Merry Christmas from the Department of Communication!

Volume 14, Issue 4 | December 1, 2019

December 2019
Graduating Seniors

Congratulations to the following students who graduate on December 20!

Communication Studies
Caleb Holt
Olivia Pavlish

Media Production
Sam Bostrom (Film and Video)
Jaeden Metcalf (Multimedia Journalism)

Public Relations
Rachel Gasterland
Emily Gustafson
Mikayla Hildebrandt
Kara Larson
Abigail Reitz
Nicholas Swore
Isabella Stillone
Morgan Tolly

New Course

MEP2055 Media History
Spring 2019, Quad 4
Time: 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Day: Tuesdays
Instructor: Greg Winter

In this newly created course, students will learn about the history of radio, TV, and film. The spring 2020 course taught by Greg Winter will focus on World Cinema.

What's going on with Students?

Advanced Public Speaking Class Competes

On Tuesday, November 5, 18 students from the Advanced Public Speaking class participated in the Twin Cities Forensic League Speech Tournament held at Augsburg University in Minneapolis.

Eleven colleges and universities from Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Iowa brought students to compete. While University of Northwestern does not have an official speech team, it is not uncommon for schools to bring a class to the competition in order to gain first-hand experience in public speaking. Each student presented an original memorized informative or persuasive speech that was 7-10 minutes in length, at least two times. The students received written feedback from judges on how to improve their speech as well as to confirm the strengths of the speeches.

Three students from Northwestern advanced to the final round of judging. Kristina Winger (Communication Studies), Emma Erickson (Communication Studies), and Jamie Anderson (Communication Studies) received finalist certificate awards for presentations that were commendable. Congratulations to the class for a job well done! The next competition is on December 3.

Guest Speaker:
Pamela Whitmore

In November, adjunct instructor Karly Hall's Writing for Mass Media class welcomed Pamela Whitmore, Collaboration & Mediation Program Manager at League of Minnesota Cities.

Pamela shared her insight on libel, defamation, and copyright laws with her experience as a litigator in both private and public sectors.

Faculty Spotlight

Laura Watkins
Adjunct Instructor

Why did you want to become a professor?

I loved my experience as a teaching assistant during my undergrad years and knew I wanted to teach communication from the get-go. I have enjoyed teaching communication in a college setting since 1999 and was primarily inspired to do so by the great professors I had and worked with at Bethel in the 1990s.

What brought you to Northwestern?

God-directed circumstances, I think. I was asked to consider teaching a course for the spring 2019 semester and was pleased to help out. After taking a handful of years off from instructing for the purpose of homeschooling my children, I was happy to add teaching at UNW alongside my continued commitment to teach of my kids at home.

What is your favorite part of being at Northwestern?

Interacting with the students. I love the opportunity to inspire while learning further and being inspired myself. There are some amazing people here, and it is a joy to open up concepts and course materials together.

Faculty Note

Be a Pro!

In working with students on their resumes, I often see them boast in their cover letters or resumes that they “give attention to detail.” However, what they say and what their actions suggest are two different things. In order to stand out in the hiring process and later in the job setting, disciplining oneself to give attention to detail is imperative. Be a pro by assuming some important verbal and non-verbal behaviors.

Professionalism is Vital

Avoid “ums” in speaking. Whether in a job interview, contributing in a meeting, or greeting a colleague in the hallway at work, always be sure your speech is polished and professional by avoiding paralanguage that is distracting. Pause before you speak carelessly. Have exact wording in mind before you speak.
Make precise word choices. Avoid addressing a group of people as “you guys.” If there are females in the group, the group does not consist of only men. Use interesting language instead of vague terms like “stuff” or “things.” Be vivid and colorful.
Follow a fast-food establishment’s example. Instead of responding with a “no problem,” simply say “thank you” or “my pleasure” or “I am happy to help you.” Saying “no problem” gives the impression that it actually could have been a problem or bother to you.

Relationship with Others

Be likeable. You don’t have to be best friends with everyone you meet. However, you should be kind, personable, and friendly to all. Everyone likes to work with people that they like. Treat everyone well. Avoid gossip. Courtesy is always in good taste.
Be optimistic. Convey a spirit of positive vibes to those you are around. Encouragement is a soothing balm.
Learn to be a good listener. Seek varying opinions. Listen to ideas and suggestions from others instead of secluding yourself with a small circle of friends. Listening is a gift you give to others.

Observation Skills are Important

Engage others. Notice the person who may not always the first to speak up in the group. Ask good questions. Get to know someone. Learn from them.
Follow good examples. Usually leaders are in their positions for a reason. Learn from actions that are inspiring. Emulate qualities that make for a healthy environment.
Be grateful. By thanking others and expressing gratitude for work that is well done, you can make someone’s day. Don’t be a flatter, but when a genuine compliment is appropriate, say so. As someone once said, “A wink in the dark does no one any good.”

Remember that your speech and your actions communicate a message. Exhibit your professionalism like a PRO!

Dr. Jackie Glenny,
Professor of Communication

Upcoming Events

December 6-8
Christmas at Northwestern: Wonder, Love, and Praise
Knight Hall

December 10
Multilingual Christmas Caroling Chapel
Knight Hall, 9:55 a.m.

December 10-14
A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas
Patsy Miller Studio Theatre

December 16-19
Finals Week

December 20
Commencement

December 21, 2019-January 11, 2020
Christmas Break

December 25
Christmas Day

December 31
New Year’s Eve

Featured Student

Emily Gustafson
Public Relations '19

What are your plans for the future?

My hope is to work at a nonprofit on their public relations team!

What opportunities have you had at UNW?

I love that the PR program at UNW requires you to do internships to get real-life experience. I especially loved my internship at The Salvation Army on their PR team. I developed my skills so much through that internship. Working at internships is what made me realize what I want to do with my life.

What is your favorite thing about UNW?

My favorite thing about UNW is the community, especially the professors. I have had so many professors that truly care about my success in class and pray for my success outside of class, as well.

Featured Alumnus

Karina (Triller) Jaeger
Media Production '15

Where has life taken you after UNW?

After Northwestern, I moved back to Kenosha County, Wisconsin, got a job at Uline Corporate Headquarters as an Administrative Assistant to the VP of the Direct Marketing & Advertising Team.

From there, I moved into a new role in Paid Search as an Associate Campaign Manager where I helped manage some of Uline's many digital ad campaigns within Google and Bing.

Now, I fully manage several of these campaigns. I also met and married my wonderful husband Andy, also a Northwestern alumnus, who became a Resident Family Medicine Physician with the University of Chicago and is set to graduate this June.

We now live in the North Suburbs of Chicago with our adorable 4-month-old kitten, Benny. In between work, we've had the opportunity to travel to new places such as London, Norway, and Germany!

What advice do you have for current students?

My advice to current students is to not worry! College may seem hard at times, but you will make it through to the other side with a degree that will give you exponentially more options than you had before.

Everyone's path looks different, but don't stress about where you are going to go and what you are going to do. Work hard and trust God with the details.

Special Alumnus Story

Drew Gneiser ('07) recently hosted C reative Mornings at 8:30 a.m. in Parkway Theater. Each month this event attracts people from across the city who are looking for creative inspiration in their day-to-day jobs — inviting speakers from varying professions to inspire attendees on how to find passion and purpose in their careers. Drew, who is a Social Media Strategist for The Social Lights, a marketing agency, organizes this monthly event. With diverse topics and speakers, attendance has surpassed 150 participants and keeps rising.

This monthly event has created a community more significant than just a networking event. It connects people who share similar interests, that continue on to collaborate in projects, as well as inspire one another.

For more on how Drew became one of the five "curious people who bump into interesting folks" that volunteer to make these monthly events possible, check out the Star Tribune article published on November 8.