is a junior Mass Communications major, who pledged in 2021 to Omega Psi Phi and has an emphasis in journalism. Cory is known for having a big heart, being a good listener, and a good dancer. While Cory is still unsure of what exactly what his plans are after graduating Tougaloo in the spring of 2024, he will have the skills to make a splash in whatever field he wants to enter next.

Kaitlin Myricks is also a junior Mass Communications major with emphasis in Radio and Television Broadcast and journalism. She pledged in the Fall of 2022 and has been an active part in SGA, Tams, has worked on the student newspaper and has interned at Jackson's local radio station, 99l7 JAMS.

When asking students how they felt about the election results, and more specifically about the new Mr. and Mrs. Tougaloo there were a lot of people with things to say but two responses stood out and really encapsulated what the next Mr. And Mrs. Tougaloo had in store for their constituents.

First was Sherman Johnson, who is a Mass Comm student who works alongside both Kaitlin and Cory. Johnson is an advertising and public relations emphasis, who has had experience with Kaitlin in their shared classes and has a brotherly relationship with Cory. Johnson has this to say,

“I feel like the future is in good hands. I know with Kaitlyn as Ms. Tougaloo, you know, as kind of our planning person, we’re all good. And with Cory, he had so many great ideas when he was [campaigning] and so like . . . just imagine what he’ll come up with now that he actually is Mr. Tougaloo. So yeah. The future of Tougaloo is most definitely in good hands.”

Secondly, we got a statement from an associate of Mr. McCall and Mrs. Myricks who doesn’t attend many events because of his schedule. Kailan Magee, who is a junior biology major, had this to say.

"I mean I don’t personally get into too much of the stuff on campus but both Cory and Kaitlin have been welcoming to me and from the few times I’ve interacted with them they seem like genuine people. I see them at parties or they’ll occasionally wave at me and remember my name and ya know. It’s the small stuff like that makes me think “Wow this person would make an amazing student leader.”

The historic Tougaloo College has been around for 152 years and throughout those years has cultivated a campus that honors the traditions of crowning a Mister and Misses Tougaloo. The Ms. Tougaloo leadership role was introduced in the year (earlier in the college's history and decades later the first Mr. Tougaloo was crowned.

The tradition has been kept alive for generations, with no sign of stopping.

The department of mass Communications was founded in (2005) by Eric Stringfellow, now deceased, Teresa R. Taylor and Melody Fisher. Since then, it has grown several other members and currently consist of Ken Sanders, Aleesha Smith, Ayesha Mustaffa, Erin Pickens, and most recently they have hired a performance and creative writing professor, Yolando Williams. The department is responsible for teaching students digital skills for social media and online production as well as journalistic styles of writing and marketing strategies and execution methods, among other things.

Since its inception, the department has produced several noteworthy alumni for the college, including Oscar nominated Aunjanue Ellis who has inspired some of the leaders in media technology in the greater Jackson Area. The department, currently run by Professor Ken Sanders, pushes students to become their best selves and the leaders of communication of tomorrow. A majority of mass communication students from Tougaloo’s grounds continue their education and become entrepreneurs.

Both Cory and Kaitlin were sworn in as Mr. And Mrs. Tougaloo on March the 7th, 2023 and will serve until the end their senior year in May of 2024. They will serve alongside Blaise Adams and LaChassity Jackson, who serve as SGA president and vice president respectively.

Photo credits to Noah 'Zachary' Tate

Photo credits to Noah 'Zachary' Tate

Photo credits to Noah 'Zachary' Tate

Photo credits to Noah 'Zachary' Tate

Tougaloo’s own Aleesha Smith Wins Humanities award

Article by Zachary Tate

"It’s refreshing to know that I’m not the only one who feels like this. I’m not the only one that feels alone and scared to face the future. And knowing that helps me get up in the morning and face the day. It’s honestly refreshing” -Zachary Tate

Do you remember where you were in March of 2020? If you are like most Americans, you were living life normally, and occasionally tuning into the nightly news hearing things about this mysterious new virus discovered overseas and were casually aware that it could possibly make its way across the ocean to the Americas. But you were not too worried, after all modern medicine made things like this a rare thing.

Arguably those hit hardest by the oncoming pandemic where the class of 2020 graduates. These graduates, who became affectionately nicknamed pandemic babies, were the first ones to experience what seemed to become the new normal; virtual learning. Virtual learning can be described as learning through a screen of any kind; it normally includes video lessons, virtual worksheets and video conference calls and can be best described as a divisive method of teaching.

Throughout the turbulent past couple of years Tougaloo college’s department of mass communications, did not hesitate to reach out and cultivate strong, lasting relationships with their prospective students. The department, headed by Ken Sanders, is full of bright and ambitious professors who are dedicated to creating a high-pace, competitive and strenuous environment where students can learn on the fly and prepare them to dive into job market of tomorrow.

One such teacher who is taking full advantage of virtual learning to help students grow is Alesha Smith. Smith who is an associate professor of mass communications sets A worthwhile example by remaining active and making time for her students, all while working towards her doctorate in public relations. Professor Smith, who is also known as one of the tougher Professors in the department has earned her reputation through harsh grading, ruthless assignment turnaround time and an above average workload, yet she is still a favorite among students. Professor Smith is well known for her straightforward emails and the gnarly footer,

“Giving minimal effort or less than what is required and expecting an even higher ROI is a poverty mindset. Let it be known that the return you receive will match the deposits you have made” Crystal Robinson

One prime example of the professors of the mass communications department is with

professor smith recruiting students to work on the mass communication department social media pages. Smith, who is the sole administrator of the page, is creating a program that will help the students in the advertising, broadcast and Radio television and public

relations emphasis understand the Long and often time-consuming process of creating and maintaining a relevant social media page. She is thorough in her process and the students under her tutelage show promise in their social media undertakings.

We were able to catch up with one of Mrs. Smith students, young man by the name of Zachary Tate. He informed us that he is a junior at Tougaloo and is a student of Professor Smith’s mass communications emphasis areas of public relations and advertising. When asked to describe Professor Smith he gave us the following,

“Professor Smith definitely has a tough reputation, and for good reason. My first year at Tougaloo was entirely online so I didn’t have any of her classes. But beginning my sophomore year I would hear the occasional whisper about how tough she was, but I didn’t really believe it until the beginning of this year. Yes, she’s a very tough grader, but it helps us to understand what people in the field think alike, and one importantly how we can achieve the same professional level in our work and so that we can have a competitive edge. So yeah, while in the current moment it may seem like [Professor Smith’s] grading system is overzealous and unfair, in all actuality we just have to take a step back and see that it helps us in the long run, and that’s well I’m glad to have her as one of my core teachers.”

He then went on to explain how Professor Smith is always communicating with her students and offering them real world opportunities. He told us that she,

“Is always looking out for her students and goes above and what is necessary. She provided me with a chance to work with a local restaurant and get to learn how the marketing process differs between the book and real life. She’s always providing us with scholarship opportunities

Aleesha Smith will be honored this upcoming Wednesday, March 24 for her contributions not only to Tougaloo college but to humanities Departments in the greater Jackson area.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• What is Tougaloo’s rate of acceptance?
  

56% of the the students that applied were accepted

• What is Tougaloo’s rate of graduation?
  

32% of the students that enrolled graduated

• What is the average ACT score of accepted students?
  

The average Act scores are between 16-21

• How many majors are offered? (and how many minors)
  

31 different majors and minors are offered

• How many clubs and organizations are offered?
  

Over 40 unique clubs are offered with more on the way

• What is the student-teacher ratio?
  

11 students per one teacher

• Does the school offer online courses?
  

Yes, Tougaloo offers a majority of it's courses online.

• What emphasis are offered under the mass communication degree?
  

Under the Mass Communication umbrella we offer emphasis areas include Public Relations, Advertising, Broadcasting, Performance and Visual arts

Frequently Asked Questions (Cont.)

• What is the average number of years students take to graduate from the mass communication program?
  

The average student takes 4 years to graduate from the mass communication

• What Unique opportunities does mass communication offer?

The mass communication department offers internships and opportunities to work alongside professionals in the field to gain real world experience

• What unique requirements or standards does the department have?
  

The department does not have any special requirements outside of the senior thesis all students are required to write and the comprehensive exam that is specific to each major.

• What is the average class size for the department?
  

The average class size for mass communications majors is approximately 7-10 students per class, perfect size for getting one on one help with our experienced professors.

• Does the department offer scholarship opportunities?
  

No, the department does not offer scholarships but does offer resources that help students search for and apply for scholarships in the field

• What skills does the department teach students?
  

The mass communications department teaches students how to use photoshop and other digital editing softwares, how to professionally develop news stories, create realistic advertisements and work alongside celebrities and entities in crisis management

Local Restaurant JL-Weston in Byram makes a splash!

23/April/2023 For Immediate release

Jl-Weston, a Local restaurant in the greater Byram area had its grand opening and welcomes members of the community to try its old-fashioned take on soul food.

Just outside of Jackson, Mississippi sits the town of Byram with an approximate population of 12,500. The town is home to many restaurants but until recently hasn’t had a premier catfish spot. JL-Weston has been slowly building up staff for the grand opening April 26th of this year.

Jl-Weston is co-owned by Ezra “EJ” and Arna Shines, who are a pastor and retired college professor, respectively. EJ also has experience in the restaurant business with not only preparation of serving of food but with different restaurant management styles.

The grand opening is also notable as it is the professional of a quartet of Tougaloo students in the mass communication department. These students are Carla Smith, Sherman Johnson, Dwayne Neff and Noah “Zachary” Tate. These students, who vary in emphasis areas at the college, are a big part of the planning and execution of not only the logo and social media presence but the way the business is promoted to the surrounding public and wider community.

The team, led by Carla Smith, has had the occasional hitch in the process, but like most professionals in the Advertising and social media fields, they have been able to overcome these challenges and create a brand that is not only recognizable but that can last for years to come.

When asked to comment on the situation and what we could look forward to with grand opening, Mrs. Shines, who has overseen maintaining business relations between the students and the restaurant. Shines declined but went on later to say that she is proud of the students’ effort and wants to continue to watch them grow.

Photo credits to Noah 'Zachary' Tate

• Mass Comm is the dispersion of information with large groups of people
  

What is Mass

Communications?

• It can be done through several means including TV, internet, radio and social media
  

• Mass Comm deals with alotof intrpersional relation building
  

What are the specialties In

Mass Comm?

• Radio and Television Broadcast

• Public relations

• Advertising

• Journalism

• Performance
  

• Visual Art history
  

Oppritunities in mass comm

Skills in

mass comm

Join Mass

Comm Today!

A degree in mass

comm could lead

to...

• News reporter

• Actor

• Film producer

• Social media
• manager

• Marketing
• analysit

• Graphic designer

• And many more!

What skills does Mass comm teach you?

• Graphic design

• Photography

• Speech writing

• Photoshop

• Video editing

• Public Speaking

COntact us!

Ken Sanders

601-351-5377

ksanders2@tougaloo.edu

or visit

https://theloo.tougaloo.edu/ics/Admissions/

Photo credits to Noah 'Zachary' Tate

Photo credits to Noah 'Zachary' Tate