Welcome to comm·unity, the biannual newsletter reporting on new and exciting developments in the communication department! We are so thrilled to have so many stories to share this semester. The department has been up to some incredible stuff - read on to see for yourself!
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Fresh off our Senior Awards Banquet (our first in-person ceremony since 2019), I look around and see our labs full of students editing their short films, presentations taking place in our classrooms and majors putting the finishing touches on their capstone projects. As we prepare for final exams and summer adventures, it is a good time to reflect on this semester and celebrate how far we all have come.
In this issue of comm·unity, we highlight student successes in Communication, as well as continuing achievements of alumni and faculty. From Lily Arida’s presentation of her Senior Seminar paper at the Eastern Communication Association to Agon Shehu and Deirdre Heavey having their papers published in ETC, the academic journal of the Institute for General Semantics, our students are being recognized for their research. Student clubs popular with COMM students have been doing great work, too, from AAF competing in the National Student Advertising Competition to PRSSA competing in the Bateman Case Study Competition, to students writing for The Quadrangle winning three awards from the Catholic Media Association. Lotus has taken on a more inclusive focus, and MCTV continues to produce the Lasallian Women and Gender Resource Center podcast, Manhattan Minute and the Quadcast. Our Sports Media Production students have produced another season of live broadcasts on ESPN+, and this will be the first year our students, under the supervision of Director/Producer Joe Ruggiero, will live stream Manhattan College’s commencement ceremonies.
Our students have been shining at internships and jobs this semester at NBC Universal, Ideamix, Madison Square Garden, The Door Idea House, Rachel Harrison Communications, the United Soccer League, BronxNet and more. Congratulations to Ally Mejia, who turned her internship at NBC into a full-time job, and Samantha Gaddy for being promoted into a supervising position at CBS Sports. Jilleen Barrett just won a first-place award from the New York Press Association for an article she wrote while interning at The Riverdale Press, and Timmy Kwong was named a Social Impact Awards Finalist for Undergraduate Student of the Year by PR News. You can even see our alumni on the big screen, including 2021 graduate Scarlett Sperduto’s starring roles in Those Who Walk Away and the upcoming film Float.
This is a lot to celebrate, and there are many more accomplishments than I have listed here. As you land jobs, internships, and win awards, let us know so we can sing your praises on social media. I hold an incredible amount of pride in our students and program, and I am continuously amazed by all your accomplishments, especially as we emerge from the pandemic and the disruptions it has caused. As always, my door is open to you to hear about your successes as well as challenges. Please share your congratulations to your fellow students’ accomplishments by subscribing to and engaging with @MCCOMMDEPT on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. Congratulations to our graduates, and we look forward to welcoming current and new students back on campus this fall.
Dr. Michael Grabowski
Chair, Communication Department
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Communication Department to Stream May Commencement |
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by Claire Ganguin
The Manhattan College Sports Media Production crew is poised to broadcast the 2022 commencement live from the Meadowlands Exposition Center for the first time. In previous years, the commencement for graduating students has been held in Draddy Gymnasium, but this year, it will be held in New Jersey at the Meadowlands in order to allow the best possible in-person experience for the graduates and their families.
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New Facility Upgrades at the Communication Department |
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by Caroline Bart
Spring 2022 has been a great semester so far for the communication department as it’s gearing up for exciting new equipment and facility upgrades. This semester, communication students have been able to take advantage of these new developments firsthand in and out of class, as well as in communication clubs such as MCTV. Some of the new equipment ranges from new projectors in classrooms, all the way to a new audio mixer in the TV studio and so much more.
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Advanced Television Production Students Work with Local Organizations to Produce Public Service Announcements |
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by Timmy Kwong
Dr. Michael Grabowski, chair of the Communication Department, typically employs community-engaged learning in one of his courses, COMM 419: Advanced Television Production. This semester, the students in the class worked with Concourse House Women’s Shelter, Center for Graduate School & Fellowship Advisement, Turnstyle, KHCC, The Quadrangle, Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, 5th Dimension VR, and NY Fair Trade.
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Meet Kyla Guilfoil, The Newly Elected
Editor-in-Chief of The Quadrangle
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by Kerry Sullivan
In November 2021, The Quadrangle elected a new leader: Kyla Guilfoil, a sophomore who stepped into the role the very next month and has been spearheading the newspaper since.
Guilfoil is a communication and political science double major concentrating in journalism. She is one of the five recipients of the Quadrangle Scholarship from the class of 2024, and has been heavily involved in The Quad since her freshman year, starting as a staff writer, and then assistant news editor, working up the ranks to editor-in-chief.
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Putting Their Skills to the Test: PRSSA Competes in the Bateman Competition |
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by Skylar Rossi
The Public Relations Student Society of America offers members the opportunity to compete in the Bateman Competition, a national case study contest for public relations students. This year PRSSA partnered with the Lymphoma Research Foundation. The goal for teams was to raise awareness on campus and within the local community about adolescent and young adult lymphoma and help make Lymphoma Research Foundation the go-to for information on this disease.
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AAF Members Take on the NSAC |
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by Ashley Baptiste
In a competition of almost two thousand
college students nationwide, nine Manhattan College students registered for the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC). These students are members of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), a national organization of school chapters and working professionals in the advertising industry.
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Lotus Magazine Sees Growth in its Fifth Year
by Sydney Garff
Lotus, the Manhattan College student-run lifestyle and fashion magazine has evolved into something much more than it was when it was established on campus in 2017. Lotus was created by Communication department alumna Olivia Paladino and was meant to be a women’s lifestyle and fashion magazine.
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Lotus Magazine Holds Fashion Show to Celebrate Tenth Issue
Photos by Brian Asare, Elizabeth Dong and Adrianne Hutto
Photospread compiled by Jilleen Barrett
In celebration of their tenth issue, Lotus Magazine hosted a fashion show on the quadrangle.
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Seniors Intern with NYC’s Biggest Media Companies |
by Maddie Johnson
Senior communication majors Thomas Courtney and Ally Mejia spent their semesters working for some of NYC's biggest media companies. Ally Mejia, a public relations student, interned for NBC Universal, and Thomas Courtney, a sports media production student, interned for the Madison Square Garden Company.
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Lily Arida, Agon Shehu and Deirdre Heavey’s Senior Seminar Papers Garner Recognition from ECA, ETC |
Every communication major, as a junior or senior, is required to take the Media Theory and Research course. In this course, students learn many different communication theories and research methods that will help them in the next course in the communication core sequence — Senior Seminar. In Senior Seminar, students work on a 25 page communication research project under the guidance of their professor.
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Timmy Kwong Named Social Impact Awards Finalist for Undergraduate Student of the Year by PR News |
by Calista Baker
Communication student Timmy Kwong has been nominated as a Social Impact Awards Finalist by PR News. Kwong is a junior concentrating in public relations and serves as the vice president of Diversity and Inclusion at the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Manhattan College chapter.
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Female Leadership at Manhattan College |
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These videos on female leadership were produced by students in Joe Ruggiero's sports media production class for their final projects. |
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Communication Department Faculty Receive
Tenure and Promotions
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by Christina Rella
Three faculty members of the Communication Department have received recognition for their consistent and dedicated work in education. The Chair of the department, Dr. Michael Grabowski, has been promoted to Professor, while Dr. Arshia Anwer and Dr. Michael Plugh have both received tenure and were promoted to Associate Professors.
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Comm Alum Stars in "Those Who Walk Away"
by Christine Nappi
Acting has always been Scarlett Sperduto’s dream, and now she’s on the big screen. Sperduto, who graduated from Manhattan College in 2021 with a concentration in public relations, has been acting all of her life and recently starred in the film “Those Who Walk Away,” in her biggest role to date.
“Those Who Walk Away” is a dramatic, thrilling horror film that stars Sperduto as the character Avery, alongside her co-star Max, who is played by Booboo Stewart. The two meet on a dating app and go to a haunted house together where they both spiral into their worst nightmare. Directed by Robert Rippberger, the film was released on Feb. 11, 2022 and is available for purchase on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu, YouTube and Google Play.
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A Note From Christine and Jilleen |
Thank you for taking the time to read the Spring 2022 edition of the communication department newsletter! We have had a great year working on this together. However, this newsletter wouldn't have been possible without our team of student workers– thank you for all that you do! The communication department has had some major successes these past two semesters, and we loved writing about them!
Jilleen Barrett
Editor
As a graduating senior I sincerely want to thank the Communication Department for everything it's done for me. The department has given me endless opportunities to grow both personally and professionally and has supported me since day one. I truthfully don't think I would be where I am today had I not joined the Comm Department. I know I speak on behalf of all the seniors when I say that I am going to miss the Department dearly, but am so thankful to have met incredible people who will never stop believing in me.
Thank you for everything!
Christine Nappi
Editor
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Follow the COMM Club Social Media! |
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Engage with Fellow COMM Students |
Be sure to follow the department's accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @mccommdept for updates and information on events and happenings within the department. Also follow the accounts of the student clubs listed below.
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Editors
Editors: Christine Nappi & Jilleen Barrett
Faculty Advisor: Arshia Anwer
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