The School of Communications and Theater celebrated the success of its students and alumni Oct. 20 at the Lew Klein Alumni in the Media Awards.
Approximately 350 people attended the afternoon luncheon in Mitten Hall, during which five alumni were honored for their successful careers, as well as Matt Lauer of NBC’s Today, who received the school’s Excellence in the Media Awards.
Lauer said he was honored to receive an award attached to Lew Klein. He has known Klein for years – one of Lauer’s first jobs was at a Gateway Communications television station during Klein’s time as the company’s executive vice president and president.
A similar gratitude exuded from the five winners of the Alumni in the Media Awards, who are now in SCT’s Hall of Fame. The honorees this year were Phil Jasner, ’64, sports writer for the Philadelphia Daily News; Irv Randolph, ’81, managing editor of the Philadelphia Tribune; Addie Collins-Zinone, ’99, co-founder of Pro vs. G.I. Joe; Stephen Sansweet, ’66, head of fan relations, Lucasfilm Ltd.; and Bernie Prazenica, ’79, president and general manager of WPVI-TV. The diversity of the careers in this year’s honorees showcases the countless opportunities available to student who graduate with an SCT education.
This year’s edition of the Lew Klein Awards boasts the largest number of sponsors (15), including Comcast Spectacor, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Philadelphia Phillies. Proceeds from sponsorships and ticket sales benefit the Lew Klein Excellence in the Media Fund, which provides scholarships that enable students to expand their educational opportunities. Scholarship recipients this year used the opportunity to study abroad at Temple programs in Los Angeles, London and Toyko; create independent films; and intern at NFL Films in Mount Laurel, N.J.
Student Q&A
After the award ceremony, Lauer traveled over to SCT’s home, Annenberg Hall. There, he conducted a press conference with representatives from Temple News, the student newspaper, and Temple Update, the student television news program. Then, he met face to face with more than 350 of SCT’s future media professionals in the standing room only Joe First Media Center for a question and answer session. The topics ranged from how to get a foot in the door in the industry to balancing his roles as a celebrity and a journalist.
SCT presented Lauer with a framed antique map of the world by Philadelphia Map-Makers in honor of his annual feature “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?”
Lew Klein awards honor NBC’s Matt Lauer
The School of Communications and Theater celebrated the success of its students and alumni Oct. 20 at the Lew Klein Alumni in the Media Awards.
Lauer said he was honored to receive an award attached to Lew Klein. He has known Klein for years – one of Lauer’s first jobs was at a Gateway Communications television station during Klein’s time as the company’s executive vice president and president.
A similar gratitude exuded from the five winners of the Alumni in the Media Awards, who are now in SCT’s Hall of Fame. The honorees this year were Phil Jasner, ’64, sports writer for the Philadelphia Daily News; Irv Randolph, ’81, managing editor of the Philadelphia Tribune; Addie Collins-Zinone, ’99, co-founder of Pro vs. G.I. Joe; Stephen Sansweet, ’66, head of fan relations, Lucasfilm Ltd.; and Bernie Prazenica, ’79, president and general manager of WPVI-TV. The diversity of the careers in this year’s honorees showcases the countless opportunities available to student who graduate with an SCT education.
Student Q&A
After the award ceremony, Lauer traveled over to SCT’s home, Annenberg Hall. There, he conducted a press conference with representatives from Temple News, the student newspaper, and Temple Update, the student television news program. Then, he met face to face with more than 350 of SCT’s future media professionals in the standing room only Joe First Media Center for a question and answer session. The topics ranged from how to get a foot in the door in the industry to balancing his roles as a celebrity and a journalist.
SCT presented Lauer with a framed antique map of the world by Philadelphia Map-Makers in honor of his annual feature “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?”