You might remember soccer player and communication studies senior Esteban Suárez Gómez from social media a few months ago — he was named Temple Athletics' Scholar-Athlete of the Month in October 2020. In fact, he didn't even realize he had been given the honor until a friend saw him at training and congratulated him. After a difficult year of uncertainty, lack of motivation and lots of training, the award came as an uplifting surprise to Suárez Gómez. Now, as he looks forward to his graduation in May 2021, he is assessing the range of possibilities available to him in...

Junior communication studies major Thomas Hernandez has many varied interests, but a love for history is what unites them all. After investigating topics like dance in Puerto Rico as a freshman, Hernandez is taking on a new research project titled "Radicalization in the Age of COVID-19" with the aid of a Creative Arts, Research, And Scholarship (CARAS) Grant. This project will propel him further toward his long-term goals of joining the military; pursuing graduate studies of either international relations, political science or history; and eventually, he hopes, working for the...

Advertising Campaigns, the advertising major capstone course for students in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Klein College of Media and Communication, took on an exciting new client in the Fall 2020 semester. Harriett's Bookshop is a Philadelphia-based, Black-female owned and operated independent bookstore named after Black revolutionary Harriet Tubman, a place that celebrates women authors, artists and activists. The bookshop was the subject of a racist email attack in September; in October, it hosted a sit-in that brought awareness to the ordeal. Klein...

When Director of the Communication Studies Program at Klein College of Media and Communication Scott Gratson was selected for the University of Oxford's online Certificate in Higher Education Programme earlier this year, he knew he would gain exposure to various opportunities to explore his intellectual curiosities. However, he did not anticipate how much his perspectives on his educational journey as both a student and an instructor would change for the better. Gratson expressed interest in student positions once he started the certificate program at Oxford so that he could...

The rapid pace of news reporting may cause many journalism students to feel overwhelmed. However, they only have to look to former Temple University professor Mary Connelly Graff as inspiration. Graff taught at Temple from 1980 to 1985 and also worked in the Journalism Department at Klein College of Media and Communication as assistant chairwoman and director of undergraduate programs. As one of the pioneers for women in media workplaces, she was known for her tough but invaluable guidance as both a reporter and an instructor.  Graff passed away in January 2019 at age 87 and to...

Shanayah Wyche, a senior public relations major, has participated in several extracurricular and professional opportunities while maintaining an impressive academic standing. But perhaps her longest-standing endeavor is dedicating herself to representing Philadelphia and its best interests in everything she does. As a self-proclaimed storyteller, Wyche aims to tell a well-rounded narrative of the city she calls home.Wyche was born and raised in Philadelphia and has seen how Temple has contributed to positive developments in the area. However, she also recognizes that there have...

Esperanza College, a North Philadelphia branch campus of Eastern University and the first Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in Pennsylvania, is now in an articulation agreement with Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University. Students who complete their associate of applied sciences in Media and Technology at Esperanza can transfer their degree credits to Klein to complete their bachelor of arts in media studies and production. The agreement was signed during the fall 2020 semester after a years-long negotiation between the two institutions.As one of the...

Freshman communication studies major Ajay Patel has wasted no time in laying the foundation for his future. In his first semester he has already made connections with industry leaders that he hopes will lead to internships and more opportunities in Philadelphia's vibrant sports broadcasting industry. With plans to enroll in the new Sports Media Certificate Program and minor in either advertising or business, Patel has already grown his professional development by lightyears within his first semester at Klein College of Media and Communications.After completing a high school...

College Broadcasters, Inc., better known as CBI, is a "a member-driven organization serving students and advisers of college and high school electronic media outlets" that annually hosts a national awards ceremony showcasing the best student work across the country. Despite reporting remotely for most of the year, TUTV student programming continued to demonstrate its excellence in media broadcasting, placing first in three categories for a grand total of seven awards won at the 2020 CBI Awards. Temple Update won both first and second place for Best Newscast for their March 12,...