By Times Staff
Original article here.
The Communication and Creative Arts Department script writing students of Purdue University Northwest’s Hammond campus have regularly created award-winning work that has been recognized by the Broadcast Education Association since 2002. This year, four of the eight submissions won awards for achievement by the BEA.
Purdue University Northwest’s Hammond students have submitted their scripts to the BEA student script writing competition every year and have been successful in receiving awards most years.
Mary Beth O’Connor, an associate professor in the Communication and Creative Arts Department who teaches a variety of broadcasting and advertising courses including script writing, said she is exceedingly proud of her students and the professional level of their work and effort.
“I’m proud to be a part of a department that allows and encourages creativity and discourages mediocrity when it comes to teaching,” O’Connor said.
Throughout the years of teaching the class, O’Connor has taught each student a unique process to writing a script. This process is taught to the next incoming script writing students, which further prepares them for possible competition submissions. Along with O’Connor’s guidance, the students each implement a style of their own into their work.
Andrew Morris, a communication graduate student at Purdue University Northwest, was awarded first place in the BEA student script writing competition for his script “In Persona Christi,” in the short film category. He said the award is another form of acknowledgment that helps give meaning to his work.
“It’s a first step for me. It’s the beginning and not the end,” Morris said. “Everything you write is a lesson.”
Morris said that he feels a sense of community when collaborating or working with peers and faculty. He said his peers and O’Connor help with the development process when it comes to the creative element.
There were many other award recipients including “Bates Motel: A Lamb to the Slaughter,” which won second place in the television specs series category and was written by students Aaron Davis, Ryan Maxwell, Victoria Montanez and Mickey Vincent.