Tag: music

From Athlete to Advocate

~ kaylamurden0622 ~ Leave a comment

Florida State and University of Georgia graduate Karmen Morrison uses her skills in the communications and journalism industry and being a graduate assistant. Morrison grew up in Jacksonville, Florida playing basketball, volleyball and flag football throughout high school.

“What drew me from sports to journalism? When I was in high school, I was asked to do a lot of interviews about school and sports. I was in an early college program, so people were asking me a lot about that. I ended up being the Female Athlete of the Year of my city. So I did a few different interviews for that, and I had fun doing it. I was the interviewee, obviously, but I enjoyed it. And I was like, I think I could probably do this. So that’s where I got my start. ”

In high school being an involved student athlete, Morrison said she saw the difference between men’s and women’s sports quickly.

When going to Florida State majoring in media communications studies, she used her social media platforms to advocate for women’s sports. With women’s sports on the rise right now, it’s important to see other women and previous athletes show support. Female athletes deal with more pressures than men as professionals. For example,

when you’re a woman people will criticize your looks, skill, background, race and sexuality.

“I’m on social media, so I share my opinions,” Morrison said, adding that one interview she conducted was really powerful to her. “I got to talk to Lonnie Alameda. She’s their head softball coach, very, very renowned coach. And this was following a very late game. So I asked her, what’s your opinion on you guys playing really late? And she was very open, honest, blunt about it. It’s probably one of my favorite interviews I’ve done. She spoke about a lot of the things that could change with the Women’s College World Series, and so I included that stuff in my package.”

Morrison expresses herself through sports journalism and takes pride in women’s sports, whether it’s on social media, the stories she does, or just little quotes. Morrison mentioned that tennis is one of the only sports to pay women and men equally, at least in the majors. She thinks it’s important, but just a small step.

Morrison believes no matter race, age, or gender, representation matters. Even though she calls herself a rookie she likes to share what she knows with younger people to help them become better than what she is.

“I think for me, one thing that irritated me, is we had a good football team when I was there, and they would always get free shirts. But we were districts champs year after year, and I’m like, why we aren’t we getting free shirts? What’s going on?” This is one example of how something simple can make a difference. Looking beyond the sport, it’s the principle of it not being equal for the girls and boys teams.

“And I think for me, representation matters. Obviously, I’m a black woman, so you got to be able to reach back and show little girls, even little boys, and show them what’s possible. I think it’s really about representation at the end of the day.”

Not Your Average Joe!

~ madiken55288 ~ Leave a comment

By: Madison McKenzie

Who is Joe Dennis? A husband, a father, a Kesha fan man and fedora lover.

“I got my start in college when my Summer orientation leader said he needed a volleyball reporter and I had a crush on a girl who was on the team,” Joe said.

Joe got his start at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois as a volleyball reporter, with no background on the sport.That didn’t stop Joe from stepping up to the plate and hoping to talk to his crush.

After he had some time and practice, Joe eventually picked up journalism as a minor and you can tell his feeling toward it changed from “I don’t want to do it” to something he can say he enjoys. His long term professor and mentor at Grady College, Conrad Fink, whom he gives thank to.

“He really believed in me and my writing like no one ever has and he showed me how good I really am, and he said that I should really do this. He really believed in me,” Joe said.

His mentor gave him what he needed to hear in order to become the great writer he is today.

“When I was working in Monroe, on Tribune here in Georgia I interviewed this judge who was a local judge who needed a liver transplant, and so we continuously did story updates like every month,” Joe said “The way we started these updates was where he was on the waiting list for a liver transplant. So we did about four or five stories on him and just tracking how he declined each month and tying in to that the importance of organ donation in each story. And he died before he got the chance to get a liver transplant. I’ll never forget the day he died.”

This led him to become an organ donor. Joe believed that “there was no reason for this man to die.” He believes no one should have to wait to live life. Joe is a very caring person who is very in tune with his feelings.

Joe also picked up the new habit of cooking. Cooking dishes from his Filipino culture, he enjoys making a coconut dubbo, pancit and lumpia, which is Filipino egg rolls, and Filipino bbq. He recently asked his mom for new recipes from his culture.

“How much soy sauce do I need,” she says “Enough.” Joe responded “Well how much is enough?” His mom responded “Enough is enough.”

In addition to writing and cooking, he listens to Kesha in his spare time.

“She’s someone who I feel is very inspiring because of her history, she has really overcome a lot in her life and has persevered,” Joe said.

He gets pumped up by listening to the Kesha song “Blow” which, in his words, help him “dominate the day” and “get the party started.” He loves her lesser known songs as well, songs like “Raising Hell,” where he believes it’s a song about her standing up for her rights.

He mentions the song “Praying.”

“That song is just so emotional, so heartfelt. It’s a song where someone hurt her so deeply, she’s actually praying for that person so it just shows a lot of forgiveness.” Some things just resonate with Joe.

Joe Dennis

~ shustersaybel11 ~ 1 Comment

Joe Dennis doesn’t write as much these days, not because he’s out of words, but because students fill his office daily, needing someone to listen. A journalism professor with a heart for mental health; Joe has become a safe space for students dealing with anxiety, identity struggles and personal crises.

“They needed someone to be there for them,” he says simply. And so he is.

Raised in Georgia and shaped by a childhood in Catholic school, Dennis didn’t get mental health support growing up. During his battle with depression from a young age, he realized the power of being seen and heard. That experience now fuels his work for journalism, from his blogs on student well-being to the space he creates for those who need to talk.

During an interview, Dennis says, “They just needed someone to talk to.. They just needed someone to vent. They needed to know they weren’t alone. That I was there and they needed people to support them, and that really inspired me.”

Before teaching, Dennis lived in Monroe, Georgia, where he covered the heartbreaking story of a judge waiting for a liver transplant. The man died before receiving one, and the experience moved Dennis so deeply that he became a liver donor himself. It was a reminder of how stories and the people behind them can change lives.

Dennis, who proudly embraces his Filipino heritage, has always navigated the world as someone a little different. Growing up in Chicago, he saw firsthand how race shaped communities and opportunities. Those experiences appear in his writing and in how he teaches – with empathy, honesty and lived experience.

His favorite artist is Kesha, having each song for each mood.

“If I’m looking to get pumped up, like if I’m looking to you know, dominate the day, I’d probably listen to Blow,” Dennis said.

He is also very fond the emotional ballad, “Praying,” which speaks to him in different ways – whether it’s about letting go, standing up or forgiving someone who’s hurt you.

He’s known for his love of Kesha songs, his cooking inspired by his mom’s Filipinos recipes, his matching tattoo with his son and, of course, his collection of fedoras. The hat started as a dare from a friend. He kept it on – and made it his thing. Like the hat, Joe Dennis stands out quietly but meaningfully, reminding every student he meets that they matter.