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Meet the Staff:
Patricia Palmerton Adviser
Aubrey Fonfara Editor/Writer
Paige Stein Editor/Writer
Marie Harmon Photographer
George Gaetano Faculty Writer
Trevor Davis Writer
Rachel Marzahn Writer
Claire Walling Writer
Andrew Maas Writer
Brittany McArdell Writer
In September, Communication
Studies alumnus Maura Youngman returned to Ham-
line to offer insight and encouragement to students
and staff on the future of journalism.
Youngman graduated from Hamline in May
2009 with a degree in Communication Studies and a
Certificate in International Journalism.
Her Introduction to Communication Studies
class with Professor George Gaetano sparked interest
in the major. Reviewing academic articles for class
opened her eyes to the variety of subjects that Com-
munication Studies can help researchers understand.
“The thing that was always fascinating to me
about Communication Studies was that all humans use
communication,” Youngman explained. “It also gave
me a chance to study media in a more in-depth way.”
Youngman later took Critical Media Studies,
which she said made her realize that she could study
communication at an international level.
This led her to the Certificate in International
Journalism. Youngman studied abroad in Edinburgh,
Scotland for one semester with the program, where
she interned as a writer for Stain Magazine.
“Some of the most valuable experiences I had
were the vigorous requirements I had for the CIJ pro-
gram,” Youngman said.
At Hamline, Maura gained more experience in
journalism by working as a reporter, columnist and
eventual Editor-in-Chief of The Oracle, and even
landed an exciting internship at the Twin Cities Daily
Planet news website.
Right after graduating from Hamline, Youngman
said she had no idea what the next chapter of her life
would bring.
However, she found an internship posting for a
media strategist position at the Pulitzer Center on Cri-
sis Reporting in Washington D.C., an organization
that sponsors and provides grants to rising journalists
across all media platforms in order to promote quality
news coverage of global current events.
Youngman said she filled out the application
on a whim, but her impressive resume proved to the
Center that she was qualified for the job. Just one
week after accepting the offer, she moved to the Capi-
tol City.
At the end of Youngman’s year-long internship,
she was asked to stay at the Center to lead an eight
person team in building a new website for the organi-
zation. The group was responsible for efficiently tran-
sitioning thousands of web pages to the new site.
Today, this Hamline alumnus coordinates web
development and social media for the Pulitzer Center.
She said her responsibilities include managing the
organization’s Facebook and Twitter accounts to
reach out to online communities, managing partner-
ships with other media groups, and thinking about the
future of journalism.
“I think it’s a great time to be working in jour-
nalism – especially digital journalism,” Youngman
said.
Youngman said one of the challenges of working
in media is that many people believe that journalism is
dying. Maura’s job is to look at new and different
ways to tell stories that interest and serve the Pulitzer
Center’s diverse audience.
“I feel like I’m part of this future of news,”
Youngman said. “I try to look at it as more of a revi-
talization of journalism. I’m one of the people who
has great hope.”
Youngman said she is excited to travel to Haiti
in January 2012, where she will gain more journalism
experience in the field by working with other media
specialists and actually writing stories about her time
there.
Youngman advised college students who are
seriously interested in pursuing a career in journalism
that it is never too early to get familiar with new digi-
tal media.
“Think about having an online presence,” she
said. “If you have an interest, blog about it.”
this issue
Erik Burgess
Studies Abroad P.2
Spotlight on
Professor Killian P.3
Thoughts from
Professor Gaetano P.4
Damian Goebel
Research Project P.5
What is Strategic
Communication? P.6
Growing Interest in
Comm Studies P.6
Professor Ishida
is Back P.7
Upcoming Courses P.7
VOLUME
FALL
2011
14
Maura Youngman
and the Digital
Age of Journalism
By Aubrey Fonfara
HAMLINE UNIVERSITY
The Communicator The Communication Studies Departmental Newsletter
Photo submitted by Maura Youngman
By Trevor Davis Photo submitted by Erik Burgess
After spending his first three
undergraduate years at Hamline
University, Erik Burgess decided
it was time to take his talents to
South America.
Burgess is a 21-year old sen-
ior from Grand Forks, North Da-
kota and is majoring in Communi-
cation Studies and minoring in
Spanish. His love of Spanish was
one of the main factors that guid-
ed him to study abroad in Argenti-
na during fall semester 2011.
Burgess arrived in Argentina
on August 1st and began his cours-
es at Universidad Blas Pascal lo-
cated in Cordoba. His host family
lives one 10-15 minute bus ride
from the University.
He took four courses populat-
ed entirely with other internation-
al students: Introduction to Argen-
tina Literature, Spanish Grammar,
Argentine Popular Culture, and a
Tango class.
Burgess’ studies in Argentina
enhanced his interest in journal-
ism. Before his many travels
abroad, he was Editor-in-Chief of
The Oracle and served on the
Student Media Board. In South
America, Burgess attended two
journalism courses made up en-
tirely of Argentine students: an
image design course and a narra-
tive journalism course.
Hamline offers few journal-
ism classes, so Burgess was excit-
ed to discover that Blas Pascal
offered a journalism program,
despite having a difficult curricu-
lum for international students.
“[The courses] have been
really hard because I’ve had to
interview random people in anoth-
er language, but I got to write a
lot and work on my Spanish
skills,” Burgess explained.
While keeping up with his
studies, Burgess found time to
travel and
see the
many beau-
tiful sights
Argentina
has to offer.
He
chose a less
than tradi-
tional way
to decide
where he
would be
traveling
and what he
would see.
Burgess
said,
“Through a
traveling
agency I
found on Fa-
cebook, I have been able to travel
to almost every major stop in Ar-
gentina.”
These stops included the capi-
tol, Buenos Aires, where he visit-
ed La Casa Rosada and witnessed
an overabundance of Tango danc-
ers. He also visited Iguazu Falls
which, as Burgess explained,
“makes Niagra [Falls] look like a
bathing pool.” He even spent time
waddling with penguins and
whale watching at sunrise in
Puerto Madryn.
Burgess also took a trip to
Salta and Jujuy in November. On
this trip he said he had a lunch
date with a caravan of llamas. As
it turned out, his new romance,
Morgan, was
temperamental
(and yes, llamas
do like to spit!).
Before return-
ing home, he
visited Mendo-
za, Argentina’s
wine country.
Burgess
credits the peo-
ple of Cordo-
ba’s friendli-
ness and will-
ingness to help
as making his
experience in
Argentina a
great one.
“The business
owners in my
neighborhood
know me by name. They always
ask me how my trip is going. It’s
made living here so much easier,”
he said.
Burgess made his way home
to the Twin Cities on the four-
teenth of December and will com-
plete his senior year at Hamline
during spring semester.
The Argentine Experience
Erik with his Argentinean fling.
Photo submitted by Erik Burgess
Interested in Studying Abroad?
You can find a program that fits your interests and goals! To learn more call Hamline’s Office of Study Abroad and Off-Campus Programs at 651-523-2245 or email [email protected].
Hamline’s Office of Study Abroad and Off-Campus Programs is located at: 740 Snelling Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55104
For more information, visit www.hamline.edu/offices/study-abroad.html.
Did You Know?
You can give a gift to Hamline and designate your donation to the Communication Studies Department. You can make a secure tax-deductible contribution online at www.hamline.edu/giving or send a check payable to Hamline University, designated for Commu-nication Studies, to:
Hamline University Development Office 1536 Hewitt Avenue MS-C1917 St. Paul, MN 55104
In the past we have used alum gifts to help support student presen-tations at conferences, equipment purchases, and other needs.
Thanks for your support!
PAGE 2
THE COMMUNICATOR
PAGE 3
Last year, the Hamline
Communication Studies Depart-
ment welcomed visiting Professor
Justin Killian as a full-time mem-
ber of its distinguished faculty.
Killian teaches Introduction
to Communication Studies, Argu-
mentation and Advocacy, Strate-
gic Communication, Mass Com-
munication, Critical Media Stud-
ies, Small Group, Public Speak-
ing, Essentials of Public Rela-
tions, and Persuasive Cases and
Campaigns.
Killian received his Bache-
lors Degree from Wabash Col-
lege, a small liberal arts college in
Indiana. That is where he first
started studying communication,
majoring in Classical Rhetoric. He
earned his Maters Degree in Com-
munication Studies from the Uni-
versity of Georgia, specializing in
political communication.
Killian hopes to receive his
PhD from the University of Min-
nesota, where his studies focused
on political and feminist commu-
nication, with a side interest in
media studies. Killian’s main
focus within Communication
Studies is political campaigns,
specifically gender issues for
women in political offices.
After years of schooling,
Killian began his first position at
the University of Georgia teach-
ing basic courses. Later he moved
to Minnesota to teach Media Stud-
ies, Mass Communications, Public
Relations, and introductory cours-
es at the University of Minnesota,
as well as General Communica-
tion at Century College and Met-
ropolitan State in St. Paul.
Professor
Killian began
teaching at Ham-
line University as
an adjunct profes-
sor in 2009 and
was hired full-
time as a visiting
professor in 2010.
His favorite part
of being at Ham-
line is interacting with the
students.
“Unlike other places I have
taught, students here are commit-
ted to their work, diligent, and
push me. Every class is a chal-
lenge,” Killian stated.
His teaching goals at Ham-
line include revising courses. As
spring draws near, Killian looks
for new approaches to assign-
ments in some classes to better
adapt to student needs. He said he
asks himself how can take old
assignments and mold them fit
new technology advancements.
He strives to keep students en-
gaged in learning so as to best
help them when they leave
Hamline.
Killian is also currently edit-
ing his dissertation. Once com-
pleted, he will look to publish it in
some capacity. In addition, he is
working on a side
project with a Le-
gal Studies scholar
to combine legal
and communication
research into one
published argument
around the Proposi-
tion 8 battle in
California.
If he has one
piece of advice for students and
staff, Killian says to make sure
they take at least 20-30 minutes a
day and read something they en-
joy, especially because the world
is becoming increasingly saturated
in visual media.
“People, who do read for
classes or dissertations, begin to
view reading as a chore instead of
reading for pleasure,” he said.
“Take a moment to remember
what it is like to read for fun.”
“Students here are
committed to their
work, diligent, and
push me. Every class
is a challenge.”
Looking for an Internship?
Check out what these students are up to!
Joel Eaton
Marketing and Communica-
tions Intern at the Surface
Mount Technology
Association
August 2011 to
May 2012
“I launched a campaign
to increase student
involvement around the
U.S. and lead an ex-
pansion of our services
to international con-
sumers and vendors.”
“It's really nice to see
how I apply some of the
concepts I learned in
school to a real scenar-
io like press releases
and follow-ups.”
Alicia Franck
Development Intern at the
Jewish Community Center
Summer 2011
“I prepared for the golf
tournament, did
research into grants the
JCC should apply for,
compiled information
and put together a few
letters.”
“I loved getting experi-
ence in something I'm
interested in and meet-
ing other people in the
field.”
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 1
Photo by Marie Harmon Justin Killian: Scholar of Gender and Politics By Rachel Marzahn
Professor George Gaetano has
been teaching Communication
Studies since 1994. Below, he
shares some of his insights and
witticisms.
A long, long time ago, in a
land far, far away, Little George
dreamed of one day becoming the
starting shortstop for the New
York Yankees. This would allow
him to receive the fame and for-
tune he thought he richly de-
served and, most of all, enable
him to date Hollywood actresses.
He grew up in the mean streets of
the South Bronx, where rats were
the size of SUVs, rats so vicious
that they demanded your lunch
money in exchange for not chew-
ing off most of your face.
But, sadly, Lit-
tle George never grew
enough to be Big
Enough to Play Pro-
fessional Sports
George (plus, he
could never hit a
curve ball). His
growth was stunted.
Possibly due to the fact that he
started smoking by age nine (just
kidding—he was almost eleven).
He turned to humor---
memorizing jokes told by comics
on the old Ed Sullivan Show, and
amusing his classmates with his
“borrowed” witticisms. He
thought that someday he’d be a
successful stand-up comedian
(which he attempted in his 20s,
only to “die” on stage more often
than South Park’s Kenny).
Little George (and later,
Slightly Bigger George) was al-
ways skilled at math and science.
Brilliant at math, actually—so
much so that classmates called
him Rain Man George. Definitely
brilliant, definitely. So he chose
to go to a college
that was strictly
math and science
and engineering, and
he majored in Chemical
Engineering. Don’t ask him what
that is. He still doesn’t know.
After about fourteen minutes
he realized he had made a huge
mistake. He eventually transferred
to City College and decided to
major in psychology. Their pro-
gram was heavily into Skinnerian
Behaviorism. He envisioned
someday being a psychologist and
using electric shocks to deter pa-
tients from eating that next two
pound bag of Cheetos or from
using the phrase “it’s kinda like.”
During his second year at
City College he traveled to Co-
lumbus, Ohio to visit a
friend attending Ohio
State University. In a
cab ride back to the
friend’s apartment after
dining out, the friend
asked George what he
truly wanted to do with
his life. George said he
wanted to have a talk show on the
radio. The friend said, “Why
don’t you change your major to
Communications?”
“Communications?” he asked.
“What’s that?”
When George returned to
New York he looked through the
course catalogue and discovered
all these fascinating courses:
Small Group Communication,
Intercultural Communication,
Persuasion, just to name a few.
This is it, he thought. This is my
destiny.
Less than three years later
George was in Minneapolis, (a
city he only knew because Mary
Tyler Moore lived there), starting
grad school in the Department of
Speech Communication. A year
later he obtained the position of
Teaching Associate and was
teaching his first class. Public
Speaking. A course he had never
taken as an undergrad.
With no preparation in how
to teach and minimal knowledge
of the content of such a course, he
forged ahead, desperately hoping
that the students would not per-
ceive him to be a total fraud. He
fooled them. It was the ‘70s. Most
of them were probably too high to
notice.
After completing his Mas-
ter’s Degree and all the required
course work for the PhD, George
longed for the Big Apple. He
abandoned the PhD pursuit and
returned to New York where he
wandered aimlessly from job to
job for almost eight years. Man-
aging a small company that saved
department stores money on their
utility bills (yawn), supervising a
staff at the Department of Parks
and Recreation who sold tennis
permits (yawn, yawn), and being
a Trimmings Buyer (buttons,
belts, zippers , shoulder pads) for
a dress company in New York’s
Garment Center (triple yawn).
Ultimately, he missed teach-
ing and applied for a job at a com-
munity college in the Bronx. He
needed letters of recommenda-
tion, so he requested them from
his former professors at the Uni-
versity of Minnesota.
His adviser, Ernest G. Bor-
mann, wrote back and stated that
if George was really interested in
getting back into teaching,
(Continued on the next page)
“How Little George
became Professor
George”
Connor Moore
Sports Intern at WCCO-TV Fall 2010
“My responsibilities as a
sports intern were to
‘code’ the game. I would
watch a Wild, Twins, or
Gopher Football game
and write down key
points in the game or
game-changing plays.”
“What I enjoyed most
about my internship was
the ability to learn from
some of the best
professional sports
journalists in the
business. I got to log
games next to people like
Mark Rosen and Mike
Max. Watching their work
ethic and passion for the
job helped me realize
what it takes to become
a journalist.”
Stephanie Poirier
Recruitment Intern at Jeane
Thorne Inc.
Fall 2011
“My responsibilities were
to search for qualified
candidates, phone
screen and interview
candidates, submit
employees to clients, etc.
I learned a ton about
recruiting here!”
“It is so much more fun to
be on the other side of
the interview and listen to
what people come up
with for their answers!”
Photo submitted, as is, by George Gaetano.
From the Desk of George Gaetano
PAGE 4
“This is it, he
thought.
This is my
destiny.”
THE COMMUNICATOR
Gaetano (Continued from page 4)
Communication Studies
major Damian Goebel had quite a
busy spring in 2011. Not only did
he complete his senior research
project, but he and his wife adopt-
ed their then 10-month old daugh-
ter.
Goebel said that he and his
wife, Dawn, began the adoption
process in April 2010. After a year
of anticipation, they visited South
Korea in April 2011 to meet their
daughter, Eleanor (Ella for short).
Goebel knew that he and his
wife would be traveling to South
Korea in the middle of the semes-
ter to bring their daughter home,
so he decided to focus his senior
research project on interracial
families.
Beforehand, Goebel said that
he always pictured himself com-
pleting a media studies related
project, but, when the time came,
his personal situation influenced
the direction of his research. He
stated, “I always assumed I would
do some kind of
media studies re-
search project, but
that is the beauty
of Communication
Studies as a disci-
pline— it literally
encompasses eve-
rything.”
Goebel chose his research
topic because of real life problems
he foresaw. He said, “One of my
biggest fears in adopting a child
from another culture was the
‘grocery store scenario,’ where a
stranger wants to talk to you in a
grocery store about why your
child looks different.”
Goebel’s interest in the topic
grew out of conversations with
other adoptive parents as he
learned strategies to engage in
communication with strangers
about adoption.
In his research project, Goe-
bel explored ways for fathers to
communicate in interracial families.
He answered his research question
by conducting a series of seven
interviews with fathers who had
children or stepchildren of a visi-
bly different race than theirs or
who were part of a biracial family.
Through his research, Goebel
uncovered information on direct
and indirect communication about
race and identity. He said that
those two major factors signifi-
cantly influenced children’s self-
esteem and identity, and he dis-
covered ways to effectively ad-
dress them.
“Children in multiracial fam-
ilies need to be able to be comfort-
able looking different than one or
both parents. Some of the tactics
fathers used were answering ques-
tions, incorporating cultural ele-
ments and speaking openly about
the difference in an age appropri-
ate manner,” he stated.
As Hamline seniors look to
begin their research in 2012, they
should use Goebel’s project as an
example of the importance of top-
ic choice and of the wide variety
of possibilities available to them.
Goebel’s research is a perfect
example of why students should
choose a topic close to their
hearts. Professor George Gaetano
remarked, "I always emphasize to
my Senior Seminar students that
they should pick a topic that they
are truly interested in. As a soon to
be father of an adopted child from
a different culture, Damian chose
to explore the father's role and
communicative behavior in par-
enting such a child. It had great
meaning for him and he was eager
to learn as much as he could. The
result was an excellent Senior
Seminar research project."
Nancy Huynh
Intern at Twin Cities Daily Planet Fall 2011
“I got first-hand experi-
ence as a reporter. I
was assigned stories
and I had to find people
to interview, conduct
the interviews, and
write the articles on my
own time and get them
into my editor on time,
just like a reporter
would have to.”
“I learned that the key
to getting interviews is
persistence—it's okay
to be annoying and call
them every day if you
have to.”
Casey Willmarth
Future Intern at Minneapolis/
St. Paul Magazine
Winter and Spring 2012
“I will help restructure
their website and move
it over to a new system
as well as regular
website maintenance
and updates. In addi-
tion, I will help with the
online promotion of
events around the Twin
Cities.”
“I am very eager to
start and learn! It is a
big company with
several online and print
publications. I will
certainly be busy!”
PAGE 5
he should think about coming
back to Minnesota and finishing
up his PhD. Up until that point,
George thought he would rather
gargle shards of broken glass or
have open-heart surgery without
an anesthetic before he would try
to complete his degree.
But that one line in Professor
Bormann’s letter changed the di-
rection of his life. Six months later
he was on a plane, heading back
to Minnesota and four years later
the once Little George was now
Professor George, PhD. The rest
is, like, history and stuff.
A question asked by a friend
in a taxicab in Columbus, Ohio,
and a line in a letter from a profes-
sor he greatly respected, altered
George’s life. He loves what he
does. Had he played for the Yan-
kees or been a talk show host he’d
be a has-been by now, telling
strangers on park benches, “I used
to be a somebody…”
Follow your dreams. Reach
for the stars (something Professor
George, in his Twilight Years, can
no longer do without pulling a
muscle or dislocating his shoul-
der). And be grateful Professor
George didn’t handwrite this story
instead of typing it. Chicken
scratchings on sand would be
more decipherable.
Photo submitted by Damian Goebel
Goebel and his daughter, Ella.
Making Comm Studies
Research a Reality By Paige Stein
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 1
Comm Studies is a Top Major for First-Years
By Claire Walling
CDC Tips for Beginning a Job or Internship Search:
1) To identify where the
opportunities are, and to
best sell yourself as an
ideal candidate, it’s im-
portant to know what it is
you are looking for and
what skills and experiences
you have that will allow you
to succeed in that area.
2) There are many great
posting sites for jobs and
internships. A good starting
point is to go to the CDC
website, www.hamline.edu/
cdc, and register for
NACElink. The Minnesota
Council of Nonprofits
(www.mncn.org) also has
numerous opportunities.
You can find other
resources on the CDC
website, where there is a
section on Communications
and Journalism.
3) Another important strate-
gy is to figure out who is
out there working in the
field you are interested in
and contact them directly.
Conducting company
research is critical because
not all opportunities will be
posted on job and intern-
ship search sites.
4) Networking is simply a
way for you to learn more
about career areas of
interest and to gather infor-
mation that you can use in
your search. One resource
you can use to get started
is a database of alumni and
employers on NACElink.
5) Last but not least, one of
the most important tips for
college students is to start
early and use your re-
sources.
For more information stop
by the Career Development
Center or call 651-523-
2302.
PAGE 6
Suda Ishida is Back! What in the World is Strategic Communication?
Every day, we are bom-
barded with persuasive arguments
that attempt to sway our deci-
sions. Yet many individuals don’t
realize the influ-
ence of these mes-
sages.
Communica-
tion Studies De-
partment Chair
Patricia Palmerton
notes, “We often
don’t stop to think
about the goal of
these messages,
and how they fit with the strategic
objectives of the organizations
producing them. Yet these per-
suasive messages are highly influ-
ential, and have impact upon au-
diences large and small, potential-
ly directing policy decisions that
have a long-term impact on all of
us.”
In a nutshell, the goal of
strategic communication is to
critically analyze messages con-
structed by organizations, politi-
cal groups, campaigns, and indi-
viduals in light of their strategic
objectives.
The Strategic Communica-
tion course offered by the Com-
munication Studies
department at Hamline
teaches students how
to deconstruct messag-
es and understand their
purposes.
Professor Justin
Killian, who taught the
course in Fall 2011,
describes his strategic
communication course as helping
“students develop insight into the
role of strategic communication in
advocating ideas, establishing
identification, and influencing
policy and people. Students learn
how to analyze the components of
strategic communication and per-
suasive campaigns in a variety of
fields.”
In Killian’s class, students
develop practical strategies to
analyze public persuasion. They
apply rhetorical and persuasive
theory to understand communica-
tion processes more completely.
Students analyze and critically
examine strategic messages of a
local organization and then create
their own campaign based on
identified strategic objectives.
The study of strategic com-
munication is relevant beyond
academic study as well.
Knowledge of strategic communi-
cation is in high demand in a vari-
ety of careers.
“Major corporations, politi-
cal campaigns, universities, politi-
cal parties, and public individuals
are all looking for skilled strate-
gists with knowledge of strategic
messaging,” Killian stated.
Palmerton adds that the
combination of critical analysis
with practical application pre-
pares students for applying their
skills in their future work in or-
ganizations. “The combination of
the theoretical with the practical
is a hallmark of work that stu-
dents do in Communication Stud-
ies,” she says.
“We often
don’t stop to
think about the
goal of these
messages.”
This year’s incoming class
of over five hundred first-year
students marks the largest in
Hamline University’s 150 year
history.
With the influx of new
students arrived a greater interest
in Communication Studies. Ac-
cording to the Office of Admis-
sions, Comm Studies is tied for
the ninth most common major for
first-years out of 45 major pro-
grams.
At the Major Decisions
Fair in October, a seminar for
first-year students who are unde-
cided about their future plans,
Communication Studies was
amongst the top programs stu-
dents expressed interest in major-
ing in.
With such a large interest in
the major already, that number
could increase as more students
are exposed and experience a
Comm Studies class first-hand.
Janyesha Jackson, a first-
year student who was enrolled in
Introduction to Communication
Studies class in the fall, was
amongst those first years who
expressed interest in declaring
Communication Studies as a ma-
jor. Jackson said she planned to
declare her Comm Studies major
as soon as she was able to.
“[Communication Studies]
seems like a nice fit for me, be-
cause it is compatible with [so]
many different subjects,” Jackson
said.
Jackson said she found her
Intro to Communication Studies
class one of the most interesting
and fun classes she took during
her first semester. Jackson’s fu-
ture plans include either pursuing
a career in television or becoming
a family social worker.
When asked what makes
communication an appealing sub-
ject to study, Jackson stated “I
like the idea of knowing how to
speak to people and the most
effective way to [communicate].”
Although Jackson is just
one of many freshmen thinking
of declaring Communication
Studies as their major, students at
Hamline have until the end of
their sophomore year to declare a
major, giving students plenty of
time to make the decision right
for them.
Students who are interested
in declaring a Communication
Studies major should fill out a
Declaration of Major form, locat-
ed in the Center for Academic
Services or online and turn it in at
Student Administrative Services
in East Hall.
By Andrew Maas
THE COMMUNICATOR
Upcoming Course Offerings:
Spring 2012 Introduction to Communication Studies taught by Justin Killian Public Speaking taught by David Lapakko Introduction to Critical Media Studies taught by Suda Ishida Argumentation and Advocacy taught by David Lapakko and faculty Communication Research Methods taught by George Gaetano Family Communication taught by George Gaetano
Small Group Communication taught by Verna Corgan Intercultural Communication taught by Suda Ishida Communication in Conflict Situations taught by Patricia Palmerton and Justin Killian Persuasive Cases and Campaigns taught by Justin Killian Western Rhetorical Theory taught by Verna Corgan Senior Research Seminar taught by George Gaetano and Patricia Palmerton
Summer 2012 Public Speaking taught by George Gaetano Introduction to Critical Media Studies taught by Suda Ishida Argumentation and Advocacy taught by Justin Killian Mass Communication taught by Suda Ishida Mass Communication (online) taught by faculty Small Group Communication taught by Verna Corgan Field Experience Seminar (online) taught by faculty
PAGE 7
Guess who’s back on campus?
Professor Suda Ishida returned this se-
mester from her one year leave of absence
spent in Washington D.C., where she con-
ducted research and taught online courses for
Hamline students. Ishida is the director of the
Certificate in International Journalism at
Hamline University and teaches Mass Com-
munication, Introduction to Critical Media
Studies and Media in Global Perspective.
While in the nation’s capital, Ishida
spent time with her daughter and her husband,
who works at the U.S. Food and Drug Admin-
istration. In her free time, she said she en-
joyed volunteering at her daughter’s high
school, especially video-taping and making
concert programs for the school’s orchestra.
During her leave, Ishida’s research spe-
cifically looked at how two major political
parties in Thailand, known as the Yellow
Shirts and the Red Shirts, have fought over
the political situation of Thailand for the last
ten years. The conflict began over divided
loyalties to the king, Bhumibol Adulyadej,
and the then appointed Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra.
Ishida used Discourse Analysis to re-
search how political campaigns in Thailand
have moved from traditional media to online
media. This topic is of particular interest to
her because she grew up in Thailand during a
time of social and political unrest. Further-
more, her home was only a few blocks away
from both the king and the prime minister’s
mansion.
Four years ago, the conflict between the
Yellow Shirts and the Red Shirts escalated as
members fought each other and held protests.
But because it is illegal for citizens to speak
badly of the royal family, Ishida said it was
difficult for both parties to voice their opin-
ions.
Today, the political situation in Thailand
remains tumultuous, and the fight between the
Yellow and Red shirts continues. Yet Ishida
said members have found new ways to use
technology for their causes.
“Now it’s moved to fight in the new
media forum,” she stated. “The internet pro-
vides a voice for them.”
Uploading videos onto YouTube has
given political activists the opportunity to
voice their anger, concerns, and thoughts
about policy and wrongdoings. Ishida said the
Thai government tries to remove the videos,
but it is difficult to do so once videos are up-
loaded and shared.
“If it goes to the internet, it’s just there,”
Ishida said.
Ishida’s research has resulted in her
study titled: YouTube and Online Political
Activism: A Case Study of how ‘Red Shirts’
and ‘Yellow Shirts’ movements made use of
YouTube to Mobilize Political Support in
Thailand. She hopes her paper will help her
audience better understand Thailand’s poli-
tics.
Ishida said the most exciting aspect of
being back at Hamline this year is seeing and
working with her students again. She espe-
cially enjoys when they critique media and
bring theories to life.
“When I meet with the students I grow. I
learn from them,” she said.
Suda Ishida is Back! By Brittany
McArdell
Ishida teaches Media in Global Perspective
during Fall 2011.
Photo by Marie Harmon
VOLUME 14, ISSUE 1
Hamline University
Communication Studies
1536 Hewitt Avenue
MS-B1801
St. Paul, MN 55104
Phone: 651-523-2296
consul t ing
Hamline University Communication Studies Program
Verna Corgan
651-523-2229
70 Drew Residence Hall
George Gaetano
651-523-2990
33-G Manor House
“The power to speak
well and think right will
reward the man who
approaches the art of
discourse with love of
wisdom and love of
honor.”
-Isocrates
The Communicator Volume 14, Issue 1 Fall 2011
Suda Ishida
651-523-2768
33-D Manor House
j Justin Killian
651-523-2744
Giddens Learning Center 122W
Patricia Palmerton
651-523-2229
117 Drew Science
