Creative video projects

I love working with videographers and editors because the time they spend with a new tool (camera, graphics software, etc.) is just one more reason to let their creativity run loose.

This "playing around" isn't wasted time — it's all about learning how to get the most from your resources. As a bonus, it usually produces something that's fun to watch, too!

Consider this "videoscrapbook page" from Wichita State University video/editing guy Rik Dubiel, who incorporates footage from a Cannon HV20, some fun music, nicely choreographed color effects, and one cute as a bug little boy exploring his back yard.

My Backyard 3 from Rik Dubiel on Vimeo.

Did you catch the basset hound wagging his tail to the beat? Nice work, Rik!

Check out that smile

I love this photo of Cokie Roberts, taken by Ken Davis as she signed books at Wichita State University's Metroplex. She was on an author's tour to promote her latest book, an updated version of her best-selling "We Are Our Mothers' Daughters," and I was impressed with how generous she was with her time. She gives off a definite vibe that she doesn't suffer fools gladly, but she was warm and kind to the fans who approached her at her many campus events. After all the years she's spent on NPR and ABC, they feel like they know her, and she responded in kind.

The "Cokie show" is ready!

From Martha Washington's legacy to Michelle Obama's future, from watching her mother cook for 1,500 wedding guests to analyzing sexism in presidential politics — Cokie Roberts told one fascinating story after another during her recent two-day visit to Wichita State University.

Two of Robert's campus appearances (her sold-out speech at the Metroplex and "Conversation With The Provost" Q & A) were captured on video and are featured in the newest episode of "Wichita State & The World." The show debuts at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 7 on WSU-TV, Cox Cable Ch. 13, with repeats at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 10; 8 p.m. Thursday, May 21; and 7 p.m. Sunday, May 24.

Roberts, a longtime ABC political commentator and National Public Radio senior news analyst, was brought to campus by KMUW-FM 89.1. She made appeals to listeners on air during the station's spring pledge drive.

For more on "Wichita State & The World," which is hosted by Provost Gary L. Miller, go to www.wichita.edu/provost.

A whirlwind of a week!

Broadcasting legend Cokie Roberts visited Wichita State University as part of her national author's tour, and generously gave her time to several campus events, including a speech Wednesday night, a "Conversation With the Provost" Thursday morning and about an hour on the air during KMUW-FM's spring pledge drive. Cokie, promoting her updated best-seller "We Are Our Mothers' Daughters," has plenty to say about the changing roles of women, the expectations of men, the current state of politics and business, and much more. It will be a challenge to package the video footage we collected into just an hourlong show, but it's a good challenge to have. Several people have stopped me to ask when they could see "Wichita State & The World's" Cokie episode — look for it in May. (And check back for updates!)


Thursday night, local TV icon Anita Cochran hosted an in-studio Tweetup for her Twitter pals during the 10 o'clock news. Tonight is her final broadcast for KSN, Ch. 3, and though Wichita viewers will miss her terribly, I couldn't be happier for her. She decided a few months ago to invest more time in her family life, specifically her tween-age daughters. I may be biased; I made a similar move in 2007. Anita won't languish at home with daytime TV and bonbons (for those of you who cling to stereotypes!); she has some exciting projects in the works.

Oletha recognized as a leader

Congratulations to Kansas Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau of Wichita's 29th District — she is among the 40 members of the 2009 Leadership Kansas class, the Kansas Chamber announced today.
I worked with Oletha on her campaign last fall, and it is a testament to her commitment to the community and her work as a state representative that she earned 70 percent of the vote in the general election. It was a historic moment: She is the first African American woman chosen by voters to serve in our state Senate.

It is fitting that she's been selected for Leadership Kansas, a program that works to develop and motivate future leaders in Kansas. More than 500 people are nominated each year. The 40 who are chosen participate in training sessions in six Kansas communities over the course of the year. Discussion topics include business, education, agriculture, public policy, societal health and development, economics and government.

Way to go, Oletha!

A victory for Wichita

So satisfying to see Wichita City Council candidate Janet Miller elected Tuesday. She is going to do a great job representing District 6 (a wedge that starts downtown and runs along I-135 on the east and the Big Ditch on the west). Integrity isn't just a campaign buzzword when it comes to Janet; it's central to her character.

I served as her campaign media coordinator, which meant working on everything from postcards to TV ads to Web site content. Greg Sullivan of Sullivan Gang Graphics did an outstanding job on her "visual message" (everything from developing her logo to designs for mailers and the Web site) and offering gentle counsel — he's worked on countless local and state campaigns.

And the volunteer organization was awesome. I especially admire those who gave up their weekends to walk neighborhoods in the wind, rain, cold (13 degrees one day!) A severe ankle injury kept me from joining them, but I'm not sure I would have made it that day even if I had been whole!

After 26 years in a newsroom, where professional ethics prevented me from taking an active role in a political campaign, it is so good to be able to do more to ensure that voters get a clear view of the best candidate in a race.

Changing things for the better: Dr. P

I'm so happy with how the new episode of "Wichita State & The World" turned out. This month, Provost Gary Miller talks with WSU Professor Ken Pitetti — one of my favorite people on campus.

Ken is one of those rare human dynamos who manages to inspire everyone he comes into contact with — without wearing them out. His generous spirit means he is as giving to aspiring nurses and medtechs in the classroom as he is to autistic kids and his fellow amputee veterans in the research environment. His personal story — of, yes, tragedy and triumph — has led him on a winding but fascinating career path.


I first "met" Ken through my husband, WSU Associate Professor Dan Close, in 1991. Dan had interviewed Ken for a magazine profile and came home mightily impressed with his ground-breaking work, his character, his innate curiosity, his humor and grit.

I've never taken a course from Ken — maybe one day! — but I've learned a lot from him.

I hope you'll check out the show. This episode debuts at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 9, with repeats at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 12, 8 p.m. Thursday, April 23
and 7 p.m. Sunday, April 26.

For more info and links, go to www.wichita.edu/provost and scroll down to the center of the page.

Next stop, Wichita . . .

Cokie Roberts — award-winning broadcaster, best-selling author — is coming this month to Wichita State University for two days of appearances, and folks are going wild. Her campus visit is part author's tour (an updated version of her book "We Are Our Mothers' Daughters" has just been released) and part fund raiser for public radio station KMUW.

The moment tickets were made available to her public appearances, the organizers were overwhelmed with requests.

I'm happy to be part of the team that's documenting her visit, including her "Conversation With Provost Gary Miller" before an audience of primarily students and faculty. Those who don't have the chance to attend the WSU events will have a chance to see her in May via "Wichita State & The World" on WSU-TV, Cox cable Ch. 13.

Telltale numbers

As we approach the 10th anniversary of the Columbine shooting, you will no doubt be confronted with lots of "where are we now" stories. Consider these results from a new survey of K-12 teachers:

— 2 in 5 teachers have faced verbal or physical aggression from a student's parent or guardian.

— 1 in 4 say a pupil has attacked them.

— 1 in 3 teachers in primary schools say they have experienced physical aggression, compared with 1 in 5 in secondary schools.

More evidence that American kids are out of control? No.

This data comes from Britain, where nearly 60 percent of those who took part in the Association of Teachers and Lecturers' survey said they thought student behavior had worsened during the past five years.

Horror stories included 6-year-olds trashing rooms and computers, pulling knives, and attacking teachers and other students.

In contrast, my time last year filling in as an English and history teacher at Wichita's East and North high schools — which many people perceive as "inner-city" environments — was rewarding and low-conflict. Just a thought.

Life list

Saw this here and thought it would be fun to play along — especially considering the theme of Wednesday's presentation: Reinvention. The rules: Bold the things you’ve done, and post on your blog!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (does "from shore" count?)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (well, at The Venetian in Las Vegas!)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (The old stone house in Glenadagh, County Mayo, is now a hay barn.)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (Plains Indian sign language, very handy in elementary school)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

More than words can say

Music speaks to us like no other media, communicating volumes in just a few notes. Last week in a class I'm taking on law enforcement issues, we all giggled when the instructor's cell phone began ringing "The Imperial March" (Darth Vader's Theme) from "Star Wars." And a friend on Twitter today summed up her thanks for a job well done with this BlipFM Props to the cops for making a speedy arrest in the carjacking of an 84-year-old man. Says it all.

The 3 R's for the new economy

I'll be speaking at the Wichita Professional Communicators' March lunch meeting on a topic that's become hot in this chilly economy: Career reinvention.

I happily took on this task because I've built my work life on the principles of taking calculated risks, accepting creative challenges and other key factors that help keep life interesting and rewarding.

My presentation is called "Reinvent, Revitalize, Renew: The 3 R’s You Must Master Now," and here's the pitch: "As a professional communicator, you’re a whiz at readin’ and ’riting, and thanks to calculators, you can even handle ’rithmatic. But your old reliable skills may not be enough to help you ride out these rough economic times. Media consultant L. Kelly offers practical advice for rejuvenating your job skills — and your life — at the March 4 Wichita Professional Communicators luncheon meeting.

"L. Kelly spent 26 years with The Wichita Eagle, working a variety of jobs as a writer, editor and page designer in the news, features and opinion sections. After directing the paper’s coverage of the BTK investigation, she was project leader and co-author of the true crime book 'Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Next Door' (HarperCollins 2007). She is now a media consultant, TV producer and communications trainer with her own company, L. Kelly Media Services, and teaches at Wichita State University."

RSVP to Becky Funke by noon Monday, March 2, at bfunke@activeagingonline.com, call 942-5385, or reserve and prepay using WPC’s online PayPal account at www.wichitaprofessionalcommunicators.com.

DATE: Wednesday, March 4
TIME: 11:30 a.m. sharp-12:30 p.m.
PLACE: Larkspur, 904 E. Douglas
COST: Members $12, students $10, guests $15

Wake-up call

As I've noted here before, I'm a statistical junkie.

Not the memorize-the-back-of-a-baseball-card type, but let me log into the online Statistical Abstract of the United States, or the Department of Justice's research section on violent crime, or a well-executed attitude and opinion survey, and I'll be gone for hours. I'm a miner at heart, digging up little gems and following veins of information this way 'n' that, hoping to reach the mother lode of knowledge and insight. I'm constantly finding stuff while on my way to look up something else.

Today's treasure is a 2008 video that challenges viewers to consider the necessity of career reinvention — given global pressures and technological advances — in the Information Age.

The video asks: "So what does it all mean?"

It's a competitive world. Position yourself accordingly.

Greensburg tornado headed for WSU TV

Working on a "Wichita State & The World" episode that blends interviews with WSU associate professor Les Anderson and a handful of students, excerpts from their on-location video stories, blog entries and still photography from their Greensburg project, and of course an epic F-5 twister.

What will we have when the debris settles?

Stay tuned; it airs in March on WSU TV, Cox cable Ch. 13.

Ripples on a pond

Back in the 1990s, when I was working as a reporter for The Wichita Eagle, I traveled to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale to meet Don and Shirley Beggs. I was working on a profile of Don, who was a finalist for (and ultimately received) the job of president of Wichita State University.

I'll never forget how warm, gracious and genuinely open the Beggses were (and have continued to be to me and my husband over the years). Journalists who cover education and politics — and this story had elements of both — don't encounter that routinely.

It was also clear from the start that Don and Shirley were a unique kind of "power couple." There was real substance behind those smiles; hard work, solid character, and caring underpinned their their quiet confidence.

I see less of them now than I once did, so I was as surprised as any reader to pick up the paper this week and discover that Shirley is being treated for breast cancer. As the story by Roy Wenzl details, Shirley has faced it with her typical determination, and minimal disruption to her university duties, but finally decided to go public with her story in hopes that it might help someone else.

The day Shirley's story was published, my mother-in-law was headed in for yet another chemo treatment. It's Maggie's third go-round with breast cancer and as she'd tell you: It's kind of a drag.

But reading about Shirley's strength of spirit — and learning they go to the same clinic — gave Maggie the boost she needed to make it through the morning. Chances are these two wonderful women will never cross paths there, but like ripples on a pond, their stories have.

Go ahead, make my day!

Just got this note from a client in response to a quick editing / rewrite task I did for her this afternoon:

"Thanks for the feedback. . . . I knew it needed help. Sometimes an objective eye is the just the thing needed! It reads great now. Thanks."

Made my day!

Would I lie to you?

Last October, I blogged about micro-expressions and how understanding these subtle bits of body language can help reveal what's going on inside someone's head.
This week, Fox debuted a fun new crime show starring Tim Roth called "Lie to Me," which is built around the science of micro-expressions. The show's Web site offers a primer, along with video from the show.

The pilot was fun, tho I'm not sure the series can sustain over the course of several weeks without feeling like a college course practicum. . . . See this bad guy? I know he's lying because he shrugged his right shoulder. Did you see that woman look down before answering the question? She was honestly trying to recall what really happened . . . . Worth checking out though. This is a show you can play along with at home!

Perhaps more important for those of us out here in the real world, it's a great reminder to take a look in the mirror and analyze what inadvertent messages we're sending our clients and customers. Do we say one thing and "broadcast" another with knitted brows, raised shoulders or pinched lips?

Looking out for what makes us real

"A sense of place" is important to help us feel at home, what the academics call "psychologically comfortable in our environment." Beyond climate and geography, small businesses help define a city's character.

I've been thinking about this ever since a Denver burger chain opened up a restaurant on the east side of my hometown, Wichita. The new place was all the buzz, so I went to check it out. I guess the food was OK, but the place had a definite Strip Mall Vibe and I came away thinking: We've already got better than this here. And I feel a certain loyalty to them, these places that give Wichita its flavor.

I can't pick just one homegrown burger joint that's Quintessential Wichita; each one feeds our souls in its own way. I'd start with Dog N Shake, with history going back to 1948 and the slogan: "We butter toast our buns for you!" It makes a mighty tasty cheeseburger, despite leaving that fact out of the name. Then I'd move on to Bionic Burger, which not only has some of the best fries in town, but serves kids' meals in cardboard classic cars just right for Barbie and Friends. Then there's TJ's Burger House, a cafe in the revitalized Delano neighborhood that compliments its burger baskets (did that photo get your attention?) with a mean "Hamburgers (sic) Stew." I've gotta include Nu Way, the original non-patty burger, whose creed "Crumbly Is Good" still draws oldtimers to the little white brick place on West Douglas. (Then again, it might be the house-recipe root beer. Yum.) And I've gotta give props to both the the Oasis' burger on the west side and Heroes' sweet pepper bacon burger in Old Town.

As my waistline shows, I could go on. . . . I'll leave it to others to explore the True Wichita to be found cruising for comfort food at our Mexican, Vietnamese, Thai, Lebanese and other specialty restaurants. I've got my opinions. I'd love to hear yours.

Now playing

The long-ago promised video clips of Tom Otterness are finally here! Thanks to Lonny Quattlebaum, Greg Matthias and Rik Dubiel of Wichita State's Media Resource Center for their fantastic videography and more.


Former Wichita Eagle publisher Lou Heldman, creator of "Wichita State & The World," interviewed Ulrich Museum of Art director Patricia McDonnell.

Tom Otterness' fascinating introspective of his work included slides ranging from childhood paintings to computer-assisted designs for recent projects.

Please stand by . . .

Dreaded "technical difficulties" prevented Episode 5 of "Wichita State & The World" from airing Thursday night. Reportedly a problem with an air conditioning unit caused massive overheating in master control, which . . . well, the bottom line is, this hourlong show featuring A-list sculptor and native Wichitan Tom Otterness will debut at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 11 instead. WSU TV is on Cox cable Ch. 13.

It's worth the wait — and I'd say that even if I wasn't the producer. Really. For more about the show, check out www.wichita.edu/provost.

Tom Otterness, sculptor

I'm wrapping up work on Episode 5 of "Wichita State & The World," featuring Tom Otterness. An acclaimed figurative sculptor based in New York City, Tom is a Wichita native best known for public art that combines whimsy and social satire.
The show, which debuts at 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, on Channel 13 on Wichita's Cox cable, will feature footage from the installation of "Millipede" on the WSU campus as well as an illustrated lecture by Otterness.

One of my favorite things about this hourlong episode — aside from the fact that the art is a treat for the eyes — is how well it captures the fact that despite living virtually all his adult life in New York City, Otterness is still clearly a Guy From Wichita.

Check back for an update; I'll add video clips here when available.