Silent Auction

A grand total of 31 items were in the silent auction at this year’s Derby Rose Gala event held inside Winters Dining Hall. There were so many options to choose from and a great selection to fit anyone’s taste of what they were looking for. Let’s dig into each item shall we?

From right to left the first item up for bid was a Candy Boutique vase of assorted candy with the starting bid at twenty-five dollars. Next up was a dining experience a Tony York’s Main in Glendale, Kentucky. Following a fabulous dining experience was a Donna Sharp quilt valued at $200.00. Sharp is a Kentucky native and 5th generation quilter, and well known for her outstanding work on each quilt. A Historic Nelson County package was given away to the highest bidder at the end of the night. This package included a first night free at the Eagle Manor Bed & Breakfast with a purchase of the second night, as well as two tickets to the Stephen Foster Story. A UK Neck Tie was the next item up for bid, followed by an amazing ladies package. The ladies package included: a scarf and necklace from Awaken Boutique and a $25.00 gift certificate to Merle Norman. The ensuing item up for bid was a gift certificate and Calla Lily donated by Country Corner Greenhouse located in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The Louisville Package followed Country Corner Greenhouse. The package had two tickets to the Belle of Louisville, two tickets to the Actors Theatre, four tickets to the Frazier History Museum, and two tickets to the science center. A total retail value for this package was $100.00. A Tractor supply toy tractor was up next donated by Tractor Supply. Then a Nashville Predators Pekke Rimmepuck was up for biding with the starting bid at $25.00. A Striper Fishing trip followed as the next item up for bid. It included a full day out on Lake Cumberland with all boating and bait

costs included. The starting bid on the fishing trip was set at $275.00. Next item in the silent auction was a Penn’s Country Ham valued at $35.00. The Corvette Museum with four passes followed with the starting bid set at $20.00. A Mary Kay Gift Basket filled with Mary Kay items valued at $140.00 was next. After a Mary Kay Gift Bag was a Campbellsville Dining Package. This package included: a 50 dollar gift card to Brothers barbeque located in downtown Campbellsville, two-salad bars at Druthers, a breakfast special; a Hot Brown, a Happy Days burger and a Chuck Wagon Dinner at Happy Days. The next item up for bid at the silent auction was a Lebanon Jewelry & Gift donated by: Glenna and Dana Leake. The item was a single pink leather bracelet with a dangling tulip charm retailed at $75.00. Next up was the Children’s Package including: a Tractor Supply Polka Dot Parade hand painted and Chick-fil-A coupons, book mark, stuffed cow, pencil, stickers, magnet and a cup. A Firestone oil change and alignment valued at $70.00 had a starting bid of 35 dollars. The next items up for bid were a 1950’s coaster set donated by the CU Advancement Board. Next up was called “Off to the Races Package,” held in Lexington, Kentucky. This package included four reserved Grandstand Seats for one day for the fall races held in October at Keeneland. As well as a one night stay in a manor room at Castle Post luxury hotel, and another one night stay at Griffin Gate Marriott Resort & Spa including breakfast. This package was a value of $450.00. The Next package was “The Scent Gift Basket,” including a candle warmer crock with a hot maple toddy candleberry melt, a hot maple toddy scented Candleberry Candle and a hot maple candleberry car sent all donated by Magnolia Alley. A John Deere toy tractor followed with a retail value of $51.99. Another Mary Gay gift basket with a different assortment of items valued at $125.00. Next was a Chocolate Pearl Necklace and Bracelet set donated from Tucker Diamonds & Gold. The Louisville Slugger Package donated from Louisville Slugger was followed with a bat stick bag,

and two gloves valued at $556.00 making it the most expensive package at the 2014 Derby Rose Gala. Volare Italian Restaurant gift certificates were donated by Mrs. Betty Porter, and then a Still Waters Therapeutic Massage full hour session was up for bid. Next up was a lemon cake valued at $50.00 donated by Barb Plenge. A Chandler’s $50.00 gift certificate was given to the highest bidder donated by Bill and Jill Chandler, followed by a 10 piece set of Rachael Ray stainless steel cookware. The final item up for bid was a Con Flower Print donated by: Stan McKinney. This 20 by 30 inch photograph of a purple cone Flower on canvas was valued at $100.00.

So many items and choices to select from made for just another example of how the Derby Rose Gala’s are getting better and better each year!

Even The Room Will Be Dressed To Impress

         Campbellsville University’s annual Derby Rose Gala has always been known for the beautiful decorations and flowers, and this year was no exception.

            Rob Roberts, Campbellsville University director of grounds and landscape development, said the decorating team spent a great deal of time thinking about how to spruce up the gala which was in the Winters Dining Hall.

            “We really began planning the decorations for this year back right after the gala last year,” Roberts said. “Each year we look at what worked and what we could tweak to make the decorations better. But, we began having meetings two to three months ago to officially plan how we would decorate.”

            Roberts said the planning team was originally unsure if they would be able to get roses in bloom for the gala, but that everything was worked out and they received 53 gallon pots of roses.

            “We are using all double red roses. This means they have more petals on them than the average rose,” Roberts said.

            The roses were used to surround the famous Derby Rose Gala Horse, Jake, for pictures with the gala guests. There was also be a horseshoe with flowers around it to emulate the Kentucky Derby. Large pots of roses were also placed around the stage inside the Winters Dining Hall.

            Other than the double red roses, Roberts said there were spring colors and flowers in the dining hall entrance for a “garden effect” as well as light chains that directed the guests where to go. Double Knockout Roses were also used.

            In conjunction with Roberts and his CU team, Swan’s Landing worked with the university to decorate the indoors of the gala.

Greg Hash, assistant director at Swan’s Landing, said the theme of the event was “upscale, classy vintage” with champagne being a main color for overlays and other decorations.   

       Hash said Swan’s Landing brought a more current feeling to the gala this year with the modern vintage look of champagne in contrast to last year’s pallette being white.

            “The champagne color gave the gala a classy feeling that has a vintage flair,” Hash said. “We also had ruby red napkins and used some burlap throughout the decor.”

Convergence

 Among the midst of decorations and high profile guests at the sixth annual Derby Rose Gala, mass communication students at Campbellsville University filled the hallway entrance with lights, cameras, wires, computer, and anything else they could possibly need to produce coverage in any aspect of the communication field.

As one of the only schools to offer hands-on experience in the field of mass communication, covering the Derby Rose Gala gives students a glimpse of what it is like to be a professional broadcaster, public relations representative, journalist, photographer or one of the many other roles they might pursue as a career upon completing their studies at the university.

In the three years that the mass communication department has joined forces with the advancement board to provide coverage of the Derby Rose Gala, the field has seen technological advancements. Jeannie Clark, general manager of WLCU-TV/FM, believes students must be taught skills that will carry over when existing technology is obsolete.  

“As the media continues to evolve so does the technology we use,” Clark said. “We have to teach students how to learn and use the skills they have developed to adjust to the new technology as it comes.”

Clark is working on her master’s degree in digital storytelling at Asbury University. She has incorporated Campbellsville University’s Derby Rose Gala into her projects for class at the graduate level.

“I’m using this event to showcase how media is changing,” Clark said. “I don’t believe we will be able to teach media the same way we have in the past. From my research, employers are now looking for someone how can do it all, from shooting video to writing. A portion of my project is putting together a manual to help develop students for the new media market that is growing.”

Stan McKinney, lead professor of mass communication at Campbellsville University, believes that students need to get as much experience as they can in every area of the field.

“You’ve got to be able to do it all today, and students that can do it all will be looked a favorably in the job market,” McKinney said. “For years, different forms of media often didn’t get along, they saw each other as competition. Now we’re the opposite.”  

One of the most important words used in the department of mass communication at CU is “convergence,” especially during the spring semester as the gala draws near.

“Convergence is literally being able to report for any media,” McKinney said.

Senior Kinly Bertram, one of the first students to report live on WLCU’s television broadcast of the gala, believes that convergence is an important aspect of the field.

“It’s so vital to learn multiple roles in the media,” Bertram said. “You never know what you’ll end up having to do once you get to that professional level.”

Media outlets are continuing to converge as the field embraces a shift in technology. The field of communication is a growing market, McKinney said, where both established and aspiring professionals need to have the knowledge and ability to write, shoot photographs, take video and a number of other skills to stay relevant in the business.

“It’s beyond the book, and I think you have to go beyond the book,” McKinney said.

Dr. Russ Barclay, visiting professor of mass communication, enjoys watching the students take on the challenge of covering the gala.

“For the faculty and donors, it’s a treat to watch the students work, students that they have taught or donated money to over the years,” Barclay said.

At Campbellsville University, mass communication students benefit from a growing department that still has the ability to help teach in a hands on, one-on-one environment.

“We have students doing things that larger universities wouldn’t allow them do until their senior year,” Barclay said. “We have the means to allow first- and second-year students to get air-time and by-lines in publications.”

Thomas Jeffery, assistant professor of mass communication, believes students enjoy the experience of the gala.

“There is a demand for the coverage but it’s also just fun for the students,” Jeffery said.

Reaching more than 80 students in multiple sections of the major, Campbellsville University provides students with a chance to write for the university’s print publication – the “Campus Times,” organize and execute successful public relations campaigns, devise strategies for social media formats and broadcast live on the university’s radio and television station.

During the weeks leading up to the gala, these efforts are brought together to provide the community with complete coverage of the event across the many outlets under CU’s communication umbrella.

Clark’s professors were a bit surprised that students were able to handle the challenge of live television.

“It took me a while to convince them that this was going to be live and not prerecorded to be played back at a later time,” Clark said. “This event will be broadcast live to the community and anyone who wants to watch over the television station, the radio waves, and the Internet.”    

This is the third year WLCU will broadcast the gala on television, but the first year that it goes out live. Preparation for the students participating as on-air talent started around a month before the gala.

“The largest challenge of a live production is what if something goes wrong, what if a student freezes up? We’ve worked hard to prepare these students for the event and the job that they have been asked to perform,” Clark said.

The coverage of the gala not only benefits those in the mass communication department, it also has the ability to increase the interest of students who have not yet chosen a major. This event gives these undecided majors a firsthand look at the field of mass communication and the opportunities they can have here at CU.

Barclay said, “I’ve had other students come to me and ask ‘What are they doing, why are they doing it, and how can I help?’ and all the students that participate enjoy it.”

Sophomore Cortni Cruse directed WLCU’s television broadcast and looks forward to expanding her skills as a director.

“I am thankful for the chance to gain real life experience in a formal setting,” Cruse said. “It’s different than directing athletic events or other campus programs. I enjoy getting to expand my knowledge about live television productions.”

Students understand the importance of the gala to the university and use the event to build experience. McKinney said they have a chance to show what they have learned while sharing the importance of the Derby Rose Gala with the community.

McKinney said, “That’s the kind of thing I think is important. We produce real projects that have some value and tell a person’s story. And that’s what journalism does, it’s what mass communication is.”

The night is a chance for students to learn, the university to raise scholarship money and the donors to witness first hand that their donations are being put to good use, McKinney said.

Clark said, “There are a lot of universities where students can get a mass communication degree. However not all of these students have the opportunity ours have here at Campbellsville University.”

The Derby Rose Gala from the Student Perspective

Mass Communication students believe covering the Derby Rose Gala helps them gain “real world” experiences in their career field.

 “My first year in the gala, I did public relations by making sure the guests stayed happy and were well informed,” Audrey Wunderlich, a graduating senior, said. “However it was my second year in the gala that I can really say I benefited from.”

           “I was selected to be the main television host for the night, and I got to see first-hand what all goes into making a broadcast possible,” Wunderlich said. “I spent many hours and days in the broadcast studio preparing for the night, but the real learning happened right in front of the camera. I got to interview people on the spot with confidence, knowing I was well trained.”

 There are many other students such as Wunderlich who appreciate the first-hand experience they receive while working this event.

           Kinly Bertram, also a graduating senior, said, “I’m grateful to have this opportunity to report on TV for the Derby Rose Gala because it gives me that real-world experience of hosting a red carpet event while I’m still in college. It’s fun because I get to work with my friends and peers, yet it’s still very real because we treat it so professionally.”

Although students have a specific field of interest they want to go into, most enjoy helping out in whatever area they can just to be a part of the evening.

Kelly Moyer, also a graduating senior studying mass communication, said she is lucky to have such a learning experience from the Derby Rose Gala.

“Honestly, I think it’s an amazing opportunity for mass communication students to get the experience of the derby rose gala underneath their belts,” Moyer said.

 “This will be the third year I’ve done it, all working with TV, and that’s more experience than most college graduates get before they head off to their jobs,” Moyer said. “I know some people who don’t even have a studio to work with at their schools. We’re more than lucky to have that on campus and we take full advantage of it- which in the long run obviously prepares us for the real world and real world work.”

Graduating senior Harry Haynes said, “The Derby Rose Gala has been a great experience for me personally because I have been able to contribute to the university and help build my resume. I have been involved in the broadcast of the event and a behind the scenes documentary.”

Haynes this year was also one of two still photographers during the dinner.

Graduating senior Ellie McKinley has worked in several different areas since she has been part of this event.

“Campbellsville University has given me opportunities to gain hands on experiences through events such as the Derby Rose Gala,” McKinley said. “Each year I have had the honor to work in different departments such as public relations, radio broadcasting and this year as the host. If it was not for the gala, I would not have been able to experience those positions and develop passions for those areas. By having the chance to work in these areas, I am gaining a status on my resume that other competitors in the work field will not have.”

McKinley was also a reporter for this year’s gala and wrote stories about it for a special publication of the Campus Times.

           “The gala is a night dedicated to the donors who help to make financial aid possible, but it is also a night for mass communication students to shine,” McKinley said.

 

Outstanding Senior Musician talks Scholarships

By Jordan Antle

If there is one thing college students know above all, scholarships are important. Higher education can hit students hard in the pocketbook and student loans start build up fast. Jericho McCoy, senior music student at Campbellsville University, is receiving multiple scholarships for his musical talents.

Growing up in a musical family, Jericho had a love for music at a young age. When asked about his reason for attending Campbellsville University, McCoy smiled and said, “Being from here in Campbellsville, I always heard the fantastic performances at the School of Music and was very interested in attending.” Among his many accomplishments, Jericho has been awarded with the Outstanding Senior Musician (Vocal/Keyboard) for the 2013 school year.

McCoy will graduate in May with a degree in Music Education and is currently student teaching to complete his requirements. He plans to return to the University in the fall to begin studying to achieve a Maters of Music in Vocal performance. “The long term goal is to teach music at the college level,” said McCoy.

Jericho has not only found his calling at CU, but has also met the love of his life. “My fondest memory of school would be purposing to my beautiful fiancée, Jenna Embry, on stage at our senior recital this past December,” said McCoy.

“The opportunity to be involved in these outstanding ensembles is such an honor, and my scholarships have made it possible for me to follow my passion for music.”

Presidential Scholars talk CU

I had the pleasure of interviewing two Campbellsville University presidential scholars in honor of the 2013 Derby Rose Gala. April Hill and Shelby Brown-Hicks both talked to me about their experiences loves about Campbellsville and all it has to offer.

April Hill: 

How did you get to Campbellsville?

“I transferred my senior year from Asbury, I came for swimming. I really liked the coach and wanted to be a part of the team. She made it possible for me to come here by providing me with a generous scholarship to come.

What do you enjoy most about Campbellsville?

“I enjoy the swim team, the family atmosphere we have within our team. It’s like a home away from home. We’re all like a family.”

What are you studying? 

“Mass communications, my emphasis is public relations. Public Relations and journalism are mainly what I like.”

What are your future plans?

” I really want to write for a newspaper or magazine. If that doesn’t work out then I would really enjoy doing public relations for an agency or a non-profit agency.”

“How has your scholarship helped you?”

“It’s made it possible for me to come here. I would not be able to afford it and everything because I don’t qualify for financial aid, so having an athletic scholarship has enabled me to  persue my education at Campbellsville, at a private instituton. It’s why I can even go here.”

Shelby Brown-Hicks

How did you come to Campbellsville?

“Well origionally, Campbellsville wasn’t even on the list of colleges I wanted to go to, but I decided to come here on a college visit my junior year of highschool and I fell in love with it! The people were very sweet and honest about the university. I could really tell that God was at work here, and that I was being called to be here too.”

What do you enjoy most about Campbellsville?

“I love the atmopshere. The professors and the faculty truly care about us and I have a great group of friends.”

What are you studying and what are your future plans?

“I’m majoring in Accounting with a minor in Spanish. I plan on becoming a CPA and working in a firm. I’m studying Spanish to use in ministry.”

 

 

 

Derby Rose Gala Speaker-Cameron Mills

Cameron Mills, a member of the University of Kentucky’s 1996 and 1998 National Championship Basketball team will be the featured speaker at this year’s 5^th Annual Derby Rose Gala. Cameron is known by many for playing at the University of Kentucky, he even holds several three-point records there. However, his true passion and what he seeks to be better known for is sharing the gospel.

Though basketball has been a big part of Cameron’s life, his calling since he was twelve has been ministry. In June of 1998, he began Cameron Mills Ministries, Inc. Since then Cameron has been speaking to schools, youth groups, and churches. He has held revivals and spoken at Christian music festivals, and college chapels. Cameron even currently serves as the chaplain for the University of Kentucky’s men’s basketball team.

When speaking to youth Cameron doesn’t focus on his playing days instead he uses Kentucky basketball as a hook, a way to get his audience in tune with him so that he can share about the love of Christ. He challenges young people with messages of the character development, individual excellences, leadership and abstinence from sex, drugs and alcohol.

We are so excited and honored to welcome Cameron Mills as our guest speaker for the Derby Rose Gala, and look forward to hearing him speak!

CU students come together for mass media coverage of Derby Rose Gala

Dr. Keith Spears, vice president for regional and professional education, makes plans for the student media coverage of the Derby Rose Gala. (Campbellsville University Photo by Harry Haynes)

 

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – What is the Derby Rose Gala? Many Campbellsville University students said they had never heard of it, or if they had were not sure of what it was. This year CU’s Department of Mass Communication plans to change that. The department is getting together to provide the maximum coverage of this year’s event.

 

For the fifth year in a row, CU will be hosting the Derby Rose Gala, which is an important scholarship fundraising event for the institution. Over the last few years, the university has raised close to $65,000 for scholarships through the Derby Rose Gala.

 

The gala entails an evening of elegant dress and a meal provided by the university for various sponsors, donors and alumni. 

 

Members of the Advancement Board, Sara Curry, Betty Hord, Karen Patton and Bill Chandler, all of Campbellsville, and Gwinn Hahn of Mt. Washington, are in charge of planning the gala, with assistance from Paula Smith, CU’s director of alumni relations.

 

With the guidance of mass communication professors, tasks have been assigned to students from every area of the department. Students in the areas of public relations, journalism, radio and television broadcast, photography and social media will be in charge of covering every aspect of the event. Students will be greeting guests, doing interviews, recording footage, taking photographs and more. 

 

Dr. Keith Spears, vice president for regional and professional education, who teaches broadcast classes, said, “We look for a real world reporting experience to culminate the semester.”

 

Spears said Campbellsville University president Michael V. Carter mentioned the Derby Rose Gala event, and the idea grew.

 

“It is perfect for multiple reporting opportunities and one that gives a sense of the professional convergence taking place in mass media today,” Spears said.

 

Stan McKinney, lead professor of the mass communication department, has high hopes for this project.

 

“This is a team effort. Covering the news today is also a team effort. It really pleases me to see so many faculty and students working together for a common purpose. All of us in the Department of Mass Communication believe in real-world assignments. Covering the gala is a natural way for students to combine their talents to produce something that I believe will be remarkable,” McKinney said. 

 

The evening will start with a glamorous feel as guests step onto the maroon carpet (CU’s colors are maroon and gray) outside Winters Dining Hall, where the dinner will be taking place. 

 

Photography and journalism students will operate as reporters and photographers taking pictures of the guests and asking questions for stories. It is the public relations students’ job, under the direction of Dr. Russell Barclay, visiting professor in public relations, to make sure the student media have what they need.

 

“My students will greet arriving guests and dignitaries. They will handle getting them through the photography, and try to determine which among them seems willing to speak on camera and to our print reporters,” Barclay said.

 

Dr. Thomas Jeffrey, instructional technologist and assistant professor, is requiring students in his social networking class to provide coverage of the gala through social media. They will be using various social networking sites online such as Facebook and Twitter by uploading photos, updating statuses and “tweeting.” 

 

“It will allow us to involve family and friends, bringing others into the event who can’t participate,” Jeffrey said.

 

There will be a media room set up where the students will be able to upload their photos and submit information providing instantaneous coverage. 

Most students will complete their onsite assignments before the dinner starts at 6 p.m. outside the dining hall. Only a few students will gather information and footage from inside.

But for students, the work doesn’t end at the close of the event. During classes the next day, they will be choosing which photos to use, composing their stories, editing and getting all the material ready to be broadcast and for the special edition of the “Campus Times,” the university’s newspaper.

 

“I know of no other university that has done anything like this,” McKinney said. “I really think we are breaking ground here. It is a massive undertaking. It will be hard work, but I also think it will be enjoyable and pay dividends for those participating. I hope we can continue to do something like this every semester,” McKinney said.

 

 

Jake is Coming!

Jake the Horse, mascot of the Derby Rose Gala, will be making his appearance in the paddock area.