Dale Cressman Archives - BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications

Journalism Professional DeWayne Wickham Calls on Students to ‘Tear Down Barriers’

Noelle Barrus — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 15:51:38 +0000

Wickham spoke during his Listen Up! Series lecture on the ongoing struggle for journalism to present truth In an effort to better address diversity, inclusion and accessibility, the College of Fine Arts and Communications has been hosting professional guest speakers in an inspirational lecture series. The Listen Up! Series started last semester, and each lecture within the series is sponsored by a different department within the college. On February 4, students from the college participated in the third event of the series with journalism professional DeWayne Wickham. This lecture was hosted by the School of Communications and the BRAVO! series. During the webinar, the School of Communications associate chair Dale Cressman introduced Wickham to the listeners. Wickham is the founding dean of the School of Global Journalism and Communication. He is the author of three books and several articles and is also the founding member and former president of the National Association of Black Journalists. To begin his lecture, Wickham discussed the history of journalism. He dove into historical stories of journalism media that spread both helpful and harmful news. “Media can play a supportive and helpful role, or it can play a role that injures not only people but the notion that this is a fair and equitable society,” Wickham said. Wickham expressed the need for current journalism students to learn the right questions to ask and to distinguish between commentary and news. “It is a journalist’s responsibility to report the fact truthfully and represent the truth about the fact,” said Wickham. “There is a place for commentary, but it ought to be identified and distinguished from news and ought not to overshadow the presentation of news.” As he continued discussing the challenges of journalism, Wickham described one way that he learns truths about current events. “I wake up every day mad about something, and then I challenge myself to find information on that thing that has irritated me,” he said. “I am my best news source.” Wickham invited listeners to be their own best news source and expressed the need for our country to bridge the gaps people create from their differences. “We have to find a way in this country to tear down the barriers that separate us. We have to tear down the barriers that make us Blacks and whites and divide us by religion and ideology,” he said. “We have to stop connecting to people simply because they are fellow travelers in some ideological way, and we have to ask the tough questions.”

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BYU Journalism Students Work with Faculty and Staff to Create a Documentary on Spain’s Camino de Santiago

Morgan Reis — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 01:07:32 +0000

BYU communications faculty, staff and students co-produce a documentary filmed in Spain about the famous network of pilgrimages — Camino de Santiago Five students and three professors from the BYU School of Communications traveled to Spain to capture the experience of BYU Spanish language majors walking the Camino de Santiago, a network of pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in northwestern Spain. The footage they took was compiled into a documentary about the Camino de Santiago, why people walk it and what it means to be a pilgrim. The 15-minute video, “Camino de Santiago: The Way of St. James,” was released on Aug. 25. “Our communications students conducted themselves so professionally. They were passionate about the project and hardworking,” said Cressman. “We were very fortunate to have this experience. I believe it begins to fulfill the vision of our school’s director, Ed Carter — to get our students out into the world in mentored-learning situations where they can do challenging but exceptional things.” BYU communications students shadowed and interviewed BYU Spanish students on the Camino de Santiago study abroad as well as others they met along the pilgrimage. “Everywhere I went on the Camino, people told me they had met one or more of our students,” said Cressman. “In every single instance, those people told me how impressed they were with them.” Read the full story at comms.byu.edu.

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Students Recognized Across the World for Dedication and Accomplishments

Morgan Reis — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 22:00:42 +0000

Students from the College of Fine Arts and Communications travel internationally on study abroads, competitions and internships to gain real-world experience and share their talents Each year, students in the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications take the knowledge and skills they have learned in the classroom and make their mark on their local and global communities. From China to Brazil, these students are having inspiring learning opportunities all over the globe while having real-world experiences. Read more about how students from the College of Fine Arts and Communications answered President Kevin J. Worthen’s call for inspired learning during May: China Spectacular (Courtesy of BYU Photo, Susan Kupferer, Tyler Persson, @byu_folkdance, Jonathan Tanner, McKenna Wright and Drew Duncan) Dozens of students from across the college traveled to China this summer for the China Spectacular. They performed in multiple cities and experienced some of the most iconic places in China, including the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs. “As I reflect on my time in China, it’s clear that all of my knowledge and ability means very little without people to share it with,” said Tyler Persson, a member of the International Folk Dance Ensemble. “This tour was about people, not about performances. The interactions that we had with people in lobbies, on the streets, or in any other daily comings and goings were poignant reminders of this.” The groups that toured in the China Spectacular included Ballroom Dance Company, Chamber Orchestra, Cougarettes, the Dunk Team, International Folk Dance Ensemble, Living Legends, Vocal Point and Young Ambassadors. “Because there were eight different performing groups on the tour, we were able to meet others and become friends,” said Susan Kupferer, the assistant stage manager on tour. “Art is a medium that transcends language.” In addition to connecting with others through art while on tour, a few BYU students were able to use their knowledge of the Chinese language to further build relationships. “I speak Mandarin Chinese, and I feel so blessed for that. Every opportunity I had to talk to a child, talk to a member of the audience or to translate allowed me to increase my love for the Chinese people,” said McKenna Wright, a member of Young Ambassadors. “The feeling that I was being used as a tool in God’s hands was apparent to me throughout the whole tour.” Communications Mentored-Learning Experience in Spain (Courtesy of Natasha Ramirez and Dale Cressman) Five communications students and three professors traveled to Spain to capture the experience of Spanish language majors walking the Camino de Santiago, a network of pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in northwestern Spain. The footage will be turned into a documentary about the Camino de Santiago, why people walk it and what it means to be a pilgrim. “Our communications students conducted themselves so professionally. They are passionate about the project and hardworking,” said professor Dale Cressman. “We were very fortunate to have this experience. I believe it begins to fulfill the vision of our school’s director, Ed Carter — to get our students out into the world in mentored learning situations where they can do challenging but exceptional things.” BYU communications students shadowed and interviewed BYU Spanish students on the Camino de Santiago study abroad while they were making the pilgrimage as well as others they met along the way. Additionally, they learned about Gregorian chants from Spanish monks and sang hymns from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint hymnbook for people in the cathedral at Silos. “Everywhere I went on the Camino, people told me they had met one or more of our students,” said Cressman. “In every single instance, those people told me how impressed they were with them.” Theatre Ballet (Courtesy of Ryan Hatch and @byutheatreballet) BYU Theatre Ballet students spent a week in Spokane, Washington at a ballet conference participating in masterclasses, working with professionals and networking. Some dancers even received scholarships to attend other workshops and conferences. “Going to Regional Dance America allowed me to network with some of the best ballet teachers in the country,” said Ryan Hatch, one of the touring students. After the conference, the group went on to perform throughout the Pacific Northwest. “The Theatre Ballet tour gave me the opportunity to perform and share my talents with others. It was amazing to meet the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from around the world and introduce them to the BYU Dance program,” said Hatch. London Theatre Study Abroad (Courtesy of Caylee Gardner, TMA newsletter and Megan Sanborn Jones) Students and professors traveled to London on a theatre study abroad during spring term for the London Theatre study abroad. Students had the opportunity to see numerous shows — including “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Romeo and Juliet” and “Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and other love songs)” — which will help inspire them in their own creative pursuits in acting and playwriting. Outside the theatre, students have experienced other tourist attractions in England such as hiking the Cliffs of Dover, visiting parks and touring museums. Ballroom Dance Company (Courtesy of Landon Anderson and @byuballroom) The BYU Ballroom Dance Company toured several European countries, including England, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Spain. BYU won the British Latin Formation Championships while competing in Blackpool, England. “What a blessing it was to win the British Formation Championship at the Blackpool Dance Festival! I am so thankful to my teammates, coaches, choreographers and to our Father in Heaven for this talent we have of dance,” said Landon Anderson. Additionally, students were able to visit church history sites, eat fish and chips, go on a tour of the Ribble River Valley and experience life throughout Europe! Internship with the Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Courtesy of Zoe Taylor) BYU TMA student Zoe Taylor interned for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert this spring. Taylor has been able to learn from industry professionals while enhancing her personal skills in the field. “My favorite part of the internship was the sheer number of people I met and interacted with — celebrities, the costume and wardrobe department, the band members and so many more,” said Taylor. “The office was full of amazing people.” While she entered the internship with strong problem-solving and [...]

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Dale Cressman Elected ACEJMC Vice President

Morgan Reis — Thu, 30 May 2019 19:03:29 +0000

School of Communications professor Dale Cressman was elected as the vice president of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) on April 26. Cressman has worked with the organization since 2011 and appreciates the ethics it emphasizes in the specific fields of study. “ACEJMC is a great champion for free speech and diversity,” said Cressman. “It practices what it preaches, operating under the same values it expects of academic units.” ACEJMC accreditation is regarded as the premier standard of program quality in the discipline. Currently, 115 journalism and mass communications programs at universities throughout the United States, Mexico, Chile, New Zealand, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have full accreditation status. The BYU School of Communications has been ACEJMC accredited since 1984. “Accreditation is a rigorous process,” said Cressman, who started in ACEJMC as a site team member. “It is time consuming, but well worth being accredited, as it tells students, parents, administrators and peers that we meet common standards in our discipline.” Read the full story at comms.byu.edu.

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Warming Trend: From Journalism Student to Emmy-Winning Meteorologist

admin — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 21:55:37 +0000

As an Emmy-winning meteorologist, mother of four, and avid marathon runner, Amy Freeze knows a thing or two about making it all work. On the night of the awards ceremony where Freeze would receive her fourth Emmy — this time for Best Weather Anchor — she had a decision to make: an evening spent with distinguished journalism colleagues, or an evening wearing jeans and a t-shirt and cheering from the sidelines at a child’s soccer game. On this night, the choice was an easy one for Freeze. “There is never real balance in life, but having the ability to recognize the priority of the moment is the only secret I know to making it all work,” said Freeze. “Every aspect of life surfaces as the priority at different times — family, work, church, personal time. Being able to recognize the priority at the time is a challenge, but if you can see it and do it, you will win every time.” Freeze is a self-described “BYU baby.” Both of her parents are BYU graduates, so she grew up cheering for the “Blue and White.” It was only natural, then, that while working toward her Communications degree at BYU, she would become a cheerleader and eventually marry Cosmo the Cougar. Her first real-world journalism experience came as part of a study abroad in South Africa. “It was during Nelson Mandela’s election. We spent time at the country’s newspaper agencies and I did an internship in Africa with Worldwide TV News,” Freeze said. “Then, during my first job as a writer at a TV station, I realized I could enterprise, write, and present stories. My last name caught the attention of my coworkers who encouraged me to try out weather storytelling. They said, ‘Freeze, you were born to do the weather!’” Her first job in broadcasting was with KBYU Report and KBYU radio. It was during this time that she learned to shoot, write, edit, and package stories. After completing her Communications degree, she went on to earn a BS in Geosciences with an emphasis in Severe Weather from Mississippi State University, followed by a MS in Environmental Science degree from University of Pennsylvania. To those who knew her as a budding journalism student, Freeze’s professional success was only a matter of time. “If I had ever seen a natural for television, it was Amy Freeze,” said Dale Cressman, who was her BYU instructor and KBYU news director. ”Color me unsurprised that she’s succeeded in the largest TV markets in the country.” Freeze has worked in various markets across the country, including Portland, Oregon, Denver, Philadelphia, Chicago, and currently as Weekend Meteorologist with the number one affiliate in the country, WABC-TV in New York City. She says that there has been no shortage of excitement during her first year in New York. “I was thrilled to receive an Emmy for my first year of work in New York City,” said Freeze. “We have had intense weather since I arrived, including Hurricane Irene, Hurricane Sandy, record flooding, extreme heat, historical blizzards, and everything in between.” Besides the thrill of winning awards and tracking severe weather, there is something more driving Freeze’s passion for her work. “This job is special. It allows for unique experiences and unusual opportunities. The best part is that doing a special job allows me to serve others in a way that motivates me to do my best. When I do my job well, it opens doors and invites experiences that allow me to help those around me.” Freeze’s off-camera successes include completion of multiple New York City Marathon races, SCUBA diving with sharks, and broadening children’s understanding of weather by speaking at schools. She enjoys supporting charitable causes and once competed in and won Chicago’s “Dancing With the Stars” event to benefit the March of Dimes. She and her husband, Gary have four children: three boys ages 14, 11, and 4, and a daughter who is 8 years old. Source: Department of Communications News

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