THE ORANGE CORD

The Orange Cord is the official alumni association of the Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation (RMSMC) and is affiliated with Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. The mission of the Orange Cord Alumni Association is to build relationships with and connect members of both the current student population and graduates of the RMSMC program. The Orange Cord has a leadership committee and seven subcommittees. Members of the Orange Cord committee are alumni and supporters that volunteer their time for the benefit of both current students and other alumni. To become a member of or to volunteer with the Orange Cord, please access the Volunteer Form.

ORANGE CORD COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Meet the Orange Cord Representatives. 

Melissa Brandon

Chair

Pete Waack

Treasurer

Hannah Taylor

Alumni Relations Coordinator

Max Rule

CTV Digitization

Leslie Ballantine

Cord of Honor

Ethan Bird

Mentorship

Sid Simonson

Mentorship

David Worford

Alumni Research

Carmen Hardy

Design & Advertising

Rachel Baschnagel, Events 

ORANGE CORD COMMITTEES

ALUMNI RESEARCH

The Alumni Research Committee is responsible for updating and expanding our alumni database. They gather information about alumni from their time in student media and seek out updated details for others as needed.

COMMMUNICATIONS

The Communications Committee creates and manages content for alumni, covering current students, upcoming events, and alumni highlights. They also develop and maintain a schedule for social media and newsletters.

CORD OF HONOR

The Cord of Honor Committee oversees the nomination and voting procedures for the Cord of Honor award. They also coordinate and plan the celebration event for the award recipients.

CTV DIGITIZATION

After a long, tedious road to catalog the physical CTV Content of the path, the CTV Digitization Committee is proud to announce that the tapes are together and ready to be digitized for future preservation. In order to facilitate this next endeavor, the committee is looking for volunteers to assist in a fundraising drive dedicated to preserving CTV’s history for the future. Please reach out to alumni@rmsmc.com for more information, or if you are interested in helping safeguard CTV’s legacy!

EVENTS

The Events Committee is dedicated to organizing alumni gatherings. Past events include the Denver Press Club Networking Event and the Alumni Homecoming tailgate, but the committee is always open to planning new and diverse events.

MENTORSHIP: ONE-ON-ON PROGRAM

The Mentorship Committee focuses on recruiting mentors and matching them with mentees. This is a fantastic chance to become a mentor and guide current RMSMC students.

SPRING ALUMNI PANEL

The Spring Alumni Panel Committee is tasked with recruiting panelists and determining the topics they will address. This event provides current students with valuable insights into various career paths, and committee members are welcome to participate as panelists if they wish.

CORD OF HONOR
HALL OF FAME
INAUGURAL CLASS

In April 2024 The Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation inducted its inaugural class into The Cord of Honor Hall of Fame. 

Linda Shapley

MEDIA INDUSTRY VETERAN | FORMER STUDENT MEDIA EMPLOYEE

Eugene Daniels

MSMBC SENIOR ANALYST | FORMER STUDENT MEDIA EMPLOYEE

David Freed

AUTHOR, JOURNALIST AND HOLLYWOOD SCREEN WRITER | FORMER COLLEGIAN REPORTER

David McSwane

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, AUTHOR AND DECORATED INDUSTRY VETERAN | FORMER STUDENT MEDIA EMPLOYEE

Jim Sheeler

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER | FORMER STUDENT MEDIA EMPLOYEE

Virgina Singarayar

SENIOR DESIGN EDITOR AT THE WASHINGTON POST | FORMER COLLEGIAN EMPLOYEE

Elizabeth Spayd

PUBLIC EDITOR OF THE NEWYORK TIMES | FORMER STUDENT MEDIA EMPLOYEE

Larry Steward

FOUNDER OF THE MODERN STUDENT MEDIA ORGANIZATION | MEDIA INDUSTRY VETERAN

Posthumous

Charlie D'Agata

SENIOR FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT CBS | DECORATED INDUSTRY VETERAN

ORANGE CORD GRADUATES

Rocky Mountain Student Media proudly recognizes our recent graduates walking with the Orange Cord. 

Kota Babcock

ORANGE CORD SPRING 2022

Chelsey Beardsley

ORANGE CORD BOARD CHAIR 2022

Scott Thompson

ORANGE CORD SPRING 2023

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