Joliet City Council honors USF’s Exploring Joliet cable show

The Joliet City Council honored the University of St. Francis student-produced cable television show, Exploring Joliet, with a proclamation. USF students and their advisor were recognized for providing three years of the cable television program, which provides information about the City of Joliet, its people and activities.

USF students, under the direction of advisor Richard Lorenc, plan and conduct interviews both in the field and in the studio, produce animation and graphics, direct, anchor, videotape and edit the shows. "Students receive real-world experience covering news in Joliet, and this experience broadens their academic classroom experience. This is hands-on learning at its best and one of the benefits of a small university experience," said Lorenc. The program is also a community service to generate pride and excitement about the City of Joliet, added Lorenc, an associate professor of mass communication at the University of St. Francis.

University of St. Francis students receive a proclamation from the Joliet City Council honoring Exploring Joliet, a student-produced cable television show. Pictured at the City Council meeting are Richard Lorenc, advisor and students Lindsay Mufich, Autumn Lynumn, Angela Snode, Stephen Feledy and Justin Vaughan.

The proclamation recognized Exploring Joliet as a valuable educational experience as well as for generating pride and excitement about the City of Joliet.

Lorenc along with USF students Lindsay Mufich of Joliet, Autumn Lynumn of Dolton, Angela Snode of Channahon, Stephen Feledy of Chicago and Justin Vaughan of Mokena, accepted the proclamation. In turn, each city council member was presented with a DVD montage of scenes from the first three years of Exploring Joliet shows. Lynumn edited the montage.

The proclamation noted all USF students who devoted their time and energy to this community service during its first three years, noted Lorenc. Listed in the proclamation are Kamilah Alexander of Cleveland, OH, Oscar Ayala of Cicero, Amy Bannerman of Crete, Allen Baras of Oak Forest, Christopher Bersano of Minooka, Alissandra Calderon and Stephen Feledy of Chicago, Mark Haglund, Patrick Hester, Rhianna Korst, Jennifer Marentic, Derrek Matichak, Sarah Moore, Lindsay Mufich and Jaclyn Warner of Joliet, Sarah Haldeman of Channahon, Terra Hoster of Lemont, Rachel Hutchinson of Crest Hill, Malinda Jacobson of Tinley Park, Phillip Lee of Frankfort, Nicholas Murawski of Homer Glen, Daniel Okrzesik of New Lenox, Nicholas Pucel of Shorewood, Kimberly Rusch of Justice, Anne-Marie Udell of Naperville, Joseph Van Der Bosch of Kildeer, Justin Vaughan of Mokena and Brendan Walsh of Plainfield.

Exploring Joliet can be seen at 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Joliet Television Channel 6 and at 11:30 a.m. on Sundays on Comcast Channel 3.

The University of St. Francis in Joliet offers more than 60 areas of undergraduate study, including Mass Communication, along with three degree completion programs and 13 graduate programs.