Missouri Journalism Students Attend Prestigious White House Correspondents Dinner

Wes Pippert Journalism Studies Faculty

Links

ABC News Columbia University Howard University Missouri Journalism Washington Program National Press Club NBC Nightly News New York Times Northwestern University Scripps Howard News Service University of Maryland WashingtonPost.com White House Correspondents' Association

Cover of the program for the May 9, 2009, Annual Dinner of the White House Correspondents' Association

By Hui Wang
Master's Student
Missouri School of Journalism

Washington, D.C. (May 13, 2009) -- It was an unforgettable night for five Missouri School of Journalism graduate students who were recognized at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner for receiving the Association's scholarship.

Missouri School of Journalism scholarship recipients were congratulated on the stage during the 2009 White House Correspondents' Association dinner. From left: Hui Wang, President Obama, Elizabeth Langton, Ferdous (Danny) Al-Faruque, Fan Bu, Mu Li and first lady Michelle Obama.

Hui Wang with Missouri Journalism Washington Program Director Wes Pippert at the 2009 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

Hui Wang talks with President Obama at the VIP reception.

Before the dinner, the students were invited to a private VIP reception where they met President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. As the guests eagerly awaited their arrival, the students, being journalists, quickly moved to spots very close to the side door, trying to grab a good position. The door opened, Barack and Michelle Obama walked through the short aisle, and immediately, they were flooded by crowds. Everyone was trying to talk with them. President Obama was smiling and looked engaged in every conversation.

One of the students got the president's attention and introduced the entire Missouri Journalism group. Obama looked excited when he heard they were scholarship winners and master's students from the Missouri School of Journalism. They received a very warm congratulation and a great group picture. The group also talked with first lady Michelle Obama.

At the reception, the students met with several WHCA board members, politicians and celebrities, including Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary; Helen Thomas, considered the dean of the White House Press Corps and a regular seminar leader for the School's Washington Program; and Brian Williams, anchor for NBC Nightly News. Whoopi Goldberg and Amy Poehler were among the television and movie stars in attendance.

The students then attended the WHCA dinner, attended by approximately 3,000 guests.

WHCA board member Steve Scully announced the scholarship recipients' names. Before they were introduced, he said, "We want to give back and help these young journalists. We are writing a check to help the next generation of reporters at a time, we well know, that this industry is facing so many challenges. We want to serve as mentors to them as well."

The students were called to the stage and again congratulated by the president and first lady.

"I think Missouri Journalism had a remarkable spot in the sun this past weekend," noted Wes Pippert, head of the Washington Program.

The students also were feted at a WHCA's luncheon for them the day before the dinner at which a panel of former White House press secretaries Mike McCurry and Dana Perino, NBC bureau chief Mark Whittaker and New York Times' Jackie Calmes discussed White House coverage.

With the financial support of the scholarship, the students are able to finish their professional projects at distinguished news organizations in Washington, D.C. Each of them received a $2,500 fellowship while participating in the School's Washington Program. All tuition costs and fees also were waived for the fellowship.

The graduate internships were as follows:

The WHCA scholarship program has assigned $132,000 in scholarship money this year, five times more than two years ago. It has benefited 16 students, and five universities, including the Missouri School of Journalism, participated the program. The others are Columbia University, Howard University, University of Maryland and Northwestern University.

The School's Washington Program is for graduate students and top-flight undergraduate seniors. During their semester in the nation's capital, students work 30 hours a week for prominent media and government agencies, develop a research project and attend a weekly seminar in which Washington insiders help them better understand the federal establishment. The program's office is located in the National Press Club building.

Related

April 9, 2009: 25 Members of the School's Chapter of National Association of Black Journalists Visit News Media, Meet Alumni, during Trip to Washington, D.C. The group's impressive itinerary took them to the Washington Afro-American, The Baltimore Times, Slate, The Root, Fleishman Hillard, WTTG-TV, among other news media outlets. [More]

April 24, 2008: Ten Graduate Students to Be Selected for Prestigious WHCA-Missouri Fellowship in Government Affairs Reporting The White House Correspondents' Association will announce at its annual dinner on Saturday, April 26, a new WHCA-Missouri Fellowship Program in government affairs reporting. The Missouri School of Journalism was one of three schools selected by the WHCA for their innovative new scholarships at the graduate level. [More]

Oct. 12, 2007: 12 Missouri Journalism Students Spend Semester Working, Learning in Washington, D.C. Now nearly 40 years old, the Missouri School of Journalism's Washington Program continues to bring students into the halls of power for hands-on training in journalism and strategic communication in the nation's capital. This semester, 12 undergraduate and graduate journalism students are working with and learning from political reporters, foreign correspondents and strategic communicators in Washington, D.C. [More]

July 13, 2007: New Book by Missouri Journalism Faculty Shows the Important Roles that Journalism Plays in Our Country's Democracy Journalism is vital to the health of our democracy, the glue of information that holds this complex nation together, according to a new book by 12 members of the Missouri School of Journalism faculty. What Good Is Journalism? How Reporters and Editors Are Saving America's Way of Life, edited by George Kennedy, professor emeritus, and Daryl Moen, professor, shows that there is much to be praised about the state of American journalism today. [More]

Feb. 15, 2007: Nine Missouri Journalism Students Participate in Washington Program during Winter 2007 Semester Nine Missouri Journalism students have gone "inside the beltway" this semester to work side by side with experienced reporters, graphic designers and strategic communicators in the nation's capital. The J-School's Washington Program gives students a chance to earn academic credit as they experience Washington's fast-paced professional environment first hand. [More]

Feb. 13, 2006: Professional Experience, Networking Benefit Students in Washington Program Divya Abhat, a Missouri Journalism master's student, is meeting influential Washington journalists, visiting newsrooms and other professional sites, networking with alumni and taking advantage of the museums, historical points of interest and other treasures in the nation's capital. Abhat is one of a record 22 students enrolled in the Washington Program, now in its nearly 40th year. [More]

Sept. 22, 2003: Washington Program Gives Students Experience Reporting From Nation's Capital At 23 years old, Missouri School of Journalism student Matt Keeney is already producing television stories in the news capital of the world. And at 21, so is Christine Maddela. Both are students in the school's unique Washington Program. They are the first of a new era of Missouri students videotaping and reporting with state-of-the-art television news equipment recently installed at the school's bureau in the National Press Club Building. [More]