Guest Speaker Marc Rotenberg

At the request of Professor Hunter Heyck, Executive Director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center Marc Rotenberg speaks at Gaylord Auditorium about the threat to privacy now and in the future of America.

(PHOTO: Matthew Shaffer)

Rotenberg begins by referencing the famous book, 1984, and how it "warned" America about the future of privacy invasion. Rotenberg touches on many methods the government uses to spy and attain information such as the 360 CCTV surveillance camera, biometric identification, wiretapping, the FAST program, RFID tracking, body scanners, and gps tracking. All of these methods have their uses, but according to Rotenberg, the technology could be used beyond its original purpose.

Throughout the lecture, Rotenberg occassionaly shows his audience various clips from movies, trailers, and advertisements to give a different view of his opinion. At the end of the lecture, he gives a list of references he had used. This method allows for further study of privacy through movies. "Tonight...we [will] talk about how the movies project the concern about surveillance, what we see in the world around us, and also how we respond in a political/thoughtful sense to these new challenges."

Rotenberg also talked about how internet social networks have the capability to store indefinitely the information of users who use facebook, twitter, and myspace, and the government has the permission, thanks to the Patriot Act, to use that information if necessary for any investigation.

Rotenberg teaches information privacy law at Georgetown University Law Center about various privacy related subjects. He has also created a website, epic.org, as a site to promote the protection of privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values.

Heyck previously had speakers Professor Starr and Professor Douglas speak in his class, the History of Media. Heyck promises more lectures before the end of the semester and welcomes any outside of his class to come.

Marc Rotenberg talks briefly about the airport full body scanner that allows security to see through clothing. VIDEO: Matthew Shaffer/Kelsey Hightower runs 1:47

Cherokee Ballard Visits OU

Former news reporters Cherokee Ballard and Britten Follet spoke at Gaylord College Hall of Fame to discuss their experiences and their most interesting story, the murder of Kelsey Smith. The two reporters walked their listeners through their life in news reporting to their current positions. They occasionally showed past news packages about the Kelsey case and demonstrated how powerful investigative reporting can be and how making the guilty accountable can change someone's life.

(PHOTO: Matthew Shaffer)

Given the question of how would Follett do differently if given the chance to start her first job over, the two talk about the importance of holding those in power accountable and give students the chance to think this way before starting their careers as journalists. AUDIO: Matthew Shaffer runs 2:04



According to the two reporters and the news reports that were shown, Kelsey Smith-Briggs's father, Lance, was involved with the Iraq War and had to leave Kelsey at home. On a weekend trip home, he found her bruised and with a broken collar bone. Eventually, she would be recieve more abuse from an unknown abuser while Lance was in Iraq, and she would be killed. The killer is still unknown today, but Ballard was responsible for the 7-minute package shown on Eyewitness News 5. Many of the students who were shown this package said they couldn't believe it was seven minutes, saying it felt much shorter.

Ballard used to work for Eyewitness News 5, but unfortunately she was eventually diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system. She then became a spokesperson for The State Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to raise awareness of the cancer. However, due to Ballard's journalistic attitude, she became a little unpopular at the medical examiner, and she moved on to communications manager for Oklahoma Natural Gas.

Ballard and Follet admit that they would return to their past jobs under certain conditions, but the two feel that their abilities are required elsewhere. Ballard continues to work at Oklahoma Natural Gas while Follet works as a Marketing Manager at Follett International. The two hope that the session has given students a valuable insight into the world of journalism.

The Oklahoma City Community College Visual Art and Performances Center's Film Studio

Film Major, John Dewberry, is an aspiring film-maker currently not enrolled at Oklahoma City Community College. He currently helps out the employees at OCCC's Visual and Performing Arts Center where he waits for next semester to roll around.

(PHOTO: Matthew Shaffer)

Dewberry praises the college's classes and their video production studio for its hands-on experience such as the opportunity to build a set for a short movie. Dewberry speaks of one instance where they had to build a bathroom, and he mentions that students must build these sets without any professional help.

However, the college has some of best professional advice that can be given in the state. The college's staff includes some of the best in the field of film and documentary such as Gray Fredrickson, the producer of the Godfather trilogy. Dewberry also mentions Prop Master, Sean Lynch and Director of Photography Dave Green working at the college. This kind of professional influence is what draws many film students to the college because "the professors who are teaching you are really good at what they do and they do it in the real world," and many of them are still working on new movies.

According to Fredrickson, the studio is even equipped the best cameras in the business, the RED ONE, "a video camera that produces a film-like picture." Along with the studio are green screens, light sets, cranes for cameras, and a gallimaufry of production equipment ready for use at any time. They also have an area where students and faculty can rent out the college's equipment for as long as they need it for their productions. 

Here is a brief tour of the studio at the Visual Arts and Performance Center. VIDEO: Matthew Shaffer, runs : 0:57