Elliott School of Communication

Elliott Hall has been bustling since 8 a.m., when new adjunct Travis Heying kicked off our Intro to Photojournalism class and Sunflower leaders hustled to get the newspaper on racks after a late delivery from the printer. Happy fall semester, to all our students, faculty and staff!

🗣️📢Hey! Did you hear?! 🎉Wichita State's Application for Admission is open 🚨TODAY🚨 for the Class of 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣!🥳

The application is quick and straightforward! Head to ➡️Wichita.edu/apply to officially apply to become a ! 🌾💛🖤

Congratulations to all of our graduates! Here are just a few from this morning’s ceremony.
🎓💛🌾

We have more than our fair share of outstanding graduating seniors, and we celebrated them all today. Here are the official Outstanding Seniors award winners as chosen by the Elliott School faculty from among the December '23 and May '24 graduates. Congratulations!

Congratulations to all of our graduates! One of the long-standing traditions in the Elliott School is presenting Outstanding Senior Awards, chosen by faculty from among the December and May graduates. We are excited to share this year's nominees.

Congratulations to the 2023 spring and fall semester Shocker Ad Lab students for the first- and second-place awards for their client work. First-place work created for the Society of Professional Journalists - Kansas Pro Chapter Wichita Gridiron fundraiser and for Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wichita State University will go on to compete in the National Federation of Press Women nationwide communication contest.

Congratulations to Shocker Speakout finalists Gabrielle Rink, Annalisa Schoenhoefer, Trace Kesinger, Isabella Porter, and Michelle Phillips! And an extra congrats to overall winner Michelle Phillips on her policy persuasive speech arguing for aligning minimum wage with inflation!

Stress? What stress? So many students took a little time today to make friendship bracelets with the Elliott Ambassadors. Stop by their table tomorrow on the second floor of Elliott Hall. A few clever students even made bracelets for professors in attempt to win extra points — or get finals canceled.

Let’s face it. It’s been a semester. Need some time to de-stress? Your friends in the Elliott School are here for you. Come make friendship bracelets with us tomorrow and Tuesday!

Congratulations! to Wichita State University Debate.

Armed with questionable glasses from a parking lot vendor, our students and faculty took a little break from classes and work to check out the eclipse.

Tossing it back to the 2017 eclipse when students and faculty stepped out into Elliott Hall courtyard for the show.

PHOTO BOOTH FINALISTS
See first photo for instructions.🦉

Photo Booth Day 2. Grab your photos and stay tuned for the finalists!

Photo Booth Day 1. Grab your photos here and stay tuned for the Photo Booth finalists!

Thanks to everyone who came out and helped show students what we do! It was a great event with a great team.

Tomorrow is the last day! Come out and win an owl.

Come out and see us!

Congratulations Allison!

Allison Campbell | Wichita State University | $5,000 Bill Murfin Memorial Scholarship, presented by Murfin Media.

Allison Campbell is pursuing a degree in journalism and media production in the Elliott School of Communication at WSU. She is the news editor of The Sunflower student newspaper and previously worked there as a reporter and photographer. Campbell plans to pursue “a career of service through journalism.”

“I hope, through my writing, to amplify the voices of those who need to be heard and detail their story in a way that transports the reader and enables them to view the world from the eyes of the subject," Campbell said. "By doing so, we can promote the ideals essential to repairing our world: compassion, learning and empathy."

Congratulations Ainsley!

Ainsley Smyth | Wichita State University | $1,500 Michael Bates Memorial Scholarship, funded by Gridiron and the family and friends of Michael Bates.
Ainsley Smyth, a junior pursuing a degree in journalism and media production from the Elliott School of Communication at WSU, works as a reporter for The Sunflower. This spring, she started an internship with the Wichita Journalism Collaborative. Her zeal for journalism began while writing for her high school newspaper.
“I felt (then), as I still do, that reliable and quality journalism is a crucial part of democracy, and that I could play a part in it.”

Congratulations Jacob!

Jacob Unruh | Wichita State University, Elliott School of Communication | $2,000 Bill Roy Memorial Scholarship, funded by the Wichita Business Journal, the Wichita Gridiron VIP Party and the friends and family of Bill Roy.

High school debate and forensics led Jacob Unruh to desire degrees in journalism and political science from WSU. A senior this fall, Jacob Unruh serves as an assistant debate coach for his former high school and works as an assistant sports editor for The Sunflower. He has served internships with KMUW and the Wichita Journalism Collaborative.

“I am excited to continue to hone and develop my skills in the coming years at Wichita State and beyond.”

They got the memo.

Congrats Isabel on being awarded the Les Anderson Memorial Scholarship from the Society of Professional Journalists - Kansas Pro Chapter.

Scholarship winner Isabel Ordoñez | Wichita State University | $1,000 Les Anderson Memorial Scholarship, funded by Gridiron and the family and friends of Les Anderson.

Isabel Ordoñez is a bilingual senior and first-generation student studying journalism and media production in the Elliott School of Communication at WSU. She is also a staff writer for The Sunflower student newspaper, where she says she has learned to craft engaging content for diverse audiences.

“My goal of becoming a full-time journalist after graduation is driven by a desire to shed light on important issues,” Ordoñez said, “and give voice to those who are often unheard.”

Congratulations Ainsley on being awarded the Michael Bates Memorial Scholarship from the Society of Professional Journalists - Kansas Pro Chapter.

Ainsley Smyth | Wichita State University | $1,500 Michael Bates Memorial Scholarship, funded by Gridiron and the family and friends of Michael Bates.
Ainsley Smyth, a junior pursuing a degree in journalism and media production from the Elliott School of Communication at WSU, works as a reporter for The Sunflower. This spring, she started an internship with the Wichita Journalism Collaborative. Her zeal for journalism began while writing for her high school newspaper.
“I felt (then), as I still do, that reliable and quality journalism is a crucial part of democracy, and that I could play a part in it.”

We loved having high school journalism students on campus yesterday. 💛

Money for school. You cannot be considered if you don't apply.
Applications are due March 4.
Apply online: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfwO2youx2pm-4-4DaKKX21Ezwc0dq7Q1knfodqKeKC3dCVxA/viewform

Students attending Wichita area colleges and universities are eligible for our annual scholarship award. Online applications are due before midnight on Monday, March 4. Students pursuing careers in advertising, digital media, editing, graphic design, journalism, marketing, photography, public relations, public speaking, writing and other mass communications areas are eligible to apply. Check this link for the application and requirements.
https://www.wichitaprofessionalcommunicators.com/about-wpc/scholarships/
The award winner will be announced in spring 2024.