Among the many clubs that Bellevue College offers to students, there is one that might interest those heading into the field of communication, especially that of journalism and public relations. The Communication Club at BC is one that has been around for quite some time already, though it has not gotten very big yet. Katherine Olsen, who currently resides as head of communication studies at BC, started this club in 2005 as a way for communications study students to connect and network with each other.
They practice their speeches in front of their peers and receive constructive feedback on how to improve their speech. They even have game nights where they can just connect with each other. It is, as some would call it, “an enriching experience.” Co-adviser of the club, Jen Anderson, talked about wanting the club to be student-run, while the advisers would just be there for support.
Some of the things organized by the students include field trips. Just to a list a few places, they have been to Nintendo, Xbox and even the KING 5 news station, where they would get a behind-the-scenes tour and be able to speak with the anchors and personalities from the network. Therefore, for those wanting to network and possibly improve their communication skills, this club will definitely help with that. The club members also watch the debates together during election season.
Those interested in checking out the debates and learning how politicians use communication to sway the public should also come to check out the club.
The students here may be taking communication classes, but that is not to say that they are here for just fun. No, these students also want to be able to pursue their careers in journalism, law, broadcasting and more. By joining the Communication Club, they are able to put this on their application for colleges to look at. UW even sometimes sends speakers to the club to help the students write their personal statements. This club is relatively small, usually consisting of five to 12 people that meet consistently. This is because they have not had the time to visit classes due to their own class schedules, and because most of the time, news of the club is spread via word of mouth.
Stephanie Hurst, current head adviser for the club, has said that she wants the club to be “more visible and student run.” She was also able to provide information for most of the historic background and interesting information behind the club, such as the fact that the former Miss Washington used to be an adviser for the club, since she worked part time as an instructor at BC. In addition, Hurst wants to plan a trip to Google for the club members, which seems to be an exciting and anticipated trip.
Li Liu, co-adviser along with Anderson, provided the next two club meeting times. The first one is on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 1:30 p.m. in R140A, and the one after is on Wednesday, Feb. 12, same time and location. If any students are interested or have any questions, they would do well to visit either Anderson or Liu at their office: Located in R230P.