COMMversations: 2020-2021
Weekly Open Office Hour Discussions
While there are fewer random conversations in the hallways or before or after classes, we still wish to be connected with you and to help you stay connected with and informed about the Communication Department.
Think of COMMversations as an open office hour with ALL of the faculty in the Communication Department. Each week will focus on a theme, and there will also be time set aside for any questions you have or just to chat and virtually mingle with department staff and other students.
And, students interested in majoring in communication or studying any of our many minors and certificates are always welcome!
SPRING 2021 COMMVERSATIONS
"Adventures of Ranger Bear" Premiere
May 3 | 4 pm
Hosted by Shemayah Paige
In this Commversation, we premiered “Adventures of Ranger Bear," a point and click adventure game created by communication student Shemayah Paige. As Ranger Bear, players try to spend one day in the life of a Parkside student, facing classes such as Math, Geo, and most importantly Communication. Each subject/game level comes with puzzles and trivia that challenge the players. The end goal is a fun game that gives props to the graduating class of 2021, as well as a reminder of the Communication Department learning goals.
Fall Course Preview
April 5 | 4 pm
Hosted by Communication Faculty
While hosting the Fall 2021 Class Preview COMMversation, Dr. Castor was joined by the majority of the Communication department’s faculty. In order to give an overview of the communication courses that will be offered in the fall, each faculty member of the department had the chance to describe the class(s) they will be teaching and a glimpse of what the class will entail. In this fall course preview, they were also joined by advisors, Katie Abbott and Tyler Eschmann, whom introduced themselves and welcomed to provide assistance to any student who needs it.
Public Relations
Apr 12 | 4 pm
Hosted by Morgan Niesen
In this COMMversation, Samantha Crafton, CEO of Samantha Crafton Public Relations, joined host Morgan Niesen and staff from the Communication department as well as students in the Communication major or minor. In this hour discussion, Samantha answered a series of question regarding her experience finding a PR job after graduating, tips and advice on what employers are looking for in a PR employee, her daily tasks as a CEO of a PR company, and much more. This was a great opportunity for students to get real insight and advice into working in the public relations field.
Communication Jobs in the Media Entertainment Industry
Apr 19 | 4 pm
Hosted by Shemayah Paige
In this COMMversation we are talking with Professor Gil Gonzalez residing at Whitter College as Director of Theatre & Communication Arts. He is a UW-Parkside alumnus who double majored in Dramatic Arts and History. He has a wide array of experience in producing, directing, and acting with professional experience in understanding the ins and outs of the entertainment industry. We also discussed important topics regarding what kind of jobs our graduating Communication students could investigate in the entertainment industry.
How to Interview Through Zoom
Apr 26 | 4 pm
Hosted by Morgan Niesen
In this COMMversation, Renee Young-Trego joined host Morgan Niesen and staff from the Communication department as well as students in the Communication major and minor. In this hour discussion, Renee, the Assistant Director of the Advising and Career Center here on campus, gave advice on zoom interviews. With plenty of experience, Renee was able to provide advice on aspects of online interviews such as how to properly prepare, physical appearance, background/setting and body language. This was a great opportunity for students to gain knowledge on the best ways to succeed in online interviews.
Need captions? Please contact Theresa Castor: castor@uwp.edu
FALL 2020 COMMVERSATIONS
FALL 2020 COMMVERSATIONS
Graduate School, Master of Arts in Professional Communication
Dec 2 | 1 pm
Speaker: Professor Adrienne Viramontes
Conflict Analysis and Resolution (CARE) Program
Nov 11 | 1 pm
Speaker: Professor Jonathan Shailor
Communication Student Byron Dowse interviewed Comm professor Dr. Jonathan Shailor. They had a trip down memory lane of Dr. Shailor's steps to becoming a professor at UW-Parkside. Dr. Shailor also explained the Conflict Analysis and Resolution program. If you are interested in the program or would like to get to know a little more about our faculty member Dr. Shailor, then you should check out this video!
Spring 2021 Class Preview
Oct 28 | 1 pm
Speakers: All Communication Faculty
For the Commversations topic of a sneak peek into the spring comm courses, Dr. Castor hosted with other faculty members to give overviews of the cool courses they are teaching in the Spring 2021 semester. Also, one of the advisors Katie Abbott introduced herself and gave a warm welcome for students to go to her for advice on class schedule, course mapouts, and time management advice.
Communication Internships (Online Internships, too!)
Oct 21 | 1 pm
Guest Speaker: Mary Waid
In this segment, our Communication intern Liana Lopez interviewed Professor Mary Waid on many different opportunities with internships. If you need an internship in the future, watch this topic to learn useful tips, tools, and resources to use in your internship hunt. Also, Professor Waid discusses how to sign up for COMM 494 for when you get an internship, and she elaborates on the class style.
Digital Media and Production and Digital Media Literacy
Oct 14 | 1 pm
Senior Comm student and Event Planning Intern Kaeleb Thomas interviewed Dr. Arcy and Dr. Crafton on the DMAP program and had a great conversation about the Digital Media programs and the future of the Comm department. Watch the interaction of students and faculty that caused an interesting and informative discussion!
Public Relations, Organization Communication, and Health Communication
Oct 7 | 1 pm
Dr. Rasmussen hosted and interviewed our guests Dr. Castor and Dr. Viramontes about minors in Public Relations, Organizational Communication, and Health Communication. Although we experienced some technical difficulties, the interview went smoothly and a lot of good information was given by our professors. Click on the video to hear about these three minors and how you could qualify for them!
Meet Anjuli! That is, Dr. Anjuli Brekke
Sep 30 | 17 min
In the second Commversation, our Communication Department intern Liana Lopez interviewed our new faculty member: Dr. Anjuli Brekke. We got to know Dr. Brekke better and heard about her teaching style as well as the classes she is teaching at UW-Parkside. Check out the video to get to know our new Communication professor to help decide if her classes will be right for you next semester!
"What's New"
Sep 23 | 20 min
For our first Commversations segment, we went over “what’s new” for the Comm department. There was discussion on Covid testing at the school, we met new faculty members, and discussed the adapting environment of online as well as in the classroom classes. Dr. Shailor discussed the Rebuilding Kenosha series and got great feedback as well as gave more information for everyone to be able to participate in the series moving forward. Make sure to check out the video for all the helpful resources from the Comm faculty and to see some furry friends to brighten up your day!
Need captions?
Contact Theresa Castor to request help: castor@uwp.edu