Category Archives: A Look Inside

3rd Annual #RealCOMM Competition: 300 Pairs of Shoes and $200 Later

By Hannah Hanson

Every year the Communication Studies department hosts an event to raise donations for a local philanthropy and have a little healthy competition between their two concentrations. On Tuesday, April 11th, students, faculty, and staff from both Public Relations and Digital Media concentrations gathered on CSTAC/Bedford Lawn for the #RealCOMM competition.

This year the the department chose Madeline’s House as their philanthropy. Madeline’s House is a local nonprofit organization that helps provide support to victims and families of sexual and domestic abuse. They offer anything from shelter, food, legal assistance, to clothing and shoes. When the department reached out to Madeline’s House earlier in the semester, the item they were in most need of was shoes; and the department was up to the challenge!

 

The event was a huge success this year. On the day of the #RealCOMM competition, students and faculty throughout the Longwood community hauled bags and boxes of shoes across campus over to CSTAC Lawn. Together, they raised almost 300 pairs of women and children’s shoes and over $200 in loose change.

Not only did the department raise points with shoes and money, but the concentrations spent time playing games to earn points: like cornhole, giant Pac Man, dodgeball, and ladder ball to continue the competition. By the end of the event, Public Relations had earned the title of #RealCOMM Champion, with a total score of 184 points to Digital Media’s 150 points.
While the concentrations enjoyed the competition, the department came together to support a great cause and that is what it was all about. Thanks to everyone who made this year’s competition so successful! Look for the #RealCOMM Competition to return in 2018.

From Dating Apps to Horror Films: Communication Studies Seniors Delve into Research

by Hannah Hanson

Over the course of any Communication Studies student’s college career, a pivotal moment happens when they begin the process of their senior research project. All seniors, from both concentrations, start the fall semester in Communications Research Methods and Prospectus class to brainstorm their year-long research project.

Students are given the freedom to choose their own topic that is related to communication studies, and they are highly encouraged to choose topics that interest them. Over the course of the semester, students spend hours researching and developing their topic. Once the spring semester starts all students are separated into their Senior Seminar course based on the type of research method they have chosen to pursue: qualitative or quantitative.

maxresdefaultOlivia Robinson and Victoria Belviso have been planning out their project since their freshman year when they first joined the #COMMunity. Olivia and Victoria
spent several sleepless nights watching horror films together. From this they decided to turn their love for horror films into a research project. They are questioning how horror films affect the everyday lives of millennials by showing the movie “Lights Out” and performing focus groups with a group of men and a group of women.

Deanna Carwile wants to understand how millennials perceive Facebook statuses that are “too much information.” Over the course of her time on social media, Deanna said, “I have read a lot of statuses that made me think, why is that a good idea to post and share with the online community?” Deanna wants to perform a focus group on millennial Facebook users in order to have an open conversation about the process of oversharing.

Students Meghan Enzinna and Richie Kamtchoum chose their topic based off of their love for music. They are trying to discover whether or not there is a political presence within popular songs from two separate eras. Their research is going to consist of a content analysis of top charting song lyrics from songs during the Anti-Vietnam war protests and #blacklivesmatter movement. Meghan and Richie will code several different variables to help identify whether or not the songs are politically charged, as well as determining which era has more of a presence.

Another quantitative project by Drew Pelkey and Michael Castanon focuses on the differences in communication on datingdownload apps between gay and straight people. They chose their topic because of how prevalent technology is within millennial’s love life. They began to notice the differences  in the dating apps when it came to communicating with other gays versus straight people and depending on which app was being used. In order to do this Drew and Michael will be giving out surveys and collecting data to see which differences occur most often.

Over the next few months all of the Communication Studies seniors will be performing their research and presenting their findings during a poster session to the Longwood community on April 26th, 2017.

On the Road to Success: Mapping the way to a More Rewarding Education in Communication Studies

 

By Hannah Hanson

Four years ago the Communication Studies faculty began the process of revising the curriculum requirements for the major. The development of the new curriculum all began with some of the original professors from the department: Dr. Pam Tracy, Dr. Naomi Johnson, Professor Jeff Halliday and the late Dr. Bill Stewart. Since then, the faculty has expanded and the project has continued to advance.

The work began with Dr. Johnson and Professor Halliday going to the Richmond and Lynchburg markets and asking leaders in public relations, journalism, radio, social media, and marketing what knowledge and qualities they were looking for in interns and recent graduates. Over a year’s worth of research took place to gather as much information as possible in order to start the process. Research included giving out surveys and conducting focus groups with the Longwood Communication Studies alumni, as well as, environmental surveys of other colleges programs.

Within the public relations concentration, courses like Public Relations Research, Public Relations Writing, and Public Relations Campaigns were added and some classes were eliminated from the curriculum. These decisions were based off of faculty research as well as what the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) recommends undergraduate programs teach. When it comes to digital media, production based classes, like Digital Storytelling and Digital Editing were added. Giving students more experience using the technology that the French studio has to offer. In addition to the courses changing within each concentration, the title of them changed as well: from organizational communication and public relations to public relations and mass media to digital media.

After the new curriculum was implemented, the next step was to do curricular mapping. According to Dr. Tracy the start of this process is to ask the question, “What do we want our students to know at the end?” The answer to that question is learning outcomes, which is what specifically needs to be taught for each concentration within the major. In order to make sure these learning outcomes were fulfilled within the curriculum a subgroup of professors, including Dr. Tracy, Dr. Ryan Stouffer, and Dr. Laura Farrell, all came together to represent both of the concentrations. From there the team developed a strategy to make sure material within the courses were bridging theory and practice. They made sure all of the courses fit into one of the three distinct levels: introduce, reinforce, and master.

All of these new changes will benefit students because they will now be able to recognize how all the courses work together. The strategic planning done by the faculty was thought out meticulously so that connections between different level courses would stand out to the students. Not only will students benefit from this, but the professors will be able to recognize skill improvements between the different levels of courses and make modifications to their teachings, if needed.

Hundreds of hours of work went into mapping out the curriculum for the department. However, Dr. Stouffer knows that for the long term, the whole process was very beneficial: “Things are slow moving in academia because we are committed to making sure students graduate in four years, when we change the curriculum we still have to make sure everyone else that came in with a different expectation graduates as well… It is very slow and that is frustrating, but that is the nature of the beast and it is worth it. It’s like cooking a big dinner, the process of making it has lots of steps, but the end result tastes very good.”

The new curriculum began in the 2015 academic year and has been implemented for new students within the major. By 2019 every student within the major will be going through the program with the updated curriculum.

Recapping the Fall 2016 Semester

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. 

cropped-14599889_1405206776160798_137035325_o.jpgWhen 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.

New Staff and Faculty Spot Light: Dr. Isabel Fay and Clint Wright Join the LU #COMMunity

 

By Hannah Hanson

It’s always a time for celebration when anyone new joins the #COMMunity! The Communication Studies department would like to recognize Dr. Isabel Fay and Clint Wright as newest additions to the department this year.

Dr. Isabel Fay is a new Lecturer for the department and will be teaching public speaking and intercultural communication classes this year. 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. After her undergraduate program was finished, she attended Virginia Tech for grad school and the University of Georgia to receive her PhD in Rhetoric.

Fay has wanted to become a teacher since she was an undergrad. She chose Longwood because she was familiar with the area and loved the teaching methods used within the department. Fay said she was, “drawn to Longwood because it was a small, liberal arts school; similar to my undergraduate school in southern West Virginia.” She hopes to be able to give students an intercultural experience during their years at Longwood, just like she got to experience.

Check out the video below about Dr. Fay and how she is getting accustomed to Longwood!

Clint Wright has been a staff member at Longwood for six years and has been involved with four different departments on campus. His position within the #COMMunity is the Broadcast Studio Manager engineer for the French Hall studio. Wright is in charge of making sure the studio, and all the technology that comes with it, is functioning properly. He also helps with student training within the studio and always encourages extracurricular usage of the studio.

Wright started at Longwood after he graduating from Chadron State College in Nebraska. Wright studied theater with specialization in technical theater, which meant he spent a lot of time working with lighting, sound, and video. Wright said, “I am one of the fortunate people who turned their hobby into a career.” At Longwood, Wright has a lot of creative freedom that he would not have been able to do at other job positions in his field.

Please help welcome our new faculty and staff to the #COMMunity!

Study Abroad Returns to Communication Studies: Cuba in Summer 2018

By Hannah Hanson

This coming summer, Dr. Ryan Stouffer has an amazing opportunity for Longwood Students to study abroad in Havana, Cuba.

Why Cuba? Commercial airlines to Cuba have just recently become available to the United States again, making this a perfect opportunity to explore the country before commercialization and heavy tourism of the country begins.

Dr. Stouffer has many exciting events planned for the upcoming study abroad class. He will be leading a group of students through Havana to create videos, blogs, and documentaries by interviewing everyday Cubans. This trip is going to be different than most study abroad trips; instead of visiting popular tourist sites and taking pictures, students will learn about Cuba themselves by creating a story with a translator and camera by their side.

While at his previous institution, Dr. Stouffer led six study abroad trips with students, five of which were to Israel and another to Brazil. He has helped create 29 student lead foreign documentaries over his career and has high hopes for students who plan to join him in Cuba. Stouffer said, “Telling and creating stories is an amazing way to explore a country and every student should have that experience.” This trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will truly be tailored to each student’s interest.

The Communication Studies Department is thrilled to be building their reputation with study abroad programs. This past summer, Dr. Hosterman led a study abroad trip with Dr. Maureen Walls-McKay to London, Normandy, and Paris where students toured the countries and important World War II historic sites. Students learned about narrative storytelling and how stories shape the way we communicate: “Students could see the recovery process of different country’s from World War II and had a new appreciation of culture.”

Dr. Hosterman and Students During Summer 2016 Study Abroad

Dr. Hosterman and Students During Summer 2016 Study Abroad

The summer of 2018 already has two study abroad trips in the process of being planned. Dr. Alec Hosterman and Dr. Jake Milne (in Sociology) are organizing a trip to take students to Scotland to immerse them in the culture, arts, sports, history, landscape, and food of the country. Similarly, Dr. Kris Paal and Dr. Jennifer Miskec (in English) are planning to take students to Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Romania to learn about imaginative narrative and fairytales, and how stories help people identify the region of where they are and come from.

Study abroad trips are a great opportunity for students to learn outside of their own cultures. If you or anyone you know are interested in heading to Cuba in the summer of 2017, have them contact Dr. Ryan Stouffer directly at stoufferrr@longwood.edu.

An Inside Scoop on the (Now) Infamous Paul Ryan Selfie: Communication Studies Major Ally Werner Sheds Light on the Compromising Photo

Ally Werner, a senior communication studies major, had an internship on Capitol Hill this past summer. And Werner was front and center for Paul Ryan’s viral selfie of Grand Old Party interns.

Paul Ryan and Ally Werner (right)

Paul Ryan and Ally Werner (in blue, right)

The selfie above was taken during a lecture that Paul Ryan was giving to all of the GOP interns. As soon as the photo was released on Paul Ryan’s personal Instagram account, many media outlets used it as an opportunity to point out the lack of diversity within the group of interns.

Werner was an unpaid intern for congressman, Rodney Frelinghuysen, over a four-week period this summer. During this time, Capitol Hill had a lecture series for all of their interns to listen to various people from the House of Representatives. Werner was told that Paul Ryan had an opening in his schedule and was going to be speaking to all GOP interns.

Werner arrived an hour and a half prior to the event to have a seat in the front during the lecture. Werner said Paul Ryan took the time to thank them for all their hard work, especially since all the interns were unpaid. He ended his lecture by asking the interns to take a selfie to impress his followers with a picture of all the interns he got the opportunity to speak with.

The Friday after the event, Werner was at a Gwen Stefani concert when she received the news that the photo with her face front and center went viral. One of Werner’s sorority sisters sent her a link to the Buzzfeed article.

Paul Ryan's Famous Selfie @speakerryan

Paul Ryan’s Famous Selfie @speakerryan

Several media outlets followed Buzzfeed, releasing hundreds of articles criticizing the photo. Different sources were making similar claims about how the picture was “white washed”.

GQ released a humorous article and named all of the interns in the photo, claiming they had an “exclusive roster of the GOP interns.” This list renamed each individual with “typical white people names”, said Werner. She was renamed as Blair Callahan along with all the other interns. GQ went as far with the joke as giving interns names such as, “Daddy’s Little Girl” and “Fry McMillionaire”. Werner took the joke lightly, but is still asking the question “what about my face gave me the name Blair Callahan?”

The Democrat interns soon responded to the GOP selfie with their own.

Werner spoke about the issue of lack of diversity as a problem among all federal government interns. Although, Werner said her congressman has had several different cultures and races as his personal intern in the past. Werner recognizes that there is a need for more diversity within federal government interns and hopes to see change in the future.

Overall, Werner said she enjoyed being a part of the whole experience. She took interest in watching media agenda setting, especially after learning about the subject in her communication courses, and now has an interesting first-hand experience that she won’t forget any time soon.

Communication Students Film the Hokule’a at Hull Springs Farm

by Hannah Hanson

This summer, Communication Studies Assistant Professor Dr. Ryan Stouffer was given the opportunity to take three students to Longwood University’s Hull Springs Farm in order to film the arrival of the Hokule’a, a Polynesian voyage canoe.

hokulea_profile

The Longwood managed site is located in Westmoreland County and is used as an educational, outdoor classroom for research and other programs. Longwood acquired the property in 1999 after the original owner and Longwood graduate, Mary Farley Ames Lee, passed away. Leaving more than 660 acres to the university to prevent development on the property, Longwood has transformed the land into an almost perfect ecological system for the students and community to study.

CiRQBOgWEAAdadmStouffer and his students were hired to film and capture the vision of Hull Springs Farm, but more importantly film the docking of the Hokule’a. The Hokule’a is a traditional Polynesian voyage canoe that traveled across the world on a 60,000 mile trip. The mission of the Hokule’a is to discover how local communities are working towards a sustainable future; naturally, Hull Springs Farm was a perfect stop on their voyage. The crew consisted of 13 men whose goal was to change the world by water. A majority of the crew would leave their families for months on end so they could make a difference.

Robert Watkins, Payton Conway, and Marci Logsdon were the Communication Studies students hired to film during the two days that the Hokule’a was docked at Hull Springs Farm. Watkin’s main responsibility was filming everything he saw: from the crew of the Hokule’a, the people working at Hull Springs Farm, and the students that came to visit from schools all over the county.

When asked about his overall experience, Watkins was most excited that he got first-hand experience with the camera. Watkins stated, “no one was telling me what to do or what shots to film, but there was 500 kids watching me so I had to do my best.” When asked what Watkin’s favorite part about filming on location was he was most excited because, “[Dr.] Stouffer gave us guidelines about what to be filming, but having to shoot and create a story all on my own was the most rewarding.”

Dr. Stouffer and his students worked diligently to perfectly capture the Hokule’a and their mission of sustainability.

A Look Inside: French Studio

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The return of our A Look Inside segment is here and this time around Dr. Ryan Stouffer sat down with us to explore everything that Longwood University’s new French building has to offer. The new $1.4 million building is home to the Communication Studies department’s state of the art television studio and editing lab.

The French television studio boasts the most up-to-date and advanced recording and editing software in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The television studio houses three 1080i HD Hitachi cameras, a 32′ foot green screen, custom news desk featuring the Longwood Rotunda logo, and a Ross Carbonite production switcher. The building also has an editing lab with 20 Mac Pro computers as well as seven editing suites all of which are loaded with the best in video and audio editing software.

“The ability for our students to get hands on with this kind of technology and to produce stuff and have stuff for their demo reel is unparalleled.”
                                                                                      – Dr Ryan Stouffer

Everyone within the Longwood Communication Studies program is excited about the building and Dr. Stouffer highlights just how important the aspect of hands on learning is to students. “If students want to get in to the production field, there’s really only one way to get a job and be successful and that’s to do,” said Dr. Stouffer, and Longwood’s new studio is structured to do just that.

The French building was opened for student use in Fall 2015 and is a big indicator of the progress that Longwood’s Communication Studies department has made since its creation 12 years ago. To stay up-to-date with everything happening in Longwood’s Communication Studies department click here to visit our website, like our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter.

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A Look Inside: WMLU Radio Station

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The first organization to be featured in our A Look Inside segment is Longwood University’s WMLU radio station. WMLU is a student-led organization for those with a passion for a career in radio. This video will give you a behind-the-scenes look at what goes in to running WMLU.

Why WMLU?

Whether it is being on air or working behind the scenes, being a member of WMLU can give you the chance to learn and develop your skills in radio. WMLU provides each member with six hours of training that will teach you how to use the station’s radio equipment.

After completing the training, members of WMLU will be able to develop their own radio personality and present themselves professionally on air.

“Creativity is key, it can get you one step ahead of the game.”

                                                                                          – Jessica Mayo

Jessica Mayo is WMLU’s General Manager and she admits that one of the biggest appeals of the organization is the freedom to create. It also gives you an inside look at what it is like to have your own radio show and structure it to your personality.

If you have the desire to work in radio or you are simply interested in joining the crew, then visit their website at wmlu.org or sit in on one of their meetings, Sunday’s at 9pm in Hiner 207.

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