Kane, O-E, Salamanca Among Winners at St. Bonaventure's Communications Day

High school students from across Western New York and Northern Pennsylvania were honored Friday (Oct. 15, 2010) at St. Bonaventure University’s Communications Day, an annual celebration of high school journalism hosted by the Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Buffalo City Honors School received the Buffalo News’ Bertram Freed Memorial Award for overall excellence.

More than 250 students from 16 high schools attended. Workshops in social media, radio, TV, newswriting and yearbooks filled the students’ morning before an afternoon keynote address given by MaryLynn Ryan, bureau chief of the Southeast region for CNN/U.S. Following her talk, Ryan was presented the Russell J. Jandoli Memorial Award of Excellence “for demonstrating courage in journalism and encouragement of youth.”

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication also took the occasion to add a member to its Wall of Distinguished Graduates – a series of plaques permanently displayed in the John J. Murphy Professional Building on campus. The wall pays tribute to journalism and mass communication graduates who have been recognized for outstanding contributions that reflect admirably on the school and university.

Carol A. Schumacher, vice president of investor relations at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and a 1978 St. Bonaventure alumna, became the school’s 15th distinguished graduate to be honored with a plaque on the wall.

Schumacher joined Wal-Mart in October 2004, serving as vice president of corporate affairs for a year before taking her current position. She manages and oversees the company’s global communications with the investment community, financial media and Walmart associates. She is the company’s primary spokesperson to analysts and investors around the world.

Schumacher is a past president of the National Alumni Board for St. Bonaventure and completed a two-year term on the university’s Board of Trustees. She was named Alumna of the Year in 1998.

She attended Friday’s ceremony with her husband, Bob Kelly, and their son Garrett.

The following schools participated in Communications Day: Brocton Central High School, Buffalo City Honors School, Cassadaga Valley Central School, Corry Area High School, Dunkirk Senior High School, Eisenhower High School, Fredonia High School, Kane Area High School, Lake Shore Senior High School, North Collins High School, Orchard Park High School, Oswayo High School, Otto-Eldred High School, Our Lady of Mercy High School, Salamanca High School, and Southwestern High School.

A list of award winners follows:

Adviser of the Year Award

Nancy Main, Cassadaga Valley Central School

Russell J. Jandoli Memorial Award

Angela Smith, Our Lady of Mercy High School

Bertram Freed Memorial Award

Buffalo City Honors School

Newspaper

First (tie): Brocton Review, Brocton High School; and Trapezoid, Brighton High School

Third: Cougar Beat, Cassadaga Valley Central School

News Magazine

First: Spectator, Fredonia High School

Second: Voice, Orchard Park High School

Third: Silent Noise [!], Buffalo City Honors School

Television

First: Warrior Vision Production, Salamanca High School

Yearbook

First: Centralian – Southwestern High School

Second: Folio – Fredonia High School

Third: Hurri-Kane – Kane Area High School

Depth Reporting

First: Christian Deakin, Brocton High School

Second: Nate Aldrich, Fredonia High School

Third (tie): Amrita Singh, Brighton High School; and Jacob Cunningham, Fredonia High School

Entertainment Review

First: Stanford Schor, Brighton High School

Second (tie): Chaz Mancino, Fredonia High School; and Marisa Bartolotta, Buffalo City Honors School

Features

First: Dylan Burns, Buffalo City Honors School

Second: Madeleine Burns, Buffalo City Honors School

Third (tie): Fatima Bawany, Brighton High School; and Dylan Burns, Buffalo City Honors School

Humor

First: Christian Deakin, Brocton High School

Second: Ross DiPronio, Orchard Park High School

Third: Katelyn Stahlman, Brocton High School

News Reporting

First: Megan Borgstom, Brocton High School

Second: Mark Belcher, Brocton High School

Third: Nabiha Ahsan, Brighton Central School


Opinion

First (tie): Josh Weiner, Brighton High School; and Rachel Bialaszewski, Brocton High School

Second: Stanford Schor, Brighton High School

Third: Simone Liano, Brighton High School


Personality Profile

First: James Gilfert, Wellsville High School

Second: Sandy Uwimana, Brighton High School

Third: Katelyn DeChrd, Cassadaga Valley High School


Photojournalism

First: Natasha Boghani, Brighton High School

Second: Lexi Kendall, Brocton Central School

Third: Krystina George, Oswayo Valley High School


Sports Features

First: Mark Belcher, Brocton High School

Second: Hans Glick, Buffalo City Honors School

Third: Chad Mason, Fredonia High School


Sports Reporting

First: Andrea Hurley, Fredonia High School

Second: Talor Wilber, Otto-Eldred High School

Third: Matt Sant-Miller, Brighton High School


Yearbook features

First: Stephanie Salerno, Kane Area High School

Second (tie): Heidi Klaiber, Kane Area High School; and Minh Viet Le, Buffalo City Honors School

Third (tie): Lacey Anderson and Kathryn Bizzak, Kane Area High School

Illustrations

First: Harvest Zhang, Brighton High School

Second: Suzanne Wu, Brighton High School

Third: Nadia Wakabayaski, Brighton High School


Pictured, Communications Day speaker MaryLynn Ryan is presented an Award of Excellence from Lee Coppola, dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at St. Bonaventure University. Carol A. Schumacher, vice president of investor relations at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., takes her place on the Wall of Distinguished Graduates in St. Bonaventure’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Photos courtesy of St. Bonaventure University