School of Communication

Recent News

Save the date!

This year's third annual School of Communication CommCrew Reunion Banquet will be held the evening of Sept. 26, 2008! More information, including how to purchase tickets, will be made available soon. The banquet is for alumni, School of Communication faculty, and other media professionals. Students and parents are also invited; the date is during Parents Weekend at ECU. We hope to see you there!

School of Comm student gets experience through radio 'boot camp'

(UPDATED July 17, 2008: posted June 17, 2008)

ECU School of Communication student, John Vaughn, is one of only five students competitively selected to participate in a journalism project for National Public Radio (NPR) and North Carolina Public Radio-WUNC.
    The two organizations sponsored the radio journalism-training project for college students in the central North Carolina area as part of NPR's series of "Next Generation Radio" journalism training projects held across the country. Student journalists, including Vaughn, served as reporters at a five-day intensive "boot-camp" in mid-May. Each participant developed, reported and produced stories for broadcast on NPR's next generation radio web site and WUNC's web site, and worked under the guidance of professional journalists from NPR and WUNC.
    WUNC will broadcast the Next Generation project as a half hour show hosted by Frank Stasio on Tuesday July 22 at 10 PM.
    More information is available at        http://www.npr.org/about/nextgen/wunc2008/.

Seniors learn firsthand how to give back to caregivers
(posted May 13, 2008)

by Jessica Kelly

During the Spring, one of Dr. Rebecca Dumlao's Senior Seminar classes worked together on a service-learning project with Asera Care Hospice staff members to plan an entire volunteer appreciation dinner.

Students gained practical experience, and the staff at Asera Care received the students' creative ideas and experience in event planning, according to Dumlao.

The dinner included gifts, decorations, invitations, and "Thank You" cards from patients—all of which were spearheaded by the students, according to Kristi Fearrington, volunteer coordinator.

The dinner was held at Logan's restaurant on April 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The theme was "Volunteers Are Stars."

Hospice care may be delivered in the person's home or a variety of medical settings. According to the organization's brochure, Hospice "affirms life, emphasizing dignity and comfort while enhancing quality of life for the person coping with a life limiting illness."

The volunteers honored at the dinner give individual attention to patients in a variety of ways, such as reading to patients, or simply providing companionship.

Associate Dean for Medical Education, Dr. David Music, volunteers to give something back to the community. He related that he takes things he has learned and tries to incorporate them into the classroom when teaching about end-of-life care.

Volunteer Captain Bill Stancil said it is "very rewarding." He is referred to as the musician who sings for his patients and plays guitar.

Ray Williams, also a volunteer, said he currently has four patients. He reads for one patient who is blind, but he spends time simply talking with patients too.

For more information on Asera Care Hospice of Winterville, go to: www.aseracare.com.

Dumlao related that this is one sample of a number of service-learning projects implemented by her three classes of 48 Senior Seminar students this semester. Students not helping to prepare for the volunteer dinner prepared a booklet of inspiring quotes, and a PowerPoint of ways to relax and renew for the upcoming Caregiver's Conference to be held next October. Another class worked with the American Red Cross.

The School of Communication fondly remembers
Jim Rees: professor, colleague, mentor, friend

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James Rees
January 1935–April 2008 (Click here for tribute page)

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