Three Hours and Counting....

Poster design by Hide Kameya,
 Marketing/Strategic Communication major

In about three more hours, the Ozarks Communication department will make history by broadcasting the first-ever live coverage of election returns from the county courthouse and hosting an election watch party at Fat Dawgz BBQ restaurant across Fulton Street from the courthouse.

This will mark the second time Ozarks has had live coverage on Election Night. In 2008, the department had a live program in the Walker Hall studio. This year, however, thanks to the Tricaster equipment the department acquired last year, the coverage can be broadcast live on location over both KUOZ Channel 6 and the university's UStream channel.

The event this year also includes a community watch party, with a live band (the Write-In Candidate Ramblers) and other entertainment while the returns come in. The event is a cooperative effort among all members of the Communication department. Susan Edens' Backpack Journalism class will broadcast the event and make live reports as election returns are announced. Dr. Heather McFarland's Political Communication class will provide content, with stories filed from the class trip to Chicago over fall break and with political analysis of local and national returns. Greta Marlow's Event Planning class has worked to coordinate the social side of the event with Fat Dawgz. This marks the first time all facets of the department have come together for a single event.

The KUOZ crew sets up the equipment tent in early
afternoon to prepare for tonight's event.

The live broadcast will start at 6 p.m. and continue until the presidential race is decided. However, students from all three classes have already been hard at work today setting up the necessary equipment, decorating the venue for the party, and planning for the live interviews scheduled with city officials. The set for the event will be on the northwest corner of the courthouse lawn, and it will include a stage from which Sherrie Arey, the host for tonight's program, will hold interviews and introduce the packages and the commercials for local sponsors.

Those local sponsors include Cecil's Hardware, Clarksville Pharmacy, El Parian, Fat Dawgz, Hollyhocks, Johnson Regional Medical Center, Morgan's Fashions, the Rogers Conference Center, University of the Ozarks, and Whitson-Morgan Motor Company. Thanks to all our sponsors for helping make this historic event a reality.

I'll check back in this evening with updates as the event goes on! If you can't join us at the courthouse square, watch the coverage on KUOZ Channel 6 or on the U of O UStream channel.