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The

CommunicationStudies Clubby Rosemary Shultz

Communication Studies Club has survived yetanother exciting year. To continue with a long-running tradition,the Club—which comprises all communication studies majors—hosted two American Red Cross Blood Drives for the Gustavuscommunity in November 2005 and March 2006.

The Communication Studies Club is presided over by anExecutive Board, which consists of eight Communication Studiesmajors, Visiting Instructor Sarah Wolter, and a faculty adviser,Dr. Patricia English. The Executive Board was solely responsiblefor donor recruitment for the blood drives, visiting everycommunication studies class before both events to recruitvolunteers and donors. Then, volunteers spent an entire weekoutside the Evelyn Young Dining Room each semester, recruitingdonors and educating the Gustavus community about giving blood.

With the help of an amazing group of Red Crosspersonnel and all of the wonderful volunteers, Gustavusstudents, faculty, and administrators donated a total of 354healthy units of blood to the Red Cross this year.

Throughout the year, the executive board hosted manyother exciting events. The Communication Studies Club holidayparty took place at the end of fall semester. Majors enjoyedtreats, holiday arts and crafts, and the second annual “ProfessorColoring Contest,” in which students voted on the best artworkcompleted by professors in the department.

This spring, excitement was not lacking for theCommunication Studies Club. To throw a little fun into a winterafternoon, communication studies students engaged in a curlingevent with Kevin Birr of Gustavus Dining Services, who’s anOlympic-level curler. Many majors were out on to the ice toenjoy an afternoon of great fun.

To cater to those students beginning to think aboutinternships and, eventually, jobs, the Communication Studies Clubexecutive board organized a “Resume Writing Workshop” withexperts from Federated Insurance Company. The workshop was afirst for the Department of Communication Studies and undoubtedlyaided in majors’ abilities to put together strong resumes.

The Communication Studies Club wrapped up the year instyle with a department barbeque in Johns Courtyard. n

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82(5

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33-7

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at it, tell uswhat you’redoing thesedays. We want totell everyoneabout theexciting jobs ourgraduates have,so tell us aboutyours. Don’t beshy—send us abrief descriptionof where you’reworking and/orvolunteering,and what thatentails. This isyour opportunityto shine!

contactV1N2 Spring 2006 Gustavus Adolphus College Communication Studies News

Allison Marten,Eunice Amos,Emma Espel

Social ActivismProjects

by Tane Danger

iewing history through the eyes of the elderly…and giving voice togroups and individuals on the fringes of society who are usually unheard…

Continuing a departmental tradition of connecting scholarship toservice, students in communication studies engaged in service-learningopportunities, going beyond the classroom into the larger community in2005–06. Through work in two courses, students discovered the joys ofvolunteering; explored the wisdom of previous generations, and engagedmodern technology to tell some very human stories.

Public Speaking is a traditional first step into the department.Students get the opportunity to explore all types of public address, fromsimple persuasive and informative speeches to more complex after-dinner andimpromptu monologues.

In Visiting Professor Sarah Wolter’s course, however, students usedpublic speaking skills to explore their community and share what they hadlearned with others through a living history interview project. Students wereasked to interview volunteers from the St. Peter Senior Center aboutparticular events in that person’s life. Students followed the interviews withacademic research on the events and presented all they learned to theinterviewees and to their classmates in an informative speech aired on publicaccess television.

Students and interviewees claimed the project helped them open updialogue about history and events that had remained untouched for years.Wolter notes, “Seeing the faces of the interviewees light up as they heard anoral account of their lives was amazing. The success of the project wasevident in their excitement.”

In another communication studies course, students in VisitingProfessor Martin Lang’s Video Representation class conducted their ownform of community work. Video Representation is an introduction to theworld of multimedia communication, using digital film and editing toreach a wide audience.

For a final project, the class broke into groups of two or three studentsto present the story of a marginalized person or group within the Gustavus orSt. Peter communities. In essence, students used the media of digital film togive voice to a community member or group that often goes unheard.

Students leapt at the opportunity to do some concrete social work.Groups chose everything from Gustavus custodial workers to communitymembers with AIDS as their subjects for the projects. The students spenthours interviewing dozens of people on camera, followed withcountless hours in the Confer digitalarts lab, editing and re-editing film.

New Faculty2005–2006 Academic Year

Maguire AssumesNew Role as aDean of Faculty

2005–06 Faculty (l to r):Sarah Wolter, Martin Lang, Patricia English, Phillip Voight, Mariangela Maguire, Kristofer Kracht,Terry Morrow, Jay Leighter

MThe Communication Studies Department at Gustavus welcomes twonew faculty members in the 2005–06 academic year: Martin Langand Sarah Wolter.

artin Lang, hired to replace Mark Braun, recently earned his Ph.D. from the Universityof Minnesota and taught Media and Society, Video Representation, Media Criticism, and Genderin TV and Film (Interim Experience—a.k.a. January term—course) for the 2005–06 academicyear. Lang says he chose Gustavus because, as an alum, he was familiar with the institution.He also notes his experience as a student provided a fantastic model for the kind of teachingin which he wanted to partake.

Lang’s research interests revolve around the relationship between media and thesocieties in which they operate, particularly the representations of identity that the mediaoffer to their audiences. In addition, he studies the influence society has upon the media,especially the impact of commercial motivations on media organizations and the content theyproduce. His dissertation is a highly contextualized close textual analysis of representations ofAmerican Indians in mainstream and Indian-produced newspapers. Guided by poststructuralisttheories of language, critical race theory, and a feminist perspective, he argues that the bulk ofthe mainstream representations—and even some of the Indian-produced representations –commit a kind of “incognizant racism” by silencing Indian voices and adopting a non-Indian,“white” perspective as the default portal to understanding gaming in Minnesota and its varioussocial and economic impacts.

Originally from Oakdale, Minn., Lang cites his interests and hobbies as making stainedglass pieces, playing soccer, riding his mountain bike, reading clever satire, baking, watchingdocumentary films, building hot rods, and shopping for skirts (yes, he said skirts).

Sarah Wolter, hired as Leila Brammer’s sabbatical replacement, recently completed hermaster of arts degree in speech communication from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Shetaught Public Speaking and Interpersonal Communication as well as the Interim Experiencecourse The Social Impact of Media on Adolescent Girls in the 2005–06 academic year. Wolterdescribes her decision to come back to her alma mater as an opportunity to work closely withthose who inspired her to teach. Her contract extends into the 2006–07 academic year, as shehas been hired to fill course gaps due to Mariangela Maguire’s appointment to the Dean ofFaculty’s Office.

Wolter’s research interests are centered around communication and feminist theory withconcentration on representations of female athletes in the media and identity as it isproliferated in interaction. Wolter’s thesis examined the influence of student, colleague, andadministrative governing relational communities on the formation and maintenance ofprofessional identity of women assistant professors in the colleges of Arts & Humanities andSocial & Behavioral Sciences at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Originally from Red Wing, Minn., Wolter cites her interests and hobbies as playing golfand tennis, walking her dog Lucy, spending time with family and friends, and watching realitytelevision. n

Aby Krista Kirchoff

t the inception of the 2005–06 academic year, Mariangela Maguire found herself in anentirely new and exciting role outside the classroom. Although she taught one class, SmallGroup Communication, fall semester, the majority of her time is now consumed by her positionas one of three interim deans of faculty. The three-person administrative structure emergedout of conversations with the President and members of faculty. Maguire is responsible forsignificant issues, from hiring of new faculty to programming efforts of the curriculum.

In a somewhat untraditional structure, Maguire shares the interim dean of faculty rolewith Eric Eliason from the Department of English and Cindy Johnson-Groh from theDepartment of Biology. The ultimate responsibility of Maguire and her counterparts is tohelp ensure support, coordination, and alignment so that the faculty and programmingefforts of Gustavus carry out the college’s mission to educate students for lives of leadershipand service. The responsibility of the position is great, and Maguire’s background and skillsets make her a natural fit for the role. As Maguire aptly states, “This position is aboutrelationships.”

Maguire has already seamlesslytransitioned into her new role. Building upon herpast leadership experiences as department chairand co-director of the Women’s Studies programat Gustavus, Maguire remarks, “I teach and pushpeople in Small Group Communication and nowI’ll be operating in a small group for the nexttwo years…My position in the Dean’s Office justproves the existence of karma.”

Maguire is kept thoroughly busy and spendsher days meeting with other department chairs andprogram directors to address current needs andprogram directions, engaging in negotiation effortsfor top faculty candidates, fielding questions andpresenting before the Faculty Senate, and dealingwith other pressing and important issues thatrelate to Gustavus’ academic programs.

Maguire states, “Explaining concepts suchas decisions, processes, and external constraintsand considerations in classroom teaching hasreally prepared me for this position. Having astrong background in interpersonalcommunication and small-group communication has also been helpful.” Given her full plate ofresponsibilities this academic year as a dean, Maguire whimsically admits, “I don’t think I wasquite as hard on students last semester…although I’m not sure they would agree.”

Although Maguire is very much enjoying her new role as a Dean of Faculty, shenevertheless still feels a strong connection to the classroom and her fellow communicationstudies colleagues: “It was wonderful to be in the classroom first semester, even if only forthe one course,” Maguire remarks. “I miss the level of contact with students I have in theclassroom most.” Maguire also adds, “I miss my colleagues in the department very much,especially the camaraderie…They [her colleagues] have been so supportive of me in thisposition, both personally and professionally.”

The entire department is pleased to have such a capable and talented person as adean of faculty, while at the same time is looking forward to when Maguire will be able toreturn in a full-time teaching capacity. Best wishes for continued success, Mariangela! n

Mariangela Maguire

With

The results of the project werephenomenal. Lang and his studentsorganized a film gala to debut their

films, attracting a wide range of students and community members. Most whosaw the series of films learned something new and heard at least one storywith which they had been previously unfamiliar with.

These are just a couple of the ways in which current students in thedepartment are working to improve Gustavus and the surrounding community.With the continued effort of students and faculty, the longstanding traditionof service in the department will live on. n

Potential Grows withEvan Anderson ForumForensics Programby Katelyn Reschetz

a very young team including six competing freshmen, theEvan Anderson Forum Forensics Program had a very successful 2004–05season. Competition highlights include placing second at the Pi KappaDelta National Tournament and propelling Rebecca Kuehl (class of 2006) toAll-American status in Pi Kappa Delta and in the American ForensicsAssociation, both historical accomplishments. Andrea Carlile representedthe team at the Interstate Oratory Competition, claiming honors as the firstGustavus student in over twenty years to attend the world-renowned event.

Momentum gained from the team’s success last season was definitelynot lost for the 2005–06 season. Additional team trophies and individualawards have made for a very rewarding season. One especially significantaward was the “Jim Pratt Year End Sweepstakes” for the 2005–06 TwinCities Forensics League (TCFL), which was given to Gustavus foraccumulating the most points at TCFL tournaments. Beyond awards, theteam hosted three significant tournaments on campus, including the PiKappa Delta Province of the Northern Lights Provincial Tournament, wherethey took first place. This elite tournament will be held at Gustavus againnext year.

The Evan Anderson Forensics program is not only dedicated andsuccessful within the realm of forensics, but is also devoted to helping thecommunity. One focus of the 2005–06 season has been bringing back theservice aspect of Pi Kappa Delta. Kris Kracht, co-director of the program,says, “I’m most proud of our program because of our service to ourcommunity—not only the forensics community, but the local community aswell. I think our school is championing the forensics honorary known as PiKappa Delta and the ideals that it holds.” The biggest service event thusfar has been a food drive in which the team accumulated over 2,400 fooditems for the St. Peter Area Food shelf. The team will participate in “Relayfor Life” this spring, where it will walk to raise money for cancer research.

After all of the success that the Evan Anderson Forum ForensicsProgram has had this year, the future of the program looks promising. n

ProjectsContinued from previous page