The School’s alumni provide many donations that directly support students by providing new or renovated meeting spaces or offices for student organizations as well as helping communication students travel for academic or professional experiences. The school and its students so appreciate the financial support from alumni and the direct impact that support makes on students’ undergraduate experience at Ohio State.
The School of Communication includes five student organizations for communication and journalism students: National Association of Black Journalists, Public Relations Student Society of America, The PRactice, Kappa Tau Alpha and the Black Advertising & Strategic Communication Association.
With nearly 150 members, Ohio State’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America is the largest chapter in the nation.
Sandy Hermanoff (journalism, ’65), chair of the School of Communication’s Advancement Board, and her husband, Michael Hermanoff, made a donation of $25,000 to provide support for students who are members of PRSSA. This funding can support scholarships, research, travel and other student needs. Hermanoff also committed $250,000 from her estate to support undergraduate student research in the School.
PRSSA students visit Edelman on a networking trip to New York City.
The PRSSA chapter at Ohio State also operates an active student-run PR firm, The PRactice. It creates an environment for students to learn the skills they need to enter the public relations industry with the grit of hands-on experience.
Thanks to a generous donation from alumnus Neil Widerschein (communication, ’80), The PRactice will return this fall to a new office space where students can meet with their teams and with their clients. Before the pandemic, the firm conducted client and firm meetings in various classrooms across campus.
The new PRactice office will give the firm a visible presence in the Journalism Building, just down the hall from The Lantern newsroom, to encourage undergraduate students interested in various aspects of communication to gain real-world skills as part of their Ohio State undergrad experience.
The flexible and innovative office will also allow students to reconfigure the space as needed for in-person and virtual meetings with clients, professionals and alumni. PRactice associates can showcase clients and the work they’ve done as a way to help other students in the school to grow their understanding of the type of careers and work that communication encompasses.
Renderings of The PRactice office, which is currently in the renovation process.
“As The PRactice continues to grow, we want to work towards emulating the environment of a modern functioning PR firm as closely as possible,” said Tori Reginelli, student CEO of The PRactice for 2020-21. “This office space is a giant step forward toward that goal that will enrich the real-world experience of all of our members.”
The PRactice students helped run an event with boxer Buster Douglas to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Douglas’ victory over Mike Tyson despite 42-1 odds. The team of 10 students created social media content and provided event support.
Many students in the school — both journalism and communication majors — gain hands-on experience through Ohio State’s award-winning student newspaper, The Lantern. A team of 23 editors and more than 40 reporters produce The Lantern. These students have been on the frontlines of breaking news, delivering factual, thoughtful journalism to students, staff and faculty, alumni, and parents of Ohio State. The Lantern was named the 2021 best student newspaper in Ohio by the Ohio News Media Association.
The Lantern is grateful for the generosity of John Oller (journalism, ’79), who supported The Lantern with a $50,000 gift in the fall of 2020. In recognition of his generosity, the faculty advisor’s office was named in his honor. Resources from Oller’s gift will support positions such as managing editor for design, campus editor, photo editor, arts and life editor and sports editor.
This gift was in addition to an endowment Oller created in 2020 that permanently funds a special projects reporter position at The Lantern. Each year’s Oller reporter writes on and investigates topics that frequently become signature pieces. Maeve Walsh was the 2020-21 Oller reporter. She partnered with Sarah Szilagy on the Title IX series Unsilenced.
The Oller endowment is one of many School of Communication scholarships and funds for students supported by alumni giving. The School of Communication honored all scholarship recipients at a Virtual Undergraduate Award Ceremony in April.
The Lantern has also seen great alumni support over the past two years through donations given as part of its rivalry edition produced in conjunction (and in competition) with The Michigan Daily, the student-run newspaper at the University of Michigan.
“Donations such as these can have an extraordinary impact in enriching the student experience here at the School of Communication,” said Michael Slater, director of the School of Communication. “Alumni support has made possible student and faculty travel and research, scholarships and awards, increased the financial stability of the Lantern, and helped professionalize our student PR agency. These differences impact student lives in a lasting way.”
The Ohio State School of Communication strives every day to ensure we attract and educate the best and brightest students, with an eye toward making the next generation of communicators and communication scholars the best it can be. Tax-deductible gifts of any size from alumni to one of our generous endowments help the School fulfill this mission, and continue its legacy of outstanding students.
View a list of giving opportunities through the School of Communication.
Article by Student Lila Kratsas.
