Category | News

Radio personality offers expertise in comm class

Published on August 26, 2008 by The Sentinel

    On the second official day of the Fall 2008 semester, a loud,
booming voice could be heard from outside of room 2025 in the Social
Sciences Building.

    One would think someone was being chastised or scolded, but what was really taking place was that students were given a chance to get to know their Contemporary Issues in Mass Media professor.

    Before walking into the classroom, many of them had no idea that the Warren “Rhubarb” Jones, dressed in a bright yellow beach shirt, standing before them and “hipping” them to the industry, was the same Rhubarb Jones that many of them have heard and admired on the radio airwaves.

    After 36 years in radio, Jones is now identified as a distinguished lecturer in KSU’s Department of Communication, as well as director of Special Projects for the Office of Development.

    He is best known as one of the longest running morning radio personalities in the Atlanta radio market. For 23 years he worked at Y-106.7, which later became Eagle 106.7.

    His career came to an end on the last day of February 2008. However, Jones looks at the firing as the best thing that ever happened to him.
    Just 72 hours after learning that he would no longer be required to show up at the station, Dr. Daniel Papp, KSU’s President, gave Jones a call. He asked Jones if he would like to “come to KSU” to work.

    “I knew that I wanted to be a part of this wonderful university,” Jones said. “I was offered a similar position at my alma mater, the University of West Georgia, but I knew that Kennesaw State was where I wanted to be because my strong belief in the leadership of this institution,”said Jones. “I think Dr. Papp is a visionary who cares about students, faculty, staff and the metro Atlanta area as a whole,” Jones said. “Kennesaw State is now a “plan A” (or first choice school) and [no longer] an alternative.”

    In addition to the Contemporary Issues class, Jones is also teaching a course in Media Management. He is delighted to be teaching these courses. “Both classes have a strong emphasis on participation and offer me a challenge to dig deep,” he said. His focus in the Contemporary Issues class is to try to open up views on the world around us. For the Media Management course he plans to show the ever growing world and the needs for leadership.

    Jones said he is very happy to share his 36 years of real world experience in the media. Radio, he said, was wonderful to him, but broadcasting is ever changing.

    “I want students to know that there are opportunities and to go for them.”

    Why teach? For him it was simple. Ever since he was a freshman in college, which was 39 years ago at Southern Union State Junior College in Wadley, Alabama, he wanted to teach. However, back then he wanted to teach History or Political Science at the high school level.

    “Then life happened,” he said. “I got a job in radio.”

    Jones said radio was a hard climb and allowed him to attain dreams far beyond his imagination. But he knew at some point he wanted to give back and it would be through teaching.

    He has a few expectations now that he is here at KSU. He said he wants students to suit up, show up and be on time.

“Working in the media, you learn about deadlines and being on time. You have to work hard and do more than what is expected to be successful in life,” he said. “I am hoping that students can learn from what we can offer.”

    Jones plans to achieve it all by constantly challenging his students to think, to grow and to make learning a lifelong ambition. “Learning should continue after Dr. Papp hands you the diploma upon graduation.”