Communication Studies Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Communication Studies, Film, and New Media

Inside the Speaking Lab

Posted on February 18, 2020February 18, 2020

Written by Preston Peterson

Have you been to the Augsburg Speaking Lab yet? It has been recently revamped and is open for Spring Semester. I spoke with Speaking Lab tutor John DeWitt to talk about the lab and his experience.

When it comes to giving your speech, being comfortable and being yourself is key. According to John, your speech is “just words on a piece of paper” if you don’t actually give it. The diamond method is a more technical but very useful tip to help your speech. Speaker Michael Hudson wrote an article on LinkedIn explaining exactly what the diamond method is. Dressing for the occasion is also important when presenting a speech. John told me “when in doubt, dress well.” We also talked about the significance of ethos in a speech. You want to make sure you have authority and credibility on a topic so that the audience will be more open to your message. The last tip is one of the most important ones, practice. Practicing your speech and becoming extremely familiar with it is key to giving the speech effectively.

John’s 5 Quick Tips for Public Speaking

Be yourself and make sure to showcase your personality.
Use the diamond method when giving a speech.
Dress for the occasion.
Make sure you have ethos on a topic when choosing what your speech will be about.
Practice, practice, practice.

You can bring your finished or unfinished speech to the Speaking Lab to work on presentation or content of the speech. The Speaking Lab is open from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Make an appointment on the Speaking Lab website or walk-in during lab hours.

Reflections from a Speech Tournament

Posted on February 12, 2020November 22, 2021

Written by John Dewitt | Photos by Marceleen Mosher

“The level of professionalism– far too much.” – Latrice Royal

So, you want to enter a speech competition? Great! Competitive speech is a great way to improve your speaking skills (other than coming in to meet me at our Speaking Lab in Foss 171C). It offers a healthy competition for those who are looking to push their speaking skills to the next level. I would like to inform you about how these tournaments play out.

In high school, I participated in competitive forensics. Common categories include but are not limited to prose, duo, poetry, persuasive, informational, after dinner, and drama. I participated in prose and duo. However, be fair warned about the professional, competitive culture within speech tournaments. We’re not in high school anymore. The competition is high and the competitors have been training with a coach for months (Don’t worry! We have coaches at Augsburg too! You can speak with either Bob Groven or David Lapakko for more details!). If you think you can go into the tournament by yourself with no help from a coach, I salute you.

competitors taking a break in-between rounds — Speech Competitors

Teammates pose for a quick picture — Speech Competitors

Every speech is 10 minutes long. So, it is best that you drill (aka practice) your speech as many times as you can with a timer. They will dock points if you are not fully memorized. In the real world, when you are publicly speaking, the audience wants you to do well. No one goes into a speech waiting for you to fail. However, in this competition, everyone is waiting for you to slip-up. Well, it is a competition after all. They want that trophy! The culture is to be professional. In high school, this was a looser term. Now, in college, on our way to adulting, professionalism is the game. It is deemed as unprofessional to even talk to each other at these events. Unless it is a compliment loud enough for your judge to hear. Everyone is hyper-focused on themselves and doing well in their own speeches.

That said, competitive speech is a fun experience when you play the game for what it is. This is a competition! I loved speech in high school because it got me out of my comfort zone. Participating in Speech in college will not only heighten your public speaking skills but, at Augsburg, it will heighten your will power to trust yourself and build professional skills. You’ve got this!!

CGEE: Communication and Media Studies: Migration & Social Change in Mexico

Posted on February 1, 2020February 12, 2020

Written by Preston Peterson | Photos by Jenna McNallie

Augsburg University’s Center for Global Education and Experience is offering a semester-long study abroad opportunity in Cuernavaca, Mexico Fall 2020! The study abroad semester surrounds Communication and Media Studies: Migration & Social Change in Mexico. The program surrounds topics of responsible journalism, immigration, migration, the environment, marginalized groups and connections to media. The priority application deadline is March 1 and the final deadline is April 1.

To learn more, visit Augsburg CGEE: Communication and Media Studies: Migration & Social Change in Mexico.

elevated view of the neighborhood in cuernavaca — Neighborhood view | Photo: Jenna McNallie

view of courtyard from a second story balcony — Courtyard | Photo: Jenna McNallie

Auggie’s Set to Present at Undergraduate Communication Research Conference

Posted on April 23, 2019October 2, 2020

Four Auggies will be among those presenting at this week’s Undergraduate Communication Research Conference at the University of St. Thomas. Brandon Williams, Gareth Davis, Skye Rygh, and Max Stempf are among the scholars selected for inclusion at the conference this coming Friday, April 26th. Augsburg students will join 16 other participating schools, including Hamline, Macalester, Bethel, Gustavus, St. Kate’s, and the U of M. The conference features a series of student panels and a keynote address. This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Mark Meisner, the executive director of the International Environmental Communication Association (IECA).

UCRC 2019 Augsburg Presenters and Topics

“Corporate Twitter: Cultural Branding in the Age of 280 Characters” by Gareth Davis
“Online Dating Sites: Tinder” by Brandon Williams
“Line 3 Replacement Project: Environmental Justice and Communication in Minnesota” by Skye Rygh
“Content Analysis: Are Certain Genders or Races Used to Persuade More in Newspaper Advertisements?” by Max Stumpf

Trio of Auggies present at PCA

Posted on April 22, 2019

Professor Kristen Chamberlain, who, along with Marceleen Mosher, presented a paper this past week at the Popular Culture Association conference in Washington, D.C. Their topic? “Failing Infrastructures: The Hydrosocial Cycle and Water in the U.S.” Senior communication studies and political science student, Kristian Evans, ’19, also presented at the conference. His topic? “What if Joseph Campbell Could Dunk? A Rhetorical Analysis of the Narrative Constructed Around LeBron James” Chamberlain advised Evans on the project.

“Failing Infrastructures: The Hydrosocial Cycle and Water in the U.S.”

The water crisis in Flint, Michigan illuminated a startling concern across the United States of aging infrastructures and limited public investment. Residents lacked both the financial freedom to invest in their own community and a representative voice in the decisions that impact them. But Flint’s underlying problem is not unique. Our water infrastructure is at risk and buried out of sight in many modern-day, fiscally strapped communities – both literally and figuratively. This hidden landscape lies at the intersection of both the natural and built water supplies we all rely on. Grounded in the hydrosocial cycle, we seek to situate the inherent flaws in solving community water infrastructure challenges with budget forward approaches. It is critical for policymakers and community members to examine water in relation to its role in modern day society and its very stake in humanity’s survival.

“What if Joseph Campbell Could Dunk? A Rhetorical Analysis of the Narrative Constructed Around LeBron James”

Senior Kristian Evans presenting at the PCA conference.

LeBron James sits at the top of the American athletic hierarchy. No other star combines the same amount of talent, celebrity, and notoriety as James has since bursting onto the scene as a high school phenom in 2002 (“ESPN World Fame 100”, 2017). His life, from the blacktops of poverty-stricken Akron to NBA champion, has followed a narrative that aligns closely with Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey.” LeBron James has come to represent a symbol of the struggles and redemption of the city of Cleveland, the next generation of basketball superstars following Michael Jordan, and the continuation of a rich and complicated narrative of African-American athletes and their relationship social justice. Through this rhetorical analysis of sports media coverage, Nike advertising campaigns and other mediums that combine to perpetuate the myth that is LeBron James, one can both observe how these forces combine to tell a heroic story and better understand the usefulness of Campbell’s Heroic Journey as it pertains to modern day athletes.

Join the Speech Team

Posted on March 4, 2019

If you’ve ever wanted to perfect your speaking skills, travel to different schools and meet students from other schools, and have a lot of fun in the process, then Augsburg Forensics is for you! We encourage you to check out what being on the “speech team” has to offer. And–new for incoming students–we have forensics scholarships, from $3000 to $5000!

Augsburg’s Speech Team participates in 8-10 interscholastic speech tournaments each year in eleven different events, which include:

Interpretation Events

Dramatic Interpretation – Students interpret a piece of dramatic literature performed by one individual utilizing two or more characters.
Duo Interpretation – Two students interpret a cutting from a play.
Poetry – Students interpret a poem or a selection of poems.
Program Oral Interpretation – Students interpret a themed program containing two of the three interpretive genres (prose, poetry, drama).
Prose – Students interpret a piece of prose literature using a manuscript.

Limited-Preparation Events

Extemporaneous Speaking – Students give a five- to seven-minute speech on a domestic, international or economic topic, delivered after a half-hour preparation period.
Impromptu Speaking – Students have seven minutes to prepare and deliver an impromptu speech, usually on a familiar saying or significant quotation; may also be an object or cartoon.

Public Address Events

After-Dinner Speaking – Students deliver a humorous speech designed to entertain the audience while persuading or informing.
Communication Analysis – Students deliver a speech in which the speaker describes, interprets, and evaluates a speech or other rhetorical artifact.
Informative – Students deliver a speech that heightens the audience’s awareness of some subject.
Persuasive – Students deliver a speech designed to persuade the audience.

At Augsburg, you are welcome to set your own level of participation in the activity. If you only want to attend one or two speech meets per year, that’s fine, and if you want to go to 7 or 8, that’s good too! We are here to serve your needs and make being on the speech team a manageable and worthwhile experience.

If you’re interested in being involved with contest speech activities, contact David Lapakko, Director of Forensics, at lapakko@augsburg.edu