Iowa Journalist Fall 2004 Staff

Professor Stephen Bloom is working on a book to be titled Blue-Eyes, Brown Eyes: The Experiment that Shocked a Nation. The book is about Jane Elliot, a small town teacher who is best known for dividing up her third grade class to teach her students about racism in the aftermath of the assassination in 1968 of Martin Luther King, Jr. Elliot divided her third grade class into a blue-eyed group and a brown-eyed group, and told the blue-eyed students they were inferior to the brown-eyed students. Bloom is tracking down students to interview them about their experiences in one of the most famous classrooms in the history of American education. They were pupils from 1968 to 1983 in Riceville, Iowa, located 10 miles south of the Minnesota state line.

Brian Triplett, a University of Iowa junior from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in journalism and English, has won a $5,000 Murray Scholarship from the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation. Triplett won this award for writing an outstanding 1,000-word essay. He is one of only seven journalism students to win nationwide. Triplett received the award in October 2004 at the annual Murray Scholars Dinner and Golf Classic in Los Angeles. This is the second year in a row that a UI student has won the Murray Scholarship. Triplett is currently the sports editor for The Daily Iowan.

Lauren Smiley, a UI senior from Marion, Iowa, majoring in journalism and Spanish, is one of 10 journalism students from across the United States to receive a $10,000 scholarship in the Scripps Howard Foundation’s annual “Top Ten” scholarship program for college journalists. Smiley also placed fourth, out of 105 students, in the feature writing competition of the Hearst Competition this year.

Liz Mathis, (B.A. 1980) (a UI J-MC School) graduate has received a Shining Star award from the Professional Women’s Network. Mathis was recognized for her help in organizing the group’s Colleague Event in March.

Elliot Keller (B.A. 1970) (a UI J-MC School graduate) at KZIA/Z102.9 has received the Volunteer of the Year Award. Keller received the award for his service with the Iowa City Chamber of Commerce program since the late 1970s. “It’s part of serving your community and making it better,” Keller said. “How could you not support an organization like that?”

Brian Ross (B.A. 1971) has received The University of Iowa 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award. He is one of 13 individuals to receive this award. Ross, along with the other award winners, will be recognized on June 11. He was a correspondent for NBC for 20 years. He joined ABC News as chief investigative correspondent in 1994.