Judy C. Pearson Department of Communication Studies - St. Cloud State

The Judy C. Pearson Department of Communication Studies was thrilled to host Dr. Loreen Olson for a packed talk on the dark side of relationship communication—the first event in our Spring Speaker Series. Next up: Dr. George Morris of CentraCare will lead a conversation on communication in healthcare. Join us in person on Wednesday, March 18, 12:30–1:45 p.m. in the Atwood Theatre, or online at https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/91849553589.

Dr. Mutua and her CMST 339 students recently held the first spring session of the Communicating Common Ground service learning project on campus, bringing together 65 students from Foley, Becker, Sauk Rapids Rice, ROCORI, and Holdingford (with St. Cloud Tech and Apollo joining next session). Working alongside SCSU students from the Judy C. Pearson Department of Communication Studies, these high schoolers build intercultural understanding, confront differences in meaningful ways, and demonstrate leadership in reducing racial, ethnic, and religious prejudice. Additional sessions are scheduled for March and April.

Photo 1: Dr. Eddah Mutua gives an overview of the program’s 2026 theme “Intentional today. Influential tomorrow”.

Photo 2: Dr. Scott Wells, Judy C. Pearson Department of Communication Studies Chair, welcomes participants.

Photos 3a and 3b: Students listening to the session before going into breakout rooms for small group discussions.

Photo 4: Breakout Session: Students gather to dialogue about opportunities and challenges of intercultural communication. Through these conversations, students collaboratively work to build knowledge and skills needed to promote intercultural understanding and peaceful coexistence.

Photo 5: This is group #1 led by Sarah Mitchell in dark blue shirt (Back to the camera). Sarah is a CMST major. Hana Said (in pink) also a CMST major is participating as a volunteer student assistant helping with the program’s logistics. She was enrolled in CMST 339 in spring 2025.

Photo 6: This is group #2 led by Mara Kippels, a CMST major.

Photo 7: This group # 3 led by Olobunmi Faremi.

Photo 8: This is group # 4 led by Christina Moonsamy.

The second speaker in our Spring Speaker Series will feature a conversation with Dr. George Morris on the importance of supportive communication in healthcare encounters and a variety of other communicative issues in healthcare.

Dr. Morris is a Medical Director at CentraCare St. Cloud and has a broad background in family medicine, sports medicine, orthopedics, health promotion, public health emergency preparedness, and more.

This event is open to everyone including faculty, staff, students, and community members.

Please join us in Atwood Theatre March 18 from 12:30 to 1:45. Refreshments will be provided.

This event will also be available live on Zoom at: https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/91849553589

A recording will be made available for future viewing. Access to the recording will follow.

Last weekend, the MN Omnicron Chapter of Pi Kappa Delta, SCSU Speech & Debate, and the Judy C. Pearson Department of Communication Studies hosted our annual Icebox Classic Speech & Debate Tournament. A special thank you to all judges who made this event possible! As a team, SCSU won 4th place overall in team sweepstakes.

St. Cloud State University competitors who won awards in parliamentary debate and individual events are the following:
• Dramatic Interpretation: Grace Loidolt (2nd Place)
• Team Debate: Travis Schnoover & Matt Olson (3rd Place and Top Novice Team)
• Communication Analysis: Riley Dahlberg (4th Place)
• Poetry Interpretation: Grace Loidolt (4th Place)
• Impromptu Speaking: Riley Dahlberg (5th Place)
• Team Debate: Eleanor Knight & Riley Dahlberg (5th Place)
• Debate Speaker Points—Riley Dahlberg (6th Place)
• Debate Speaker Points—Matt Olsen (9th Place)

Tuesday, February 17 at 9:30am to 10:45am 2026

Presentation on The Darkside of Interpersonal Communication

Everyone is welcome to attend including the general public and classes of students.

Abstract:

The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication: One Professor’s Academic Exploration

Healthy, constructive communication is the basis for close relationships. Unfortunately, communication can also be used to hurt and coerce others. Dr. Loreen Olson, an SCSU alumnus, has spent her entire academic career studying this darker side of interpersonal communication. During her presentation, she will take you on her journey of studying dark communication with a particular focus on intimate partner violence and the experience of traumatic brain injury among domestic violence survivors. An important takeaway is how communication both facilitates these unhealthy relationships and enables potential change for those impacted.

This event can also be viewed live online at:

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

Last week, Professor Anderson took part in the Future of Education in Technology Conference—a gathering that has connected educators and tech leaders for more than four decades to shape the future of learning. While at the conference, she attended sessions focused on emerging education, technologies, AI in education, and practical approaches to online and hybrid learning. The conference provided useful information and perspectives on where educational technology is heading and how it can be used in the classroom.

Our spring speaker series will begin soon. Join us to hear about the "Darkside" of interpersonal communication, communication in health care, and compassionate communication.

The first two will be live online at:

https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/91849553589

Recordings will be available later.

Students in Dr. Morey Hawkins’ CMST 220 Interpersonal Communication class created “The Secret Keeper Challenge.” In one photo, classmates break down Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory through a role playing exercise—showing how humans use rules to guard and share private information.

Editorial by our former colleague, Professor Emeritus Jeffery Bineham

https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/11/07/a-simple-thing-we-can-do-about-grade-inflation/?fbclid=IwY2xjawN8UOpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe83WJOAOxIxyuIePRMksSL_-_aQUGalwLDlG30EdnXlRagu8dSJKaPIkwTLk_aem_vOPgNpGAiX4qXTWw-UaZiw

A simple thing we can do about grade inflation • Minnesota Reformer Minnesota’s universities and colleges should mandate that transcripts report both the student’s grade and the average grade received in each class.