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David Brennan (MFA student) has been appointed the CTAM Newsletter Editor by the executive board of the association.
Jessica Samens has accepted the position of Assistant Director of Forensics at Bethel University starting in Fall 2009. We are all proud of Jessica and wish her all the best in her new position at Bethel (and I'm sure forensics will be very glad to see her back in its community!)
Provost Olson and Academic Affairs has awarded Dr. Rachel Droogsma a full scholarship ($2,000) to attend the Midwest Women's Leadership Institute from June 21-27.
The President's Office planned to offer one scholarship to the institute; many people applied, and they granted the award to someone else. However, Dr. Droogsma was the runner up, the President's Office asked Academic Affairs/Provost Olson if they would sponsor a scholarship, and AA agreed! Dr. Droogsma is grateful for the opportunity to attend the institute and thanks Academic Affairs for its support.
Dr. Stephen Croucher (MA, 2003) has accepted an offer as a summer visiting professor at the Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA) from June 27 to September 7. Dr. Croucher will teach master's courses in Organizational, Intercultural, and Interpersonal Communication to the top MA students in communication studies in India. The admissions tests for the school are among the toughest in India for any program.
Dr. Croucher will also conduct three research projects, partially funded by a $5,000 MICA grant: 1) A cross-cultural examination of conflict traits in India, Turkey and the US; 2) A cross-cultural analysis of the relationship between organizational dissent, identification and religiousness in India, Turkey and the US; 3) Begin work on his third book, an examination of how food as a representation of identity varies regionally within India.
Finally, Dr. Croucher will be giving one of the keynote addresses at the International Conference on Intercultural Communication in New Delhi, India.
Professor James Dimock and Dr. Dan Cronn-Mills have been notified a co-authored book review has been accepted by the journal Contemporary Argumentation and Debate. The journal is published by the Cross-Examination Debate Association. The full cite for the article is:
Dimock, J. P., & Cronn-Mills, D. (2007). Review of Thank you for arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson can teach us about the art of persuasion by Jay Heinrichs (2007). New York: Three Rivers Press. Contemporary Argumentation and Debate, 28, 124-128.
* yes, the date is 2007; journal is working to catch up on its publication schedule.
Jessica Samens, instructor in Speech Communication, is the 2009 recipient of the MSU "Outstanding RSO Advisor" award for her work with the MSU Relay for Life. The relay raised more than $30,000 dollars this year.
* RSO is Recognized Student Organization
By Sara Gilbert Frederick, Special to The Free Press
The Free Press
[original article online at http://www.mankatofreepress.com/archivesearch/local_story_115211715.html]
April 25, 2009
— Lynn Kuechle was pleasantly surprised when several young men showed up at the opening event of last year’s Mamapalooza Mankato festival.
Kuechle had hoped that the first-time event, a celebration of mothers through arts and culture, would appeal to women and men alike. But it was still a surprise when men were among both the audience and the performers at an open mic event.
“It was just a great mix of people,” said Kuechle, the director of Mamapalooza Mankato. “That was one of the most exciting things that happened.”
Kuechle is hoping that the mix will be even more varied at the second Mamapalooza event, which takes place Friday and Saturday in the Arts and Historic District of Mankato’s City Center.
“It may seem like this would be exclusive to mothers, but that’s not the case,” Kuechle said. “If you are a mom, then this is a chance to celebrate your experience. And if you know a mother, then this is a time to honor what mothers do.”
Connie Miller intends to do both. Miller, a poet who teaches English at Minnesota State University, read a poem about being a mother at the open mic last year. This year, she’ll be reading a nonfiction essay about the challenges of motherhood in hopes of offering support to other mothers as well.
“This is my spin on mothering and the challenges we face,” she said. “I wanted to share my thoughts about openness in mothering, because we all need to be honest about the difficulties and frailties associated with motherhood.”
Miller’s reading will be part of the Saturday night music and poetry event at RedSky Lounge — one of several venues incorporated into this year’s Mamapalooza. The two-day schedule also includes activities at the Twin River Center for the Arts, the Betsy and Tacy Houses, the Hubbard House and the Heritage Center at the Blue Earth County Historical Society.
Including several locations throughout the Arts and Historic District creates several points of entry for potential visitors, Kuechle said. It also creates an opportunity to come downtown and explore the area for all or part of the day.
“You can come and do what you want,” she said. “You can pick what fits into your schedule and what fits your interests. You can do one or two things or you can come downtown and make a day of it.”
Artist Rochelle Koberoski and her daughter, Lianna, can only make it to the opening reception of the art gallery on Friday night. Both of them have work that will be displayed at the exhibit, including a collaborative digital photograph project.
Although she’s disappointed to miss the rest of the event, Koberoski is delighted to be involved in Mamapalooza and is hopeful that other mothers will benefit from the festival.
“If my daughter and I can exhibit a couple of pieces and share our work, perhaps it will encourage other mothers to create,” she said. “Working on projects with your children is a very satisfying and wonderful way to spend time together — who knows what will become of it?”
Kuechle and others involved in Mamapalooza hope that Mamapalooza Mankato will establish itself as an annual event this year.
“Last year was really fun,” said Shannon Robinson, the executive director of the Twin Rivers Center for the Arts. “It was the start of something good, something that we can build on and make better in the future.”
Kuechle also hopes that Mamapalooza will encourage people to support, encourage and honor mothers all year round.
“My hope is that people will realize that you can honor mothers with things other than flowers and cards,” she said. “Motherhood is a bigger experience than that, and it needs to be celebrated in a bigger way.”
Desireé Rowe (MA, 2005) is now officially Dr. Desireé Rowe, with a Ph.D. from Arizona State University.
Dr. Rowe has also accepted a tenure-track assistant professor position at CUNY-Bronx.
Congratulations to Dr. Rowe may be sent to desireerowe@gmail.com
On April 15-20, 2009 members of the MSU-Mankato Speech team traveled to the National Forensic Association National Championship Tournament held at Drury University/Missouri State University. Over 70 schools competed in the tournament. The team placed 12th overall and 4th in the President's I Division (Schools with 26-50 entries). Unlike NCAA athletics which are divided into divisions where only schools with a similar division status compete together, all schools, regardless of program resources, compete together in forensic competition. In order to recognize the variance of program sizes and resources, the NFA National Tournament offers sweepstakes awards in 4 categories. The President's I division is comparable to NCAA Division II.
Senior Communication Studies major Grant Anderson from Madison Lake, MN placed 2nd in Persuasive Speaking. Defeating all but one of the 141 individuals in the event. Additionally, Junior Marketing Major Jason Reisch from Sioux Falls, SD was a semi-finalist in Prose Interpretation, placing in the top 12 of 220 entries.
Other students attending who all contributed points to the overall sweepstakes placing include Senior Ian Hopkins, Juniors Justin Hathaway, April Larson, Megan Peterson, Sophomores Suzanne Lumberg, Sarah Walker, Ari Klugman, Molly Carmody and Katie Gottwalt, and Freshmen Brad Wakefield and Jordan Christiansen.
Five members of the team also attended the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament on April 2-7, 2009 in Akron, Ohio. The team placed 25th out of over 75 schools. This was a strong finish considering only ¼ of the team attended. Junior Jason Reisch advanced both After Dinner Speaking and Dramatic Interpretation to the quarter-final round of competition. Others who contributed to the team's overall ranking include Seniors Ian Hopkins and Grant Anderson, Sophomore Suzanne Lumberg and Freshman Brad Wakefield.
The team is coached by Director of Forensics Dr. Leah White, Assistant Director of Forensics James Dimock, and graduate student coaches, Chad Kuyper, Michael Chouinard, Sara Jones, David Brennan and Megan Orcholski.
For more information contact Leah White at 507-389-553
Professor James Dimock and Dr. Dan Cronn-Mills have a co-authored book review in the latest issue of the journal Argumentation and Advocacy. The full citation is:
Dimock, J. P., & Cronn-Mills, D. (2007). Review of Democratic Accountability: Why Choice in Politics is Both Possible and Necessary by Leif Lewin (2007). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Argumentation and Advocacy,44, 115-117.
[*yes, the date is 2007. A&A is behind on its publication schedule]
Written and directed by Megan Rae, as part of her Undergraduate Research Seminar research project, under the supervision of Dr. Rachel Droogsma. The performance, entitled When, includes scenes that will be performed, discussed, and improved by actors and audience members. The performance promotes interventions for abuse situations, describes how to get out of abusive situations, and discusses social victimization of survivors. (Megan Orcholski, graduate student in Speech Communication, is one of the performers). When is presented with support from the Women's Center and the Speech Communication Department.
Can You Hear Me Through the Glass? Understanding Communication and Relationships in World of Warcraft
Grant Anderson (Department of Speech Communication)
Warren Sandmann, Faculty Mentor (Department of Speech Communication)
Crime and Punishment: The Impacts of the Messaging Project on the Abortion Debate
Sarah Walker (Department of Communication Studies)
James Dimock, Faculty Mentor (Department of Communication Studies)
You've Got Mail: Identity Perceptions Based on Email Usernames
Laura Pelletier (Department of Speech Communication)
Warren Sandman, Faculty Mentor (Department of Speech Communication)
Impact of Text Messaging on Communication
Heidi Hemmer (Department of Speech Communication)
Daniel Cronn-Mills, Faculty Mentor (Department of Speech Communication)
Experiential Learning and Small Group Dynamics: Working with the Genocide Intervention Network
Krista Monson (Department of Speech Communication)
James Dimock, Faculty Mentor (Speech Communication Department)
Communicating Without Words: The Effectiveness and Future of Purely Visual Advertisements
By Bradford Wakefield (Department of Communication Studies)
James Dimock, Faculty Mentor (Department of Speech Communication)
Cluster B Personality Disorders Separated by Gender Expectations
Brianna Kloss (Department of Speech Communication)
Rachel M. Droogsma, Faculty Mentor (Department of Speech Communication)
Effects of Adultism on Youth in Social Movements
Megan P. Evans Martinson (Department of Speech Communication)
James Dimock, Faculty Mentor (Department of Speech Communication)
#28 - A New Look at Nonprofit Online Fundraising: Persuasion through the Means of Credibility and Psychological Consistency
Kaytlin M. LeMier (Department of Speech Communication)
Kristen Cvancara, Faculty Mentor (Department of Speech Communication)
Selling Gender: Gender Role Portrayals in Contemporary Magazine Advertisements
Laura Pelletier (Department of Speech Communication)
Daniel Cronn-Mills, Faculty Mentor (Department of Speech Communication)
Performance as Advocacy for Abused Survivors
Megan Rae (Department of Communication Studies)
Rachel Droogsma, Faculty Mentor (Department of Communication Studies)
Tina Fey's Parody of Sarah Palin
April M. Larson (Department of Speech Communication)
Daniel Cronn-Mills, Leah White, James Dimock, Faculty Mentor (Department of Speech Communication)
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Alum in the News
Stephen Croucher (MA, 2003)
French efforts to force assimilation examined in new book
[original story online at http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/mc/monitor/04-13-09/page65155.html]
France is notoriously protective of its culture. It has sometimes been viewed humorously by the rest of the world for what is seen as its overzealous attempts to fend off the encroachment of English words into la belle langue and American foods into its cuisine.
In the area of cultural assimilation, however, France's attempt to impose "Frenchness" on all its people--particularly its Muslims--is no laughing matter. It has had serious, negative social consequences, according to Dr. Stephen Croucher, interpersonal communication. Croucher has written a book called Looking beyond the Hijab, in which he demonstrates that the effort to create, through legislation, a homogenous culture among all groups, native and immigrant, has been a dismal failure.
Part of Hampton Press's Communication, Comparative Cultures and Civilizations series, the book is based upon face-to-face interviews Croucher conducted over several years with Muslim and French citizens of all ages and socioeconomic groups in all regions of the country. Written for both a scholarly and a lay audience, Beyond the Hijab contains both theory and interview excerpts as it explains the aspects of planned assimilation and how it affects populations.
The portrait that emerges is of a country more polarized than ever.
Croucher took as the impetus for his study a 2004 law banning the wearing or display of religious symbols in public schools or government buildings. These can include large crosses, yarmulkes and, in the case of Muslim women, the head scarf, or hijab.
The Muslims Croucher interviewed tended to feel particularly singled out by the law and suspicious of the social engineering motives behind it. According to one woman, a 43-year-old Algerian, "France, the government and the people, want to remove Islam and they want to teach our children Christianity. If our children forget Islam, if the children of Islam forget Islam, what have they?"
The law, which was passed almost unanimously by the National Assembly, was the boldest step taken following several years of incidents, beginning with the internationally publicized "veil affair" in 1989, in which suburban Muslim girls were suspended from school for refusing not to wear their scarves. At that time, the non-Muslim community rallied in support of the girls and the courts became involved, saying the display of religious clothing was consistent with the fundamental French policy of läicité, or separation of church and state. But other laws and decrees confused the issue, and the disagreements went on, culminating in 2004 with the ban.
Based in cultural adaptation theory, which says that minority groups will naturally assimilate and take on the characteristics of the dominant culture, the 2004 law's impact is perhaps felt most strongly in the schools, which are "at the forefront of change," Croucher said. By forcing children to abandon the hijab, the law thus "forces them to look like the rest of the population. It tells them: 'Be French in school, not Muslim,'" he said. "Assimilation means you give up who you are. It's a form of social Darwinism."
Despite the fact that it makes laws attempting to unify French culture, it is perhaps revealing about France that it does not actually track religion or ethnicity among the population, in keeping with its "we're all French" stance. Estimates of Muslim immigrants in the country range from 4 percent to 8 percent and even as high as 10 percent in some areas, Croucher said, adding that the number is significant. Around Paris, the great majority of North Africans live in dismal suburbs of crumbling housing developments.
Croucher interviewed 500-600 people in his study of immigrant and minority-group adaptation, asking them what their immigrant experience had been and their experience as Muslims in France. He also interviewed a range of French people for their views of the immigrant issue.
Interestingly, the majority of Muslims immediately referred to the 2004 ban and how it made them feel. For the Muslims, who are predominantly from North Africa, ethnicity and religion were inseparable, and they feared and resented losing their identity.
For those who did want to assimilate, however, the road was not easy, either. Many reported being made fun of for their accent or appearance, even when they try to speak French and wear Western clothing. They also receive condemnation from their Muslim community for "pretending to be French," and felt they could never win.
In his interviews of non-Muslim French citizens, Croucher reported finding more fear than hatred toward the Muslims. "People are very protective of French culture and very afraid of cultural change. They want to decide what it means to be French."
In preparation for writing the book, Croucher translated and transcribed all the interviews from French and Arabic into English. "The strength and variety of opinions surprised me," he recalled. However, it was generally agreed that the climate is getting worse, he said.
Alum Accepted to Doctoral Program
Suzanne Loen Berg (MA, 2006) has been admitted to the doctoral program in communication studies at Bowling Green State University. Suzanne has also been offered and accepted a full assistantship. Her assignment will be teaching and coaching the forensics team.
Congratulations to Suzanne!
You may reach Suzanne at suzannevlberg@gmail.com
By Robb Murray
The Free Press
MANKATO April 10, 2009 09:51 pm
MSU instructor Rachel Droogsma and student Grant Anderson hold several of the windows created in a unique project. Students met with children at the Theresa House homeless shelter and guided them through the creation of windows, which are designed to allow the kids to express their feelings about being homeless.
The Free Press
-- One took it as a chance to tell the world that overcoming the factors that lead to homelessness isn't as easy as people make it sound -- it's not just as simple as getting off your butt and finding a job.
Another took a chance to announce to the world the part of homelessness she hates the most: picking up everything and relocating. Often.
And another took the project as a chance to show that she refuses to let homelessness get her down. When this child did the project -- where homeless children create a small "window" that, when viewed, reveals a glimpse into that child's homeless life -- she focused on hope.
Her design is covered with brightly colored squiggly lines, stars and the words "Sky is the limit."
"She doesn't feel held back," said Rachel Anderson Droogsma, an instructor at Minnesota State University. "She feel she can do anything with her life."
The window pane projects were done by children who live at the Theresa House Shelter. Droogsma, who teaches a class called Gender Communication, worked with shelter staff on coming up with a project that would let the children express themselves about being homeless.
At the same time, the MSU students in Droogsma's class got a chance to learn about a segment of the population few get to mingle with.
Droogsma, who is teaching this particular class for the third time, always includes some kind of service learning component. The first two times, students worked with victims of domestic violence and did what is known as the "Clothesline Project," where victims express themselves through writings on T-shirts, which are then strung along on a clothesline and displayed publicly.
The windows created by the children -- who were helped by students from Droogsma's class -- will be hung from the ceiling April 16 in MSU's Centennial Student Union.
Droogsma said she informed students early that it wasn't going to be a typical class.
"I told them this is going to be an activist class," Droogsma said, "that we're going to take what we learn and try to make that situation better."
That approach sits well with most students. And even the ones who aren't sure usually come around by the time they begin meeting with, for example, victims of domestic violence, or in this case, homeless children.
Grant Anderson, one of Droogsma's students, said the class has helped him understand his own values.
"If, after hearing it all, you still believe in them, then they are made stronger," Anderson said. "This class challenges us, and patches holes in our logic."
Anna Larson, volunteer coordinator for Theresa House, worked with Droogsma and the children. She also worked with the one adult who came a different time when the same project was offered to adults who live at the shelter.
She said that the kids who agreed to do it were unsure at first.
"I don't think they knew what they were getting into," Larson said. Once they started doing it and realizing what it meant, "they became engaged ... Afterward, it began to sink in that not only would it have an impact on them, but also on the people seeing it."
Window to their world
The windows are interesting peeks into the children's lives. One window shows merely a simple statement: "I wish I didn't have to move so much." One shows a humble house under the phrase, "It does not come that easy to everyone." Another, clearly created by a young girl, shows a face that appears to be smiling surrounded by the joyful chaos only a child can create -- "What it shows is that there's a little girl there."
Larson compared the window project to the AIDS Quilt that has traveled the world. Patch by patch it tells the stories of victims of AIDS. Panels include actual clothing from the victim, or a pair of shoes. Viewing it often elicits an emotional response. She hopes the same thing happens with the windows.
One example that stuck with her is the window made by a young man who produced a brightly colored window with a red, "abstract" house. When a volunteer prompted him to say more about it, the boy deliberately messed it up. When asked what it meant, he said, "Theresa House isn't my home."
"I thought that was terrific," Larson said. "We could have been offended but ... It's not easy living in a shelter."
The next day, that boy participated in a writing project in which they were asked to explain a little more about their windows. The boy wrote "Theresa House is my house, not my home." That sentence was followed by several lines of acknowledgment that the shelter is, in fact, the place that gives him a bed to sleep on and food to eat. His writing ends with the line, "Theresa House is my home."
"He actually, through this process, came along to a positive message he might not have had he not done this project," Larson said.
Some of the kids, Droogsma said, were very concerned about working with the students, and whether their names would be associated with it. The stigma associated with homelessness is clear.
"It's easy to look down upon someone's family," Anderson said. "Our culture is so engrained with how negative it is, and people want to distance themselves from it ... It's dehumanizing."
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.
To the students in Minnesota State University's Colleges Against Cancer chapter for taking their goals seriously.
This year the group is attempting to raise $26,000 during its Relay for Life. That's a $3,000 increase from last year.
The chapter's members, like many people, have been affected by cancer. Many have lost parents, siblings, other relatives and friends to the disease that knows no age, gender or economic limits when it strikes. This year the group found out that its adviser, Jessica Samens, has thyroid cancer.
The group is fighting for her and for others who can survive, as well as honoring those who have succumbed. During the April 18 fundraiser on campus at Myers Fieldhouse, teams will camp around the room and keep one member walking the relay trail from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. the following day.
Chad Kuyper successfully defended his MFA-Thesis "Inroads to Out-Rounds: An Intercultural Approach to Newcomer Integration into the Macro-Culture of Forensics" on Wednesday May 6th, 2009. The thesis was directed by Dr. Leah White.
Amelia Johnson has successfully defended her thesis titled Gendered Commentary and Presentation of Sporting Events: A Content Analysis of Gendered Language Use and Topic by Sport Commentators. The thesis was directed by Dr. Warren Sandmann.
Janna Dziak. Today she successfully defended her thesis titled Same Sex Partners and Dialectical Tensions within a Banned State. The thesis was directed by Dr. Kristen Treinen.
Lyudmyla Petrenko successfully defended her these titled Job Satisfaction, Leadership Communication Style, and Humor in the Workplace: Cross-Cultural Study of Ukrainian and American Organizations. The thesis was directed by Dr. Kristen Treinen.
Heather Grande successfully defended her thesis titled Expressions of Intimacy Shared Between Sisters: Does Birth Order Make a Difference? The thesis was directed by Dr. Kristen Cvancara.
Sarah Jones successfully defended her thesis titled Visual Critical Rhetoric: Discourse and Power in the Graphic Novel. The thesis was directed by Professor James Dimock.
Gordana Ivetic successfully defended her thesis titled Leadership, Emotional Intelligence and Persuasion. The thesis was directed by Dr. Warren Sandmann.
By Robb Murray
The Free Press
MANKATO April 06, 2009 07:56 pm
-- When the students in Minnesota State University's Colleges Against Cancer group met for a recent meeting -- where they reviewed plans for their cancer research fundraiser Relay for Life -- most of them weren't prepared for how it would end.
Their adviser, Jessica Samens, had some ironically grim news for them.
"Before I even started telling them, I broke down," she said. "I hadn't really expected that."
Samens has thyroid cancer. She'd only known herself for a few days when she told the group. And even though they've only known Samens for a few months, the one thing that all members share -- they've either battled cancer themselves or lost someone who has -- made itself known in their reaction to her. One by one the students approached and embraced her.
"It was a tough moment for all of us," said Samens, a speech communication instructor.
One of the students was Zachary Thieman, president of MSU's Colleges Against Cancer chapter.
"That definitely brought a somber note," Thieman said. "We were having a pretty good meeting up until that point."
Samens' confession was just one dark spot on this year's Relay for Life, the group's annual fundraiser that is scheduled for April 18 in MSU's Myers Field House. Missing this year from the chapter's on-campus efforts is Heidi Rensink.
Rensink battled brain cancer in high school and came to college thinking she'd beaten it. But it came back. And she fought valiantly again. This year, however, the fight has taken a toll. Rensink is no longer a student at MSU, but she has been kept informed of the chapter's activities.
Factor in all the individual reasons students join the group -- cancer took Thieman's mom when he was 15, fellow student Arika Krinke's grandfather when she was 10 -- and the chapter has a lot of reasons to stay scrappy in its fight to help the world get rid of the deadly disease.
Their event will look similar to last year's. Luminaria will light the path, teams will camp around the room and keep one member walking the relay trail from 6 p.m. April 18 until 6 a.m. the following day. There will be food, testimonials from cancer survivors and entertainment.
All of it is done to raise money toward the group's goal of $26,000 ($3,000 more than what was raised last year).
Krinki said fellow students have been receptive. She said she and another student recently went around with a can asking people to donate to the cause.
"People were just dumping their change in our can," the Hudson, Wis., engineering student said. "Most people I know already know about Relay for Life. Everybody, really, is affected by it."
Thieman was in his mid-teens when his mom died.
"It was a crappy situation," he said.
He lived at home in Pine City with mom and his little sister, but after his mom's health began to deteriorate, he and the sister moved in with an older sister who lived in the Twin Cities.
During his freshman year at MSU, he didn't learn there was a Colleges Against Cancer chapter until that year's Relay for Life, typically held in the spring. During his freshman year, he was the group's advocacy chair. The following year, his involvement was scaled back because he spent a semester abroad. And this year he took over as president.
He said he knows there are a lot of student organizations out there and many of them do good things. He also said there are some that exist solely for fun, and their impact on the world is minimal.
"To me the Relay for Life is a very important event," he said.
It's important to Samens, too. This year it will take on a heightened importance, but it won't be her first.
Several years ago while her grandfather battled cancer, he was chosen to be a speaker at the Relay for Life in Samens' hometown of Chetek, Wis.
Finding it difficult to speak, he asked Samens to speak for him.
She's scheduled for surgery later this month and says she has a good chance of beating it.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.
Photos
Zachary Thieman, a student at Minnesota State University, is president of the campus' College Against Cancer chapter. The group's annual Relay for Life is April 18 at MSU's Myers Field House. The Free Press
It's Always Something: Creating and Sustaining Feminist Humor on Saturday Night Live
Kelsey Maki (Speech Communication)
Dr. Leah White, Faculty Advisor, Speech Communication
A Feminist Critique of Mona Lisa Smile: Through the Lens of Invitational Rhetoric
Stephanie Schmidt (Speech Communication)
Dr. Rachel Anderson-Droogsma, Faculty Advisor, Speech Communication
Persuasive Messages Sent From Home: A Look at Decreasing First Generation College Student Attrition
Joe Ley (Speech Communication)
Dr. Kristen Cvancara, Faculty Advisor, Speech Communication
Seamless Intertextuality: I Kissed a Girl
Megan Orcholski (Speech Communication)
Dr. Leah White, Faculty Advisor, Speech Communication
The recipients receive plaques and $50.00 gift certificates.
A total of 13 GRC presenters were recognized with presentation awards.
Minnesota State University, Mankato received a $10,000 grant to support civic engagement and service-learning at MSU. The project is titled "Conducting a Team-Based Campus Audit." Project leaders are Dr. Brenda Flannery, Dr. David Engen, Laurie Woodward, and Student Affairs.
Project involves surveying and interviewing MSU faculty about their use of academic service-learning. The project culminates in both increased knowledge about ASL at MSU and a stronger institutional infrastructure for service-learning at the university.
A Discussion of Power?
Megan Orcholski
XX ≠ XY: Performing Gender in Mathematics Classrooms
Kelsey Maki
It's Always Something: Creating and Sustaining Feminist Humor on Saturday Night Live
Kelsey Maki
Job Satisfaction, Leadership Style, and Humor in the Workplace: Cross-Cultural Study of Ukrainian and American Organizations
Lyudmyla Petrenko
Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, and Persuasion
Gordana Ivetic
Fanatical Leaders and Fervent Followers
Gordana Ivetic
Digital Lovin': Participants' Perceptions of Their Online Romantic Relationships After Meeting Face-to-Face
Amy Heilman
Educated Women: Does It Make a Difference?
Chris Bastian
Visual Critical Rhetoric: Discourse and Power in the Graphic Novel
Sarah Jones
A Feminist Critique of Mona Lisa Smile: Through the Lens of Invitational Rhetoric
Stephanie Schmidt
Impacts of the Coach-Athlete Relationship on the College-Bound Athlete
Stephanie Schmidt
Making the Transition: First Year College Students' Transition to College Life
Joseph Ley
Defining Male Friendship
Amanda Bakley
Jenna Jameson: All American Mythical Heroine - Defying the Odds
Amanda Bakley
How Does She Do It? Single-Motherhood and Graduate School? Does a Support System Exist--Or Should It?
Kelli Hanson
Persuasive Messages Sent From Home: A Look at Decreasing First Generation College Student Attrition
Joseph Ley
Seamless Intertextuality: I Kissed a Girl
Megan Orcholski
Get Conflict under Control: Interactive Conflict Management Workshop
Lyudmyla Petrenko
Interpersonal Communication: Am I Just a Number?
Megan Orcholski
Expressions of Intimacy Shared Between Sisters: Does Birth Order Make a Difference?
Heather Grande
Dr. Leah White, Director of Maverick Forensics, was re-elected to the District 4 AFA-NIET Committee.
MSU Junior Jason Reisch was elected as the Student Representative to the District 4 AFA-NIET Committee.
The Commission on the Status of Women has announced the 2009 Project of the Year recipients. This year, three graduate students were chosen for Project of the Year Awards. All three recipients are from Speech Communication. The recipients are:
The recipients will be recognized at the Women of Courage and Vision Reception, Tuesday, March 31st from 3:00-4:30 p.m. in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom.
Lyudmyla Petrenko (MA candidate) has accepted the position of Bi-lingual Community Organizer/Programmer for the Jewish Community Center in Minneapolis and Jewish Community Action in St. Paul. The Community Organizer/Programmer "will work closely with other JCC and JCA staff in order to carry out the activities and trainings related to congregational organizing, and involving the Jewish community in social justice and developing recreational/enrichment program on site and as outreach for existing programs held at JCC. Works on building relationships with Russian-speaking community. Develops social justice training and leadership development activities."
Dr. Patty Palm (professor emerita) reports "Retirement is great! I keep very busy with my work with Zonta International. I have changed positions from Zonta International Parliamentarian to "Task Force of One." I am editor-in-chief of Zonta International Policy manuals from club to international levels. I continue to be a member of the Zonta Club of Mankato and am Zonta International District 7 Parliamentarian. Locally, I've just begun a new volunteer position with VINE--I'm a receptionist at the Summit Center one day a week!"
Dr. Nan Johnson-Curiskis has been named to the International Listening Association Hall of Fame. Selection to the Hall of Fame is the highest award of the Association. The Hall of Fame Award is presented to individuals who are recognized for notable achievements involving Listening in academic, business, or other settings. Winners have contributed to the advancement of effective Listening over a number of years. Dr. Johnson-Curiskis is a founding and lifetime member of the ILA. She joins previous Hall of Fame members including the ground breaking researcher Dr. Ralph Nichols, the father of listening research, Dr. Manny Steil, Dr. Melissa Beall, Carl Rogers, Harvey Weiss, and Nadine Marsnik.
Chad Kuyper (MFA-Forensics candidate) has accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of Speech Communication and Director of Forensics at Florida State College in Jacksonville, Florida.
Dr. Rachel Anderson Droogsma has received word her manuscript titled ""I am the Woman Next Door": The Clothesline Project as Woman Abuse Survivors' Societal Critique" has been accepted for publication by Communication, Culture, and Critique, an International Communication Association journal. The article is scheduled for publication in November (Vol 2, Issue 4). The article was supported by a Faculty Research Dissemination Grant from the MSU College of Graduate Studies and Research.
Kelli Hanson (first-year MA) has been awarded a grant from the President's Commission on the Status of Women to enhance her professional development and research on student mothering. Kelli will be attending the Mothers Gone Mad: Motherhood and Madness Oppression and Resistance Conference in New York City at the end of May. She will be presenting her research on single-mothering in the academy and looks forward to representing the campus as well as the community. Her focus as a student-mother advocate will move us one step closer to achieving work/family balance from the Ivory Tower. The grant provides an excellent opportunity for her to network with professionals in the field of mother studies and activism and to expand the ideas being done on campus as well as the community. As a single mother this grant provides an opportunity that otherwise would and could not take place.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
7:00 to 8:15 p.m.
Ostrander Auditorium
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Please join us as we showcase performances from several forensic program participants who have qualified to attend the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament held in Akron, OH April 4-6, 2009 or the National Forensic Association National Championship Tournament held in Springfield, MO April 16-20, 2009.
For additional information please contact Dr. Leah White at 507-389-5534.
Maverick Forensics is housed in the Department of Speech Communication and serves students from all disciplines of the university. Our students learn about the process of human communication through actively engaging in public address, oral interpretation, and debate competition with colleges and universities from across the nation. We would like to thank the Department of Communication Studies and the Minnesota State Student Association for their support.
Congratulations to Grant Anderson, recipient of the 2009 Kevin Heinemann Student Award.
The award is named after Kevin Heinemann, former director of forensics at Hastings College.
Recipients are recognized for their spirit of service, community, and love of forensics.
On April 4-6, 2009 members of the Minnesota State University – Mankato Speech Team will travel to The University of Akron in Ohio to compete at the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament. The AFA-NIET is the most prestigious national speech tournament held each year. Minnesota State Mankato was honored to host this event in 2007. In order to qualify for the tournament, students must place either 1st, 2nd or 3rd in their events at 3 different regional tournaments during the year. This year MSU qualified 12 students in 27 events. Five students will attend the tournament in a total of 18 events.
The following students will attend the tournament:
The following students also qualified events to the AFA-NIET, but will not be traveling to the tournament:
"It is unfortunate that due to funding constraints we need to leave 1/3 of our qualifications home" stated Director of Forensics Dr. Leah White. "I do want to stress, however, even though we can only bring a small number of students to this event, the contribution of all team members is valued. A larger group of students will travel to the National Forensic Association National Tournament held in Springfield, MO later in April.
The team will host a showcase performance of some of the events traveling to the AFA-NIET on Tuesday March 31st at 7:00 p.m. in Ostrander Auditorium on the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus.
Amelia Johnson has successfully defended her thesis titled Gendered Commentary and Presentation of Sporting Events: A Content Analysis of Gendered Language Use and Topic by Sport Commentators. The thesis was directed by Dr. Warren Sandmann.
Colleges Against Cancer/Relay for Life held their first Spaghetti Feed to benefit the American Cancer Society Sunday, March 1st at Pub 500. The group raised over $700 which will go towards their fundraising goal. The group will be hosting the 5th annual Relay for Life on April 18th in the Meyers Field house. The faculty advisor for CAC/RfL is Jessica Samens, instructor in Speech Communication.
On February 21st and 22nd, the MSU-Mankato Forensics Team traveled over the river to South Central College to compete in the 25th Minnesota College Forensic Association State Tournament. The Mavericks had a great weekend taking 2nd place by less than 50 points in Team Sweepstakes of the top ten schools in the state. Student results are as follows:
Also notable was the Keynote speech delivered by Dr. Dan Cronn-Mills to all the competitors and coaches at the evening banquet.
Well done to all the MSU speakers, each student contributed to team sweepstakes points! The Mavericks will spend the upcoming week preparing and running their annual High School Tournament for area speech teams.
[PDF] Meisel Scholarship (44 KiB)
On Tuesday, February 17th, the forensic team traveled to Normandale Community College for the Twin Cities Forensic League tournament. The Mavericks did exceedingly well:
Dr. Leah White, Director of Forensics was also recognized as the recipient of this year's Grace Walsh award. Teams attending the tournament may nominate two coaches (not from their own programs) for the award which recognizes outstanding service to the forensic community. All tournament participants may then cast a vote for the individual they wish to receive the award Former Minnesota State University Director of Forensics Larry Schnoor received the award in 1984.
Few individuals have made as many contributions to the field of forensics as Miss Grace Walsh. Not only was she the sole force behind the 55-year national reputation of forensic excellence at UW-Eau Claire, but she also had a profound influence on both the high school and collegiate forensic activities throughout the upper Midwest and the nation. The Grace Walsh Award, therefore, is an opportunity for the forensic community to reward a coach who has made contributions to the field of forensics or who exemplifies leadership and dedication to forensics beyond competitive success.
The Minnesota State University Maverick Forensic Team competed at the Love Fest Forensic Tournament in Eau Claire, WI on February 14 and 15. The Mavericks encountered exceptionally stiff competition, and fared very well at the tourney. Tournament results from Day One of the tournament are as follows:
Junior Jason Reisch was tournament champion in Program Oral Interpretation Sophomore Suzanne Lumberg placed 2nd in Poetry Interpretation and 3rd in Program Oral Interpretation Freshman Brad Wakefield placed 4th in Communication Analysis Suzanne Lumberg was named the 5th best overall speaker at the tournament, and the Mavericks placed 5th as a team.
Day Two of the tournament saw an even stronger showing from the Mavericks:
Senior Grant Anderson placed 3rd in Poetry Interpretation Junior Jason Reisch was tournament champion in After Dinner Speaking Junior Justin Hathaway placed 2nd in Poetry Interpretation and 2nd in Prose Interpretation Junior Megan Petersen placed 5th in Program Oral Interpretation and 5th in Poetry Interpretation Sophomore Suzanne Lumberg placed 5th in Informative Speaking and 6th in Dramatic Interpretation The Mavericks placed 4th as a team this day, and 5th overall for the whole weekend.
On February 6-7, 2009, the Maverick Forensic team travelled to St Cloud, MN for a tournament. They competed against 18 schools including: Gustavus Adolphus College, Southwest Minnesota State University, and South Dakota State University. The team placed 2nd overall and the individual results are as follows:
February 18th, 2009
[PDF] Schedule of Events (36 KiB)
Sarah Wolters (MA, 2005) has been admitted to the doctoral program at the University of Minnesota … and an assistantship offer is on the way.
Sarah Jones, MA candidate, has accepted an offer for a graduate teaching assistantship with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Sarah will be studying in the Rhetoric and Culture track.
Congratulations to Sarah and Go Big Red!
Dr. Kristen Cvancara has a chapter in an book coming out soon. The full citation is:
Cvancara, K. E. (2009). Goal blockage and verbal aggressiveness. In T. A. Kinney & M. Pörhölä (Eds.), Anti and Pro-Social Communication: Theories, Methods, and Applications (pp. xx-xx). New York: Peter Lang.
The volume in which this chapter will be published is included in the “Language and Social Action” series published by Peter Lang, and edited by Howard Giles.
Dr. Kristen Cvancara has an international publication coming out in 2009. The citation for the article is:
Cvancara, K. E., & Kinney, T. A. (2009). Cognitions, coercion, and IPV: Sex differences in communicating for intimacy. Personal Relationships, 16, xxx-xxx. Personal Relationships is an interdisciplinary journal affiliated with the International Association of Relationship Researchers (IARR), and published by Blackwell Publishing.
Dr. Dave Engen's community audio project is picked up by the Mankato Free Press (and reproduced by the MSU Reporter).
On January 17 and 18, 2009 The Minnesota State University, Mankato Speech Team traveled to Peoria, Illinois to attend the "Hell Froze Over" Invitational Tournament hosted by Bradley University and the University of Texas, Austin. Both portions of the tournament were held on the Bradley University campus. This tournament is considered one of the most difficult tournaments of the season and widely viewed as a "warm-up" for the national tournaments held in April. The Maverick Forensic Team performed well at the event.
On the first day of the swing tournament, hosted by Bradley University, Senior Ian Hopkins advanced to the semi-final round of competition in Impromptu Speaking.
On the second day of competition, hosted by UT-Austin, juniors Megan Peterson and Jason Reisch advanced to the semi-final round of competition in Prose Interpretation, Reisch advanced to semi-finals in Informative Speaking, and junior Justin Hathaway placed 5th in After Dinner Speaking.
This upcoming weekend, the team will stay home and host a high school workshop to help local high school students prepare for their competitive season.
Dr. Maria Beatriz Torres has been notified her co-authored paper “Conflict, Face, and Disability: An Exploratory Study of the Experiences of College Students with Disabilities” has been accepted by the International Communication Association for presentation at the 2009 convention. Torres’ co-author is Sara Goddard (Keene State College).
Sponsor: Communication Education Interest Group
Chair: David Engen, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Participants:
“The voices from the Valley Audio Documentary website: Connecting students and community in Southern Minnesota.” David Engen, Minnesota State University, Mankato
“Learning to love: Using the National Listening Project, StoryCorps as a catalyst for interpersonal listening skills.” Robert Jersak, Century College
“Engaging community narrative through audio documentary in an applied research interviewing methods course.” Scott Johnson, University of Richmond
“Conducting oral histories in the introductory gender course: Understanding gendered norms through audio interviews.” Kristen Treinen, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Panelists will discuss four course projects in which students with no media experience use digital audio technology to collect, edit, and present community stories. The projects detailed all connect classroom to community and are used in classes such as interpersonal communication, interviewing, and gender. This dialogue-based panel will inform audience members about the specific projects as well as explore more general issues relating to doing audio work in other communication courses--issues such as the influence of audio work on learning of course content, technology needed for doing basic audio work in courses, and web resources helpful in introducing students to this exciting form of digital media.
Sponsor: Temporary/Adjunct Faculty Caucus
Chair: Jessica Samens, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Participants:
Derrick D. Lindstrom, Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Lynn Kuechle, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Rusty Norris, Park University
Joshua Petersen, Winona State University
Jessica Samens, Minnesota State University, Mankato
David Wendt, Keokuk High School
Amy Wolff, Winona State University
Mentoring is important for any new faculty member. It can take years to learn the ins and outs of a given university system, from the technology to funding, etc. Mentoring needs for transitional or adjunct faculty differ slightly than for tenure track positions. This panel hopes to examine .best practices. in mentoring faculty and the specific needs for those who will only be part of the university system for a short time. Panelists will explore personal experiences and tips to help mentor other faculty through their transition.
Wednesday, March 18, 9-12 pm
Dr. Leah White
This session will introduce participants to how storytelling can enhance communication within organizations. We will discuss how storytelling is used, what goes into a successful story as well as how to present an effective story. Active participation from attendees is encouraged.
Tuesday, March 24, 9-12 pm
Jessica Samens
Meetings may take up a large part of our work day. Meetings may also be a very inefficient part of our day. This session examines a variety is situations in which meetings can take place and how we can make them more effective. From face-to-face meetings to teleconferencing, task meetings to social, we will examine ways to make each meeting you have effective and efficient. We will also look at ways to increase leadership in meetings and how each person can play a role in this situation. This session will also look at leadership in general, discussing ways we can increase leadership in all employees as well as looking at leadership styles.
Wednesday, April 1, 9-12 pm
Dr. Daniel Cronn-Mills
An effective presentation has always been a core part of the professional environment, yet still ranks as one of the top fears in society. This session will focus on the “do’s and don’ts” for creating a powerful and compelling presentation.
Tuesday, April 7, 9-12
Daniel Kuchinka
Ethical communication and the ramifications of unethical decision making will be addressed. We will learn to identify unethical communication, what leads to and causes unethical communication, how to prevent unethical decision-making scenarios, define a lose/lose unethical decision-making scenario, and the serious ramifications of unethical decision making. We will have an opportunity to evaluate and discuss experiences within small and large group settings, and share potential solutions.
Wednesday, April 15, 9-12 pm
Dr. Beatriz Torres
The session involves a reflection on the role cultural competence plays in organizational growth and a step-by-step process to facilitate dialogue and organizational change.
Tuesday, April 21, 9-12 pm
Dr. Kristen Cvancara
Stress has a tendency to impact communication patterns at both work and home. This session highlights how quickly our communication patterns are adversely impacted when we become overwhelmed and frustrated. An important concept is the awareness of how easily patterns of stress flow from work to home, and vice versa.
Wednesday, April 29, 9-12 pm
Lynn Kuechle
In this session we will learn about issue forums and deliberation. We will learn how to deliberate with others about issues that concern you and your community. We will talk about how to moderate and convene forums and consider what types of issues and venue work well with this type of public dialogue.
Dr. Leah White, Dr. David Engen, and Dr. Kristen Treinen have been notified by the president of MSU, Mankato that their requests for sabbatical leave during the 2009-2010 academic year has been granted. Dr. White and Dr. Engen will have on sabbatical during the fall semester. Dr. Treinen will be on sabbatical during spring semester.
The department wishes our colleagues all the best during their respective sabbaticals.
On December 5th and 6th the MSU Forensics team traveled to the University of Wisconsin-Stout to compete at the 43rd annual Stout Holiday Tournament. The Mavericks had a great tournament, taking 3rd place out of 16 schools in Team Sweepstakes! Individual results are as follows:
On Tuesday, December 2nd the MSU Forensics team traveled to Normandale Community College to compete at the 3rd Twin Cities Forensic League tournament of the season. The Mavericks had a wonderful tournament, taking 1st place out of 17 schools in Team Sweepstakes! Individual results are as follows:
The Mavericks will next travel to the University of Wisconsin-Stout on Dec. 5th.
Dr. Kristen Cvancara has been selected for a summer 2009 Teaching Scholar Fellowship award.
The title of her project is: "Implementing POGIL in a "Softer" Science: Developing POGIL Applications in the Social Sciences"
The purpose of the project is to adapt POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) exercises to be used in the SPEE 290 Research Methods course. The POGIL paradigm, most typically used in chemistry and biology courses, incorporates experiential learning in a manner akin to the Socratic method of asking questions to advance the integration of knowledge.
Congratulations to Kristen!
Seven part documentary series begins Dec. 1 – Dec. 9, 2008
KMSU 89.7 FM, Mankato, will broadcast “Rural Wonders: An Audio Documentary Project” by Carolyn Mager at 11 a.m. weekdays beginning Monday, December 1st-December 9th on Minnesota Morning. The seven-part series features individuals from rural Southern Minnesota.
Mager, a recent graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato, grew up in LeCenter, and didn’t believe there was much newsworthiness to rural living. Not until she went to college and found out her new city friends found her stories of farm life anything but boring, and became interested in producing audio documentaries to share the perspectives of those individuals. She completed the Rural Wonders audio series as her special project to receive her Masters of Arts in Speech Communication at MSU last December.
Mager’s documentary series can also be found on "Voices from the Valley", an online site consisting of oral histories to preserve and present the voices and stories of South Central Minnesota.
The seven part series features the following individuals from Southern Minnesota:
For more information, contact Karen Wright, Operations Director at KMSU, (507) 389-5678
Karen Wright, Operations Director, KMSU 89.7 FM, MSU 205AF, 1536 Warren St., Mankato, MN 56001
On November 8-9, the Minnesota State University, Mankato Maverick Forensics Team competed at the 61st Annual L.E. Norton Invitational at Bradley University in Peoria, IL. The Norton is one of the largest and most prestigious tournaments in the nation. Three team members placed in championship final rounds:
Grant Anderson also tied for 5th as the best overall speaker at the tournament! To be eligible for this honor, a competitor had to compete in at least five events in three different genres (oral interpretation, public address, and limited preparation).
On Tuesday, November 18th the MSU Forensics team headed to Normandale Community College to compete at the 2nd Twin Cities Forensic League tournament of the season. The Mavericks had a great time, taking 1st place out of 15 schools in Team Sweepstakes; all with only 4 competitors! Individual results are as follows:
MSU was also excited to see a few notable Forensics Team alums judging at the tournament: Matthew Collie, Heather (Kaiser) Diersen, and Suzanne (Loen) Berg.
On Thursday, Nov. 20, Kate Loging received the Young Professional of the Year award at the Business Awards and Hall of Fame dinner hosted by Greater Mankato Growth.
Kate received her MA from the Speech Communication Department and has been an adjunct instructor in the department.
The Minnesota State University-Mankato forensics team competed at Bethany Lutheran College.
Sarah Gronstal’s thesis Voices in the Margins: Coaches Metaphors for Gender and Power in Forensics was selected as the outstanding thesis from the College of Arts and Humanities for the 2008-2009 Academic year. The thesis was advised by Dr. Leah White.
The MSU speech team traveled to Eau Claire this past weekend for the third and fourth Mid-America Forensic League (MAFL) tournaments of the season. MSU brought twelve students and placed fifth out of thirteen teams both days.
Dr. Rachel Droogsma, assistant professor in Speech Communication has been awarded "Honorable Mention" in the "Oustanding Published Article" category by the Organization for the Study of Communication, Language, and Gender for her article "Redefining hijab: American Muslim women's standpoints on veiling" published in the Journal of Applied Communication Research. Dr. Droogsma was presented the award at the OSCLG conference.
On Saturday, November 1st, Dr. Dave Engen will give the keynote address at the Southern Minnesota Genealogy Expo. Dr. Engen’s talk, “Preserving Voices,” will focus on his Voices from the Valley project and the ways audio documentary practices can benefit individuals conducting genealogical research.
More information about Voices from the Valley or the Expo can be found online.
On October 10 & 11, the Maverick Forensics Team attended the 2008 Jackrabbit Jousts Debate and Individual Events tournament at South Dakota State University. They took second as a team and had several individual awards. They are as follows:
Lynn Kuechle has been notified she has a manuscript accepted for an edited book. The chapter is titled "Lack of Language Within the Institution of Motherhood" and will appear in the forthcoming book Mothers Who Deliver: Feminist Interventions in Public and Interpersonal Discourse, Pegeen Reichert Powell and Jocelyn Fenton Stitt, ed. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Brought to you by the Kessel Peace Institute and the 2008 Nadine B. Andreas Public Scholar in Speech Communication
Date: October 15, 2008
Time: 7:00-9:00 P.M.
Place: CSU#253-54-55
Ms. Carmencita Abad is originally from Saipan, where she worked as a sweat shop worker for a local company making clothes for The Gap. When she became active as a union organizer, she was ultimately forced to leave Saipan. Ms. Abad now lives in the U.S. and speaks throughout the country to educate the public on the appalling conditions faced by the workers who make so many of the clothes we buy. Our purchasing choices do matter. Come and learn from Ms. Abad's insights and experiences, and discuss alternative buying options so that you can become part of the solution instead of the suffering of our sisters and brothers around the world.
On September 30, the Maverick Forensic team sent 6 debaters to the opening tournament of the 12th season of the Parliamentary League of the Upper Midwest (PLUM). MSU Mankato had quite the showing, everyone walked away with an award! All 6 debaters made the Top 10 for Individual Speaker awards:
In team awards:
Monday, September 29th at 7 p.m.
Dr. Stephen Croucher (MA MSU 2003; Ph.D. Oklahoma 2006) is on a high level of productivity. In the last three months he has been notified that 6 manuscripts have been accepted for publication. Stephen is an assistant professor at Bowling Green State University. The articles are listed below. Congratulations to Stephen.
Croucher, S. M. (2010 in press). Assimilation effects theory: How Limiting Linguistic Freedoms influences the cultural adaptation of French-Muslims. Communication Quarterly.
Croucher, S. M. (2009 in press). A mixed method analysis of French-Muslims perceptions of La Loi 2004-228. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication.
Croucher, S. M. (2008) What does it mean to be Québécois for the Chinese community in Montréal? An analysis of Montréal's Quartier Chinois and shopkeepers' sense of self. Chinese Journal of Communication, 1(2), 213-223.
Croucher, S. M., Long, B. L., Meredith, M. J., Lamb, M. D., Oommen, D., & Steele, E. L. (2009 in press). Factors predicting organizational identification with intercollegiate forensics teams. Communication Education.
Croucher, S. M., Oommen, D., Turner, J. S., Anarbaeva, S., & Borton, I. (2008) The correlation between ethnic identification and religiosity: An analysis of Muslims and non-Muslims in France and Britain. Journal of Communication and Religion, 31, 182-205.
Meirick, P. C., Sims, J., Gilchrist, E., & Croucher, S. M. (2009 in press). All the children are above average: Parents' perceptions of education and materialism as media effects on their own and other children. Mass Communication & Society.
The Speech Communication Department had 5 articles in the 2008 issue of the [PDF] CTAM Journal (914 KiB)!
* Maggie Briggs is a 2008 MA graduate.
* Robert Jersak is a 2007 MA graduate.
The MAGS Committee is pleased to announce Sara Gronstal has been selected as the department's nominee for the 2008 Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools Distinguished Master's Thesis Award. Sara's thesis is titled Voices in the Margins: Coaches' Metaphors for Gender and Power in Forensics.
The thesis was directed by Dr. Leah White. Dr. White writes in her letter of nomination that the thesis "addresses the delicate relationship between gender and power in competitive forensic organizations."
Sara earned her an MFA-Forensics in Summer 2008 and is currently working the Director of Forensics as Eastern Illinois University.
Dr. Jason Edwards (MA, 2002), has been notified by the NCA Peace and Conflict Division that he is the recipient of a top-four paper award for the 2008 convention.
After receiving the news, Dr. Edwards submitted the paper to the International Journal of Communication. The manuscript has been accepted for ppublication. The article is titled "Defining the Enemy in the Post-Cold War World: Bill Clinton's Foreign Policy Rhetoric in Somalia and Haiti."
Dr. Edwards is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Bridgewater State College (MA).
Dr. Stephen Croucher (MA, 2003) has an article published in the Chinese Journal of Communication. The full citation is:
Croucher, Stephen M. (2008) 'An analysis of Montréal's Quartier Chinois and sense of self: Une Loi peut faire mal au dragon, mais La Loi ne peut pas tuer le dragon', Chinese Journal of Communication, 1:2, 213—223.
The article developed from Dr. Croucher's master's thesis completed at MSU, Mankato
Dr. Maria Beatriz Torres has an article accepted for publication. The full citation is:
Torres, M. B. & Rao, N. (2008). Disclosure and truth in physician-patient communication: An exploration of Argentina, Brazil, India and the US. Journal of Creative Communication.
Professor James Dimock had a presentation for the Greater Mankato Growth Young Professionals group on August 21. The presentation focused on the use of Powerpoint in Public Speaking.
Dr. Leah White, associate professor, volunteered her time this summer to conduct a workshop on organizational storytelling for the Greater Mankato United Way on July 15th. The workshop was attended by members of United Way affiliate organizations wishing to enhance their storytelling skills while assiting with the upcoming Capital Campaign.
Dr. Dan Cronn-Mills, professor, was the closing keynote speaker on July 18 at the Minnesota Service Cooperatives 2008 Annual Conference. His presentation was titled “Managing Chaos and Complexity in our Daily Lives.” The presentation was based, in part, on research Cronn-Mills conducted during a 2007-08 sabbatical.
Sara Gronstal successfully defended her thesis on May 21st. The thesis titled "Voices in the Margins: Coaches' Metaphors for Gender and Power in Forensics" explores the perceptions forensic coaches have toward the relationship between gender and power within the forensic community.
Sara Gronstal (MFA 2008) recently accepted the position of Lecturer/Director of Forensics at Eastern Illinois University beginning this fall.
Kathleen Crawford has accepted a position as the executive director of the Steele County Transitional Housing Authority. Kathleen starts on Monday, August 11, in her new position with the non-profit organization. We wish Kathleen all the best in her new position!
Communication in Healthcare and Medical Education Settings
Unit: Health Communication Division
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 2:00pm - 3:15pm, Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Manchester C
Session Role: Chair
Managing Health Communication Across Cultures
Unit: International and Intercultural Communication Division
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 12:30pm - 1:45pm, Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Edward A
Session Role: Respondent
Pragmatics of Intercultural Communication
Unit: International and Intercultural Communication Division
Scheduled Time: Fri, Nov 21 - 12:30pm - 1:45pm, Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Ford B
Session Role: Chair
Olson, S. (2008). Symbolism. In Donsbach, W., Ed. The International Encyclopedia of Communication, volume 11, pp. 4935-4939. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell Publishers.
Nan Johnson-Curiskis is sponsoring a short course With Melissa Beall and Laura Janusik:
The Unconventional Part of Communication: Teaching Listening in the Basic Communication Course
Time: Fri, Nov 21 - 8:00am - 10:45am
Place: Manchester Grand Hyatt, Madeleine B.
Briggs, M., & Cvancara, K. E. (2008). Communication and volunteerism. Communication and Theatre Association of Minnesota Journal, 35. (in press)
Perceptions of Past Competitors: Do We Have Their Support?
Unit:Argumentation and Forensics Division
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 2:00pm - 3:15pm
Building/Room:Manchester Grand Hyatt / Molly A
Session Role:Presenter
Ethics and Forensics: Competition and Education in Platform Speaking and Limited Preparation Events.
Unit: National Forensics Association
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 9:30am - 10:45am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Elizabeth A
Session Role: Presenter
Unit: American Forensic Association
Scheduled Time: Fri, Nov 21 - 8:00am - 9:15am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 633
Session Role: Presenter
Council of Forensic Organizations Business Meeting
Unit: Argumentation and Forensics Division
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 9:30am - 10:45am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Mohsen B
Session Role: Presenter
Designing the Cyber Master’s Degree: Unconventional Approaches to Graduate Education
Unit: Masters Education Section
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 8:00am - 9:15am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Windsor B
Presenter on individual presentation: The Whole Package for an Online Program
Designing the Cyber Master’s Degree: A Roundtable Discussion
Unit: Masters Education Section
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 3:30pm - 4:45pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Windsor B
Session Role: Respondent
Ethics and Forensics: Tournament Administration
Unit: National Forensics Association
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 3:30pm - 4:45pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 805
Session Role: Chair
Unit: Masters Education Section
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 2:00pm - 3:15pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Windsor B
Session Role: Respondent
“Change is in the Air: An Examination/Critique of Individual Events in the 21st Century”
Unit: National Forensics Association
Scheduled Time: Fri, Nov 21 - 9:30am - 10:45am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 705
Session Role: Respondent
Who am I? Who are you?: Identity and communication in interpersonal relationships.
Unit: Interpersonal Communication Division
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 6:30pm - 7:45pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Manchester D
Session Role: Chair
Unit: American Forensic Association
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 2:00pm - 3:15pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 733
Presenter on individual presentation:A Weaverian Standard of Ethical Argumentation: The Case of David Horowitz *Top Paper
Francine Merritt Award and Bonnie Ritter Book Award Reception
Unit: Women's Caucus
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 6:30pm - 7:45pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Manchester C
Session Role: Presenter
FWSD Competitive Papers: Feminist Health Files
Unit: Feminist and Women's Studies Division
Scheduled Time: Fri, Nov 21 - 9:30am - 10:45am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Randle E
Session Role: Respondent
Opportunities for Unity: A Dialogue across Womanist and Feminist Standpoints
Unit: Feminist and Women's Studies Division
Scheduled Time: Fri, Nov 21 - 8:00am - 9:15am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Randle D
Session Role: Presenter
Women's Caucus Business Meeting
Unit: Women's Caucus
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 5:00pm - 6:15pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Manchester C
Session Role: Presenter
Un/conventional Wisdom About Graduate Studies in Communication: A Roundtable Discussion
Unit: Instructional Development Division
Scheduled Time: Mon, Nov 24 - 11:00am - 12:15pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Madeleine C
Session Role: Presenter
Ethics and Forensics: Competition and Education in Interpretation Events.
Unit: National Forensics Association
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 8:00am - 9:15am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Manchester H
Session Role: Presen
Ethics and Forensics: Competition and Education in Interpretation Events.
Unit: National Forensics Association
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 8:00am - 9:15am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Manchester H
Session Role: Chair
Unit: American Forensic Association
Scheduled Time: Fri, Nov 21 - 8:00am - 9:15am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 633
Session Role: Presenter
Unit: Scholar to Scholar Sessions
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 9:00am - 10:30am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Elizabeth Foyer
Presenter on individual presentation: TOP PAPER: From Ancient Greece to Cafeteria Grease: Making Racine’s Phédre Relevant to High School Students Using Fisher's Narrative Paradigm
Spreading the K12 Word in an UnCONVENTIONal Manner
Unit: Elementary and Secondary Education Section
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 9:30am - 10:45am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 633
Presenter on individual presentation: From Ancient Greece to Cafeteria Grease: Making Racine's Phédre Relevant to High School Students Using Fisher's Narrative Paradigm
Designing the Cyber Master's Degree: Unconventional Approaches to Graduate Education
Unit: Masters Education Section
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 8:00am - 9:15am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Windsor B
Non-Presenter on individual presentation: The Whole Package for an Online Program
Designing the Cyber Master's Degree: A Roundtable Discussion
Unit: Masters Education Section
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 3:30pm - 4:45pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Windsor B
Session Role: Respondent
Taking it to the Streets: a protest against the loss of Free Expression in America
Unit: Freedom of Expression Division
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 12:30pm - 1:45pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Manchester C
Session Role: Presenter
Aging Faculty I Am One: Late-Career Decision Making
Unit: Emeriti/Retired Section
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 3:30pm - 4:45pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 634
Session Roles: Chair, Respondent
Analyzing Communication Analysis: Competitive Practices vs. Scholarly Expectations
Unit: American Forensic Association
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 8:00am - 9:15am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 734
Session Role: Respondent
Council of Forensic Organizations Business Meeting
Unit: Argumentation and Forensics Division
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 9:30am - 10:45am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Mohsen B
Session Role: Presenter
Emeriti/Retired Section Business Meeting
Unit: Emeriti/Retired Section
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 8:00am - 9:15am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 833
Session Role: Presenter
Ethics and Forensics: Competition and Education in Platform Speaking and Limited Preparation Events.
Unit: National Forensics Association
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 9:30am - 10:45am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Elizabeth A
Session Role: Presenter
National Forensic Association General Business Meeting
Unit: National Forensics Association
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 12:30pm - 1:45pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 805
Session Role: Presenter
Perceptions of Past Competitors: Do We Have Their Support?
Unit: Argumentation and Forensics Division
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 2:00pm - 3:15pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Molly A
Session Role: Presenter
Writing Down the Unwritten Rules of Forensics
Unit: National Forensics Association
Scheduled Time: Fri, Nov 21 - 8:00am - 9:15am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 705
Session Roles: Chair, Respondent
Unit: Instructional Development Division
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 2:00pm - 3:15pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Emma A
Session Role: Presenter
Looking at Our Students: Top Papers in the Basic Course Division
Unit: Basic Course Division
Scheduled Time: Fri, Nov 21 - 2:00pm - 3:15pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Elizabeth A
Session Role: Respondent
Opportunities for Unity: A Dialogue across Womanist and Feminist Standpoints
Unit: Feminist and Women's Studies Division
Scheduled Time: Fri, Nov 21 - 8:00am - 9:15am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Randle D
Session Role: Presenter
Unit: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Scheduled Time: Mon, Nov 24 - 11:00am - 12:15pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Betsy A
Session Role: Chair
The State of the Art of Teaching in Colleges and Universities: Pedagogy and Pragmatics
Unit: Instructional Development Division
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 3:30pm - 4:45pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 624
Session Role: Respondent
Analyzing Communication Analysis: Competitive Practices vs. Scholarly Expectations
Unit: American Forensic Association
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 8:00am - 9:15am
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 734
Presenter on individual presentation: "Competitive Methods of Explaining Rhetorical Methods: Accuracy vs. Distortion in the Description of Scholarly Research Methods in the Crucible of Competitive Forensics"
National Forensic Association General Business Meeting
Unit: National Forensics Association
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 22 - 12:30pm - 1:45pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Parlor Room 805
Session Role: Session Organizer
Perceptions of Past Competitors: Do We Have Their Support?
Unit: Argumentation and Forensics Division
Scheduled Time: Sun, Nov 23 - 2:00pm - 3:15pm
Building/Room: Manchester Grand Hyatt / Molly A
Session Role: Presenter
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