"West Texas A&M University will be well represented at the 2018 Southern States Communication Association (SSCA) Conference April 4-8 in Nashville, Tenn. Three undergraduate students from the Department of Communication will present their research papers during the conference along with four communication professors who will present on various panels.
The three undergraduate students presenting papers are participating in the Undergraduate Honors Conference sponsored by SSCA each year. Corporate communication senior Karis Stephens of Amarillo will present her paper “The Stone Table and the Redemption of Man: A Metaphoric Criticism of C.S Lewis’ The Lion and the Wardrobe.” Stephens decided to use this particular artifact for her research to discuss “metaphors used by Lewis to portray the sacrifice of Jesus in the Bible.”
Katie Rowan, a December 2017 corporate communication graduate and current B.F.A. dance major from Canyon, knew she wanted to incorporate an artifact from writer, performer and artist Lin-Manuel Miranda. She chose to title her paper, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story: A Feminist Criticism of Eliza Hamilton’s Role in Preserving Alexander Hamilton’s Legacy.” Rowan wanted to study why Miranda made the rhetorical choices and how that impacted the final scene in Hamilton.
Senior Kiersten Newton, a communication education major from McLean, analyzed the 2016 Super Bowl halftime performance, specifically looking at the band Coldplay and their song “Up & Up,” Newton’s paper is titled, “Believe in Love: A Cluster Criticism of the 2016 Super Bowl Halftime Show.” Newton said “It’s been a lot of stress and pressure to get here, but it’s exciting to explore Nashville while creating lifelong connections.”
Dr. Trudy Hanson, head of the Department of Communication, Dr. Noah Franken, assistant professor of communication, Kim Bruce, associate lecturer of mass communication, and Dr. Kristina Drumheller, professor of communication studies and head of the Department of History, are attending the conference to present their research on various panels. Hanson will be presenting on a panel of “Great Ideas for Teaching Students.” Her presentation is titled, “Analyzing Commencement Speaking in Rhetorical Criticism.” Bruce also is presenting for the “Great Ideas for Teaching Students” session. Her presentation focuses on managing campus and community social media.
Franken will present on the panel “Top Papers in Popular Communication” with his paper titled, “Semiotic Analysis of the White Stripes: Authenticity and the Carnivalesque.”
Drumheller will present on two panels during SSCA. The first panel is over Emotional Intelligence, and her paper is titled, “It’s Funny, Because it’s True: Organizational Lessons on Emotional Intelligence from Popular Culture.”
While in Nashville for the conference, Hanson and the three undergraduate students will attend a Grand Ole Opry concert and participate in a backstage tour."
-West Texas A&M University
