By Hannah Hanson
As the semester comes to a close the Communication Studies department would like to reflect on the eventful last three months. As the department continues to grow, it has a lot to be proud of. From adding new faculty and staff, to the outstanding amount of student volunteers for the Vice-Presidential Debate, or even the accomplishments of our student organizations, like the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) or the Communication Studies Honor Society, Lambda Pi Eta.
In the beginning of the year the Communication Studies department welcomed Dr. Fay and Mr. Wright to our faculty and staff. Dr. Fay joined the #COMMunity as a new Lecturer for the department and has been teaching public speaking and intercultural communication classes this . Fay was raised in Berlin, Germany and came to the United States as an international student to get the chance to experience a liberal arts school and has now ended up teaching at one. Mr. Wright has been tasked with keeping French studio in perfect working condition, assisting students with equipment, and training students how to use all the technology French has to offer.
When October approached the event that all of Longwood had been waiting for over a year for finally happened, the Vice-Presidential Debate. of student volunteers were Communication Studies studentgot the opportunity to work with major news outlets like CNN, Fox News, or even Twitter. Other students got the opportunity to usher guests into the debate hall and got to watch the historic event happen from inside Willet Hall, a once in a lifetime experience for the students that gave up their fall break to witness the debate themselves.
At the end of October four members of Longwood University’s chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) attended the three-day long Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) 2016 International Conference held in Indianapolis, Indiana. Students got the opportunity to go to several different information sessions and networked with students from around the nation.
Lambda Pi Eta recently held a toiletry drive for homeless veterans. The organization collected boxes of toiletries to give to local homeless veterans and made the drive a competition between public relations and digital media. Lambda Pi Eta’s hard work even got recognized by CHI, a secret society on campus.