Fun for all ages on 49th Dean Stone Night

By Sarah Swan
J-School Web reporter

photo by Garret W. Smith

Excited photo students arrive for the 49th Annual Dean Stone Night.

Call it the Academy Awards for Montana journalism students, and you’ve just named the 49th Annual Dean Stone Awards Banquet of the University of Montana School of Journalism.

Named after Arthur L. Stone, the J-school’s founding dean, the gala is a night for journalism students, professors and friends of the school to relax, to receive recognition, and of course, win scholarships. More than 260 people attended this year’s banquet.

“The history of Dean Stone is like Christmas every spring because we just give out money in scholarships and awards,” said photo professor Keith Graham.

Bright, spring-colored balloons and flowers greeted partygoers as they entered the Holiday Inn atrium for the 5 p.m. cocktail hour.

Broadcast major Marcus Chebul, a junior who looked spiffy in his suit jacket and tie, was one of the first to arrive. It was his first time attending the event.

“I am hoping for a night of debauchery and antics that will know no bounds,” Chebul said. “I am hoping to get some scholarships and to see my classmates in top form.”

Junior Brenna Moore, a print major, was next to arrive. Moore talked about rumors she had heard about previous Dean Stone nights.

“I heard that Dean Jerry Brown likes to pour his drinks, and I heard that it’s a lot of fun and people get kind of tipsy,” she said.

Moore took a humble approach to winning an award: “I would kind of like it if I won a scholarship. That would be cool, but [I’m] not expecting it.”  

photo by Garret W. Smith

The Dean Stone Night programs were designed by photo student Amanda Determan.

Around 5:20 p.m. crowds of glamorous women and handsome men who might wear sweats on any other day began to pour into the hotel. Groups spanned the atrium, and voices strained to talk above the crowd.

Norma Ashby, a 1957 J-School graduate, smiled in excitement. This would be her first Dean Stone night.

Ashby has worked in every aspect of journalism from print to public relations and broadcast. She ended up in Great Falls, Mont., where she had a 26-year broadcast career. “I think it’s a great night,” said Ashby, a member of the School of Journalism Advisory Council. “I want to get acquainted with some of the students.”

 Ashby said she was most excited to see the students receive their awards.

 “I know it’s not easy to be a student,” she said. “I was on the Kaimin staff when I was here and I know the amount of work it takes.”

Voices now filled the atrium. Camera bulbs flashed, and bumping elbows for an interesting conversation was the only assignment of the evening. Laughter became contagious, and lazy smiles crept across faces.

Senior Alex Strickland, editor of the Montana Kaimin, was attending Dean Stone Night for his third year.

 “It’s always a good time, nice to see everyone dressed up and kind of shocking sometimes,” Strickland said. “I expect that my staff will be well behaved, thus keeping me out of trouble; that’s my only expectation.”

Junior Kevin Hoffman, a photo major, had one disappointment.

“To tell you the truth I couldn’t find a date,” Hoffman said. “I’ll get a little bit drunk and I’ll get a free meal, by free I mean I’ve got to pay 15 bucks, so maybe I’ll get a scholarship.”

It might seem as though Dean Stone Night is just one big party for the J-school, but it is a party with different meanings.

photo by Garret W. Smith

J-school students, professors and guests crowd around the bar for a drink.

“It is a party where students can forget school, work and, I hope, enjoy one another’s company,” Graham said.

 There was much speculation about what the faculty song would be this year. As a good journalist, Dean Jerry Brown chose not to spoil the surprise.

“I cannot disclose my sources,” Brown said with a chuckle. “I can assure you we are not violating any copyright, that we have a full approval of the ASKAT, Google, Napster and Deanster.”

Brown said the real joy of the event was seeing students applaud each other.

Broadcast professor Ray Ekness was breaking a sweat moving around the room to meet and greet.

“I went to my first Dean Stone Night in 1983, and I was younger, skinnier and had more hair,” Ekness said.

The night is always exciting and fun, he said.

“There will be tears and laughter and some people will cheer too loud, but that’s the fun of it,” Ekness said. “As much as you want to control it and make it the Oscars, it’s Dean Stone Night; it should be loud.”

Speaking of loud, with only 15 minutes left before dinner, the volume had reached a point of near insanity.

Four members of the Montana Kaimin — Daniel Person, Peter Bulger, Tim Ratte and Tim Daily — could hardly concentrate. They did take time to give short answers about what they hoped to walk away with from the awards ceremony.

“Scholarship money,” Person said.

“A hot chick,” Bulger chimed.

“A buzz,” Ratte said with a smile.

“Financial gain,” Daily said.

Heather Hintze, a junior in broadcast, was resting her feet in an armchair and said she had a good feeling about the night.

“I think our production and broadcast side will do pretty well,” Hintze said. “I know a bunch of us have already won awards in the past, but I hope to get recognized for those even if we don’t get any awards tonight.”

For many, the night is about preserving the memory of a loved one.

Jeannie Bury attended to help present one of the bigger awards, along with her daughter-in-law, Maria Cole.

Bury’s son, Jeff Cole, a 1981 graduate of the J-school, was a Wall Street Journal reporter who was killed in an airplane crash in 2001.  A $1,900 scholarship was awarded in his name to a promising journalist.

“It’s an inspiration when I see the enthusiasm and commitment of the current generation of journalists,” Bury said. “I am reassured, and it’s a wonderful experience to meet with them and talk with them and know what their goals are.”

As time wound down and the crowd reached its maximum volume, the doors of the banquet hall swung open and the smell of dinner wafted into the atrium.

The crowd followed their noses to find seats, marking the beginning of the awards ceremony. 

One last group of stragglers stood outside, still clenching their beers. Realizing they were the only ones left, a few of them sighed as though preparing for the night ahead. Before they filtered into the banquet hall, the group brought their bottles together for cheers.  With one final swig, the group laughed and walked into the banquet hall where the promise of a good meal awaited.

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