April 1, 2010

Communication Day 2010 a Success

Communication Day

Photo Gallery

The Communication Studies department’s annual Communication Day event was held on Wednesday, March 31, in the MLK Jr. Union. The theme of this year’s event was “Communication Practices: Putting Your Education to Work.”

Several EIU alumni joined the Communication Studies department for this event. Participating alumni included Jennifer Ketchmark, evening meteorologist for WCIA/WCFN-TV; Kurtis Allen, program director for 104.3 FM The Party; Anthony Del Preto, Midwest recruiter for Aerotek; Chelsea Frederick, assistant director of EIU Alumni Services; and Matt Shivers, business analyst for State Farm Insurance. Panelists spoke about their professions and how a degree in Communication Studies assisted in their current professions. Ketchmark and Allen also spoke on broadcasting careers with an emphasis on the process of getting started in a career in broadcasting.

Community leaders in the Mattoon/Charleston area also participated in Communication Day. Panelists included Tony Sparks, executive director of Mattoon YMCA; Kelly Allee, director of communications and creative services for Lake Land College; and Officer Kent Martin of the EIU Police Department.

Panelists discussed communication practices and challenges in their professions, with specific attention given to everyday communication skills and training necessary to be successful on the job. Several other panels spotlighted undergraduate and graduate research projects within the Communication Studies department. Students presented research in the areas of rhetoric, public relations, interpersonal and organizational communication.

Kevin Howley, associate professor of media studies at DePauw University, was the guest speaker for Communication Day. Howley examined teaching about and with alternative media across a media studies curriculum. Throughout his talk, he highlighted the role alternative media played in educating students about the political economy of media; the cultural politics of media representation; and the relationship between media, citizenship and social movements.

Next year’s event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 30, 2011.