MSU Billings Department of Communication and Theatre

Anyone who wants to view the Roma Storytelling Documentary who missed last Tuesday, here it is:

The Roma Story Telling Project This is a story of discovery. In the summer of 2023, Montana State University student Sarah Maisel went to North Macedonia to learn about the plight of the Roma…

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

At long last, and with the tremendous help of many of you, the Roma Storytelling Documentary is ready for screening. The debut will be held in conjunction with a “Meet Your Neighbors: Life at the Cultural Boundaries” event at 5:30-8:30 pm Tues., April 16, at the Glacier Room at Montana State University Billings, organized by the MSUB department of Communication and Office of International Studies. This film would not have been possible without the generous support of the IDEAS Program at World Learning, the Max van der Stoel Institute at South Eastern European University, RomaLitico, the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, the Roma Democratic Development Association, the Association for Roma Women Development, and the U. S. Embassy Skopje.

https://vimeo.com/921338652/94849ea48e?share=copy

My name is Daniel Lurie, I am graduating this semester with a Bachelor in Organizational Communications, and I just concluded my internship with the Montana State University Billings Communication and Theatre Department. My experience interning for the Comm Department has simply been amazing, and I wanted to take a couple of minutes to talk about it. When starting my internship I was excited to be working directly with Dr. Boehm, who I have known as a teacher for a few years, and who I also consider one of my biggest inspirations/role models at MSUB. She provided me with a master list of expectations and projects and from there I basically hit the ground running.

I was extremely appreciative of never being micromanaged, as well as the the high expectations, because it fueled my drive to produce quality work. During my time as an intern, I wrote news articles, conducted interviews, built all of the social media posts you have seen on this page, as well as slides for D2L and for the display screen outside of the department on 6th floor, established connections with various departments on campus—and those are just a few of the duties I performed. I always had something to do and added projects to my list, almost on the daily. What I liked about the environment of this internship was that it expected me to be able to create quality and professional media for the department, allowed room for growth if I did not know how to do something, and made me proud to see the inner-workings of the comm department/faculty that I did not get to see as a student. If you are in the Communications program, I would highly recommend thinking about or interning for the department; it is friendly, challenges you, and there is always something that you can be working on.

Finally, thank you Communication and Theatre Department, for the incredible experience.

We are in our last week, best of luck with finals! It has been a long semester, but we have almost made it. We hope you have an amazing summer and look forward to seeing you all back in the fall.

Your journey this semester is almost complete! While you are tackling finals, don't forget about registering for Summer and/or Fall classes. If you scan the QR codes on this post, it will take you directly to the respective class options for each session.

As the Spring 2020 semester is ending, think about your Fall 2020 plans and make sure you are on track to graduate with that communication degree!

Checking in with MSU Billings Prof. Melissa Boehm

April Senior Student Feature -
Jenny Dietz (Public Relations Major) - Q&A

Jenny Dietz is from Billings, she is Senior at Montana State University Billings pursuing a degree in Publication Relations. She helps coach karate and ju-jitsu. Jenny also interned with the Downtown Billings Alliance.

1. Why did you choose Communications?
A. I tried a bunch of science degrees, but because of my visual impairment, I was never able to fully access the course materials, so I sought out something I could fully immerse myself in. I loved both creative writing, and public speaking, but then I discovered public relations and knew that was it.

2. Favorite course?
A. It is a tie between Advanced Public Speaking and Health Communications. I liked public speaking because it did a great job of teaching a more advanced usage of speech skills and how to convey messages, and in health communication, because that is what I want to specialize in.

3. Why is the field of communication important?
A. I think not a lot of people try and understand public speaking anymore and a lot of the issues in the general public have to do with a lack of communication—if it is something we use every day, we should try and understand it more. Other fields of study all require communication, no matter what they are.

4. Most important thing learned?
A. Realizing that communication lies within everything, verbal, nonverbal, written, so be clear in the content of your message and be aware of how it is received. This method can be very beneficial to relationships.

5. Funniest moment in class?
A. My funniest moment was in Intro to Public Speaking, when I was giving a speech about organ/tissue donations. That day I had a really bad cold and in the middle of the speech, I forgot what my next point was, so I stopped to look at the outline. I guess I was sniffling a lot, because when I got my grade back, the teacher told me that when I started crying during my speech, that it made it more powerful. Even though I actually wasn’t crying, I still got 100%!

6. Plan after school?
A. Get a job in anything health communication/public health. Not super picky, I just want to start working with my degree.

7. Favorite quote?
“Too many times we stand aside
And let the waters slip away
‘Til what we put off ‘til tomorrow
Has now become today
So don’t you sit upon the shoreline
And say you’re satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids
And dare to dance the tide”
-Garth Brooks

8. Advice for incoming students?
A. Don’t be afraid to socialize, those that are in communications classes with you will become some of your closest friends in the upcoming years; also be engaged and speak your mind.

March Senior Student Feature -
Maddie Morgan (Media Studies Major) - Q&A

Madison Morgan is originally from California. She went to a community college in California, and then in Oregon. Eventually she transferred to Montana State University Billings, where she is now in her Senior year of school, pursuing a degree in Media Studies. She serves on the executive board of RHA (Residence Hall Association) and also as an Resident Assistant (RA) in the MSUB residence halls. While juggling all of her responsibilities, she also works and is interning at KTVQ, a news station in Billings.

1. Why did you choose Communications?
A. Originally, I was not sure what I wanted to do in college, but I did know that communications could be used in almost any career. I am glad that I chose this career field, because not only does it help in my professional career at the news station, and in life, but that it also lets me understand the fundamentals of how relationships work and function. I could not see myself studying anything else.

2. Favorite course?
A. Honestly, anything with Dr. Boehm. She is such a good teacher and it has always been inspiring to see how excited she gets about communication subjects. Last year we got to conduct extensive research for the RCCIC (Research Creativity and Community Involvement Conference) and Dr. Boehm was working alongside our class on her own research. Being able to see our finished projects come to life and present them at the conference was a very fulfilling experience.

3. Why is the field of communication important?
A. Above all else, it allows you to more accurately and concisely articulate the exact way you want to. It also allows you to develop your own way of communicating that may vary from how your parents taught you; allowing you to portray yourself the way you want to. This also helps eradicate misunderstandings in general conversation, which happens way more than it should.

4. Most important thing learned?
A. Communication strongly affects power dynamics. For example, the concept of someone asking you to do a task, versus being told to do the task, can completely change the result. Re-framing how something is communicated can not only alter how you are portrayed, as a leader/co-worker etc. but other aspects like tone, word choice, nonverbals can change your message.

5. Funniest moment in class?
A. When I presented a speech on why potatoes were the best food. It was the peak of my college career, and even got me an A!

6. Plan after school?
A. After I graduate, I plan on moving to Missoula and working at a news station temporarily. I really like the news, but also want to be more creative. Eventually, I would like to pursue higher education in graphic design—heading towards advertisement and mass media related topics. It would be amazing to be responsible for creating images, logos, and branding for companies!

7. Favorite quote?
A. “The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function” - F. Scott Fitzgerald

8. Advice for incoming students?
A. Don’t let citations scare you and don’t fall down the rabbit hole of social construction/Simulation Theory.