Cynthia Callaham, a graduate student in West Texas A&M University’s Department of Communication, earned the Top Student Paper award for “A Metaphoric Analysis of 'West Wing': 20 Hours in America” at the Texas Speech Communication Association conference this month.

Callaham and fellow communication graduate students Nicolai Hartling, Amanda Rogers, Drew Stegall and Jackie Keenan-Kingston were honored by having their papers selected for presentation. All of the student presentations focused on presidential communication.

“Texas Speech Communication Association is one of the largest state associations that brings together teachers of communication at both the high school and college level,” said Dr. Trudy Hanson, chair of the department. “The Rhetoric and Communication Theory Interest group sponsors an invited paper panel for graduate students.”

Because the conference was held virtually this year, each of the students was able to attend the conference, including Hartling from his hometown of Copenhagen.

“The presentations by the five graduate students were engaging and informative,” Hanson said. “Each of them gave a 10-minute presentation that was well rehearsed and informative.”

Hartling wrote “A Fantasy Theme Analysis of John F. Kennedy’s ‘Ich Bin ein Berliner’.” Rogers presented “An Analysis of 'West Wing'’s Two Cathedrals Using Fantasy Theme Criticism.” Stegall wrote “Pro Life or Pro Votes? A Narrative Criticism of President Trump’s Speech at the 2020 March for Life Rally,” and Keenan-Kingston presented “More Perfect: Apply Bormann’s Fantasy Themes to Barack Obama’s Seminal Speech on Race.”

-West Texas A&M University