On February 3, 2022, the Department of Communication & Media Studies in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) held its annual awards ceremony via Zoom. Faculty, family, friends, and staff joined the presenters and winners for the event.
The Chair of the Department, Professor Ganaele Langlois, began by congratulating the winning students on their achievement, praising their dedication and commitment. She acknowledged how the past few years have been difficult and that the faculty recognizes the strength it has taken to persevere. She then passed it to Undergraduate Program Director Rob Heynen, who moderated the ceremony, introducing the presenters and winners.
Anne MacLennan
The Reva Orlicky Memorial and Founding Friends Award was the first award of the ceremony. Established by York University alumni and friends to provide a bursary to a deserving York University upper year of Communication & Media Studies, the winning student must show an interest (and is taking courses in) radio broadcasting in Canada. Professor Anne MacLennan, a prominent researcher in Canada in radio, presented the award to Eytan Tobin. Working in music, podcasting, audio editing, Eytan credited the program and his placement at ONDASFM for allowing him to explore his passion for radio.
The Arthur Siegel Memorial Award is given to a student who’s a double major in Communication & Media Studies and Social Science and who has excelled in the program. Before introducing presenter Alisa Siegel, professor Heynen mentioned that “over his 34-year career at York, he was instrumental in shaping the program”and that he had made “a wide range of unique and important scholarly contributions to the field of politics media and communication.” Wendy Millen was this year’s recipient. A mature student, Wendy’s deep involvement in community service and her advocacy for the elderly struck a chord with Alisa, who mentioned that her father “believed in students like yourself. People who want to be here, to learn to grow – to contribute.”
Reccia Mandelcorn presented The Jerry Durlak Prize to Christine Cooling, who had previously won The Penny Jolliffe Scholarship, was the recipient of the Youth Undergraduate Scholarship and had been named to the President’s Honour Roll. The award is given to a student in the second year “Information and Technology” course who’s achieved the top academic standing and who is continuing into their third year. The prize honours Professor Jerry Durlak, a long-time member of the program who played a crucial role in shaping the trajectory of the department. Before retiring in 2005, he also assisted in developing the graduate program in Communication & Culture.
Madeline Koch presented The Eric Koch Award to Arissa Melfi, a student interested in the interplay between digital media and politics. This award is given to the student who has achieved top academic standing for the “Introduction to Politics, Policy and the Media” Communications & Media Studies course. This award honours Professor Eric Koch, an author, broadcaster, academic and a long-time member of the Communication & Media Studies program who retired in 2003.
Former Communication & Media Studies professor Dalton Kehoe presented The Dalton Kehoe Scholarship to Melissa Dadone. In a prepared statement, she said she was “honoured to be able to receive an award based on a course that to this day holds the title as my favourite course at York.” The prize is given to a second-year student who has achieved the highest GPA in the “Communication in Everyday Life” course and is continuing as an honours student in the Department. Professor Kehoe taught in the Departments of Social Science and Communication & Media Studies for many years in various capacities. This award honours his numerous contributions and extensive academic accomplishments.
The final award was The Penny Jolliffe Scholarship in Communication Studies. Presented by Rob Heynen, the award goes to the student who has the highest achievement in the course taught by him – “Introduction to Communications.” Professor Heynen praised the winner Kevin Diep by saying: “It’s really wonderful having him in the class. He excelled in every way. He was curious, engaged, the dream kind of student to have.” A professor in the department, Penny Jolliffe’s work with computers and automation was ahead of the curve and helped put York University on the map. Kevin’s recorded speech was heartfelt and gracious, thanking the Course Director, TA, Student Accessibility Services, fellow students, the donor, and his family.
The ceremony concluded with Professor Heynen thanking the winners, stating: “congratulations, it’s so well deserved, and it’s really wonderful to be able to hear from you and to meet you.” After thanking the presenters, staff and families who were able to attend, he expressed hope that next year, the event will take place in person and that everyone would have the opportunity to celebrate in person.