By: Sowon Chung ’20
I joined the Communication Society in my sophomore year. Joining Comm Society, I thought, would allow me to meet people while also pursuing my goal of business development within the Communication major. I did not know many people studying Communication because all my friends were in different majors.
What I found that I valued most, however was the diversity of interests in my fellow majors. Communication students have different interests and many of them have interesting double majors or minors; so, I not only meet people with the same major, but also people with variety of interests. During my first year with Comm Society, I was part of the newsletter committee, which was very meaningful way to get to know my major because I got to write about the Communication department’s news and events. I enjoyed it so much that I became the newsletter chair!
The Communicator. In the newsletter chair position, I oversee the Newsletter Committee that produces the Department’s newsletter, The Communicator. This newsletter highlights stories about the growth of the Communication program and the most recent accomplishments of our students, faculty, and staff. We interview new professors, Martin Horn Scholarship winners, and other exciting personalities. Last year, we had a big shift as our newsletter switched from a PDF format to Mailchimp, making the Newsletter easier to access and tech-friendly. This year, the Newsletter committee will be teaming up with the PR class. Upcoming in the spring semester, we will begin putting together this year’s newsletter, so any students interested can contact the COMM Society and contribute to the Newsletter! (To view previous issues, check out The Communicator website: https://comm.uconn.edu/communicator/)
Public Speaking Competition. Interested in showing off your public speaking skills? Another meaningful and fun event the Comm Society organizes is the public speaking competition. This year will be the 6th annual competition. Last year, I was really fascinated by the different students from different majors showing off their public speaking skills. The competition also brings together judges from different fields of Communication: last year, the judges included Interpersonal Communication Professor (and Director of Graduate Studies) Amanda Denes, WFSB-TV Reporter & Anchor Caitlin Nuclo, and NBC Connecticut Political Reporter Maz Reiss.
Leadership in Comm Society. As an executive board member, I help plan and lead meetings every week. We try to have different types of events every week, such as sharing our experiences of internships, advice about COMM classes, going to communication department’s events, and bringing guest speakers. So far, we have had guest speakers–job recruiters, professors, and graduate students talking to us about graduate programs. Some of the members actually got internships through the Communication society, which is great! And we’re not ALL business; we also have fun activities like bowling, trips to Boston or New York, and ice skating!
Overall, I really enjoy being part of Comm Society. I’ve met some great people, followed through on my business development goals, and learned more about Communication in general. The Communication Society provides a variety of opportunities and experiences for students who are interested in the field of communication. Through networking opportunities, event planning experience, peer-to-peer advising, and other activities, students get the chance to learn more about the field of Communication itself than they could simply by attending classes. Check us out by attending one of our meetings. We have opportunities for everyone! Our meeting days this Spring are Mondays at 6:00 PM in Monteith 320.
If you have any questions, email us at uccommsociety@gmail.com.