Annenberg graduation speakers announced
The Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism officially announced Monday Debra L. Lee, chairman and CEO of BET Networks, as the commencement speaker for the School of Communication and Jorge Ramos, anchor for Univision and Fusion, as the commencement speaker for the School of Journalism.The ceremonies will take place on May 15.Previous commencement speakers for Annenberg include KPCC President and CEO Bill Davis, Grammy-award winning music producer T Bone Burnett and former First Lady of California Maria Shriver.Lee, hailed for her successes throughout the span of her 25-year career with Black Entertainment Networks, is the highest-ranked African-American woman at Viacom Inc., and is also an inductee in the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.During her time as COO and CEO for BET, Lee increased the production budget by more than 25 percent and redesigned the company’s mission statement to include more familial support and vision setting for families, according to a statement from BET. She has also increased viewership and revenue after overseeing major initiatives and additions to the network, such as the creation of shows including Let’s Stay Together, The Game, Black Girls Rock!, The Mo’Nique Show and Sunday Best. In 2005, Lee also added CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network to garner the attention of more viewers.Lee, a graduate of Brown University, also earned a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University and a law degree at Harvard Law School. Lee holds an honorary doctorate of humane letters and currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for Brown University.In 1981, she began her legal career as a law clerk for Barrington Parker for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was later appointed to the position of vice president of BET’s legal affairs department and general counsel in 1986. A decade later, Lee became the president and COO of BET Holdings, Inc. Lee currently sits on the board of directors for several multmillion-dollar companies, such as Revlon and Marriott.Ramos, a recipient of eight Emmy Awards, is known for his work reporting for Noticiero and has received the Maria Moors Cabot Award for excellence in Journalism. He received his master’s degree in international studies at the University of Miami.A native to Mexico City, Ramos graduated from the Universidad Iberoamericana where he earned his bachelor of arts degree in communications. In 1983, Ramos began his career in journalism when he took his first job as a reporter for KMEX-TV, a subsidiary of Univision Los Angeles. Ramos also has experience working for Telemundo, Fox Sports and ESPN Deportes.The School of Communication ceremony will be held in McCarthy Quad, and the School of Journalism ceremony will be held at the John C. Argue Plaza.
Defending champion Naomi Osaka has been knocked out of the US Open, losing 7-5 6-4 to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in the last 16.Belinda Bencic, the 13th seed, has now matched her best run at a Grand Slam eventOsaka, 21, was broken late in the opening set and then again in the fifth game of the second under the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof at Flushing Meadows.Japan’s Osaka will lose her world number one ranking, with Ashleigh Barty of Australia to return to the top spot.Bencic, the 13th seed, will play Donna Vekic in the quarter-finals.The Croat, seeded 23rd, saved a match point as she beat Germany’s 26th seed Julia Gorges 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3 in two hours and 42 minutes on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Belgian 25th seed Elise Mertens breezed past American qualifier Kristie Ahn 6-1 6-1 in 66 minutes and will play Canadian 15th seed Bianca Andreescu or USA’s Taylor Townsend next.For Bencic, 22, it is her second appearance in the quarter-finals after also making the last eight in 2014 as a 17-year-old.She has now beaten Osaka three times this year after previous victories in Indian Wells and Madrid.“I was so excited to come on the court, the challenge cannot be bigger – Naomi Osaka is a great player and won the US Open last year,” said Bencic. “I had to be on top of my game and am really pleased with how I played.“She has a lot of power, I was just trying to play it a little bit like chess, anticipate and make a tactic on the court.” Osaka, who beat Serena Williams in last year’s final for her maiden Grand Slam title, started off badly as she lost her serve at the first opportunity and had to save two break points to avoid going 3-0 down.She then fought back with a break before Bencic took the decisive break in the 11th game and then served out the set.In the second set, Osaka, who later said she had been struggling with a knee injury, double-faulted to gift Bencic another break and the Swiss player took the final game of the match with a service hold to love.After winning the Australian Open in January for her second Grand Slam, Osaka became the world number one, a position she held until June when Barty took over.Osaka returned to the top eight weeks later but Barty will become number one again, despite losing in the last 16 to China’s Qiang Wang on Sunday. “For me, right now I have this feeling of sadness, but I also feel like I have learned so much during this tournament,” said Osaka, who received wide praise for comforting 15-year-old Coco Gauff, with both players crying after their third-round match.“I feel like the steps I’ve taken as a person have been much greater than I would imagine at this point, so I hope I can keep growing. I know if I keep working hard, then I’ll have better results.”
No. 2 Ohio State (12-0) meets No. 10 Wisconsin (10-2) in the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday. The game will be televised at 8 p.m. on Fox.The Buckeyes lead the FBS in scoring (49.9) and rank fourth in the nation in scoring defense (11.8). First-year coach Ryan Day is 15-0 dating back to last season, and the star-studded trio of Chase Young, Justin Fields and J.K. Dobbins are jockeying for Heisman Trophy votes. Ohio State is trying to win a third straight Big Ten championship. The Badgers are making their sixth trip to the Big Ten championship game, but they have lost their last three appearances there. Ohio State won the regular-season meeting 38-7, so Paul Chryst will have to find a game plan that features more than just Jonathan Taylor, who is second in the FBS with 1,761 rushing yards.The Buckeyes and Badgers have a lot on the line here. Here’s everything to know about betting on Ohio State vs. Wisconsin, including updated odds, trends and our expert’s prediction for the 2019 Big Ten championship game.MORE: Get the latest NCAA odds & betting advice at Sports InsiderOhio State vs. Wisconsin odds for Big Ten championship gameSpread: Ohio State -16Point total: 56.5Moneyline: Ohio State -110, Wisconsin -110Ohio State is a 16-point favorite, according to odds at Sports Insider.Ohio State vs. Wisconsin all-time seriesOhio State leads the all-time series 60-18-5. The Buckeyes have won the last seven meetings, and that includes the Big Ten championship games in 2014 and 2017. The Badgers’ last victory in the series was a 31-18 upset in 2010.Three trends to know— Ohio State was 9-3 against the spread this season as a favorite in every game. The Buckeyes are 5-0 against the spread when the spread is fewer than 20 points.— The Badgers are 7-5 against the spread as an underdog since Chryst took over as head coach in 2015. Wisconsin is 3-4 against the spread on neutral sites.— Ohio State has outscored Big Ten opponents 436-116 this season, an average margin of victory of 35.6 points per game.MORE: A complete guide to conference championship weekendThree things to watchBadgers’ answer for Chase YoungYoung, who leads the FBS with 16.5 sacks, had four of those in the first matchup against Wisconsin. It altered the Badgers’ game plan, and Jack Coan hit just 10 of 17 passes for 108 yards as a result. Wisconsin won’t have to deal with the elements in Lucas Oil, but look for Chryst to borrow some of the schemes Michigan threw at Young last week with chips and double teams. That might give Coan more time to make plays down field, which the Badgers are going to need to keep pace.Can Jonathan Taylor get going?Taylor had 20 carries for 52 yards in the first meeting this season, his lowest output with at least 20 carries in a single game. Look for Coan to try a few screens, but Taylor simply needs to be better. The Badgers are 16-1 when Taylor rushes for 150 yards or more, and it’s going to take that kind of effort with 20-plus carries to give Wisconsin a chance. Taylor has 35 caries for 93 yards in two meetings against Ohio State.Justin Fields going longFields has 37 touchdowns and one interception this season, a remarkable year for the Georgia transfer that continued with four touchdown passes against Michigan. Fields had 167 passing yards and two touchdowns in the first meeting with Wisconsin, but it was a 27-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave late in the first half that got him going. The Badgers need to force a few turnovers, but Fields has not made too many mistakes.MORE: Picks against the spread for every conference championship game Stat that mattersIn the last two Big Ten championship meetings between these teams, Wisconsin has been limited to 69 carries for 131 yards: an average of 1.9 yards per carry. Ohio State has 80 carries for 539 yards in those two games: an average of 6.7 yards per carry.Ohio State vs. Wisconsin predictionIf these teams’ respective rushing totals keep in line with previous meetings, then this game won’t take long. The Buckeyes will roll to a third straight Big Ten crown with ease and earn a potential No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The Badgers will add a few wrinkles that might keep it close early, but Fields will break the game open after Dobbins — who had 20 carries for 163 yards and two scores in the first meeting — loosens up the defense. Ohio State pours it on in the second half.Ohio State 40, Wisconsin 21