CMN hosted a “Debate Watch” event for the first presidential debate.
Lumpkin Hall Auditorium was filled and overflow classrooms were used to accommodate extra students.
Dr. Marita Gronnvoll, Dr. Teresa Maria Linda Scholz, and Sara Gronstal (all CMN faculty) organized the event.
Student groups were also present to help register attendees to vote.
The Department of Communication Studies at EIU hosted a study abroad trip to Ireland over the summer of 2016. AJ Walsh, faculty member in Communication Studies at EIU, included International Business Abroad with Jason Kight of the Lumpkin School of Business in her faculty-led Intercultural Communication Study Abroad program.
The group of 7 students and 2 faculty members spent 26 days in Ireland. The students visited Northern Ireland as well as the Republic of Ireland. A major component of the trip was learning about how Irish history has shaped intercultural communication and communication practices in the region. For example, the students took a Bloody Sunday tour led by a former member of the IRA, who is now working to bring peace and reconciliation. They also visited Corrymeela Reconciliation Center and learned about the negotiations between Northern Ireland and southern Ireland during “The Troubles” and the continuing efforts to improve communication between nations and cultures. A major component of the program involves having students interacting with the Irish and British peoples, exploring contemporary expressions of culture.
A.J. Walsh will lead another study abroad program this coming summer to the same locations. According to Walsh, the experience of study abroad is indispensable for students because it is a “life-changing perspective-altering experience at a critical time in a college student’s life.” Further, she notes that spending nearly a month living in another country isn’t something that students will likely be able to do after college.
Study Abroad trips like these offer students cultural awareness they can bring to their future beyond EIU. While the team of faculty members continues to try to make study abroad affordable, many students are only able to attend because of scholarships “Finding funding for students is always a challenge, and we help students turn over every rock” says Walsh.
Submitted by Dr. Molly Niesen
On May 2, the Department of Communication Studies awarded the winners of its annual multimedia contest.
The competition rewards excellence in the production of a variety of video productions (including documentary, news package, creative, and spot), audio production as well as web design.
Communication studies students submitted productions from coursework, membership in registered student organizations, internships (such as at EIU 360), and independent productions created especially for the event.
The competitive contest had 57 submissions this year and six full-time communication studies faculty judged the categories. The top three in each category were screened for the appreciative audience in the Coleman Auditorium.
The complete list of winners for each category with the top video for each embedded.
Video – Creative:
1. Dakota Pruemer: “James’ Dreams”
2. Dion McNeil – “Spaceship Elevator”
3. Kyle Ruckert – “Gettysburg”
4. Kris Wilcox – “Shooting on Set”
Video – PSA / Commercial:
1. Matt Condon – “Free Education PSA”
2. Melissa Meiselman – “Healthy Lifestyles PSA”
3. Blake Warman – “What Gets You Thinking”
Website:
1. Tylen Elliot (www.tylenelliot.com)
2. Dion McNeil (www.damcneil.com)
TV News:
1. Lacey Clifton – “Firefighter Training”
2. Tori Stoll – “News Watch Promo”
3. Jesse Guinn – “ISP Training”
Video – Documentary:
1. Dakota Pruemer – “Grilled Cheese Please”
2. Tyler Yunk – “Cross Country Documentary”
3. (tied) Greg Hayes – “A Conscious Art” & Kayla Myers – “Beyond the Blog”
Radio – PSA / Commercial
1. Jesse Guinn – “Inyart Tire and Auto”
2. Justin Skare – “Z’s Music”
3. James Bateman – “Hit-Mix Promo”
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On April 10, the Department of Communication held its annual Scholarships and Awards ceremony honoring undergraduate and graduate student excellence.
While previous years have focused on the dozen annual awards presented by the Department of Communication Studies, the 2016 event moved to Lumpkin Auditorium and included recognizing Lambda Pi Eta, the EIU Speech Panthers and the Bock Research Competition winners.
The annual event began with Drs. Angie Jacobs and Rich Jones cording eight graduating members of the communication studies honor society, Lambda Pi Eta. Two current members of the organization then inducted seven new members into the society.
Next, Drs. Beth Gill and Rich Jones presented the annual scholarships and awards, many of which have been awarded for several decades and were established by former communication studies and speech communication faculty.
Dr. Jones, who was also a member on the Scholarship and Awards Committee, stated, “In April, the month of events and celebrations, this particular event allows us all to take a moment to recognize the accomplishments of our wonderful students.”
Dr. Angie Jacobs then presented awards to the top three papers in the Doug Bock Undergraduate Research Competition. Dr. Bock is a former professor in the department as well as a former chair. The papers are selected and submitted by faculty and then reviewed by members of Lambda Pi Eta.
To conclude the evening, EIU Speech Team coach Sara Gronstal honored the Speech Panther’ achievements for the year and then Marques Brown and Austin Mejdrich each performed an award-winning speech program.
A complete list of the 2015-2016 scholarship and award winners can be found below:
Department of Communication Studies Scholarships and Awards
Doug Bock Undergraduate Research Competition
Lambda Pi Eta
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On April 6, communication studies students and faculty connected through communication at the annual Comm Day event in Coleman Hall.
The event featured 17 interactive panels throughout the day hosted by communication studies faculty as well as professionals in the field. The panels ranged in topic from assembling an effective demo reel to understanding how conspiracy theories are communicated to learning about programs available in the department.
The chair of the Department of Communication Studies Dr. Stephen King stated, “Communication Day showcases the wonderful breadth and diversity of the communication discipline. The theme of ‘Connecting and Communicating for a Better Tomorrow’ perfectly captures how our communication practices can be used to connect and identify with others as well as solve a variety of social, cultural and political problems.”
Comm Day began in the 1960s as a week filled with Rhetoric and Public Speaking activities. It was called “Speech Week,” as the department was then called Speech Communication and the events lasted for an entire week.
Over the previous 50 years, both faculty and students have shaped the direction of this event into having its current balance between each concentration as well as between research and the applied.
Each planner of Comm Day provides a different incarnation of the event. The 2016 planner, Associate Professor Dr. Angie Jacobs, promoted connection between all participants in every area of the event from the opening ceremonies that provided history on the event to a communal lunch with students and faculty to the inclusion of every area of the department into the event.
At the end of the event, Dr. Jacobs hosted the closing ceremonies with a final round of prizes that were donated by local business. The department then honored office administrator Kim Turner for her years of service to the department.
Comm Day is scheduled for April 2017 and more information can be found at https://www.eiu.edu/commstudies/commday.php
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Communication Studies News 