Guest speakers enliven classes

Reporters, editors, advertising executives and PR professionals are frequent visitors to classes in the School of Journalism and Mass Media. Last Thursday may have set a record for most guests in a single day, five.
Larry Grant (left), the Democratic candidate for Congress in Idaho's 1st District, answered questions from students in Sandra Haarsager's Public Affairs Reporting class. Earlier, Matt van Vleet, regional public affairs manager for Potlatch Corp., spoke to Becky Tallent's Public Relations Campaigns class.
Shannon Paterson, reporter/anchor for KTRV-TV in Boise, spoke to Glenn Mosley's Broadcast News course. She also was the master of ceremonies for the UI Foundation's recognition banquet Thursday evening.
Michael Reagan, creative director at MMG (Marketing Media Group) in Boise, visited two of Mark Secrist's advertising classes: Advertising Campaigns and Advertising Media Planning.
Valerie Steffen, president of Strategic Intelligence, a Boise marketing research and public opinion consulting firm, spoke to my Mass Media and Public Opinion course. Dr. Steffen presented results of a study of a proposal to widen Ustick Road in west Boise.
Alumni interested in speaking to a class should e-mail me for details. For a complete list of guest speakers in this and previous semesters, see this link.