Let’s all get together and talk about what NPPA is and what it can do for you. Please bring $10 dollars as your yearly dues unless you are a national member. If so, please bring your ID number for verification.
Take a Swim
Through Our Eyes – Week 1
NPPA is proud to publish the first week of Through Our Eyes! We received a lot of submissions and want to thank each every one of you for being a part of this. If you don’t see one of your photos here, don’t worry, there are plenty more chances to get one of yours in coming in the near future! Our next deadline is Monday, October 8th at 11:59 pm for photos from this week!
Christopher Burgess, 23, of Detroit, holds his dog, Baby, while his niece Summerlynn Turner, 9, colors a coloring book while her sisters Raelyn, 6, and Makenzie (far right), 4, sit together and eat strawberries while other members of the Turner family hang out on the porch on a summer afternoon in Bowling Green, Ky., Sept. 14, 2012. Burgess recently moved in to the house with his relatives to avoid the trouble he was getting into in Detroit, he said.
Austin Anthony
Dorothy Edwards
Luke Musser, a senior WKU swimmer, leads the WKU swimming and diving team in a final cheer after finishing run-swims on Saturday, September 1 at the Russell Sims Aquatic Center in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Kreable Young
Graham Browder-Seguin, 5, of Bowling Green, pretends he is a jaguar gathering food for his mother in his cave while playing at Ogden Park in Bowling Green Monday, Sept. 10, 2012.
Austin Anthony
Jabin Botsford
Morgan Walker
Alix Mattingly
Presidential Sweetness hits WKU
The School of Journalism and Broadcasting and the Department of Political Science cordially invite you to an evening of entertainment, lecture and discourse. On Thursday, September 27 please join us at 5:30 pm in the Atrium of Mass Media and Technology Building as we offer an open reception to coincide with the opening of a gallery of images called ”The Presidential Image: 70 Years of the Best in White House Photography.” This gallery is culled from the Pictures of the Year International archives that represent the best images from the past seven decades.
At 6:30 in MMTH auditorium the evening will continue with a lecture by David Hume Kennerly, a Pulitzer Prize and Emmy award-winner. Kennerly has been shooting on the front lines of history for more than 45 years. He has photographed eight wars, as many U.S. presidents, and has traveled to dozens of countries along the way.
And then, to top the night off, at 7:45 pm in the auditorium we will have a a presidential panel discussion about the importance of documenting the most powerful person in the world. Moderated by former White House picture editor, Mike Davis, Kennerly will join in discussion with Luke Sharett, a current WKU photojournalism student who is currently assigned to the White House by the New York Times to cover the Obama campaign.
Please address questions to Tim Broekema. We look forward to seeing you there. This will be a “swipable” event. Student cards will be swiped at the completion of the panel discussion, not earlier.
One Hot Month
I mean, July was a HOT month – like epic hot. Like record breaking hot. But in the middle of all this heat came one amazing image that made me cool down and go, “ahhhh”. To be published in National Geographic is awesome, right? But to be published as a double truck in the Vision section is even more awesome, right? But then to be published within the first year of graduation – awe, come on! Way to go Lance Booth – a most awesome image and it was great seeing your name in the lady with the bright yellow jacket!
Photo J Majors Meeting Set
Attention all students of the WKU Photo program. I am excited to announce the date and time of our Fall Semester 2012 Majors Meeting. We will gather in MMTH Auditorium (rm 166) at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, September 4. The new folks may not realize just how much FUN this meeting can be – you veterans of this event will be there ready to cheer on our new students. Door prizes worth thousands of dollars – or perhaps even priceless items – will be given away. So if you are considering photojournalism as your major OR you are hooked already on this crazy profession, you need to come to this meeting.
Loving Mallory
Adam Dobson was becoming part of growing trend seen in the gay and transgender population. He was trying everything from Xanax to hydrocodone, and even a horse tranquilizer called ketamine to find a high. According to www.americanprogress.org, up to 30% of the gay and transgender community abuse substances, compared to only 9% in the general population.
A couple of years ago Dobson began to perform in drag which, he says, helped him get his life on a more positive track. He now performs drag as Mallory in nightclubs throughout Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana, and his number one fan is his mom, Cathy.
Cathy attends almost every drag performance that she can. “He never disappoints me,” she says, “I’m always amazed by his performance.”
The love and support Cathy gives her son is significant. Not every gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender young adults’ parents are supportive, which experts believe may be a factor that leads many LGBT youth to depression or other risky behavior. A study done by the Official Journal of The American Academy of Pediatrics in 2009 found that, “lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who reported higher levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to report having engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection.”
“I’m going to live life the way I want to live it, and I refuse to let anyone bring me down,” Dobson said.
Young in Heart
Brenda Smith, 56, used to think that when she reached a certain age, she and her husband Bruce would be celebrating their golden years together, with no one else in the house.
That thought changed about eight years ago, when the Smith household began to take care of Shylar, Bruce’s grandson and Brenda’s step-grandson.
According to AARP, more than 2.5 million grandparents in the United States are taking in their grandchildren and becoming responsible for them.
Brenda takes great pride in raising Shylar as her own son, but Shylar isn’t the only person in the household living under her care.
In Dec. 2011, her father Bill Wilcox was diagnosed with cancer and after being faced with the reality of going to a nursing home, Brenda made the decision to take him into her home and take care of him.
She experiences life’s joys and struggles as she splits her time between raising her 8-year-old grandson, and caring for her 84-year-old dad.
The Herald – Fighting for Free Speech
Twenty-five years ago the students who ran the newspaper at Western Kentucky University fought a battle of David and Goliath to preserve their independence and free speech that helped pave a path of self-governance for student publications across the country. The story is told through archival news footage and current interviews with those who were involved at that time.
The end of the road, but the beginning of the highway
Below is a sample of some of our Senior Capstone course Projects in Photojournalism. The student’s will take the entire semester to work on one project of their choosing. Enjoy the stories.
Ben Severence – “Leaving a Legacy”
“I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.” -John Steinbeck
The nationally renowned journalism program and award winning student newspaper at Western Kentucky University have not always been so prestigious. From humble beginnings and through controversy they were formed by the work of thousands of friends, colleagues and students.
This is the story of a little newspaper in Kentucky that would stop a nothing to be the considered the best and one man who for over 40 years guided the paper, touching the lives of every student involved.
Zach Conkle – “Wright’s Law”
An amazing educator in the Louisville School System, Jeffrey Wright pours his heart and emotion into the well being of his students. Little do they know that Wright’s life at school is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the love he carries for his own family.
Leslye Davis – “My Blessing, My Boy”
When Andrew Holland was 13, he was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma after a tumor was discovered in his spine. Doctors gave him 50-50 odds of survival.
On March 14, 2012, he underwent his last chemotherapy treatment. Less than three weeks later, his mother Regina received a phone call from the hospital. An MRI revealed four new tumors in Andrew’s spine. He immediately returned to chemotherapy as doctors worked to determine what his treatment options would be.
Andrew and Regina worry that a bone marrow transplant will be a tragic step in his journey to recovery.
“It’s just scary because to do that, they have to take the kids as close to death as they possibly can.” Regina said. “We’ve been coming here for a while and I’ve seen too many kids die from it.”
“I don’t think I’m going to die,” Andrew said. “ I think I can come really, really close to it— just not going to die.”
Even in his hospital bed, he will sing to his mother, his visitors, and even the nurses as they come and go on their routines.
Some day Andrew hopes to be an author. Although he rarely betrays the optimism that defines his character, through his writing a darker side to his struggle is revealed.
Alyssa Orr – “Loving Mallory”
Adam Dobson of Bowling Green, Ky., gets his life on a more positive track after getting involved with drugs. The unconditional love and support coming from Adam’s mom, Cathy, continues to strengthen the bond they share.
Kelly Lafferty – “Young in Heart”
56-year-old Brenda Smith revolves her life around her family. She experiences life’s joys and struggles as she raises her grandson and takes care of her ailing father.