News & Events 2018

December 2018

Congratulations to the 62 graduates in the Department of Communication and the five finalists in the Fall Semester Speech Showcase. We are proud of your accomplishments and look forward to celebrating with you.

To those of you not graduating but still in the process of registering for Spring Semester, please let us know if you encounter any problems registering for classes. Please contact the department administrative assistant, Sare Gardner, at sgardner1@weber.edu or the department chair, Dr. Sheree Josephson, at sjosephson@weber.edu. We are happy to help you. Use the “wait list” if the class you want is full. Sometimes we are able to add classes to the schedule.

This is the December edition of the monthly email to majors. At least once a month during the regular school year, we will email you to let you know about meetings of student organizations, guest speakers, important deadlines, opportunities, student and faculty achievements—and more. If you have information you’d like us to distribute, please email department chair Sheree Josephson at sjosephson@weber.edu.

What’s Happening

December

Dec. 6: 7 p.m., EH 229, Speech Showcase
Dec. 6: 6 p.m., EH 304, graduation cap decorating party
Dec. 14: Graduation
Dec. 15: Homeschool debate tournament

January

Jan. 7: Spring Semester begins

Student News

More than 50 students graduating with associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in Communication

Congratulations to the 42 students graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and the nine students graduating with an associate’s degree in Communication. Commencement will be Friday, Dec. 14, at 8 a.m. in the Dee Events Center. The Lindquist College Convocation will be at 1 p.m. in the Val A. Browning Center.

The graduates include:

Civic Advocacy: Danielle Marie Collier, Megan Kayli Kendell
Digital Media: Tori Leigh Alexander, Austin J. Berenyi, Uriel Flores, Sonja L. Schuette, Dallas Terry, Spencer K. Teramoto, Elizabeth Wharton, William Scott Womack Jr.
Interpersonal & Family Communication: Geoffrey Paul Canaan, Saige McKinna Hadley, Chris Alexander Monahan, Rachel Parks
Multimedia Journalism: Cameron D. Gifford, Raychel Jayne Johnson, Jacob McMahon, Japheth Nathann Pleasant
Organizational Communication: Marissa Hansen, Noelle Nicole Lee
Public Relations & Advertising: Jake Dixon Bergquist, Darryl Kevin Denby, Trent Elihu Ferrin, Annelise Feuz, Mia Grace Muluwork Hale, Jake Halter, Adam David Livingston, Kyler Mecham, Michael William Numbers Jr., Carly Lynn Peercy, Clyde M Ratliff, Jennifer Richins, Ross William Rosier, Shaundra Rushton, Madison M. Samuels, Brenda Jean Schenck, Timothy C. Tincher, Steven Craig Vargo, Chloe Lynn Walker, Jennica Marie Wilden, Bradley Williams, Taylor Winnie
Associate of Science in Communication: Amy L. Arnold, Alexis Mary Atkin, Ashton Robert Corsetti, Barbara Rose Dille, Andrew J. R. Johnson, Jacob B. Martin, Lyanne Darla Tangog, Joseph Anthony Traub, Hollie Webster

Digital Media student to graduate with Honors in Communication

Sonja L. Schuette, a student graduating in the Digital Media emphasis, will graduate with Honors in Communication. To graduate with Honors, students must earn a 3.75 GPA in the Communication major and have a 3.5 GPA overall. They must also present original research at a conference.

Eleven students graduating with master’s in Professional Communication

Congratulations to the 11 students graduating with a master’s degree in Professional Communication. They are Steven W. Bench, Jesse K. Checkman, Kyle D. Cropper, Matthew D. Driggs, Kimberly Ann Ealy, Kallen Evans, Mark T. Hudson, Michelle Hurst, Carlee Louise Madsen, Patrick Murphy and Melissa Smith.

Speech Showcase to feature Top 5 speakers from Fall’s public speaking classes

The Department of Communication will host the Fall 2018 Speech Showcase on Thursday from 7-8 p.m. in the Eccles Lecture Hall in Elizabeth Hall Room 229. The five finalists will deliver speeches and the other top speakers from Fall Semester’s sections of Comm. 1020 Principles of Public Speaking will be honored. Mark Merkley, a longtime faculty member who helped establish the Showcase, will be presented with the Freedom through Rhetoric award, recognizing his contributions to the community and the university through speech. Everyone is invited to attend. The top speakers include:

Peter Eck: The Importance of Political Participation
Anthony Frazier: Drug Legalization: The Solution to Overcrowded Prisons
Emma Harris: Just Breathe
Lucy Kunzler: Pages Before Posts
Megan Coles: Ogden: A Sanctuary City

PRSSA chapter hosting graduation cap decorating party Thursday

The student chapter of PRSSA will hold a holiday party potluck on Thursday with graduation cap decorating. Attendees will also fill shoeboxes for veterans. Everyone is welcome. You don’t need to be a PRSSA member. The celebration will be at 6 p.m. in Elizabeth Hall Room 304.

Four Communication students land jobs after internships

Four Communication students have landed jobs after their required internship in Communication. They include Colin Hooten, Ross Rosier, Carver Nicholas and Madison Miner. Hooten was hired as a part-time employee after his internship with Cranston, Inc., as a result of creating and reporting a customer service survey. Rosier was asked to continue part time with University Marketing &Communications, even after graduation, because of his many press releases that were picked up by local media. Nicholas, after completing an unpaid digital media internship at KSL during summer and fall, has been offered a paid, on-call position as a digital media producer at KSL. Miner just accepted a full-time job with Albion Fit as an events coordinator, based on her internship with Minky Couture where she coordinated a major warehouse event and hosted meetings.

Debate tournament for 250 homeschooled high school students set for Dec. 15

WSU Debate will host the Wasatch Independent Debate League, a debate tournament for 250 high school students who are homeschooled. The tournament will be Dec. 15 in Elizabeth Hall. It will include five events.

Studio 76 production heading to Filmapalooza, an international film festival

Weber State University’s Studio 76 students are heading to Filmapalooza, an international film festival, in Florida this March, after raking in awards at a local competition. “If the Shoe Fits,” a short film created by WSU students, won awards for Best Film, Best Directing, Best Sound Design, and Best Use of Character at the 48-Hour Film Project premiere. The film was created in 48 hours according to an assigned genre and character. WSU filmmakers had to incorporate a shoe designer named Samuel Powell and use a prop of a high-heeled shoe. They also had to use the line “I was wondering if you could help me.” Digital Media student Schuylar Hudson was the main actor and assisted with audio. Studio 76 staffer Kalie Pead and Studio 76 faculty adviser Andrea Baltazar were the main writers and directors.

Announcements

Two Special Topics classes offered in Spring Semester

Two Special Topics classes (COMM 4500) are being offered in Spring Semester on two exciting topics. They include COMM 4500 Global Perspectives: Communicating Effectively in a Multicultural Society and COMM 4500 Digital Documentary Filmmaking. Global Perspectives will be taught by Dr. Michael Ault and Dr. Bobbi Van Gilder on Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. Digital Documentary Filmmaking will be taught by Andrea Baltazar on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. Global Perspectives will explore cultural influences on communication in the workplace and in everyday life. Digital Documentary Filmmaking will teach non-fiction storytelling in video. Both classes will be accepted as Communication electives if students work with their academic advisers.

Tips on registering if you want to do an internship in the summer

If you are planning to do an internship in the summer but not taking any other classes, you can avoid paying for those 3 credits just for summer registration by enrolling in COMM 4890 in the Spring. That will give you access to the Canvas course. You will receive an Incomplete at the end of Spring semester, which will not affect your GPA, but you have a year to complete your online internship assignments. You can NOT do an internship in the summer, but enroll in COMM 4890 in the Fall.

Alumni Accomplishments

Public relations graduate being recognized for excellence

Jason Carlton, a graduate in Public Relations & Advertising, is being recognized as the 2018 Mid-level Professional of the Year at the Golden Spike Awards, sponsored by the two Public Relations Society of America chapters in Utah. In April, he will also receive the 2018 Excellence in PR Award from the national PRSA Health Academy Section.

Former faculty member, MPC graduate receive Presidential Outstanding Staff awards

Allison Barlow Hess, the university’s director of public relations and a former Communication faculty member, received the Presidential Outstanding Staff Award. Dani McKean, a graduate of the Master of Professional Communication program, also was honored with the Presidential Outstanding Staff Award. They will formally receive their awards at the annual staff awards luncheon on Feb. 7.

Faculty Achievements

PR professor named Educator of the Year by Utah chapter of Omega Psi Phi

Dr. Nicola Corbin, a public relations and advertising professor, received the Educator of the Year award from Omega Psi Phi at its ceremony in Salt Lake City on Nov. 17. Corbin is the faculty adviser to Ogden Peak Communications.

New Communication professor delivers keynote speech at awards ceremony

Dr. Nathan Rodriguez, a new professor in strategic communication and public relations, delivered the keynote speech for the Omega Psi Phi Achievement Award ceremony in Salt Lake City on Nov. 17. His speech explored issues related to the prompt for the organization's essay contest: "How has social media impacted today's youth and what influence does it have on their future?"

Interim director of forensics named to national office, conducts workshop at Black Retreat

Interim director of forensics, Ryan Wash, has been named the collegiate executive secretary for the Association of Black Argument Professionals. He also constructed and facilitated a workshop titled “Playing Your Role: Allyship for Non-black People of Color” at the Black Retreat hosted by the Association of Black Argumentation Professionals.

November 2018

It’s just about time to register for Spring Semester. If you need assistance, you can drop in for advising on Monday, Nov. 5, from 9 a.m. to noon or Tuesday, Nov. 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 332 of Elizabeth Hall. You are also welcome to get an appointment with your academic adviser, but that person is often very busy at this time in the semester so drop-in advising with the department chair is a good idea.

Also, if you encounter any problems registering for classes, please contact the department administrative assistant, Sare Gardner, atsgardner1@weber.edu or the department chair, Dr. Sheree Josephson, at sjosephson@weber.edu. We are happy to help you.

Finally, use the “wait list” if the class you want is full. Sometimes we are able to add classes to the schedule.

This is the November edition of the monthly email to majors. At least once a month during the regular school year, we will email you to let you know about meetings of student organizations, guest speakers, important deadlines, opportunities, student and faculty achievements—and more. If you have information you’d like us to distribute, please email department chair Sheree Josephson atsjosephson@weber.edu.

What’s Happening

November

Nov. 3: 10:30 a.m., tailgate with PRSSA before Weber State Football takes on Sacramento State at Stewart Stadium
Nov. 5: Spring Registration opens
Nov. 7: 2 p.m., Shepherd Union Room 404B, Standard Examiner reporter
Nov. 12: 7 p.m., EH 304, bring your resume to be critiqued by professionals before searching for that spring job or internship
Nov. 14: 7 p.m., EH 229, WSU Debate vs. Rwanda debaters
Nov. 15, 7 p.m., EH 229, Rwanda Culture Showcase
Nov. 22-23: Thanksgiving break
Nov. 28: 2 p.m., SUB Room 320, Utah Public Radio chief engineer

December

Dec. 2: 8 a.m.-noon, EH 229, Selection Saturday for Speech Showcase
Dec. 6: 7 p.m., EH 229, Speech Showcase
Dec. 6: 6:30 p.m., EH 407, pizza, soda and networking; 7 p.m., Tina Brown PIO/JIO for Salt Lake County Emergency Management
Dec. 10: 7 p.m., EH 304, graduation cap decorating party
Dec. 14: Graduation
Dec. 15: Homeschool debate tournament

Student News

VidSummit invites Digital Media students, alumni back for second year

Current Digital Media students and alumni were invited to volunteer for the second year in a row at VidSummit, an annual YouTube industry insider event in Los Angeles. The students and alumni registered attendees, served as emcees, facilitated audio, video, photography and social media, did live streaming and conducted interviews. They were supervised by Studio 76 Executive Producer Kalie Pead and Studio 76 Adviser Andrea Baltazar. Those who attended included Rachel Badali, Mathew Child, Uriel Flores, Schuylar Hudson, Larissa Jiron, Timothy Lee, Anita Lichfield, Hope Lyle, Zackary Nicholes, Kalie Pead, Hector Rodriguez, Marques Schroeder, Chelsey Shuman and Alyssa Vallejos.

Ogden Peak Communications video a finalist in PRSA Golden Spike Award

A video produced by Ogden Peak Communications is a finalist for the Public Relations Society of America Golden Spike Award. The video titled was produced for the Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center for “Outdoor Weber.” The winner will be announced on Nov. 15 at the 31st Annual Golden Spike Award Gala in Draper at the Living Planet Aquarium.

WSU Debate hosting iDebate Rwanda for two November events

Weber State Debate is hosting iDebate Rwanda in November. The international traveling debate team is on its United States tour and is stopping in Ogden for three days to continue recognition of the 25th anniversary of Rwandan genocide. WSU Debate will debate Rwanda on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. in Elizabeth Hall Room 229. The event is titled “A Debate Regarding Genocide.” On Thursday, Nov. 15, a Rwandan Cultural Showcase will be held at 7 p.m. in EH 229.

The Signpost wins honorable mention from College Media Association

The Signpost received an honorable mention from the College Media Association at the 2018 Pinnacle Awards Oct. 25-28. A photo page on the Holi Festival by graphic artist Madison Osborn won the national award in which college and university student media from across the nation compete for honors. Editor-in-chief Harrison Epstein and adviser Jean Norman attended the conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

MPC students to present at National Communication Association conference

Three students from the Master of Professional Communication program will present research at the annual conference of the National Communication Association in Salt Lake City Nov. 8-11. Ashley Hilton, Jackie Larsen and Melissa Smith will participate on a discussion panel titled “Playing One's Part: Following Scripts and Crafting Roles in LDS Religious Practice” with Dr. Sarah Steimel, the director of the MPC. The panel is sponsored by the Religious Communication Section and will also include panelists from University of Nevada-Reno and Ohio University. Jackie Larsen will also present a paper titled “Why I Stay: Perspectives of Mormon Feminism,” in a session sponsored by the Religious Communication Section. This work was advised by Dr. Hailey Gillen Hoke and Dr. Sarah Steimel.

Weber State Debate off to busy, strong start in Fall Semester

Weber State Debate has been busy facing competitors in four tournaments in Fall Semester, bringing home a number of trophies and awards. They have debated at the Mukai College Classic at Weber State University; the Rutgers Invitational Tournament in Newark, New Jersey; the Las Vegas Classic at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas; and the Jesuit Invitational at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. At the Mukai College Classic, Noah Bratton and Kiersten Cragun were awarded the second- and third-place speakers of the novice division. In junior varsity, Jordan Stephens was awarded the ninth-place speaker. Stephens and Kamryn Oman finished preliminary debates with a 5-1 record, losing in quarterfinals to a strong team from Florida. Matthew Brown and Hannah Phelps finished even with a 3-3 record. They were undefeated on the affirmative. In Varsity, Zachary Baker and Zachery Thiede finished prelims 5-3 and advanced all the way to quarterfinals where they lost on a tough 2-1 decision to the University of Kansas. At Rutgers, the novice team Terri Hughes and Roey Sellouk placed second in a field of 41. They lost finals to Liberty University on a rough 2-1 decision. Sellouk was awarded the eighth speaker in the novice division. In varsity, Baker and Thiede finished preliminary debate 5-1 and finished second, losing in finals on a close 2-1 decision to West Virginia University. Baker was awarded fourth speaker and Thiede was awarded third. At UNLV, Stephens was award 11 th speaker in the junior varsity division. Baker and Thiede finished prelims with a 4-3 record, upset the eighth seed in runoffs and eventually lost in quarterfinals to the top seed. At Gonzaga, Baker and Thiede were able to go even at the toughest tournament of Fall Semester. They have yet to have a losing record this season. They are also ranked as the No. 1 team in the district.

Signpost Editor-in-Chief selected for The First Lecture Series

Signpost Editor-in-Chief Harrison Epstein has been selected for participation in The First Lecture Series sponsored by Lead Weber sponsored by the Weber State University Student Association leadership team. He will be recognized at a banquet on Nov. 30 in the Shepherd Union Building.

Communication students play large role in Congressional debate live fact-checking event

Numerous students from the Communication Department, including those from the Signpost, Studio 76, Signpost, WSU Debate, Ogden Peak Communications, and several Communication classes played a significant role in the live fact-checking event held during the First Congressional District Debate on Oct. 17. Data showed:

5,429 people reached
Over 2,100 views
697 clicks
281 engagements
87 comments
42 shares

Channel 4 in Salt Lake City also did a story that can be viewed at: https://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/weber-st-students-live-fact-check-cd1-debate/1532393807.

Five PRSSA students, adviser attend national conference

Five Public Relations & Advertising students attended the PRSSA National Conference in Austin, Texas, last month. They included Kylie Harris, Isabella Gomes, Nic Sells, Micah van Sickle and Zach Newhall. They were accompanied by Leslie Howerton, the WSU’s PRSSA chapter adviser.

Students, faculty to be in play ‘Eight Hours’ at NCA in Salt Lake City

Four Communication students to be in a play titled “Eight Hours” at the annual convention of the National Communication Association in Salt Lake City on Nov. 10 with Dr. Michael Ault and Dr. Bobbi Van Gilder. The students include Reachel Clark, Jamie Labato, Scott Jordan and Hope Lytle.

PR student tour of Intrepid agency in Salt Lake City was led by WSU alum

Fourteen Public Relations & Advertising students toured Intrepid agency in Salt Lake City last Friday. Alum Lauren Houskeeper conducted the tour and answered questions about professional life after college. The students were accompanied by Leslie Howerton, PRSSA chapter adviser, and Dr. Nathan Rodriguez, a new PR faculty member.

PRSSA to sponsor tailgating party Saturday at football game

The next PRSSA event will be a tailgating party Saturday, Nov. 3, before the Weber football game at Stewart Stadium. Festivities begin at 10:30 a.m. before the game at noon. There will have food, sodas and swag. Everyone is welcome!

Announcements

Two Special Topics classes offered in Spring Semester

Communication in Professional Settings class offered for first time

A new class COMM 2550: Communication in Professional Settings is being offered in Spring Semester as part of the associate’s of Workplace Communication & Writing degree. The class will be taught by Dr. Michael Ault at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It will help students become acquainted with the basic theories, concepts, and research findings related to the study of Organizational Communication and Public Relations and learn how to apply this knowledge in organizational settings. The class can also be counted as an elective in Organizational Communication and Public Relations & Advertising for the bachelor’s degree.

The Signpost sponsoring two guest speakers in November

The Signpost will have two guest speakers in November, and all students are invited to attend. Standard Examiner reporter Jessica Kokesh will speak at 2 p.m. on Nov. 7 in Shepherd Union room 404B. She will address working in journalism in difficult times. On Nov. 28, Utah Public Radio chief engineer Friend Weller will talk about careers in radio and storytelling with sound. He will speak at 2 p.m in Shepherd Union Room 320. For more information, contact Jean Norman, jeannorman@weber.edu.

The Signpost publishes second Financial Aid issue today

The second Financial Aid issue of The Signpost is coming out today, in time to be distributed to high schools in Ogden, Weber and Davis school districts for College Admission Month. The issue, with tips and tricks to obtain financial help for college, will also be at the usual distribution points on campus.

Communication majors invited to pitch small-business opportunity

The submission deadline is Nov. 21 for Opportunity Quest, an executive summary business competition open to all students at Weber State University. Individuals or teams may submit a five-minute or less pitch video presenting a small-business opportunity. It can be a new idea or one already in business. The video entries will be viewed by a team of judges who will select five finalists. Those finalists will then be expected to submit a two- to three-page executive summary and prepare a 10-minute presentation for Weber State’s Opportunity Quest awards banquet on the evening of Nov. 30. Each submission must include at least one current Weber State University student in a prominent leadership role. A first-place cash prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the team judged to have presented the most plausible and promising business or idea. Cash prizes of $3,000 and $2,000 will be awarded to second- and third-place finishers respectively. The first-place finished will also be automatically entered as a finalist in the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge at the University of Utah and receive an all-expense paid trip to Shanghai, China, in May 2019 to compete in an international business competition for additional cash prizes.

Students encouraged to attend Utah College Media Symposium at UVU

The Utah College Media Alliance is holding the second Utah College Media Symposium, a day of free training, on Saturday, Nov. 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Utah Valley University in the Sorensen Student Center. The day's programming begins with a keynote conversation with attorney Jeff Hunt and students who have been battling for their First Amendment rights. It ends with a networking event co-sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists in which professionals will provide critiques on resumes and portfolios or just chat with students about careers in the media. To register, sign up at this Google link or contact Jean Norman, jeannorman@weber.edu. Norman is coordinating carpooling to the site.

Tips on registering if you want to do an internship in the summer

Deadline extended for Dow Jones News Fund internship programs

The Dow Jones News Fund has extended the application and test deadline to Nov. 12 for its 2019 summer internship programs in digital media, data journalism, business reporting, and multiplatform editing. These internships are at major newspapers and can take students anywhere in the United States. To apply, juniors, seniors and graduate students should visit the programs page on the Fund website. Jean Norman is administering the required tests on Nov. 6 at 1:30 p.m. and Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. in The Signpost office. Contact Dr. Norman,jeannorman@weber.edu, for more information.

Alumni Accomplishments

Two-time alum named assistant vice president at Intermountain Healthcare

Alum Brooks Stevenson has been named as the assistant vice president of digital and creative solutions for Intermountain Healthcare. Stevenson holds both a bachelor’s degree in Communication/Public Relations and a master’s degree in Professional Communication from Weber State University.

MPC graduate working for MarketStar on Pinterest team

Usman Javed, a recent graduate from the Master of Professional Communication program, is working at MarketStar on the Pinterest team.

Faculty Achievements

Faculty filmmakers wins award in Hollywood film festival

Andres Orozco’s film titled “American Migrant Stories” was named a finalist in the Hollywood International Independent Documentary Film Festival. Orozco is an assistant professor in Digital Media.

Professor’s presentation honored at international meeting of teachers

Dr. Colleen Garside has been selected for the International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning’s 2018 Distinguished Fellows Outstanding Presentation Award. Dr. Garside was recognized for her ISETL session titled “FUN with Evidence-Based Learning: Fundamental, Useful, and Natty Teaching Practices to Promote Student Success.” She will receive a plaque at next year’s conference where she will present her session as a featured workshop.

Faculty member selected as co-chair of WSU’s Community Research Team

Dr. Alexander L. Lancaster was selected to be the co-chair of the Community Research Team at Weber State University. He will work with undergraduate and graduate students conducting community-engaged research projects with two organizations in the Ogden area. Dr. Lancaster will work with Dr. Monica Williams of the Criminal Justice Department, who also serves as the co-chair of the Community Research Team. The team is part of the Center for Community Engaged Learning, and it is charged with activity that supports the community research pillar of the center.

Numerous faculty members to participate at NCA conference in Salt Lake City

Numerous full-time faculty members in the Department of Communication will present research papers or participate on discussion panels at the conference for the National Communication Association held in Salt Lake City on Nov. 8-11. Dr. Alex Lancaster and Dr. Colleen Packer will speak on the use of smartphone technology as part of a discussion panel titled “Using Technology for Playful and Creative Communication and Engagement in Teaching and Learning.” Dr. Packer will present strategies for using the technological tool "flipgrid" to increase speaking opportunities and enhance classroom community in online courses. Dr. Lancaster will focus on allowing students to use their smartphones in class to complete individual class assignments and engage in small group activities. Dr. Lancaster will also present a paper titled “Virtual and Augmented Reality Meetings: Playing for Keeps in the Organizational Setting.” Communication major Austin Schaper, who is deployed for active duty with the U.S. Air Force during NCA, and WSU faculty member Robin Haislett are also co-authors. Dr. Lancaster will also present a SPARK Breakout presentation on COMM 2110 (Interpersonal and Small Group Communication) and the service-learning project completed by Communication students with Ms. Haislett. Dr. Susan Hafen and Dr. Hailey Gillen Hoke will lead a panel discussion on internships in Communication departments, "Imagining Careers through Internships: Requirements, Protocols, and Pragmatics." Seven other panelists will participate from departments in Texas, New York, Massachusetts, California, Kansas, Florida and Illinois. Dr. Sarah Steimel will present “Negotiating Communication Tensions between Volunteers and Paid Staff in Nonprofit Organizations” at the Organizational Communication Roundtable. Dr. Bobbi Van Gilder will present “He’s Clearly a Bad Date and Clearly Not a Predator”: An Analysis of Responses to Babe’s Aziz Ansari Story.” Dr. Hailey Gillen Hoke will present "Everyone Seems to be Very Supportive!" Perceived Responses to Maternity Leave.” Dr. Jean Norman will participate on two panels: "Meeting Expectations and Outcomes with Constraints" and "When Toys Become Tools: Teaching Drones to Media Students." Dr. Stephanie Gomez is the secondauthor on a paper to be presented titled "Race(lessness) in Popular Media: The Function of Refraction in Scandal." She will also participate on two panels: "Playing with Different Approaches to Studying Sexual Harassment in Higher Education" and "Playing with Effective Communication Practices: Female Faculty and Their Experiences of Bullying in the Classroom."

Adjunct instructors to present work at National Communication Association conference

Two adjunct instructors in the Communication Department will present work Nov. 8-11 at the annual conference for the National Communication Association. Dr. Stephanie Heath will present two performances. The first is titled “Telling Family Stories through Embroidery,” a performance that highlights the embroidered archive of family history. Her Performance Studies students have created a Sweded Film of the “Sandlot” that will be presented during the Sweded Film panel on Friday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. in Ballroom J of the Salt Palace. Cami Sabin, a recent MPC graduate and adjunct instructor, will present a paper titled “Exit Rituals of Missionary Service: A Sign of Organizational Approval” at a session sponsored by the Religious Communication Section.

October 2018

This is the October edition of the monthly email to majors. At least once a month during the regular school year, we will email you to let you know about meetings of student organizations, guest speakers, important deadlines, opportunities, student and faculty achievements—and more. If you have information you’d like us to distribute, please email department chair Sheree Josephson atsjosephson@weber.edu.

What’s Happening

October

Oct. 4: 6:30 p.m., EH 407, pizza, soda and networking; 7 p.m., new PRSA professionals panel
Oct. 5: Graduation application due (see below)
Oct 5: 9:30 a.m., journalism diversity panel discussion, SUB Ballrooms
Oct. 8: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Career and Internship Fair, SUB
Oct. 17: 5-8 p.m., live fact-checking of congressional debate, SUB 404
Oct. 17: 2 p.m., professional photographer to speak, SUB 321
Oct. 19: 10 a.m., join PRSSA on a tour of a public relations agency in Salt Lake City and network with industry professionals
Oct. 19: Fall Break

November

Nov. 3: 10:30 a.m., tailgate with PRSSA before Weber State Football takes on Sacramento State at Stewart Stadium
Nov. 5: Spring Registration opens
Nov. 5: 9 a.m.-noon, drop-in academic advising, EH 332
Nov. 6: 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., drop-in academic advising, EH 332
Nov. 12: 7 p.m., bring your best resume to be critiqued by professionals before searching for that spring job or internship, EH 304
Nov. 22-23: Thanksgiving break

December

Dec. 6: 6:30 p.m., pizza, soda and networking; 7 p.m., Tina Brown PIO/JIO for Salt Lake County Emergency Management, EH 407
Dec. 10: 7 p.m., graduation cap decorating party, EH 304
Dec. 14: Graduation
Dec. 15: Homeschool debate tournament

Student News

Journalism students to fact check congressional debate

The Center for Community Engaged Learning, American Democracy Project and The Signpost are hosting live fact-checking on Oct. 17 from 5-8 p.m. during the Congressional District 1 debate between incumbent Rep. Rob Bishop, Republican, and challengers Democrat Lee Castillo and United Utah candidate Eric Eliason. While the debate will be held at Utah State University, the live fact-checking will occur at Weber State University in the Shepherd Union Building, Room 404. Many Communication instructors will offer extra credit for those who participate. Everyone can follow the fact-checking by tuning in to CCEL's Facebook page (@wsuccel) for a live feed or follow the hashtags #MatterofFact and #WeberFactCheck. For more information, contact Jean Norman, jeannorman@weber.edu.

WSU debater presents paper at conference in London

Senior debater Zachary Baker was accepted to the Applied Baudrillard academic conference held at Oxford Brookes University in London from Sept. 5-7. He presented a paper titled "Donald Trump is Evil," which is not meant in the sense of moral condemnation but rather in the sense Baudrillard uses the term.

WSU Debate team finishes fifth at Sun Devil Invitational

WSU Debate had a great start to the season. The team of Zach Baker and Zach Thiede finished in fifth place at the Sun Devil Invitation held at Arizona State University. The team of Bianca Morales and Joseph McPherson finished prelims with an even record and missed elimination rounds on speaker points. Baker was awarded the fourth overall speaker of the tournament.

WSU hosts two debate tournaments over weekend
Weber State Debate hosted the 22nd Annual Val A. Browning Round Robin Sept. 26-27 at the Eccles Conference Center in downtown Ogden. The field included Arizona State University, Liberty University, Rutgers University, University of Kansas, University of Louisville, University of Oklahoma, University of Southern California, University of Texas at Austin, and Wake Forest University. Following that competitive tournament, WSU Debate then hosted the Sixth Annual Mukai College Classic Sept. 28-Oct. 1. This tournament included all of the round robin participants and 50 other teams from various universities. Debaters were on campus Sept. 29-30 in Elizabeth Hall and were back downtown on Oct. 1.

Professional photographer to speak to Signpost staff

Professional photographer Bryan Butterfield, a Weber State alum, will speak to The Signpost staff at 2 p.m. on Oct. 17 in Shepherd Union Building, Room 321. Signpost professional development sessions on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. are open to all interested students.

Signpost editors sharing information on financial aid changes

The Signpost editors will share information on changes to financial aid at Weber State at a table in the Shepherd Union Atrium Tuesday and Wednesday during the lunch hours. Come by to learn more and to give your opinion on the changes that have occurred and are still to come.

Signpost website now home page in university computer labs

Over the next couple of weeks, The Signpost will become the home page on all browsers in the university's computer labs. Watch for it and watch for the latest news on campus at signpost.mywebermedia.com.

SPJ chapter finalist for program of the year; columnist also a finalist

Signpost Editor-in-Chief Harrison Epstein and Arts & Entertainment Editor Daryn Steed attended the national convention of the Society of Professional Journalists in Baltimore. The Weber State chapter of SPJ was a finalist for program of the year for the GRAMAmania training on March 17, and Steed was a finalist for columnist of the year.

Signpost adviser, student editor to present at College Media conference

Signpost adviser Dr. Jean Norman and Editor-in-Chief Harrison Epstein will head to Louisville, Kentucky, Oct. 24-28 to present a program at the annual joint conference of the College Media Association and Association of Collegiate Press on the performance evaluation system The Signpost uses to evaluate staffers.

Journalism diversity panel presentation set for Oct. 5

Members of the Weber State chapters of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists will talk about their involvement in these professional journalism associations and the national conventions they attended over the summer Oct. 5 during the 20th annual Diversity Conference in the Shepherd Union Building.

PRSSA to hold new professionals panel discussion

The PRSSA will hold a New Professionals Panel discussion on Thursday, Oct. 4, at 6:30 p.m. in Elizabeth Hall, Room 304. The panelists are all Weber State graduates within their first five years in the industry. They will include Nina Morse, communications specialist at Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems; Trevor Cahoon, communication manager for Clearfield City; and Courtney Keefer, co-owner of Longboard PR.

Cornell Box exhibit by Performance Studies students open

Students in COMM 3070 Performance Studies will present a Cornell Box exhibit through Oct. 5 in Room 350 of Elizabeth Hall. The exhibition is titled “Boxes: A New Take on an Old Ritual.” The Cornell Boxes were constructed by students in Dr. Stephanie Heath’s class. They draw from the artistic style of Joseph Cornell and through the use of metonymy, association, and mixed media, students have deconstructed familiar cultural rituals.

Announcements

Financial aid and scholarship information announced

The Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts and Humanities offers more than 200 scholarships to students totaling nearly $2 million in tuition. Scholarships are available by major, interest, need or even a desire to study abroad.

Steps to qualify

Complete the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA). For the first time since the start of the program, you can use tax returns from the previous year. The FAFSA will open Oct. 1.
Finish the university financial aid/scholarship application.
Visit the College of Arts and Humanities scholarship and fellowship pages to see what forms of assistance you may qualify for. The application for next academic year will be posted in January.
Visit weber.edu/communication to see if you might also qualify for a communication scholarship.
Call the university’s scholarship office at 801-626-7569 or email finaid@weber.edu or scholarship@weber.edu if you have questions.

Graduation applications for Winter Convocation due Friday
The application for December 2018 graduates is due Friday. Winter Convocation is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 14, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts. If you are a graduate, you will receive an email and letter detailing the event and describing what you can expect. We encourage you to follow these important steps to prepare for Winter Convocation.
1. Schedule an appointment with your advisor if you have any questions about your eligibility for graduation.
2. Review your Cattracks degree evaluation and make sure your program of study is listed correctly. This information is what will appear in the graduation program.
3. Submit your graduation application for the semester that your program requirements will be complete.

Alumni Accomplishments

Broadcast journalism graduate wins regional Emmy

Morgan Breismaster Saxton, a reporter at KUTV2 News in Salt Lake City, won an Emmy in the coveted team coverage category for her reporting on the Brian Head fire. Saxton, a graduate in broadcast journalism, joined the 2News team in January 2017. Her Emmy-award winning coverage involved driving four hours with a photographer to set up for a 10 p.m. live shot. She said she got to a hotel well after midnight, falling asleep at 3:45 a.m. only to get up at 4:30 to make it to a remote location to set up for a morning live shot. She stayed in Southern Utah for a few days, came home for a few days, and then returned for another week of coverage. “It was exhausting but extremely rewarding,” Saxton said. Saxton is a news reporter weekdays on 2News This Morning from 4:30-8:30 a.m. After college, Saxton interned at KUTV before moving to the Midwest, where she started her career working for WHBF in Rock Island, Illinois. Saxton covered courts and crime as a multimedia journalist. She also covered the 2016 Iowa Caucus and the month long murder trial of Timothy McVay, which received national attention.

Public Relations student quoted in College Covered website

Ross Rosier, who is studying Public Relations & Advertising, was quoted on the website College Covered about what it’s like attending a commuter university. Rosier is quoted as saying that he initially dreamed of attending college farther than 15 miles from home. When that wasn’t financially feasible for him, he started an associate’s degree at Weber State—where he could continue living at home and commute 20 to 30 minutes each way—with the idea that he could transfer later. He said when he discovered the excellent Communication program, he knew he had found the right school for him. “I met professors that were engaging and really cared about the students they worked with. I knew that I was going to get a quality education by staying at Weber State,” he is quoted as saying. The article is posted at
https://www.collegecovered.com/campus-life/commuter-school-pros-cons/.

Faculty Achievements

Faculty members publish research in First Amendment Studies

Dr. Hailey Gillen Hoke and Dr. Sarah Steimel have both published research articles in the Journal of First Amendment Studies. Both articles examine how college teaching practices are affected by students’ core beliefs (including religious beliefs) and how those might be understood in the context of legal rights to free expression of religion and free speech. Dr. Hoke’s article is “Sensitive issues, religion, and respect in the gender and communication course.” Dr. Steimel’s article is “Core beliefs/content accommodation policies and teaching practice.”

Faculty member’s book chapter to be published in November

Dr. Stephanie Gomez’s article titled “Sweetening the pot: Culinary adventures in hybridity” will be published in L. H. Hernandez and R. Guttierez-Perez (Eds.) book titled “This bridge we call communication: Anzaldúan Approaches to Theory, Method, and Praxis.” The book will be published in November by Lexington Books. In this chapter, Gomez focuses specifically on consumption of “otherness;” this turns on the motifs of seduction and consumption, handily accomplished through food in this case, the very literal “eating the other” of which bell hooks speaks. To further explore the ways that hybridity and fears thereof are rhetorically mobilized, she analyzes three female chefs—Simply Delicioso with Ingrid Hoffmann, Aarti Party with Aarti Sequiera, and Everyday Italian with Giada de Laurentiis—who represent and/or perform hybridity on the Food Network, specifically attending to how hybridity is engaged through their food.

Professors to attend Conference on Undergraduate Research

Dr. Sheree Josephson and Dr. Hailey Gillen Hoke will attend a Conference on Undergraduate Research (CUR) about transforming undergraduate research culture and curricula. The conference is designed to teach professors how to embed high-impact research experiences into the curriculum. The institute will be Oct 12-14 in Columbus, Ohio, at Capital University.

Teaching and Learning director to attend teaching conference

Colleen Packer will attend the annual conference of the International Society for the Exploration of Teaching and Learning Conference in Tempe, Arizona, from Oct. 9-13. She will present a session titled "FUN with evidence-based teaching and learning: fundamental, useful and natty teaching practices to promote student success."

September 2018

If you are having any problems with registration, please contact Sare Gardner at sgardner1@weber.edu

or drop by the department office in Room 330 of Elizabeth Hall. Here are a few tips:

· Use the waitlists the first week of class.

· Meet with an academic adviser: If you don’t know what to sign up for, contact your academic adviser. The department chair can also help you.

· Don’t get frustrated: This may be the most important piece of advice. If you’re having any problems, please contact the department. We are happy to help.

This is the August/September edition of the monthly email to majors. At least once a month during the regular school year, we will email you to let you know about meetings of student organizations, guest speakers, important deadlines, opportunities, student and faculty achievements—and more. If you have information you’d like us to distribute, please email department chair Sheree Josephson atsjosephson@weber.edu.

What’s Happening

August

Aug. 27: Fall Semester starts
Aug. 31: Wildcat Block Party

September

Sept. 3: Labor Day. No class
Sept. 6: 6:30 p.m., EH 407, pizza, soda and networking; 7 p.m., Allison Hess, WSU director of public relations
Sept. 13: 9 a.m., EH 221, tips on applying to Communication graduate programs
Sept. 17: 7 p.m., EH 304, watch ethical hijinks from TV shows “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” during this Fun with Ethics Workshop
Sept. 26-27: Val A. Browning Round Robin debate tournament. See below.
Sept. 29-Oct. 1: Mukai College Classic debate tournament. See below.

October

Oct. 4: 6:30 p.m., EH 407, pizza, soda and networking; 7 p.m., new PRSA professionals panel
Oct. 19: 10 a.m., join PRSSA on a tour of a public relations agency in Salt Lake City and network with industry professionals

November

Nov. 3: 10:30 a.m., tailgate with PRSSA before Weber State Football takes on Sacramento State at Stewart Stadium
Nov. 12: 7 p.m., EH 304, bring your best resume to be critiqued by professionals before searching for that spring job or internship

December

Dec. 6: 6:30 p.m., EH 407, pizza, soda and networking; 7 p.m., Tina Brown PIO/JIO for Salt Lake County Emergency Management
Dec. 10: 7 p.m., EH 304, graduation cap decorating party
Dec. 15: Homeschool debate tournament

Student News

PR students recognized by Red Cross for communications work on Utah wildfires

Weber State Public Relations & Advertising students Timothy Tincher and Madison Samuels have been recognized by the American Red Cross Northern Utah Chapter for their media and communications work during the continuing wildfires in Utah. Through their efforts, the chapter provided up-to-date information about the fires, needs, etc. The chapter saw increases in social media page visits and engagement by as much as an unprecedented 604 percent, surpassing the Salt Lake Chapter. The Northern Utah Chapter's communications division is also spearheaded by Communication Department alum Kirsten Stuart.

Weber State SPJ finalist for chapter of the year in national competition

The Weber State chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is a finalist for the organization's national 2018 Campus Chapter Program of the Year. The chapter co-sponsored GRAMAmania, a half day of training on March 17 during Sunshine Week, which celebrates open government laws, in conjunction with the Utah Headliners chapter of SPJ. Winners will be announced Sept. 28 during SPJ's annual Excellence in Journalism 2018 conference in Baltimore. The Society of Professional Journalists is a professional organization that provides training and helps students network with working journalists. Students do not have to study journalism to join. For more information, contact Jean Norman, jeannorman@weber.edu.

Weber State Debate hosting two tournaments Sept. 26 through Oct. 1

Weber State Debate is hosting the 22nd Annual Val A. Browning Round Robin Sept. 26-27 at the Eccles Conference Center in Ogden. This year’s bid recipients are Arizona State University, Liberty University, Rutgers University, University of Kansas, University of Louisville, University of Oklahoma, University of Southern California, University of Texas at Austin and Wake Forest University. In the event of a drop, the first alternate position was awarded to the University of Florida. Weber State Debate is also hosting the sixth annual Mukai College Classic Sept. 29-Oct. 1. Competition on Sept. 29-30 will be held on campus in Elizabeth Hall, Tracy Hall and Lind Lecture Hall. Elimination rounds on Oct. 1 will held at the Eccles Conference Center. The Mukai College Classic is an open-invitation tournament that provides eight preliminary debates and a full elimination bracket (32 teams). Each school that received a bid to the Val A. Browning Round Robin will compete in the Mukai College Classic. More than 250 guests from 25 institutions are expected.

Studio 76 students learn how to get certified as production assistants for film projects

Studio 76 staffers attended a meet-and-greet session about the certification process for production assistants to work on films created in Utah. Sponsored by the Utah Film Commission, the P.A. certification program is offered in both higher education and post-graduation settings. Production coordinator Marcie Gibboney and assistant director Brent Geisler led the workshops, sharing their experience and nurturing a new generation of talent. Studio 76 faculty adviser Andrea Baltazar said this certification will assist students in developing their skills and making them more desirable within the film industry. For more information about the P.A. certification process, contact her at andreabaltazar@weber.edu.

Studio 76 wins multiple awards at 48-hour film festivals

Studio 76 student productions won awards over the summer in two 48-hour film festivals. The short film “Extra Life” won "Best Use of Prop” at the 48-Hour Film Project June 8-10. At the 48-Hour Film OUT Project held July 13-15, the short film “If the Shoe Fits” won "Best Use of Character," "Best Sound Design," "Best Directing” and "Best Film.” The film will be one of two representing Salt Lake City in the international 48-Hour Film Project Filmapalooza March 6-9 in Orlando, Florida. To see the film, launch https://vimeo.com/283833853.

Student documentary on polygamy wins multiple awards

Digital Media major Hayley Biddle’s short documentary titled “Breaking The Cycle: A Peek Into Polygamy” won honorable mention at the IMDB Independent Shorts Awards in June. It also won the diamond award for Best Documentary Short at the Mindfield Film Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The documentary was created in the documentary class taught by Andrea Baltazar.

Baltazar named Studio 76 faculty adviser
Andrea Baltazar, assistant professor of Digital Media, has been named as the faculty adviser to Studio 76. Baltazar will succeed Drew Tyler who resigned his faculty position to take a position as a program manager at Facebook. Under her leadership, students will continue to create short films and produce videos for clients.

Announcements

Financial aid and scholarship information announced

Steps to qualify

Complete the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA). For the first time since the start of the program, you can use tax returns from the previous year. The FAFSA will open Oct. 1.
Finish the university financial aid/scholarship application.
Visit the College of Arts and Humanities scholarship and fellowship pages to see what forms of assistance you may qualify for. The application for next academic year will be posted in January.
Visit weber.edu/communication to see if you might also qualify for a communication scholarship.
Call the university’s scholarship office at 801-626-7569 or email finaid@weber.edu or scholarship@weber.edu if you have questions.

Event to help students apply for graduate school, Ph.D. in Communication

Students can receive tips and information about how to apply for graduate school, including Ph.D. programs in Communication, on Sept. 13 at 9 a.m. in Elizabeth Hall 221. Eric Rasmussen, director of the Ph.D. program in the College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University and David Perlmutter, dean of the College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University, will provide an inside look at Texas Tech’s Ph.D. program in Communication but their advice will help students apply for graduate school elsewhere.

Alumni Accomplishments

Public relations graduate publishes article in international journal

Jason Carlton, a graduate Public Relations & Advertising and a member of the Communication Department Advisory Board, has published a peer-reviewed journal article in the Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing. After he presented to a group of health care communication professionals at a conference in Washington, D.C., in March 2017, the editor of the journal reached out to him to turn his presentation into an article. Carlton is a social media specialist at Intermountain Medical Center.

Master’s degree graduate credits program for better job, big raise

Jackie Larsen who graduated in April 2018 with a master’s degree in Professional Communication landed a job with Intermountain Healthcare’s internal audit department for a “big raise" over her previous job. She said that this job requires “lots of writing” and credits what she learned in MPC 6150 Writing for Professional Communicators for helping her build a writing portfolio and successfully complete the writing assignment that was part of the interview process. Larsen said, “I think I’m a pretty good poster child for what the MPC can do for your career. One week after graduation, I landed a job that will use everything I learned.”

Faculty Achievements

Communication Department hires three new faculty members

Dr. Nathan Rodriguez joins the Department of Communication as an assistant professor, teaching courses in social media, mass communication, and public relations. Dr. Rodriguez was the first person to earn a Ph.D. in Journalism & Mass Communications from the University of Kansas. He was a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point for the past two academic years, where he taught courses in strategic communication.

Dr. Bobbi Van Gilder joins the department as an assistant professor of global/intercultural communication and general education. Dr. Van Gilder earned her doctorate at the University of Oklahoma and her M.A. and B.A. at California State University, Long Beach. She spent two years at Northeastern University working as a postdoctoral teaching associate. Her research and teaching interests include intercultural communication, gender and sexuality studies, and interpersonal communication.

Ryan Wash has been named the director of Weber State Debate. He earned his Master of Professional Communication from WSU and his Bachelor of Fine Art in Communication at Emporia State University. He is the only person to win both the National Debate Tournament and the Cross-Examination Debate Association championship as a competitor and a coach. Mr. Wash is also an executive producer for Annapurna and Macro Studios where he is working on producing an auto-biopic film.

Baltazar’s short film accepted into Latino short film festival

Andrea Baltazar’s short film titled “Urban Uber” has been accepted into the Official Latino Short Film Festival. This year's festival is held in Coachella, California, on Oct. 11-14. “Urban Uber” will be screened on opening night, Oct. 11, at 8pm. For more information on the film festival, see http://officiallatino.com/. Baltazar is an assistant professor of Digital Media and faculty adviser to Studio 76.

Josephson, Norman present work at AEJMC in Washington, D.C.

Department chair Sheree Josephson and journalism faculty member Dr. Jean Norman presented research at the annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) in Washington, D.C., in August. Dr. Josephson presented “Mobile Augmented Reality through the Lens of Eye Tracking,” a paper co-authored with MPC graduate Melina Myers. At the conference, Dr. Josephson was honored with Top Scholar to Scholar Presentation in the Visual Communication Division. Dr. Norman co-presented “I Am a Journalist: Understanding Communities of Practice in Student Newsrooms.”

Adjunct instructor to present research at national Communication conference

Adjunct instructor Cami Sabin will present a paper at the annual conference for the National Communication Association in Salt Lake City this November. Sabin’s paper titled “Exit Rituals of Missionary Service: A Sign of Organizational Approval” is based on the research she did to complete the Master of Professional Communication degree at Weber State. She interviewed early-returned LDS missionaries, and this paper looks at how their participation (or lack thereof) in customary returned missionary rituals was perceived by them as organizational communication regarding their “R.M.” status.

Orozco creates WSU videos to train faculty on student inclusiveness

Andres Orozco has created a series of eight videos to train Weber State faculty members about how to make students feel more included in the university experience. The videos delivered through Canvas modules tell the story of students who because of their background, situation or both may feel isolated, disconnected or invisible. These stories are told through short narrative videos that depict challenges these students experience and resistances they meet in higher education. Orozco is an assistant professor of Digital Media who is a filmmaker.

Digital Media instructor leaves to become program manager at Facebook

Drew Tyler, instructor of Digital Media and adviser to Studio 76 for eight years, resigned his faculty position to become a program manager of production partnerships at Facebook. He said Facebook is an “amazing opportunity” he could not pass up but is saddened to leave the students and faculty at Weber State. Tyler worked at WSU for eight years. His wife, Stacey, was also an adjunct instructor of Communication for six years. Tyler is a member of a seven-member team acquired by Facebook. The team is headed by WSU Communication graduate Randall Bennett who sold the intellectual property for his interactive video company Vidpresso to Facebook. Recent Digital Media graduate Josh LeVitre is also a member of the team.

May 2018

Congratulations to all who are graduating this spring with master’s, bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in Communication. Graduating from Weber State University with a Communication degree is a major achievement.

For those of you not graduating, please let us know if you need help registering for either Summer Semester or Fall Semester. We are happy to help. Please contact your academic adviser. If you encounter any registration problems or can’t get into the classes you need, please contact Sare Gardner at saregardner1@weber.edu or Dr. Sheree Josephson at sjosephson@weber.edu.

This is the May edition of the monthly email to majors. At least once a month during the regular school year, we will email you to let you know about meetings of student organizations, guest speakers, important deadlines, opportunities, student and faculty achievements—and more. If you have information you’d like us to distribute, please email department chair Sheree Josephson at sjosephson@weber.edu.

What’s Happening

April

· April 27: Graduation

May

· May 7: Summer Semester begins

Student News

19 students receiving master’s degrees in Professional Communication

Congratulations to the 19 students graduating with a master’s degree in Professional Communication. Ashley Hilton and Jackie Hodges Larsen were recognized as the outstanding graduates. The graduates include Kaylie Katharine Astin, Brent Todd Cowan, Catherine N. Diamond, Nathan Roger Doutre, Verena Lynnette Harkness, Ashley Hilton, Chelsea Marie Kocherhans, Jackie Hodges Larsen, Sarah Jean MacKay, Suzanne Maltby, Taylor Lauren Mason, Colby R. Peterson, Katie Campbell Poulsen, Danette S. Pulley, Tamitha E. Romanick, Paul L. Siddoway, Devon J. Trujillo, Ryan Wash, and Lisa Largent Wright.

64 students graduating with bachelor’s, associate’s in Communication

Congratulations to the 57 students graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and the seven students graduating with an associate’s degree in Communication. Commencement will take place on Friday, April 27, at 8 a.m. at the Dee Events Center. The Lindquist College Convocation will be at 2 p.m. at the Val A. Browning Center.

The graduates include:

Civic Advocacy: Baylee Reeves, Madison Kaufman
Digital Media: Hayley Biddle, Caitlyn Johnston, Caleb Henney, Nicholas Heslop, Fernando Huerta, Larissa Jiron, Kara Larsen, Mitchell Lawson, Zachary Lyon, Parker Martin, Katy Packer, Brodie Poll, Spencer Teramoto
Interpersonal & Family Communication: Paula Lopez Alvarado, Morgan Gardiner, Hayley Harris, Erin Henderson, James Lux, Jeff Peterson, Daniel Ray
Multimedia Journalism: Emilee Atkinson, Cydnee Green, Timothy Potter, Brianna Whatcott
Organizational Communication: Karson Crittenden, Ashley Gould, Natalie Hales, Marissa Hansen, Forrest Holden, Melanie Jackson, Aulola Moli, Tawnie Moore, Kaden Saunders, Kylee Smith
Public Relations & Advertising: Felix Baca, Zachary Braxton, Paige Byrd, Amanda Castle, Eric Davenport, Ashton Dymock, Regina Esparza, Alex Flitton, Brittany Fuhs, Deanna Hanks, Brooke Lilley Heckerman, Molly Horne, Emily Hulse, Melissa Jensen, Dax Johnson, Darren Moyes, Christian Nichols, Alyssa Steinbeigle, Kailey Thompson, Bailey Woolsey, Paige Erickson Yocom
Associate of Science in Communication: Ashley Bigbie, Kelly Bingham, Dawn Gross, Tommy Mounarath, Sara Parker, Henri Phan, Elizabeth Wharton

Outstanding graduates in Communication honored

The outstanding graduates have been selected for the Department of Communication for the 2017-2018 academic year. They were honored at a ceremony on April 19.

Academic Achievement: Brooke Facer
Civic Advocacy: Madelaine Tesori
Digital Media: Caitlyn Johnston
Interpersonal & Family Communication: Benjamin Brandley
Multimedia Journalism: Rachel Badali
Organizational Communication: Aulola Moli
Public Relations & Advertising: Nina Morse and Kailey Thompson
Associate of Science in Communication: Kelly Bingham

Six students to graduate with Honors in Communication

Six students will graduate with Honors in Communication. To graduate with Honors, students must earn a 3.75 GPA in the Communication major and have a 3.5 GPA overall. They must also present original research at a conference. They were honored at the awards ceremony on April 19. They include:

Rachel Badali
Benjamin Brandley
Brooke Facer
Kyle Hole
Melanie Jackson
Paula Lopez Alvarado
Aulola Moli
Tawnie Moore
Rachel Parks
Jeff Peterson

19 inducted into national honor society for Communication

Nineteen Communication majors were inducted into Lambda Pi Eta, the national honor society for Communication, in a ceremony on April 19. To be eligible for Lambda Pi Eta, students must (1) complete 60 semester credit hours, (2) have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all courses taken, (3) complete the equivalent of 12 semester credit hours in Communication, (4) have a minimum GPA of 3.25 for all Communication courses, (5) currently be enrolled as a student in good standing, as determined by the institution's policies, and (6) rank within the highest 35 percent of one’s class in general scholarship. The inductees include McKinley Ball, Barbara Dille, Savannah Goodall, Mitch Hardy, Ryan Hauser, Clark Jensen, Larissa Jiron, James Lux, Aulola Moli, Zachary Newhall, Jeff Peterson, Hillary Reilly, Rebecca Richter, Sidney Alyse Rogers, Jared Sewak, Makenna Smith, Valerie Sterrett, Kayla Winn, Marissa Wolford.

Speech Showcase features Top 5 speakers from Fall’s public speaking classes
Five of the top speakers in the 25 sections of Spring Semester’s Public Speaking classes (Comm. 1020) presented their speeches April 19 to a packed house in the lecture hall of Elizabeth Hall. The five finalists included:

John Keeffer: The Importance of Progression (Instructor: Dr. Alexander Lancaster)
Ariana Presher: When Words Fail the Arts Speak (Instructor: Gayle Speechly)
Jayna Scadden: Changing the World Through Kindness (Instructor: Leslie Howerton)
Rieley Frederick: Cake (Instructor: Mark Merkley)
Liberty Lockett: 98 Seconds to Believe (Instructor: Mark Merkley)

The other top speakers were honored: McKenzie Burrows, Ian Duncan, David Ellis, Courtney Hayes, Nichole Jensen, Zachary Jensen, Shardae Jones, Spencer Lunt, Christian Miconi, Mikenna Nettle, Brilee Palmer, Kathryn Redd, Patrick Robello, Ellie Robison, Stephanie Schouten and Daulet Yelemessov. Kathryn Lindquist, a major supporter of Weber State University, was presented with the Freedom through Rhetoric award, recognizing her contributions to the community and the university through speech.

MPC student receives Distinguished Stewardship Award

Ryan Wash, an MPC student and a graduate assistant with WSU Debate, is the recipient of the Dr. Forrest C. Crawford Distinguished Stewardship Award. This award was created to honor Dr. Forrest C. Crawford, former assistant to the president for diversity and professor of teacher education. It acknowledges Dr. Crawford’s remarkable energy and commitment to Weber State University, especially his leadership of the University’s diversity initiative. This award is given to Weber State University graduate students who “have made exceptional contributions to the University, their profession or the public.”

The Signpost wins General Excellence award from Utah Press Association

The Signpost took home 17 awards, including General Excellence, at the Utah Press Association awards banquet April 14. It competed against all other college newspapers in Utah, including the University of Utah Chronicle and BYU's The Universe. Including the General Excellence prize from UPA, The Signpost received seven first-place awards, three second-place awards and seven third-place awards for work published in 2017. First-place awards in the statewide contest included best column by Daryn Steed, best sports photo by John Wineholt, best use of ad color and best staff-produced ad by Erik Bremer, and best in-house self-promotion and best circulation promotion for Waldo's World. The second-place awards included best community event for the Block Party coverage, best overall news coverage and best lifestyle page by Madison Van Orman. Third-place prizes came for best feature series for last year's Signpost Profiles, best general news story for Rachel Badali's investigative "Incarceration instead of medical care," best sports column by Harrison Epstein, best feature photo and best news photo by Dalton Flandro, best photo page, designed by Madison Osborn, and best website. The Utah Press Association holds its Better Newspaper Contest annually. The Signpost also won General Excellence last year in the college media category.

Signposters win two first-place awards in regional SPJ competition

The Society of Professional Journalists' regional Mark of Excellence brought The Signpost recognition on April 21, pitting Weber State's student news organization against its peers in three states, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. The Signpost came away with two first-place prizes and recognition for six finalists. The first-place winners will go on to compete against student journalists nationwide. Copy editor and incoming arts and entertainment editor Daryn Steed won first place for column writing, and former Signpost videographer and photographer Gabriel Cerritos won first place for sports photography. The finalists included Cole Eckhardt for column writing; Cydnee Green, Briana Whatcott and John Wise for breaking news coverage; Rachel Badali for in-depth reporting; Derrek Ballard for sports writing; Joshua Wineholt for photo illustration; and the staff for The SIgnpost website, signpost.mywebermedia.com.

Scholarships awarded to Communication students

Communication students were awarded scholarships for 2018-2019 at the Department of Communication’s annual Awards Ceremony on April 19. The scholarship winners include:

KSL Broadcast Group: Kalie Pead
Shane Farver Multimedia: Matt Child
Louis Babcock Debate: Kamryn Oman, Hannah Phelps
Len Allen Memorial: David “DJ” Harris
Jack & Betty Lampros: Harrison Epstein, Zac Watts, Jennifer Guzman, Sara Parker
Deseret News: Joseph Traub
Salt Lake Tribune: Alyson Johnson, Ian Syme
Allison Hess Editorial: Cole Eckhardt
Helen Cortez Stafford: Cameron Gifford
Patrick Parkinson Scholarship: Harrison Epstein
Communication Studies: Hannah Tuttle

Efforts of Studio 76 students get YouTuber on campus for presentation

Weber State University alumnus Shaun McBride, better known as the YouTuber Shonduras, spoke on campus about how students could make their degrees match their ambitions. This was partly due to members of Studio 76, WSU’s on-campus digital media time having volunteered at a video convention called VidSummit in 2017. McBride’s YouTube channel has more than 1.2 million subscribers. He has worked with brands such as Disney, Samsun, Google and Taco Bell to create unique social media strategies.

Two Communication graduates honored by Multicultural Center

Two Communication graduates were honored by the Weber State University Center for Multicultural Excellence for their contributions and dedication to multiculturalism and the center. Benjamin Brandley and Aulola P. Moli received this distinction that recognizes their leadership and endeavors for excellence in helping others. Brandley is graduating cum laude with departmental Honors. Moli is graduating magna cum laude with departmental Honors.

Signpost editor in chief named Crystal Crest Man of the Year

The Signpost Editor in Chief Cole Eckhardt was named Crystal Crest Man of the Year during the campuswide ceremony on April 14. In addition to this position at The Signpost, Eckhardt is a tutor at the Writing Center and an archaeology major. He is set to graduate in Spring 2019.

Seniors raise money for Bhutanese Refugee Organization

Students in Dr. Colleen Packer’s Senior Seminar class, all of whom graduate this week, collaborated with the International Student Organization and the Department of Work Force Services to sponsor a silent auction to benefit the Bhutanese Refugee Organization. Students marketed the event on social media, contacted local businesses for donations, put together the silent auction baskets and coordinated the event during the International Student Banquet. The students raised $600.

Announcements

Take a class in Fall Semester to learn how to make a living as a creator.

Want to make your living creating web content? Drew Tyler will teach a full course in Fall Semester on how to find 1,000 true fans who will love what you do and support you financially. Take this class to find out how to monetize your passions. Take this class to turn those passions into lifestyle businesses. Whether you are a live streamer, gamer, content creator on YouTube, or have your own Etsy shop or art creations, you can learn how to get fans. Sign up for this Fall’s Comm. 4500: Making a Living as a Creator.

Students can be trained to be PAs for Utah Film Commission

Love film? Do you want to work on movie sets? Are you interested in film work? Sometime in early May we will hold a class to train production assistants for the Utah Film Commission. Send an email to Drewtyler@weber.edu if you are interested in working with huge film productions this summer. We’ll certify you. You have to hustle to get the gigs.

The Signpost hiring staff writers, photographers, graphic designers

The Signpost is still taking applications for summer and fall for staff writers, photographers and graphic designers. The application is on signpost.mywebermedia.com under the About Us dropdown menu and can be brought to The Signpost office on the fourth floor of the Shepherd Union or emailed to adviser Jean Norman at jeannorman@weber.edu. The Signpost publishes once a week in June and July during the summer and twice a week during the regular semesters. Students who join the staff are eligible for scholarships.

Two new lower-division Communication classes to be offered in Fall Semester

The Communication Department will offer several new courses in Fall Semester. Writing for Workplace Communication (Comm. 1140) is a new writing course that can be substituted for Media Writing (Comm. 1130) for students in the Organization Communication and Interpersonal & Family Communication emphases. Communication in Professional Settings (Comm. 2550) will provide an introduction to theories and research in organizational communication and public relations. The classes are part of a new interdisciplinary Associate in Workplace Communication degree that draws from English and Communication. These classes may also be used to fulfill requirements for the Associate of Science in Communication degree as well as the department's bachelor's degrees.

Public Relations special topics course coming Fall 2018

Comm. 4500 Special Topics: Public Relations Cases and Research is a special topics course elective that delves into the prominent and not-so-prominent public relations case studies and applied research in the field. It will cover external and internal communications cases and is designed to help fill out understandings of best practices in the industry. It's a perfect course for Public Relations and Advertising and Organizational Communication students who still have Communication electives to fulfill. Look for it in the Fall 2018 schedule.

Broadcast News Reporting class to be offered Fall Semester

Broadcast News Reporting and Production, Comm. 3780, will be offered only in fall starting in 2017-18. For Multimedia Journalism majors, this is a required course, and they need to plan their course schedules. Students who take News Reporting and Writing, Comm. 3130, in the same semester as Broadcast News Reporting and Writing may cover the same events for both classes and create multimedia journalism packages for their portfolios. For more information, contact Stacey Tyler at staceycragun@weber.edu.

Performance Studies to be offered in Fall Semester

Performance Studies (Comm. 3070) will be offered in Fall Semester on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30-10:20 a.m. The class will be taught by Dr. Stephanie Kilgore Heath, an adjunct instructor who is an expert in this area. Performance Studies approaches the study of culture as being a whole way of life that includes the material, intellectual and spiritual aspects of a person’s existence and identity. As such, performance methods allow for the study of the ephemeral, fleeting, and momentary aspects of this “whole life.” Students will learn to understand the limits and restrictions inherent in language on articulating the meanings negotiated in daily life as well as the political clash that can manifest quickly from these restrictive qualities. Performance Studies encourages other ways of knowing that can assuage the negative politics of living and replace them with interventionist practices that are more inclusionary when interacting with others. Ultimately, this course will survey communication through the lens of performance, by considering the drama in human life.

Alumni Accomplishments

Adjunct’s help to Liberian scanner featured on CBS’s Sunday Morning

Ben Taylor, an alum and adjunct instructor in the Department of Communication, was featured in a story on CBS’s Sunday Morning. The story is about how he helped a Liberian scammer turn his life around. When Taylor received an email from a man who claimed to be a journalist asking for money, he said, “I thought if I could give him work, provide a way for him to make money, I would do that.” Taylor told the man to take photographs of Liberian life and he would wire him money. The photos were initially very blurry but improved considerably over time. With the help of professional photographers and graphic designers who had become fans of the YouTube series Taylor created, he made a book showcasing some of the man’s best work titled “By D Grace of God”—a phrase the Liberian would often use in his messages to Taylor. With the completed product, Taylor launched a campaign on Indiegogo to sell a few copies of the book, hoping to raise $2,500. By the end of the campaign, the book had raised over $13,000 and had been purchased by customers in more than 40 countries. To see the story, click on https://www.cbsnews.com/video/a-facebook-message-that-sparked-hope/.

Vidpresso founder receives alumni award from College of Arts and Humanities

Randall Bennett who graduated 14 years ago in Communication received the alumni award at the AHA! Awards for the Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts and Humanities. Bennett built a company Vidpresso that focuses on live streaming. As a Facebook partner, his company consults, streams and supports major companies such as Nasdaq, Mashable, NBC, NBA, Coca-Cola and more. He is changing the way the world watches and produces live video. He has hired WSU Digital Media students and works with WSU professors.

Faculty Achievements

Public Relations professor’s manuscript to be published in education journal

Dr. Nicola Corbin’s manuscript titled “Trapped Between Justified Anger and Being the Strong Black Woman: Black College Women Coping with Racial Battle Fatigue at Historically and Predominantly White Institutions” will be published in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education.

Co-authored paper to be published in Journal of Communication and Religion

Dr. Michael Ault has received notice that his co-authored paper has been accepted for publication at the Journal of Communication and Religion. The title of the article is " Disrupting Dominant Discourses of the Idealized Nuclear Family: A Study of Plural Families in Centennial Park, Arizona.” It will be in print in the December issue.

Department chair to present about Handbook of Visual Communication

Dr. Sheree Josephson will present “Handbook of Visual Communication” at VisCom, a national conference for visual communication scholars this June in San Diego. Josephson recently signed a contract with Routledge to edit the second edition of “Handbook of Visual Communication: Theories, Methods, and Media.”

Department chair named Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor

Dr. Sheree Josephson, chair of the Department of Communication, has been named a Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor. The award honors two or three Weber State faculty members each year who demonstrate “the highest quality of teaching, scholarship, research and community service” at the university. Honorees retain the Presidential Distinguished Professor title throughout their tenure with the university. Upon retirement from WSU, "emeritus" is added to the end of the title. Funding for the annual recognition program was made possible by a generous gift from former Weber State President Rodney Brady and his wife, Mitzi.

Faculty member facilitates training on mediating dispute resolution

Dr. Colleen Packer served as a facilitator and instructor at the recent Utah Alternative Dispute Resolution Volunteer Training: Mediator Skills Review in Logan. The training involved mediators from Northern Utah. Packer facilitated sessions on best practices for mediation and overcoming challenges in difficult mediation settings. Packer also received her domestic mediation training certification and just completed her mentorship to be listed on the Utah State Court roster as a domestic mediator.

Professor to present workshop at International Communication Association meeting

Dr. Colleen Packer will present a Blue Sky Workshop, a highly interactive session that fosters opportunities for disciplinary, intellectual and professional growth, at the International Communication Association convention in Prague. Her workshop is titled "Voices of Learning: Exploring Evidence-based Teaching Strategies to Enhance Student Success." She will also present a GIFT (Great Ideas for Teaching) titled "What's in Your Wallet?: A GIFTS Activity for Teaching Organization and Outlining."

March 2018

You may meet requirements for AS degree in Communication, national honor society for undergraduates in Communication

March also means it will soon be time to start thinking about registration for Summer and Fall semesters. It’s also time to join Lambda Pi Eta, the national honor society in Communication.

This is the March 2018 edition of the monthly email to majors. At least once a month during the regular school year, we will email you to let you know about meetings of student organizations, guest speakers, important deadlines, opportunities, student and faculty achievements—and more. If you have information you’d like us to distribute, please email department chair Sheree Josephson atsjosephson@weber.edu.

What’s Happening

March

March 5-9: Fall Break
March 16: Award-winning documentary filmmaker visit (see below)
March 17: Workshop on open records laws (see below)
March 21: Deadline to join Lambda Pi Eta honor society (see below)

April

April 2: Summer Semester registration opens
April 9: Fall Semester registration opens
April 9: Drop-in academic advising with chair, 9-11 a.m., Room 332
April 10: Drop-in academic advising with chair, 9-11 a.m., Room 332
April 19: Speech Showcase, Eccles Lecture Hall, 7 p.m.
April 27: Graduation

Student News

Major to present paper at National Conference for Undergraduate Research

Communication major Ben Brandley will present a paper at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research in Edmond, Oklahoma, in April. His paper is titled "Sheriff’s Deputies and Outcomes of Dialectical Tensions.”

Varsity and JV debaters have strong performance at California tournament

Weber State debaters had an outstanding performance at the Beach tournament in February at California State University-Long Beach. The WSU team of Kinsee Gaither and Bianca Morales made a run to the finals to finish second in the varsity competition. The junior varsity team of Ashley Johnson and Jordan Stephens took home the JV championship. WSU debaters also won a number of top speaker awards. Finishes in the open/varsity category were Gaither, second; Zach Bakaer, seventh; Hannah Wilson, eighth; and David Rawle, 10th. In the JV category, Jordan Stephens was the top speaker while Ashley Johnson finished second. WSU Debate also hosted guests from the Japan Debate Association: Takuya Higuchi and Kanaru Sato. Morales and Baker did a debate coached by MPC graduate student debate coach Ryan Wash and WSU debater Crystal Legionaires.

Student newsletter features tips on how to promote yourself

The latest edition of the student Communication newsletter fills you in on tips to promote yourself and the amazing skills that you are learning in your degree. Check it out: https://issuu.com/weberstateuniversityprssa/docs/the_peak_-_february_newsletter

The Signpost accepting applications for editor-in-chief, other editor positions

The Signpost is accepting applications for editor-in-chief and other editor positions. The positions come with scholarships and responsibility. Applications can be downloaded from The Signpost's website and emailed to adviser Jean Norman, jeannorman@weber.edu.

Multimedia journalism student lands internship with Vogue in London

Madeline Thorpe, a junior in the multimedia journalism emphasis, has landed a fashion journalism internship with Vogue magazine in London this summer.

Student will complete internship for black journalists at New York Times

Briana Whatcott, a multimedia journalism major graduating this summer, will spend May in New York City completing a National Association of Black Journalists internship at the New York Times.

Announcements

Top Communication students invited to join national honor society

Junior and senior Communication majors with high GPAs will receive invitations this week to join Lambda Pi Eta, the national honor society for Communication students. To be eligible students must (1) complete 60 semester credit hours, (2) have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 for all courses taken, (3) complete the equivalent of 12 semester credit hours in Communication, (4) have a minimum GPA of 3.25 for all Communication courses, (5) currently be enrolled as a student in good standing, as determined by the institution's policies, and (6) rank within the highest 35 percent of one’s class in general scholarship. Invitations will be extended via postal mail. If you quality, but do not receive your invitation by March 15, please contact Dr. Sheree Josephson at sjosephson@weber.edu to check your eligibility. Qualifying students will be honored at the department’s end-of-year event. The deadline to join is March 21.

You may meet requirements for Associate of Science in Communication

Even if you thought you weren’t graduating this year, think again. You may be eligible to apply for graduation with an Associate of Science degree in Communication. Applying for graduation with your associate’s is a good way to list a degree on your resume now. You may have received an email from an academic adviser. If you want to have the AS Communication degree awarded, please do the following as soon as possible:

Contact the Communication office and declare the AS Communication.
Once declared as seeking the AS Communication, complete the graduation application located in your student portal.

Please contact our college advisors at cahadvisor@weber.edu if you have any questions or if you need more information. It’s not too late to be listed in the graduation program.

Two new lower-division Communication classes to be offered in Fall Semester

Public relations special topics course coming Fall 2018

COMM 4500 Special Topics: Public Relations Cases and Research is a special topics course elective that delves into the prominent and not-so-prominent public relations case studies and applied research in the field. It will cover external and internal communications cases and is designed to help fill out understandings of best practices in the industry. It's a perfect course for public relations and organizational communication students who still have Communication electives to fulfill. Look for it in the Fall 2018 schedule.

Award-winning documentary filmmaker to visit campus on March 16

Communication majors are invited to an Eat, Meet and Greet with documentarian Tim Gray on Friday, March 16. Gray is a national award-winning documentary film director, producer and writer. Gray has produced and directed 20 documentary films on the personal stories of the World War II generation. He is working on a story about the USS Utah. If you'd like to attend, please RSVP on the Digital Media Majors facebook page.

Wildcat Film Festival to highlight films by local high school students

The Wildcat Film Festival will provide an opportunity for high school students to show their talent in storytelling and video creation. This annual festival, sponsored by Weber State University’s Department of Communication, showcases student-created videos in multiple categories, including non-fiction, comedy, drama, music video, PSA/commercial, and animation. Winners will receive awards and prizes. This competition is open to high school students in Weber, Cache, Davis and Morgan counties. There are no entry fees this year. Entries are due March 31. Winners will be shown at the annual Film Showcase in April. Email Drew Tyler at drewtyler@weber.edu for more information.

Workshop on Utah’s open records law scheduled for March 17

The Utah Headliners chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists in conjunction with the Weber State chapter will host GRAMAmania, a workshop on getting open records at the state and federal level, on March 17 from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in Elizabeth Hall. The event marks Freedom of Information Week and will feature Rosemary Cundiff, Utah's open records ombuds, and Rone Tempest, former L.A. Times foreign correspondent. The event is free. For more information, email jeannorman@weber.edu.

Students invited to attend training on covering jails in Utah

The Poynter Institute and the Marshall Project will hold free a training titled "A Journalist's Guide to Covering Jails-Utah" on April 11-12 in Salt Lake City at KSL, Channel 5. Journalism students are strongly encouraged to attend. For more information, go to https://www.poynter.org/training-events/journalists-guide-covering-jails-utah.

Communication scholarships will be decided later this spring

The Communication Department has many opportunities for scholarships/tuition waivers and resume builders. Most, but not all, are awarded for participation in the department's five co-curricular activities.

Here is where to get more information:

Weber State Debate: Contact Omar Guevara, oguevara@weber.edu.
The Signpost, student news organization: Contact Dr. Jean Norman, adviser, at jeannorman@weber.edu.
KWCR, student radio: Contact Robin Haislett, adviser, at robinhaislett@weber.edu.
Studio 76, student video production: Contact Drew Tyler, adviser, at drewtyler@weber.edu.
Ogden Peak Communications, student public relations firm: Contact Dr. Nicola Corbin, nicolacorbin@weber.edu.

Internship coordinator for Spring, Summer semesters announced

Dr. Hailey Gillen Hoke will be the internship coordinator for Spring and Summer semesters while Dr. Susan Hafen is on sabbatical, so please contact her if you have questions about starting an internship those semesters or finishing an internship that you began earlier in the year. If you plan to do an internship in the summer, you may want to enroll in the spring so you can include those credit hours in your spring registration. You must be enrolled in Comm. 4890 to begin an internship. You cannot enroll retroactively (e.g., in Fall 2018 after doing an internship Summer 2018).

Here’s what you need to do to graduate with departmental Honors

If you have a 3.5 overall GPA or above and 3.7 in your concentration, apply for Departmental Honors. Benefits:

HONORS in gold on your transcript

HONORS in gold on your diploma

Letter of commendation from WSU President, Chuck Wight

Invitation to Honors Banquet the semester you graduate

What you have to do: Sign the Honors admissions form, present an individual undergraduate research project at WSU Symposium or other professional conference. For more information, contact Dr. Michael Ault at michaelault1@weber.edu.

Alumni Accomplishments

Former Signpost news editor to be English instructor near Tokyo

Matt Kunes, former Signpost news editor and 2016 graduate, is headed to Japan to be an assistant English instructor in a prefecture about one hour north of Tokyo. This has been a goal of his undergraduate days.

Faculty Achievements

Faculty member publishes article in Journal of Contemporary Rhetoric

Dr. Stephanie Gomez published an article in the Journal of Contemporary Rhetoric and presented on two panels at the Western States Communication Association conference. Her article is titled "Not White/Not Quite": Racial and Ethnic Hybridity and the Rhetoric of the "Muslim Ban." The panels she presented on at WSCA in Santa Clara, California, were called "Engaging in Mindful Communication in the Face of Bullying: Female Faculty and Their Experiences Dealing with Student Bullies" and "Silence is Complicity: Mindful Pedagogy in a World Gone Mad."

Communication Department leadership team reappointed for three-year terms

The Communication Department’s leadership team was re-elected for another three-year term. Dr. Sheree Josephson will continue as department chair while Dr. Sarah Steimel will continue as the director of the Master of Professional Communication program.

Professors to present research at International Communication Association

Dr. Michael Ault, Dr. Alexander Lancaster and Dr. Hailey Gillen Hoke will present papers at the International Communication Association conference in Prague, Czech Republic, this summer. Dr. Ault and Dr. Lancaster will present a paper titled "The Human Cost of Mindfulness: Toward a More Nuanced Understanding of HRO Theory.” The paper is co-authored with Ben Brandley, an undergraduate majoring in Communication. Dr. Lancaster and Dr. Ault will also present a paper co-authored with Communication instructor Robin Haislett. That paper is titled “Generations of Voices: Parents’ Memorable Messages Concerning Interactions with Law Enforcement Officers.” Dr. Gillen Hoke will present “Third Party Coworkers’ Perceptions of Cross-Sex Workplace Friendships.”

Director of Teaching and Learning Forum participates on national panel

Faculty member Dr. Colleen Packer attended the Lilly Conference on Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning in Anaheim, California in February. Dr. Packer discussed “Adjunct Faculty Development: Programs and Initiatives” on a panel titled "A Discourse on Faculty Development: Sharing our Success Stories." Dr. Packer, a faculty member in the Department of Communication, is the director of the Teaching and Learning Forum at WSU.

Upcoming Honors class on conflict journalism gets mention

An upcoming Honors class on conflict journalism being designed by Dr. Jean Norman received a mention in the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation e-newsletter. The class to be offered in Spring 2019 will center around the James W. Foley Journalist Safety Guide.

Three faculty members nominated for Crystal Crest’s Master Teaching award

Dr. Michael Ault, Robin Haislett and Brent Warnock, faculty members in the Department of Communication, received nominations in the Master Teacher category in Crystal Crest.

Adjunct faculty member presents information for New Orleans service project

Adjunct faculty member David Collins was the keynote speaker in a meeting to kick off a Spring Break service project in New Orleans. Students will help the United Saints Recovery Project in their efforts to rebuild homes and communities damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Collins lived in New Orleans for nearly a decade and was there during Hurricane Katrina and a few years afterward.

February 2018

February means it’s time for graduating seniors to apply for graduation and for continuing students to apply for scholarships and financial aid. Make sure you pay attention to those deadlines. For more information, check with the Graduation Office, the Scholarship Office, and the Financial Aid Office.

This is the February 2018 edition of the monthly email to majors. At least once a month during the regular school year, we will email you to let you know about meetings of student organizations, guest speakers, important deadlines, opportunities, student and faculty achievements—and more. If you have information you’d like us to distribute, please email department chair Sheree Josephson at sjosephson@weber.edu.

What’s Happening

February

Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day party, 2 p.m. SUB 404 B (See info below.)
Feb. 16: Deadline to apply for Spring graduation.
Feb. 19: Presidents Day. No class

March

March 5-9: Fall Break

April

April 2: Summer Semester registration opens
April 9: Fall Semester registration opens
April 19: Speech Showcase, Eccles Lecture Hall, 7 p.m.
April 27: Graduation

Student News

Vote, vote, vote for Weber State students

Ogden Peak Communications, Weber State's student-run public relations firm, is collaborating with the Hall Global Entrepreneurship Center to promote its first national #OutdoorWeber idea pitch competition. The video entries have been submitted and now it's up to us Wildcats to vote for the Weber State videos. Visit outdoorweber.org to vote every day from every device for your favorite video.

WSU debaters advance to Elite Eight, head to tournament this weekend

The Weber State Debate team of Zach Thiede and Hannah Wilson advanced to the Elite Eight out of a tough field of competition in January at a tournament at Southwestern College in San Diego. This weekend WSU debaters travel to Long Beach to compete.

Announcements

Public relations special topics course coming Fall 2018

Valentine’s Day party sponsored by student journalism organizations

Communication students interested in journalism are invited to attend a Valentine's Day party sponsored by the Weber State chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists at 2 p.m. on Feb. 14 because who doesn't love good journalism? The event will be in the Student Union Room 404B. Representatives of the Weber State chapters of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists also will be available. For more information, contact adviser Jean Norman at jeannorman@weber.edu.

Communication scholarships will be decided later this spring

The Communication Department has many opportunities for tuition waivers and resume builders. Most, but not all, are awarded for participation in the department's five co-curricular activities.

Here is where to get more information:
Weber State Debate: http://www.weberdebate.com/scholarships or contact Omar Guevara, oguevara@weber.edu.
The Signpost, student news organization: Contact Dr. Jean Norman, adviser, at jeannorman@weber.edu.
KWCR, student radio: Contact Robin Haislett, adviser, at robinhaislett@weber.edu.
Studio 76: Contact Drew Tyler, adviser, at drewtyler@weber.edu.
Ogden Peak Communications, student public relations firm: Contact Dr. Nicola Corbin, nicolacorbin@weber.edu.

Watch the Communication Department e-newsletter for deadlines to apply for these co-curricular activities.

Freedom of Information event sponsored by SPJ on campus

The Utah Headliners chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will hold an event in honor of National Freedom of Information Act Week on March 17 at Weber State University. For details, contact Jean Norman at jeannorman@weber.edu.

Internship coordinator for Spring, Summer semesters announced

Weber State selected as host to National Debate Tournament in 2020

Weber State University has been selected for the third time in recent years to host the 73^rd annual National Debate Tournament from April 2-6, 2020. WSU last hosted the event in 2013. Other than the U.S. Military Academy, which held the first four NDTs from 1946-1950, Weber is the only university in nearly 75 years to host it three times.

Here’s what you need to do to graduate with departmental Honors

If you have a 3.5 overall GPA or above and 3.7 in your concentration, apply for Departmental Honors. Benefits:

HONORS in gold on your diploma
HONORS in gold on your transcript
Letter of commendation from WSU President, Chuck Wight
Invitation to Honors Banquet the semester you graduate

Faculty Achievements

Professor to participate on panel at Western States Communication Association conference

Dr. Susan Hafen will participate on a panel at Western States Communication Association in the Communication Theory Division. The Feb. 19 panel is titled "Theorizing Human-Animal Communication as Mindful Interaction."

Journalism professor presents about engaging drones in the classroom

Dr. Jean Norman presented with University of Utah Professor Avery Holton at the Educause ELI conference Jan. 29-31 in New Orleans. Their presentation was titled "Rules and Risks in Teaching New Technologies: Two Approaches to Engaging Drones in the Classroom."

Get Involved

The Signpost: Contact Dr. Jean Norman at jeannorman@weber.edu.
Studio 76: Contact Drew Tyler at drewtyler@weber.edu.
KWCR 88.1 Wildcat Radio: Contact Robin Haislett at robinhaislett@weber.edu.
WSU Debate: Contact Omar Guevara at oguevara@weber.edu.
Ogden Peak Communications: Contact Dr. Nicola Corbin at nicolacorbin@weber.edu.
PRSSA: Contact Leslie Howerton at lesliehowerton@weber.edu.
Society of Professional Journalists: Contact Dr. Jean Norman at jeannorman@weber.edu.
Departmental Honors: Contact Dr. Mike Ault at mault1@weber.edu.
Lambda Pi Eta: Contact Dr. Hailey Gillen Hoke at haileygillenhoke@weber.edu.

January 2018

Welcome to Spring Semester 2018

Welcome back, Communication majors. We hope you had a nice break and are eager to get back to work.

Please let us know if you encounter any problems registering for classes. Contact the department administrative assistant, Becky Rose, at beckyrose@weber.edu or the department chair, Dr. Sheree Josephson, at sjosephson@weber.edu. We are happy to help you. Use the “wait list” this week if the class you want is full.

This is the January 2018 edition of the monthly email to majors. At least once a month during the regular school year, we will email you to let you know about meetings of student organizations, guest speakers, important deadlines, opportunities, student and faculty achievements—and more. If you have information you’d like us to distribute, please email department chair Sheree Josephson at sjosephson@weber.edu.

What’s Happening

January

Jan. 8: Spring Semester begins
Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day. No class

February

Feb. 19: Presidents Day. No class

March

March 5-9: Fall Break

April

April 19: Student Film Showcase, Wildcat Theater, 7 p.m.

Student News

Internships lead to first career jobs, promotion

Three Communication majors got jobs or promotions based on the successful completion of their internships required for Comm. 4890. Emily Lane, a Digital Media student, was hired by Tukio, Inc., as a videographer. Brooke Facer, a Multimedia Journalism student, was hired by Nightengale College as its assistant marketing manager. Melanie Jackson, an Organizational Communication student, did an internship with the IRS, where she was employed, by doing a special project with Veteran Affairs. That helped her find a higher paying job with the Veteran Affairs.

Announcements

Society of Professional Journalists meets on Wednesdays

The Weber State chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists meets at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays. The location is usually SU 401 but can change based on availability of space. For more information, email Dr. Jean Norman at jeannorman@weber.edu.

Olympics journalists to discuss upcoming news coverage

Students are encouraged to attend a discussion of Utah reporters, photographers and editors who will be reporting on the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February. The discussion will be Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. at Park City’s Olympic Park, 3419 Olympic Parkway. Participants will discuss what it’s like to travel, meet world-class athletes, and put together reports for radio, television and newspapers back home on a deadline. The event is free and open to the public. It is being sponsored by the Utah Headliners Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Weber State has only chapters in Utah for Hispanic and Black journalists

Weber State has the only chapters of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists in Utah. The groups are accepting new members. Contact Dr. Jean Norman at jeannorman@weber.edu.

Class fulfills General Education requirements for both Math and English

Dr. Jean Norman of Communication and Dr. Sandra Fital-Akelbek of Math are team teaching a course in Spring Semester called Writing With Numbers. This fulfills the quantitative literacy requirement for Communication students and combines writing and reading with the math you have to learn for your General Education requirements. The idea is to make math easier to understand by applying it to real-world situations and coming up with language to understand the concepts. It is called WSU 2350 Writing with Numbers (CRN33645) and is scheduled M-T-W-Fr at 9:30 a.m. The prerequisite is MATH 970 or testing into MATH 1030.

The Signpost is recruiting staffers for Spring Semester

The Signpost, Weber State University's student news organization, is recruiting for Spring Semester. Staff members get real-world experience in news coverage—writing, photography, editing or graphic design—and a small scholarship. To apply, fill out the application at signpost.mywebermedia.com under About Us and email it to jeannorman@weber.edu.

Internship coordinator for Spring, Summer semesters announced

Weber State selected as host to National Debate Tournament in 2020

Here’s what you need to do to graduate with departmental Honors

If you have a 3.5 overall GPA or above and 3.7 in your concentration, apply for Departmental Honors. Benefits:

HONORS in gold on your diploma
HONORS in gold on your transcript
Letter of commendation from WSU President, Chuck Wight
Invitation to Honors Banquet the semester you graduate

Alumni News

MPC graduate’s paper named Top Graduate Student Debut Paper

Cami Sabin, a recent graduate of the Master of Professional Communication program, will present research findings at the Central States Communication Association’s annual meeting. Her paper is titled "Centering temporary workers: the assimilation process of volunteers in temporary organizations." It won the Top Graduate Student Debut Paper award for the division of Organizational and Professional Communication at Central States. It will be presented on the Organizational and Professional Communication Top Paper Panel at CSCA. Sabin is also an adjunct instructor of Communication.

Adjunct instructor wins award for best communications in major incident

Jeff Haney, an adjunct instructor of Communication, was part of the public-relations team that won the award for best communications in a major incident at the recent annual conference of the Utah Public Information Officers Association. Haney, who does public relations for the Canyons School District, was named in the award with co-worker Kirsten Stewart. The significant event was the June 6, 2017, domestic-violence situation that occurred blocks away from Brookwood Elementary just moments after classes let out for the day. It was the second-to-last day of school for the year. The incident resulted in the slayings of a mother and her kindergarten-age child. The man who police say fired the weapon then committed suicide in the street. Haney earned his Master of Professional Communication degree from Weber State University along with his bachelor’s degree in journalism.

Journalism graduate named newsroom adviser at Utah State student publication

Cimaron Neugebauer, a graduate in Multimedia Journalism, has been named as the newsroom adviser for the Utah Statesman, the student newspaper at Utah State University. He began the job in early August coming last from KUTV 2News as the social media lead. While at Weber State University, he worked at The Signpost.

Faculty Achievements

Professor publishes chapter in book titled ‘Rhetorical Animals’

Dr. Susan Hafen has published a co-authored chapter with Emily Plec, Communication Department chair at the University of Oregon in the book Rhetorical Animals: Boundaries of the Human in the Study of Persuasion published by Lexington Books. The chapter is titled "Learning to howl: an exercise in internatural abduction."

Assistant professor publishes article in International Journal of Business Communication

Dr. Hailey Gillen Hoke is a co-author of "Differences in information seeking among organizational peers: perceptions of appropriateness, importance, and frequency" in the International Journal of Business Communication. The article is now available in print.

Department chair signs contract to edit ‘Handbook of Visual Communication’

Dr. Sheree Josephson, department chair and professor of Communication, has signed a contract to be the first editor of the second edition of “Handbook of Visual Communication: Theory, Methods, and Media.” The book contract is with Routledge, a division of Taylor and Francis. Dr. Josephson will co-edit the book with Jim Kelly of Indiana University and Ken Smith of University of Wyoming.

Get Involved

The Signpost: Contact Dr. Jean Norman at jeannorman@weber.edu.
Studio 76: Contact Drew Tyler at drewtyler@weber.edu.
KWCR 88.1 Wildcat Radio: Contact Robin Haislett at robinhaislett@weber.edu.
WSU Debate: Contact Omar Guevara at oguevara@weber.edu.
Ogden Peak Communications: Contact Dr. Nicola Corbin at nicolacorbin@weber.edu.
PRSSA: Contact Leslie Howerton at lesliehowerton@weber.edu.
Society of Professional Journalists: Contact Dr. Jean Norman at jeannorman@weber.edu.
Departmental Honors: Contact Dr. Susan Hafen at shafen@weber.edu.
Lambda Pi Eta: Contact Dr. Hailey Gillen Hoke at haileygillenhoke@weber.edu.