This semester, Ali-Coleman brought in speakers to reinforce the fact that skills learned in her CST 110 course are useful for almost any industry her students may choose for their career. For instance, television show host Tariiq Omari Walton of the CTV television show “Views & Vibes” came in to visit her class. Walton, a television host and owner of Infinite Possibilities Entertainment, LLC engaged students in a series of mock interview scenarios for students to apply their skills learned over the semester in interpersonal communication and impromptu speaking. Students gave and received feedback regarding best practices when interviewing for a job and some received individualized feedback from Mr. Walton about what specific things employers look for during an interview.

“Most of the students taking CST 110 take it because it’s required for their major,” she says. “I’m always thinking of new ways to get them to understand that having strong communication skills is a necessity in today’s world for just about everyone. No one has the option today to be a poor communicator.”

CST 110 Student Hiba with Guest Speaker Tariq Omari Walton

Professor Khadijah Ali-Coleman will be teaching CST 110 this summer and upcoming Fall semester on Alexandria’s campus. Visit her blog at http://blogs.nvcc.edu/kalicoleman/

Don’t miss this upcoming opportunity to see the NOVA Forensics Team performing some of their events!

T’WAS THE AFTERNOON AFTER NATIONALS

Tuesday May 7th, 2013 2:00  – 3:30 p.m. (Bisdorf Room 196)

How should the U.S. Federal Government respond to the current economic crisis? What does a dramatic performance of literature have to do with increases in teenage homelessness rates? In what ways can near-field communication technology change your life?  How safe are our nation’s bridges and freeways?  What is the moral of the Ralph Waldo Emerson quotation, Money often costs too much? The answers to the aforementioned questions are just samples from the success of the NOVA Forensics Team this year.  Just a few weeks ago, select members of the team traveled to Los Angeles, California to compete at the Phi Rho Pi National Tournament.  Head coach Dr. Nathan Carter said, “The Phi Rho Pi National Tournament is the premier tournament of the year.  It’s also a performance marathon! Students often wake as early as 6 a.m. for vocal warm-ups and finish their competition rounds at night.  All the NOVA students worked hard this year. They competed against the best in the country.  We should all be very proud of their efforts and dedication!”

In total, 56 schools and over 575 student competitors participated in the 2013 Phi Rho Pi National Tournament.  Erblin Nushi competed in Prose and Dramatic Interpretation, Nontobeko Masilela competed in Persuasive Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking and Parliamentary Debate, Tuscany Justice competed in Impromptu Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking and Parliamentary Debate, and Murs Alioglu competed in Prose Interpretation and Informative Speaking.  Though NOVA did not walk away with the highest awards at the tournament, our students came very close to advancing onward to elimination rounds!  In addition, NOVA was formally recognized by Phi Rho Pi as a prominent forensics force in just our first full year of intercollegiate competition.   It was quite an honor!

Of course, competitive forensics is not just about awards and accolades.  Students gain a lifetime of experience and education from their participation on the team.  “Forensics gives new life chances and perspectives for a student’s academic future.  I loved the work I did this year,” said Murs.   Murs is transferring from NOVA to an ivy-league university in the upcoming months.  In addition to winning awards at regional tournaments and furthering his career options he also indicated he made a lot of lifetime friends by competing on the team.  Erblin Nushi is transferring to an acting school in Los Angeles next year, but he also attested to the value of forensics and its impact on his life. “Participation on the team took my acting and performance skills to the next level”, Erblin stated, “I learned different techniques and I felt like the message of my performance was communicated on a grander level thanks to all the hard work, focus, and friendly forensics competition.” In sum, NOVA’s first year at nationals was a great success and it sets the stage for even greater showings in the future!

For more information about the NOVA Forensics Team and how to get involved or tryout for next year’s exciting 2013-2014 season please contact Dr. Nathan Carter (CST), Office location: Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria Campus, Bisdorf Room 252,  nacarter@nvcc.edu (703) 845-6574.

Also don’t miss this upcoming opportunity to see the NOVA Forensics Team performing some of their events!

T’WAS THE AFTERNOON AFTER NATIONALS

Tuesday May 7^th, 2013 2:00  – 3:30 p.m. (Bisdorf Room 196)  

Of course, the success of the team could not have occurred without the regular help of our full-time coaching staff!  Kudos to Amy Schumacher,  Jackie Schillig, and Terry Matlaga for their hard work with the team and all they did to help students prepare their events this year! Kudos to all of you for helping with the large scale forensics tournament we hosted in January, we will be at it again next year for sure!   Kudos to all the administrative support from the College-wide Office of Student Activities, NOVA’s Institute for Public Service, and administrative leadership from the NOVA Alexandria campus and the NOVA Alexandria Liberal Arts Division, and the various leadership in the CST Division for supporting this activity!

All of you make my job directing the team much easier and I look forward to another great year of fun and exciting forensics competition for our students!

Please let me know if you have any questions about the team or want to know more about what we will be up to this summer as we seek more students (and full-time coaches) to join and begin preparations for next year’s season!

As always a joy to be here with you!

Regards,

Nathan Carter. Ph.D.
Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria Campus
Communication Studies and Theatre
nacarter@nvcc.edu
(703) 845-6573

Taught by Dr. Lori Morimoto, this course will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-1:45. Sign up for CST 195-001N

In this course, we will explore the historical, cultural, and thematic contexts of Japanese animation, from the early works of Noburo Ofuji to the animated works of contemporary filmmakers such as Mamoru Oshii and Hayao Miyazaki.

For more information, contact Dr. Morimoto, lmorimoto@nvcc.edu.

Every wonder why you need to license a radio station? Or why AM radio was so popular? Or how email makes its way to you?

Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Annandale Campus, Dr. Amy Gilley, agilley@nvcc.edu

Alpha Alpha Chapter Faculty Advisor Tami Olds (LO), Jennier Rainey (AN) and Nan Peck (AN) hosted the initiation before family, faculty, and friends. A reception followed.  Communication Studies faculty Amber Koeckritz, Shaunda Durham, and Kennith Darensbourg joined the chapter in welcoming new members and recognizing their achievements.

Pictured: (L-R)  Shaunda Durham, Tami Olds, Justin Kaylor, Ben Ellison, Jennifer Rainey

Sigma Chi Eta, the national communication honor society for 2-year colleges, was established 2007.  Honoring the tenets of Sigma Chi Eta, these students selected for membership displayed commitments to character, scholarship, and the field of communication studies.

Students completing nine credit hours in Communication Studies and/or Theater with a 3.25 and an overall GPA of 3.0 are eligible for membership. If interested in more information on becoming a part of Sigma Chi Eta, contact the advisor, Dr. Tami Olds in the Division of Communication and Human Studies, Loudoun campus, at (703) 450-2515 or at tolds@nvcc.edu.

The change approval was announced at NOVA’s Curriculum Committee meeting on January 30, 2013.

ALEXANDRIA
Altaf Al Dailami
Betsy Lujan
Sondos Mahmoud
Elaine Perkins
Adelina Takie Bahta

ANNANDALE
Alexis Cartier
Olga Diana
Ben Ellison
Walter Gans
Hoi Ki Lau

LOUDOUN
Joshua Bauman
Katelynn Timms

MANASSAS
Christine Alford
Markus Matthews

WOODBRIDGE
Shelby Crawford
Justin Kaylor

To learn more about Sigma Chi Eta, go to http://www.nvcc.edu/home/npeck/sce.html, or contact Professor Tami Olds, tolds@nvcc.edu

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