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Hamline University
COMMStudies
HAMLINE UNIVERSITY
Department of Theater Arts
and Communication Studies
1536 Hewitt Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55104-1284
VOLUME 13, ISSUE 1
FALL 2010
Spotlight on 2010 Grads:
Alumni bits ‘n pieces
 Jen Bahl (2009) is in grad
school at the Carlson
School of Management at
the University of Minnesota,
studying Human Resources.
 Jennifer Buecksler Bianchini
(class of ‘97) lives in Portland, Oregon where she has
been working in HR at R&H
Construction, a commercial
general contractor, for over
11 years. She’s married with
children.
Hamline University
bits „n pieces cont‟d on page 5
Patricia Palmerton
[email protected]
651-523-2229
117 Drew Science
George Gaetano
[email protected]
651-523-2990
33-G Manor House
Julie Woodbury
[email protected]
651-523-2844
120A Drew Science
Suda Ishida
Can still be reached at
[email protected]
We‟d like to hear from you!
Justin Killian
[email protected]
651-523-2768
33-D Manor House
On the web at:
http://www.hamline.edu
by Derek Dixon
F
or over one hundred and fifty
years, Hamline University has
been offering a unique atmosphere within which its students
can build the skills they will need when
they venture outside the shadow of Old
Main. Hamline has known what is
needed to prepare students to allow them
to perform great things. Anna Arnold
Hedgeman (1922), Edwin W. Rawlings
(1927) and Coleen Gray are just a few of
the graduates who have left their imprint on the world in significant ways.
Who will be next?
Matt Cici is one student with the potential to have such an impact. In his senior
year, he is completing a double major in
Communication Studies Program
Verna Corgan
[email protected]
651-523-2229
70 Drew Residence Hall
Matt Cici
Your participation in the
Alumni Annual Fund is another important way to stay
connected to Hamline. Gifts of
any size, whether designated
to the Comm. Studies Department or left unrestricted enhance the living and learning
experiences of today's students.
You can make a secure online
contribution at
www.hamline.edu/giving. For
more information contact
Karla Williams „80, Director of
Annual Giving Programs, at
[email protected] or
651-523-2686. Thanks for your
support!
Spotlight on 2010 Grads:
Inside this issue:
Spotlight on recent grads
Alumni bits „n pieces
Kristin Perry
1
1, 5
Eberhardt works with
alums
2
Student honors
2
Internship Opportunities
4
Program Updates
5
Spotlight on faculty
5
Mundt publishes
6
by Derek Dixon
Cici on site with his indie film, Lambent Fuse
Communication Studies and Film Studies. Because Hamline doesn‟t offer a Film
Studies major, Matt created one using
the Flexible Curriculum Program. The
FCP is composed of existing classes at
Hamline and various independent
CICI cont’d on page 3
E
ach person who steps foot onto
a college campus has different
experiences, motivations and
drive. We have taken different
routes. We have traveled different distances. Kristin Perry is no different. Her
first experience in post-secondary education began with the pursuit of a degree in
photography. Exiting before the completion of that program, Kristin accepted a
job in a photo lab, managing, selling and
developing photographs.
For a few years, Kristin worked and lived
her life until the call to “do something
more” pushed her into volunteering. She
began to teach English to adults who
PERRY cont’d on page 3
PAGE 2
C O MMS T U D I E S
V O LU M E 1 3 , I S S U E 1
Shannon Eberhardt
year at Hamline.
C O MMS T U D I E S
PAGE 7
Spotlight on faculty:
Spotlight on alums who stay at Hamline:
by Colette Samplawski
V O LU M E 1 3 , I S S U E 1
of the professors in the department,
because the variety of personalities
and teaching styles offers a wonderful experience.
Many students remember their first
Shannon admits that had it not
time on campus as the determining
been for her high school English
factor in their choice of schools. For
teacher‟s recommendation of ComShannon Eberhardt, her exmunication Studies, she
A Communication Studies degree
perience at Hamline Univernever would have considhas proven to be a benefit for Shansity was one that made a lastered majoring in the field.
non, who believes the greatest ating impression. On the day of
The teacher‟s prompt gentribute of the program is the deher prospective student tour, a
erated curiosity, but it was
monstrable ability to customize the
news crew came to campus to
the campus interview that
curriculum for each individual. She
interview students about the
proved to be pivotal by
says, “it‟s practical and worthwhile.
“senior slide” experienced by
demonstrating to Shannon
In any field, 99 percent of what we
many during their last year of
how involved Hamline was
do involves talking and communihigh school. As many may rewith the communication
cating, which are valuable skills.”
member, senior year starts out
world. Upon acceptance she
Whether a student is interested in
with determination and motifelt
incredibly
fortunate
to
organizational, political, or interShannon
vation — qualities that “slide”
have chosen — and to have
personal communication, public
Eberhardt
as the year drags on. As Shanbeen chosen by — Hamline.
relations, conflict resolution, or rhenon moved past the crew, she was
torical theory, Hamline‟s CommuniShannon‟s primary regret about her
tagged for interview.
cation Studies program can provide
undergraduate program is that she
a focused curriculum backed by an
Shannon, now an alumna, was imdid not avail herself of the opportuenthusiastic faculty who keep their
pressed by what must have seemed
nity to have double-majored in
students motivated.
like VIP treatment. She still reManagement along with Communimembers her first impressions of
cation Studies.
Shannon‟s position at
Hamline. The atmosphere felt comShe advises curHamline is Executive
“[Communication Studies] is
passionate and accommodating. She
rent students to
Assistant for Developwas impressed by how polite and
consider doublement and Alumni Repractical and worthwhile. In
approachable the staff and students
majoring in
lations. Her position
were, and remembers having
Communication
evolved from a student
any field, 99 percent of what
thought how great it was that she
Studies and an
position working in the
we do involves …
was provided with complimentary
area of business.
Development Center
meals. After the tour, Hamline UniOther advice she
as a telephone fundcommunicating.”
versity sent her a care package inoffers to Commuraiser. Within a year
cluding the taped interview. A few
nication Studies
Eberhardt, cont’d on page 4
months later, she started her first
majors is to take courses from each
Patricia Palmerton traveled to
Japan in June 2009 to attend the
International Association of Conflict
Management meetings. While there
she attend a workshop on teaching
communication and negotiation.
She also visited the Hiroshima
Peace Museum and had the opportunity to meet with the head of the
Peace Museum Nuclear Nonproliferation campaign. In November she
presented at the National Communication Association annual convention in a session commemorating
Ernest Bormann, best known for his
development of Symbolic Convergence Theory. In December she conducted a workshop on groups and
class discussion at Bridgewater
State College in Massachusetts.
From the right, Jim Klumpp, Jolene Koester, Pat
Palmerton, Scott Poole and Linda Putnam.
Professor Palmerton has also just
concluded her term as President
of the Hamline University Faculty
Council, a position she held
through the 2009-2010 academic
year.
Suda Ishida presented a case
study of “Thai luk kreung” at a
media workshop organized by International Consortium for Media,
Communication and Cultural
studies at Paris Sorbonne, France
on June 29, 2009. She followed
this by teaching a two-week
course in Media and Global environmental Conflicts at Universitat Trier, where she presented a
paper entitled “Transnational
identity across cyberspace: the
politics of identity negotiation.”
In summer of 2010 she taught
Mass Communication entirely online, and is teaching Media in
Global Perspective on-line fall
term 2010.
Suda recently finished writing a
book chapter on “Building ecofriendly corporate images: green
advertising in Thailand” in which
she examines the green advertising of six companies, particularly
in the automobile and energy sectors — Bangchak Petroleum, Elec-
tricity Generating Public Company (EGCO), Chevron, Petroleum Authority of Thailand,
Honda and Siam Cement Group,
published in one of Thailand‟s
most acclaimed eco-friendly magazines, Sarakadee (Feature). The
chapter is to be part of an edited
book entitled Media Critics 2010.
it will be published by TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara, Turkey. Professor
Ishida is currently on a leave of
absence and is residing in theWashington, D.C. area with her
family.
Julie Woodbury participated in
a spring 2009 CSCA panel on education practices in Second Life, a
web 2.0 virtual environment. In
November, she presented at the
National Communication Association annual convention in a session discussing the intersection of
employer needs, privacy and
online communication practices.
Justin Killian has joined the
faculty full-time this year, and
will be teaching Mass Communication, Introduction to Critical
Media Studies, Argumentation,
and Public Speaking.
Student Honors
Multidisciplinary Scholarship Panel
Presentations, 2009-10:
Matthew Perusheck. Media and
Candidate Image: An Analysis of
Voting-Age Youth. Advisor: Verna
Corgan.
Emily Gable. “About Me”: SelfDisclosure on the Social Networking
Site, Facebook — A Cross Cultural
and Cross Gender Content Analysis.
Advisor: Patricia Palmerton
Kyle Milburn. Taking a Closer Look
at Rap Music: Commercial and Independent. Advisor: Patricia Palmerton.
Matt Cici. Film Editing: Uncovering
the Internal Character Struggle of
Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull. Advisor: Jeff Turner
Kristin Perry. Communication Dynamics of the Adult ESL Classroom.
Advisor: Patricia Palmerton.
Additional Honors/Awards:
Kristin Perry. Anne Simley Scholarship Award, 2009. Departmental
Honors, 2010.
Peter Espenson, Anne Simley
Scholarship Award, 2010.
Linda Sjostrom, Eliza A. Drew
Prize in Communications, 2009
Zack Psick, Eliza A. Drew Prize in
Communications, 2010
Zach Psick, George Henry Bridgman Poetry Prize, 2010.
THANK YOU!!!!
Many thanks to:
Professor Julie Woodbury and student assistants,
Colette Samplawski, and Derek Dixon
for their hard work on this newsletter!
PAGE 6
C O MMS T U D I E S
V O LU M E 1 3 , I S S U E 1
V O LU M E 1 3 , I S S U E 1
C O MMS T U D I E S
Lewis Mundt, Author
Cici FROM PAGE 1
Hamline University junior [and Communication Studies major] Lewis
Mundt has just released his first book, You Better Close That Window;
They Say It's Gonna Rain Tonight. The communications and creative writing double major spent the last two years writing the collection of poetry
and short prose for his first major book release. The general theme is about
the relationships that Mundt has developed and how those people
have influenced him.
Research projects that he and his
advisor, Jeff Turner, devised.
to the explosion and the climax of
the story.”
In summer 2009, Matt participated
in a Collaborative Research project
with Professor Bill Wallace. In his
research, he examined the craft of
screenwriting using a screenplay he
and two others have written. In
April 2010, Matt traveled to the
National Conference of Undergraduate Researchers (NCUR) at
the University of Montana in Missoula to present a project in which
he examined the editing elements of
the film Raging Bull and how it
relates to Robert De Niro‟s character, Jake La Motta.
Currently, Matt and his team are
looking to acquire funding to complete the filming of Lambent Fuse.
This has given him the opportunity
to exercise some of the knowledge
he has gained in his studies in Communication. In the process of solicitation, Matt will be compiling press
kits for distribution. These kits will
include the public relations tools he
collected through the P.R. curriculum at Hamline. Complete with
press releases, pitch letters and
public service announcements,
these kits are designed to persuade
investors to join the Lambent team.
"This is my way of giving back to the people in my life,” Mundt said.
A Hamline University-sponsored service-learning trip also influenced
Mundt to start this collection.
“My inspiration for the book came from a volunteer trip I took to Chicago
with Hamline's Office of Service-Learning and Volunteerism,” Mundt
said. “I met artists there who were very much self-made people."
Inspired by their initiative, Mundt decided to write a book when he returned from the spring break trip and this book is the result of
that effort.
For more information about Mundt and his work click here, or watch a video interview with the author, produced by Robert Fones,
here or go to http://www.facebook.com/beardpoetry and http://vimeo.com/14311344 .
More Program Updates: Family Comm & Political Comm
George Gaetano writes:
While many of the courses I teach are
discussion-based, no course elicits as
much participation and as much lively,
passionate conversation as Family
Communication. And despite the topics
often being very personal and very sensitive students often seem eager to
share their experiences about family
life and how communication has had an
impact on both their early lives and
their current family situations. Of particular interest to students have been
the topics of sibling communication,
stepfamily issues related to roles,
power and decision-making, and how
crises of addiction, illness, and death
affect the family dynamics. What has
been most gratifying is to hear students
talk about how the theories and concepts they have learned in this course
have enabled them to improve their
relationships with family members or
to cope with family problems more
effectively. Family Communication
was introduced as a topics course in our
department five years ago and obtained
very good enrollment numbers in its
first offering. Now an annually offered
catalog course that can count as one of
the process courses in the major, it continues to draw large numbers of students each time it is offered.
Verna Corgan writes:
Political Communication is offered
every other year, in the thick of political campaign season. The season provides just the right context for analyzing how political rhetoric—persuasive
communication—has been used in the
U. S. from the beginning to the present.
When candidates are trying to win
votes, parties are trying to attract and
energize members, interest groups are
trying to influence attitudes, and media
are trying to cover it all, students have
ready access to a wealth of contemporary political communication. In this
discussion-based course they follow the
communication back and forward, from
rhetoric that depended upon live audiences and handbills to rhetoric that
appears on YouTube in seconds. Students think and talk about things like
how activists use rhetoric in social
movements (either Tea Party anyone?),
what makes political cartoons understandable, what constitutes a “good”
Inaugural Address (e.g., Lincoln vs.
Carter?), how politicians apologize for
their transgressions (e.g., Reagan vs.
Clinton?), what goes into a campaign
ad, what do TV cameras have to do
with winning debates, and how has the
Internet affected political communication. The course provides students with
tools for criticizing rhetoric, counts as
one of the major’s process courses, and
can contribute to wiser production and
consumption of political communication.
As if this wasn‟t enough, Matt is
producing/directing/co-writing an
independent film. Lambent Fuse is
a tale about six characters whose
story lines intertwine. When asked
about the significance of the title
Matt replied, “this is a story where
we have these events, these objects
that are lightly playing their way
across this fuse that eventually lead
Although his hands are extremely
full, Matt is successfully intertwining the traditional aspects of Hamline, while also authoring his own
experience. He is not only combining two fields of scholastic study but
also integrating them into his artistic pursuits. Using his knowledge to
construct a film and publicize it, he
PAGE 3
is building the foundation of a
bright future. He has lit a lambent
fuse, and now we must wait to witness the climax of the rising action
in which Hamline is an integral
part.
To find out more about Lambent
Fuse, visit
http://blog.lambentfuse.com/
Become a fan of the film on
Facebook.
Matt Cici, at work living the dream
Perry FROM PAGE 1
speak languages other than English. For two years, it was her duty
to help her students build a solid
foundation in the English language
so they could become more active
members of the broader community
in the United States. It was an experience that would develop into
one of the keystones of her life.
After spending two years teaching
in a classroom, Kristin decided that
it was her turn to be taught. This
decision eventually led her to Hamline. She first applied and was accepted to the university across the
river, but after an intimidating experience in the college bookstore,
she rethought her plans and ar-
ranged to attend Hamline University.
Originally enrolling in the Theatre
Arts program, Kristin soon switched
to the Communication Studies side
of the department. “The Communication [Studies] Department was so
friendly and offered universal
knowledge. I just found myself taking more and more communications
classes.” She later declared Communication Studies as her major.
In spring 2010, Kristin successfully
defended her senior honors project,
“Communication Dynamics of the
Adult ESL Classroom.” Her work
ties her private and academic lives
together, focusing on the adult ESL
teaching she has been doing for almost five years. She also presented
her research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research
(NCUR), at the University of Montana in Missoula.
Albert Einstein once remarked, “The
only source of knowledge is experience.” As a “non-traditional” student,
Kristin has tied together her life experience with her scholastic knowledge, which has developed her into
the personification of a liberal arts
college; a critical thinking, wellinformed and responsible professional.
PAGE 4
C O MMS T U D I E S
V O LU M E 1 3 , I S S U E 1
Eberhardt, FROM PAGE 2
she had been promoted to Student
Intern Manager and Co-Chair of the
Senior Gift Campaign, all positions
where she was able to put her communication training to use.
Shannon‟s service to Hamline has
worked in her favor. After graduation, she was hired as the temporary Associate Director of Alumni
Relations. Her duties in the position
included overseeing various student
outreach programs, meeting with
students, upholding traditions, and
connecting with campus activities.
*
*
*
DCInternNet.com was recently
started by faculty and students in
communication to help students
find internship opportunities in
Washington D.C. Excellent summer
internship opportunities are posted
on an ongoing basis. Interested
students are urged to go to the web
site to sign up for information.
DC InternNet.com is a free service
for students, and includes lots of
listings for excellent communication
-related opportunities in health
communication, political communication, and P.R./nonprofit related
internships.
*
*
*
Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota
looks for unpaid interns, including
C O MMS T U D I E S
PAGE 5
Alumni bits ‘n pieces
In addition, she has helped to develop printed material, coordinates
with Graduates Of the Last Decade
(GOLD) when working with young
alumni programming, and arranges
events and socials. She has been
involved with the Etiquette Dinner
and the Alumni Weekend.
In November 2009, Shannon accepted her current position as Executive Assistant for Developer and
Alumni Relations. She retains
about 30% of the tasks for which
she was responsible in the tempo-
rary Alumni Relations job and is
additionally responsible for development and committee work for the
new University Center campaign
and for supporting the Vice President of Development and Alumni
relations. Shannon is an alum who
stayed, because doing so put her in
a position where she can plan
events, much like the interview
event that captured her interest
and imagination just a few years
ago, for an institution she loves.
Internship opportunities
The Comm Studies program is often
made aware of internship opportunities. The information listed below
offers some indication of the types
of positions for which we receive
requests.
V O LU M E 1 3 , I S S U E 1
opportunities to develop a procedure for uploading video products to
the internet. If interested, please
email Priscilla Bennett at [email protected].
*
*
*
Kocina Branding & Marketing
Companies has internship openings
in the areas of Communications,
Marketing and Writing. College
Juniors and Seniors looking to complete internship experiences are
invited to contact Cynde Bock, Recruiting, Training and Professional
Development, via telephone, email,
or application through the Kocina
website at www.publicity.com/
careers.
[email protected]
(Ph) 612-798-7218
*
*
*
Back to School for Grownups
(BTSG) is a single-owner start-up
venture. Laura Gilbert, Ph.D. is
looking for an energetic “selfstarter” student intern to take on
several specific research and administrative projects. Additional information is available on http://
backtoschoolforgrownups.com and
on TWITTER at http://twitter.com/
lauragilbertphd. If you are interested in e-publishing from initial
publication through marketing,
please contact Laura at 612-3860450 or via email at
[email protected]
*
*
*
The MNPR Blog Jobs page is an
excellent place for students interested in Public Relations to search
for up-to-date internship offerings.
Bookmark http://www.mnprjobs.com/
and check back often.
*
*
*
Please send internship opportunities information to:
[email protected]
for distribution to Comm Studies
majors.
Amanda Engquist (class of ‟96) is
promoting a meeting, event and
transportation company called
MetroConnections as their Marketing & Public Relations Manager.
Located in the Twin Cities area, the
company provides services to local
and global corporate meeting and
event planners. She is married to a
“lovely Creighton grad from Iowa”
with whom she has two girls.
came out in 2008 and is available at
originalcastrecords,com, and
Amazon.com. Richard remains active in public presentation and
teaching. Those interested can contact him at
[email protected].
Richard Engquist (class of „54)
writes “glad to be ambulatory and
living in Brooklyn. At my age, glad
to be anywhere!” An original cast
album of one of his shows, “Abie‟s
Island Rose” (book by Ron Sproat,
music by Doug Katsaros, lyrics by
Richard Engquist and Frank Evans)
came out in 2008 and is available at
originalcastrecords,com, and
Amazon.com. Two other shows,
“Kuni-Lemi” and “Little Ham” may
also be available. Some of Richard‟s
former students have been winning
Tony and other honors, including
Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez
(“Avenue Q”) and Lynn Ahrens and
Stephen Flaherty (“Ragtime”, et al).
Eric Kraushar (class of „03) reports
that he‟s been working as the sports
editor for the twice-weekly Hutchinson Leader, west of the Twin Cities,
where he‟s taken home first-place
awards for best sports feature and
sports pages.
Scott Fitchet (class of „95) is working at Raytheon and living in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.
Sari Laitinen (class of „91) published a book in Finland on legal
risk management in the U.S. for
businesses. She has a solo corporate
practice in Finland, teaches U.S.
law at Helsinki Law School, and
coaches two moot court teams.
Matt Perushek (class of „09) is in
law school at Georgetown, and reports that he really likes it and is
Program Updates: Strategic
Communication courses
Many students come to the Communication Studies major
with an interest in public relations or advertising. We
recently have been able to add courses that enrich the
education of students with these interests, with the addition of Comm 3630 Strategic Communication, Comm
3635 Essentials of Public Relations, and Comm 3639
Public Relations Cases and Campaigns.
Reflecting recent but significant changes in the industry,
a specialty course focusing explicitly on online public relations was scheduled for summer 2010. The course was a
hybrid meeting half time in the classroom, half online,
and explored the various social and professional media
available for today‟s public relations professionals. See
Professor Woodbury for more information.
most appreciative of how much he
learned about writing in Comm
studies classes.
Chuck Strouth (class of „05) has
been promoted to regional director
of Atlantic Records Promotion in
New York City.
Ashley
Trainer (class
of „09) spent
several weeks
in Samoa as a
member of the
cast of Survivor: Samoa,
only being
done in by sea
slug guts.
Those of us here at Hamline were
cheering her on through her weeks
on Survivor.
Please send Bits ‘n Pieces to:
Prof. Palmerton
[email protected]
2010 graduates at
department dinner