I met Ellyn Angelotti one semester when I was GTA'ing for the Online Journalism class. She was motivated, enthusastic, creative, and she never stopped smiling. But, I really got to know Ellyn in fall 2004 during the first Online, Writing, Editing and Production class.
I also met Natalie Flanzer in the online production class. This young lady is gutsy. She's a natural leader, a quick learner, and she, like Ellyn, is motivated, enthuastic and creative.
To see Ellyn and Natalie graduate and take on a project like the LJWorld's GAME has been very rewarding.
Meagan Kelleher is another student I had the pleasure of working with in the online production class. Meagan was seduced by the power of code. Haha, I kid you not. She jumped right in and picked up some HTML, a little CSS, a bit of Javascript and then Flash. She took on Flash with a vengence, and learned more in a few weeks that I did in one month. Meagan will begin her new job as Internet Director for KPLC Television in Lake Charles, LA.
It's students like Ellyn, Natalie and Meagan that really make what I'm doing worthwhile. I am very proud of these three KU J-School graduates, and others like them, who are going on to do great things for our profession.
Meagan has just wrapped up two brief yet seemingly infinite weeks at KPLC.
Oh, how far she has come from the trials of one unfortunate squirrel in a transformer.
Perhaps you've noticed that the Atlantic hurricane season has arrived in the gulf the way a Louisiana voter arrives at the polling place...early and often. It's only the middle of July and already the tropics have chalked up a year for the record books. As I write this, Hurricane Emily vacillates between Category 2 and 4, and we are on the northern edge of the "forecast balloon" of landfall.
We are writing the story as it unfolds, and Meagan is at the helm of documenting this first draft of history. As KPLC's first full-time Internet Director, she is defining the position as she goes, demonstrating a level of grace and professional mettle which belies her "newbie" status. She has taken a very good website and has already turned it into a great one, helping redesign our special hurricane section and adding a weather blog which has become an instant hit. Her training at KU shows. I should note that Meagan is the latest of a series of excellent Jawhawk journalists who have graced KPLC as a stepping stone to distinguished broadcast careers.
A snapshot for you: Today, our site reflected the upgrade of Emily to Cat 4 status within minutes. Four hours later, KPRC, the NBC station in Houston (population 5-million) was still asleep at the online switch.
Meagan may be from Nebraska via Lawrence, but make no mistake. She's a Cajun now. Next time you catch up with her, check and see if she's grown webs between her toes...
Jim Serra
VP and General Manager
KPLC (TV)
Lake Charles/Lafayette, Louisiana
I feel obligated to weigh in on young Meagan. She is worthy. Thank God she chose to go to the University of Kansas because the experiences gained on Mount Oread set her apart from the pretenders from lesser institutions. We like the fact that she is a self-starter and shares my angst concerning the outcome of the recently ended KU basketball season. The stabbing incident was the topper and while we have not discussed the matter, I am sure she agrees that Kansas basketball is better off without the player who now has no name.
But I digress. Meagan could not be in a better environment. Jim Serra is a mentor of the highest order. His television station is a newsperson's dream (how many General Managers actually watch the news and if they do, understand what's up?). Southwest Louisiana is a bubbling cauldron of corruption, crime, endearning culture, life-alterning food, enough breaking news to feed the insatiable FNC for a month, and more characters than you will find in a Harry Potter book. Not to mention the fish glow.
KU has been good to KPLC. Meagan is off to a good start but at corporate we have a certain way of looking at high achievers, we smile and say, "What have you done for us lately?" Meagan will be held to no less a standard.
Ron Loewen
Vice President Strategic Development
Liberty Corporation
Mr. Loewen is a graduate
of the University of Kansas School of Law
Ah, finally. A free moment to comment. My 4th day at work was this Friday, and already I have been dealing with a category 4 hurricane! I was sitting at my desk the other day, frantically creating the Severe Weather/Hurricane blog for my weather guys and I commented to someone that the last breaking news story I did was a squirrel in a transformer. Oh, how I'll miss those days!