School of Communication

4/2/2013
Media Contact:  Shelby Montgomery 

(217) 714-6155

Jim Kirk – Chicago Sun Times Sr. VP and COM Week Keynote Speaker

NORMAL, IL — Illinois State University alumnus Jim Kirk, senior vice-president and editor-in-chief of Sun-Times Media in Chicago, has seen plenty of change in his more than 25 years in the news business. He will talk about that change during his keynote address at 3:35 p.m., Thursday, April 11 at DeGarmo 206 as part of Communication Week on the ISU campus.

For the past year, the 1987 School of Communication graduate has been ultimately responsible for the content published in the Sun-Times’ 40 daily and weekly print and online publications. Earlier in his career, Kirk was a business reporter and columnist at the Sun-Times.

During his keynote address, Kirk will speak about his career experiences and enlighten students about the continuously transforming newspaper and media industry.

“It is a wonderful honor to be back on campus to talk about the ever-changing communications industry,” said Kirk.  “Media companies face tremendous challenges all over the world.”

Kirk believes change is far from fatal to the news business. Opportunities abound.

 “Our industry is not doomed,” he said. “In fact, some of the most dramatic innovation is happening right now. I am looking forward to sharing how, in many ways, it is the most thrilling time to be a part of this expanding media world.”

Since leaving ISU, Kirk as held many top executive positions in the Chicago area. Working at the Chicago Tribune for 11 years and serving as the associate managing editor for four of those opened the door for Kirk to serve as the U.S. Government Team Leader at Bloomberg, the Managing Editor at Chicago News Cooperative, and the Chief of Editorial Operations at Crain’s Chicago Business.

During his time on campus, Kirk plans to visit several academic units, including his academic home, the School of Communication, to meet people and talk about media change.

For additional information about COM Week, contact Denise Thomas at dethoma@ilstu.edu or at (309) 438-3645.

Are you trying to get into a full Communication course? Do you need to know the process for obtaining an override? Check out the School of Communication Override Information handout for details regarding overrides for Communication courses. Remember, only the instructor of a course can authorize an override for a class.

Don’t forget to explore your options through “Progress Towards My Degree” on My Illinois State before requesting an override. If you are unsure of your options, call 309-438-7080 or visit Fell 450 to set up an appointment with your advisor.

Summer/Fall 2013 registration is well underway! If you have questions related to advising, we would strongly encourage you to check out the Advising Frequently Asked Questions website. The SoC Advisors have provided answers to the most common questions related to advising, registration, courses, and much more. The Advising FAQ website is a great resource for you to get helpful answers to your questions. We all know how hard it is to get an appointment with an advisor at this time in the semester, so check out the FAQ website and you might just be able to answer your own question!

The Illinois State University Speech Team sent students to two different tournaments last weekend. One squad placed second at the State tournament of Illinois and won the George Armstrong Award. The other squad won first place at the “Any Last Words” tournament hosted by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, beating teams such as Butler University, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois. This was the tenth tournament the Speechbirds have won this semester.

At the state tournament, two students won state titles. Senior Mike Tristano (Downers Grove) was the State Champion in Rhetorical Criticism while also placing sixth in Informative Speaking. Robi Mahan (Harrisburg) was the State Champion in Programmed Oral Interpretation. Mahan also placed third in Duo Interpretation with junior partner Joseph Hlavaty (Maywood). Hlavaty also placed third in both Dramatic Interpretation and Prose Interpretation as well as fourth in Individual Sweepstakes. Senior Brian Rohman (Metamora) placed fifth in Rhetorical Criticism and fourth in Extemporaneous Speaking. Senior Laura Balinski (Antioch) placed fourth in Dramatic and fifth in Programmed Oral Interpretation. Sophomore Hananiah Wiggins (Dekalb) placed second in Dramatic. Sophomore Kambria Vance (Normal) placed sixth in Prose. Sophomore Cole Moriarty (Algoquin) placed sixth in Extemporaneous.

Meanwhile, at IUPUI, students also did well in their individual events. Junior Molly Mehochko (Mazon) placed first in both After Dinner Speaking and Programmed Oral Interpretation. Junior Marissa Gallas (Downers Grove) placed second in Rhetorical Criticism and sixth in Prose. Junior Jeremy Murphy (Morris) placed fourth in Rhetorical Criticism and sixth in Informative. Sophomore Ayanna Guzman (Oak Lawn) placed fourth in both Extemporaneous and Persuasive Speaking, second in After Dinner, fourth in Impromptu Speaking, and second in Individual Sweepstakes. Sophomore Maggie Butzen (Downers Grove) placed fifth in Extemporaneous. Sophomore Alissa Wicklein (Downers Grove) placed fourth in After Dinner, fifth in Prose, and third in Dramatic. Freshman Kim Fischer (Orland Park) placed second in both Prose and Dramatic, as well as third in Duo with freshman partner Tommy McCarty (Barlett).

Maximize your ISU course work by earning a Career Enhancement Certificate (CEC)!

CECs group together courses from a variety of Schools and Departments in the College of Arts and Sciences to help you learn the knowledge and skills needed for specific career fields. CECs allow you to strategically choose courses that will enhance your Communication major and help market yourself for a future career.

The College of Arts and Sciences offers 5 CECs:

Administrative and Corporate Communication
Human Resources Management
International Affairs
Public Policy Analysis
Technical Communication

Click here for more information on each CEC and schedule an appointment with your advisor to create a plan to complete your CEC course work. Take advantage of this opportunity and maximize your education today through CECs!