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Newsroom, Georgia Southern University

Newsroom (2006-2023)

• Georgia Southern student publications win awards at National College Media Convention

Athletic Foundation Teams Up With Amazonsmile, Georgia Southern University

Athletics: News & Publications

• Athletic Foundation teams up with AmazonSmile

Auxiliary News Online, Georgia Southern University

Auxiliary Services (2013-2021)

• Auxiliary Services Department Hours for Winter Break 2015

Omnibus Proposal, November 25, 2015, Comments Are Requested By May 16, 2016; Exposure Draft (American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants), 2015, November 25, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants. Professional Ethics Executive Committee

Exposure Drafts, Comment Letters, and Statements of Position

No abstract provided.

Continuation Rates And Reasons For Discontinuation Of Intra-Uterine Device In Three Provinces Of Pakistan: Results Of A 24-Month Prospective Client Follow-Up, Waqas Hameed, Syed Khurram Azmat, Muhammad Ishaque, Wajahat Hussain, Erik Munroe, Ghulam Mustafa, Omar Farooq Khan, Ghazunfer Abbas, Safdar Ali, Qaiser Jamshaid Asghar

Community Health Sciences

Background: Long-acting reversible contraceptives, such as the intrauterine device (IUD), remain underutilised in Pakistan with high discontinuation rates. Based on a 24-month prospective client follow-up (nested within a larger quasi-experimental study), this paper presents the comparison of two intervention models, one using private mid-level providers branded as "Suraj" and the other using community midwives (CMWs) of Maternal Newborn and Child Health Programme, for method continuation among IUD users. Moreover, determinants of IUD continuation and the reasons for discontinuation, and switching behaviour were studied within each arm.
Methods: A total of 1,163 IUD users, 824 from Suraj and 339 from the …

Complete Volume (37)

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Complete digitized volume (volume 37) of Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal.

Group Dynamics: Managing Interpersonal Conflict In The Group Decision Making Process, Brandon J. Semler, Stuart A. Schneider

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to group communication concepts, to teach methods of communicating, to expand student awareness of group dynamics, to expand student awareness of group decision-making, and to involve students in group discussions. Providing students with an opportunity to participate in discussion helps students develop an understanding of various dynamics at play in group communication and shows how group communication affects interpersonal relationships. The outcome of the activity is to improve students understanding of group decision making resulting in better decisions, less conflict, and more efficient use of time when working in groups.

Using Seinfeld To Enhance Storytelling Speeches, Kelly Soczka Kaiser

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

This classroom activity uses video clips from the sitcom, Seinfeld, in order to provide students with examples of the characteristics of exceptional storytellers and their ability to convey meaning. By applying the Freytag’s Pyramid to storytelling, students have found a tool to assist them in constructing a captivating narrative. These visual skits offer students an opportunity to view how a story is effectively organized, what elements comprise an extraordinary narrative, and how to dramatically display emotion.

Identifying Teaching Effectiveness: Using Student Skill Surveys, Speech Evaluations, And Quiz Scores To Inform Instruction, Sally A. Blomstrom

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

This paper suggests an instrument for measuring students’ self perceptions of improvement in public speaking skills, i.e., a skill survey, and a method to inform and improve instruction by looking at results from that survey in combination with instructor evaluation forms for persuasive speeches, quiz scores, and an information literacy measure. Data were collected from students enrolled in a public speaking course at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Background on the survey development and the method is provided along with results and discussion.

Twenty-Three Days: An Autoethnographic Account Of The Washington, D.C. Sniper Shootings, Chelsea Jordan Gutshall

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Our lives are often defined by the struggles we confront because in facing these trials we must reflect upon experiences and the power others have in shaping our reactions. The Washington, D.C. sniper shootings of October 2002 are one case of such terror. My own experiences with two shootings in my hometown and living extremely close to others serves as the background for this autoethnography, detailing what I and my family faced during that single month. The focus, however, is not the snipers but family communication and how parents help children cope during unimaginable crises. This autoethnography is divided into …

Explaining The Revolution: Vernacular Discourse And The Tipping Point In America’S 2006 Midterm Election, Ryan Michael Shepard

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

The 2006 midterm election marked perhaps the first time that the American public held the Bush administration accountable for its controversial actions. Various explanations have been offered for the backlash, ranging from public concern about the war to disgust over sex scandals involving prominent conservatives. In this essay, through analysis of vernacular discourse appearing in letters to the editor from USA Today, I argue that the election results stemmed from Bush’s weakening credibility – in respect to the dimensions of honesty, competence, and moderation – which limited the effectiveness of his rhetoric that was so powerful since September 11th.

Paws, Pathos And Presidential Persuasion: Franklin Roosevelt’S "Fala Speech" As Precursor And Model For Richard Nixon's "Checkers Speech", John Llewellyn

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In autumn 1944 Franklin Roosevelt’s presidential campaign was losing momentum. Then, in Congressional debate, U. S. Representative Harold Knutson of Minnesota accused Roosevelt of extravagance, claiming he sent a Navy destroyer to the Aleutian Islands to retrieve his Scottish terrier. FDR parried these charges with "the Fala speech," a mocking and acerbic attack on Republicans ("No, not content with that, they now include my little dog, Fala") that reenergized his campaign. "The Fala speech" also indirectly rescued Richard Nixon. Under attack in the 1952 campaign, Nixon saved his vice presidential aspirations and political career with the "Checkers" address. However, the …

The Art Of "Jesse-Talk": Speechwriting For Governor Jesse Ventura, Kristine Bruss

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In 1998, former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura stunned the political world by winning the race for governor of Minnesota. As a candidate, Ventura created impressions of honesty with his straightforward, candid style; even his inaugural address was unscripted. As governor, however, Ventura came to rely on a team of speechwriters to help him meet his speaking demands. In this essay, I present an interview with one member of Ventura’s communications team, Steve LeBeau, who addresses the challenge of writing speeches for an unconventional client with a penchant for improvisation. As the essay reveals, LeBeau’s background in media and theater helped, …

Broken Up But Not Broken: Satisfaction, Adjustment, And Communication In Post-Dissolutional Relationships, Stephanie Villella

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

The aim of this study was to examine adjustment, satisfaction, and the frequency of communication that occurs between ex-partners in post-dissolutional relationships. Participants (N = 239) were surveyed on their levels of satisfaction, adjustment to the break-up and communication with their most recent ex-romantic partner as a means to explore the process of redefining romantic relationships into platonic friendships. Results demonstrated that who initiated the break-up influenced levels of satisfaction and adjustment. Adjustment and frequency of communication were affected by whether ex-partners had moved on to a new romantic relationship. Differences were also observed between how males and females adjusted …

Frame Analysis: Students’ Construction Of Involvement And Noninvolvement In The College Classroom, Robert J. Sidelinger, Derek M. Bolen

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Frames and frame analysis examines the individual’s constructions of reality instead of society’s social constructions. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore college students’ (N = 434) construction of involvement and noninvolvement in the classroom from a frame analysis perspective. Six themes emerged from students’ descriptions of their perceptions of self and other students’ in-class involvement (e.g., active involvement), and eight themes emerged from descriptions of self and other students’ in-class noninvolvement (e.g., student passivity). Overall, students are likely to perceive themselves as involved and other students as noninvolved, even when the classroom behaviors are similar (e.g., listening, …

Front Matter

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Front matter and table of contents for Volume 37 of Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal.

Complete Volume (36)

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Complete digitized volume (volume 36) of Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal.

The Story Of 42nd Street, Diane Cypkin

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Book review of The Story of 42nd Street: The Theatres, Shows, Characters, and Scandals of the World’s Most Notorious Street by M.C. Henderson and A. Green.

Making Verbal Pauses Taboo®: Gaming To Improve Communication, Abby M. Brooks, Andrew C. Tollison

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

This activity contributes to the improvement of communication skills through application and enjoyment. The manuscript describes how a class can be divided into teams to test student’s communicative abilities by playing the Milton Bradley game Taboo®. With “buzzing,” timing and friendly competition speakers face-off at attempts to have their teammates guess words or phrases like “bowling alley” without saying “pins,” “shoes,” “spare,” “balls” or “strike.” This lively skill-building activity has been found to be an effective way to challenge the speaker to process what they are saying, reduce the use of verbal pauses, and use nonverbal pauses more effectively. Up …

Giving A Classmate An Award: Ceremonial Speaking Within The Classroom Environment, Heidi Hamilton

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

As citizens we encounter ceremonial speaking occasions throughout our lives, from wedding toasts to retirement dinners to eulogies. While many textbooks offer guidelines for the various types of speaking occasions, these occasions are difficult to create within the classroom environment. Often instructors skip assigning a full ceremonial speech because of this. This activity is designed to provide students with an opportunity to practice some of the basic elements of ceremonial speaking, such as writing a thesis statement, providing supporting materials, and using magnification. Students are paired together, interview each other, and then present original award speeches to each other, thus …

Mask Work And Improvisations: A Classroom Adaptation Based On The French Tradition, Marcia Berry

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Both historically and currently, mask work provides excellent body training for actors and mimes. This article offers a brief history of French mask work as well as step-by-step instructions for a mask workshop that moves students from simple to abstract mask improvisations. The mask workshop also functions as an icebreaker and builds class camaraderie.

Assessing The Public Speaking Course, Roberta Freeman

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

College and high school speech communication instructors know full well how tedious and timeconsuming assessment can be; however, this instructor has found a way to make assessment a more efficient and meaningful tool identifying strengths and weaknesses within the public speaking curriculum. After five years of extensive research, several drafts of rubrics and artifacts, the process has been streamlined and successful in that the data compiled reflects the strengths and challenges of this instructor’s students. This article is intended to provide public speaking instructors the opportunity to replicate part of the Minnesota State Community & Technical College (M State) speech …

A Rationale For Incorporating Dystopian Literature Into Introductory Speaking Courses, James P. Dimock, Chad Kuyper, Peggy Dimock

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Since Aristotle, teachers of public speaking have argued that an understanding of the audience’s beliefs, values, and assumptions about the world are the key to effective, persuasive speaking. All too often, however, public speaking courses either avoid audience analysis or focus on superficial details of the audience demographics. This paper makes the argument that by reading and discussing novels, students can develop an appreciation of their classmates as audience members and that dystopian fiction is especially well-suited to developing speech ideas that connect public speaking with the world outside the classroom. Teaching suggestions and lesson plans are included.

Viewing Film From A Communication Perspective: Film As Public Relations, Product Placement, And Rhetorical Advocacy In The College Classroom, Robin Patric Clair, Rebekah L. Fox, Jennifer L. Bezek

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Academics approach film from multiple perspectives, including critical, literary, rhetorical, and managerial approaches. Furthermore, and outside of film studies courses, films are frequently used as a pedagogical tool. Their relevance in society as well as their valuable use in the classroom makes them an important and pragmatic medium deserving further attention. The ability of film to be used in a socio-political way may sustain, challenge or change the status quo, which supports studying film as well as teaching students about the power of film. The purpose of this article is to share the development of a course which points out …

Effects Of Personality Preferences And Perceptions Of Others' Conflict Styles Impact On Roommate Satisfaction, Candice Morgan

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

The researcher sought to determine if personality preferences influenced perceptions of others’ conflict styles in roommate relationships. It was hypothesized that perceptions of conflict styles would impact satisfaction. Personality preferences for extraversion-introversion and thinkerfeeler were measured along with perceptions of the roommate’s conflict style and overall satisfaction with the relationship. Surveys were distributed and completed at the end of first semester by 133 first-year students living in college residence halls. Results partially supported the prediction that personality preferences would impact perceptions of roommate’s conflict styles. Consistent with previous studies, participants perceived the conflict styles of integrating, compromising, and obliging to …

Sex Abuse In The American Catholic Church And The Attempt At Redemption, Jeffrey A. Nelson

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

The paper analyzes the apologia of Catholic leaders as they responded to accusations that surfaced in 2002 regarding priestly sex abuse in the United States. A study of the apologetic techniques used is offered, noting particularly bolstering, transcendence, and differentiation. Though it was Catholic leaders themselves who used the differentiation approach in their apologia, in their reaction to that rhetoric the audience members may have been influenced by the media and/or the leaders’ peers. Thus, rhetorical efforts by those two sources also are studied. The investigation concentrates primarily on the four-month period beginning January 9 when coverage was most intense, …

"No Day But Today:" Life Perspectives Of Hiv-Positive Individuals In The Musical Rent, Valerie Lynn Schrader

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

This article explores how life perspectives of HIV-infected individuals are portrayed in the musical Rent. A rhetorical analysis of Rent’s script and lyrics reveals that people living with HIV may hold a particular life perspective after learning that they are HIV-positive; they may seek to leave a legacy, to experience life to the fullest or to devote their lives to others. These emergent themes are consistent with those found in previous research. In addition, this analysis revealed one theme that was not consistent with previous research; this theme is connected to the process of grieving. By understanding how people living …

"Brother," Enjoy Your Hypermodernity! Connections Between Gilles Lipovetsky's Hypermodern Times And Post-Soviet Russian Cinema, James M. Brandon

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

In prominent French social philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky’s Hypermodern Times (2005), the author asserts that the world has entered the period of hypermodernity, a time where the primary concepts of modernity are taken to their extreme conclusions. The conditions Lipovetsky described were already manifesting in a number of post-Soviet Russian films. In the tradition of Slavoj Zizek’s Enjoy Your Symptom (1992), this essay utilizes a number of post-Soviet Russian films to explicate Lipovetsky’s philosophy, while also using Lipovetsky’s ideas to explicate the films. Alexei Balabanov’s 1997 film Brat (“Brother”) is examined in the context of Lipovetsky’s work, along with other films …

Front Matter

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Front matter and table of contents for Volume 36 of Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal.

Repensando “Nación” Y “Raza” En Cuba Y Puerto Rico Desde La Poiesis De Julián Del Casal Y Luis Palés Matos, Alexander Torres

Nomenclatura: aproximaciones a los estudios hispánicos

¿Qué tienen en común el poeta cubano de fines del siglo XIX Julián del Casal (1863-1893) y el poeta puertorriqueño de la primera mitad del siglo XX Luis Palés Matos (1898-1959)? en este trabajo la idea central no es si la imaginería exotista y de tipo parnasiano del poeta cubano se pueda caracterizar como una apropiación subversiva de la cultura burguesa. Interesa más bien –de acuerdo con lo que sugiere Schulman sobre la época finisecular vista desde América Latina– la manera creativa con la que la poesía de éste se relaciona con la realidad circundante. El objeto del ensayo es …