The Communication Club recently held a viewing of the third and final presidential debate, which was centered on foreign policy. The viewing was held in the Library Media Center and was open to everyone, not just club members. The purpose of this showing exemplifies one of the objectives that Communication Club was founded on — to study human communication. The club members work together on building a strong foundation for those who are interested in a career involving communication or those pursuing a major or minor in education.
Stephanie Hurst, professor of communication studies and the faculty advisor to the club, explained that the club focused on non-verbal communication, persuasion, small group interaction and how to produce a message effectively. The debate showing provided an excellent example to study non-verbal communication, such as hand gestures, posture and facial expressions, and to hear both sides while critically thinking about the subjects at hand.
Another perk of being in Communication Club is the equal standing everyone receives. Upon joining the club, new members are given the title “leader,” a title that everyone, excluding Hurst, has. There is no president, vice president or treasurer status. Everyone is simply a leader in this club, Hurst explained.
Apart from meeting and learning new and effective forms of communication, the group often organizes field trips to potential job sites that require a degree, either major or minor, in communication. Zeta Chik, an international student from Hong Kong, said, “For one trip we visited the King 5 news station and talked to the news anchors.” Chik has been in the club for four years and has been one of the more active members during this time. According to Hurst, the Communication Club is planning another trip to go and visit KPLU (a radio station based in Tacoma) in the near future. Other than field trips, guest speakers make an appearance every now and then to help students with listening and critical thinking skills. Chik also explained her favorite thing to do. “The most fun thing I like to do is the game night.” Game night is where students come together and play games that share communication aspects.
A big hope this year for the club is the recruitment of new members who are interested in a communication major. “We usually have around 10 to 15 members per year, with seven or eight of them being very active,” said Hurst, “but it really all depends on who is studying communication or interested at the time.”
A regular meeting consists of members coming together and discussing what they want to do, such having a guest speaker, plan a trip to Seattle University or have a communication department tour. They also contact local businesses and actively search the area for internships tied to communication studies. The club is a huge resource for those looking for additional information or extra practice in identifying certain communication aspects. After a few quarters of involvement, Hurst said, students will better understand what’s expected of themselves.
If Communication Club sparks an interest inside of you, contact Stephanie Hurst, the faculty advisor of the club, for more information.