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The
Communicator Andrews University Department of Communication
Contents: He Can Use Anyone—pg. 2 Becoming a Master— pg. 4 Whirlpool PR Guest Speaker— pg. 6 AU News at Capitol—pg. 7 WNDU Report—pg. 8 Piston’s Game Review—pg. 9 Where Are They Now?—pg. 10 Contact info: Department of Communication
Suggestion & Prayer Request Box
Phone: (269) 471-6314 Email: commdept@andrews.edu
The Communications Department has a Suggestion/Prayer Request Box. If you have any prayer requests or suggestions for our department, stop by and drop a paper in the box and we’ll be glad to pray and look over them.
This newsletter was created by Communication major, Lindsay White.
FALL 2014
He Can Use Anyone By Jenna Neil
Rachel Williams-Smith, chair of the Andrews University Department of Communication, was recently invited to share her life story on the Hope Channel and 3ABN. On October 21, Williams-Smith was on a live program on the Hope Channel called “Let’s Pray.” “Let’s Pray” is a one-hour Tuesday night program where viewers call in and share their prayer requests with a waiting prayer team. The first half of the program features a story or testimony, and during the second half the prayer team goes through the prayer requests that callers have shared. Williams-Smith was asked to share her story on “Let’s Pray” while at the Society of Adventist Communicators Conference in Jacksonville, Florida earlier that month. “I was sitting at the table for Sabbath lunch and it turned out I was sitting with about three people from the Hope Channel,” says Williams-Smith. As she was sharing her vision for the Department of Communication and some of her background, she said they “latched onto” her story. When she mentioned that she would be sharing her story on 3ABN and the Dare to Dream channel, they asked if she would be willing to come on Tuesday to share with the Hope Channel viewers as well. Although Williams-Smith thought they were joking at first, she agreed to make the trip to Washington, D.C.
The discussion on the show segment centered on WilliamsSmith’s statement that she was born in the 20th century but raised in the 19th. “It was a 19th century lifestyle in terms of how we lived day to day, with no conveniences including electricity, running water and so forth. It was a 19th century mindset especially when it came to women and what they can and can’t do and dress, when it came to wearing bonnets and long dresses. And we were more focused on what the 19th century Adventist and Adventism taught than we are today.” Show hosts also asked about how the change from where she was to where she is now came about. Williams-Smith talked about when she went to a small, selfsupporting high school. “I learned something called principles, which are underlying truths that don’t change, and that gave me a foundation for beginning to be able to change myself,” says Williams-Smith. She used the example of modesty and how rules of modesty will change but the underlying foundation remains the same. When she attended Oakwood University, Williams-Smith gained an academic and professional foundation from which to begin moving forward. The hosts also asked her about forgiveness, particularly in regards to Williams-Smith’s father. They asked how she forgave her father for such a
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strange upbringing. She explained it wasn’t difficult because he was actually the one who asked for her forgiveness. “I had made a choice,” she stated. “Once again, learning about principles, and understanding that love and forgiveness are principles presents you with a choice to love and accept or not. It’s a choice you make.” As soon as Williams-Smith was done with the interview, she rushed to the airport for a flight to St. Louis and 3ABN. She was interviewed twice on 3ABN. Her main goal was to share about the Department of Communication and the different things she had in mind to revamp the program, including remodeling the television studio. However, the interviewer focused more on her book and life story than the department, which was frustrating but understandable to WilliamsSmith. Williams-Smith was very pleased with the afternoon program, which was a recording for “Urban Reports.” “I was completely in the moment, in the zone, and I loved every moment of being there,” she says. “So it turned out to be probably the best of all the interviews that we did.”
FALL 2014
While attending Oakwood’s graduation in May, WilliamsSmith approached John Lomacang, a 3ABN producer, to see if 3ABN would be able to help with the television studio remodel. He suggested that Williams-Smith email him, which she did toward the end of the summer. At that point, McCain asked her to send a proposal for each presentation, sharing what she was doing. She did that and was asked to be a part of two programs to share about her dreams and goals for
the communication department and the studio. McCain asked her to send a proposal for each presentation, sharing what she was doing. She did that and was asked to be a part of two programs to share about her dreams and goals for the communication department and the studio. “I’ve sometimes watched where people are up there sharing on TV or in some public arena, sharing their testimony and how
God has made a change in their lives,” stated WilliamsSmith. ”I’ve often sat there and looked at it and gone, ‘Wow, I wish I could do that, I wish I had that or was able to. But I feel too small, too inadequate, too tongue-tied just to do something like that and to be of use. But if God can take me and share my story on three channels and through a book, I believe He can take anyone who is just willing to share to make a difference."
Rachel Williams-Smith, chair of the Department of Communication (second from the left), preps to head on camera at the Hope Channel. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Williams-Smith) 3
FALL 2014
Becoming a Master by Lindsay White
Deadlines are looming as a
smoothly. She took her GRE
Biology major. But, a
22-year old woman awaits
test at the end of July, got the
couple classes into her
a call from admissions to
results back in two weeks and
major, she realized that
speed up her application
received a letter of acceptance
science was not her forte.
process to be accepted into
into the masters of
Also, during these first
the fall semester of the
Communication, just one
months of classes,
masters program in
week before school started in
Abacan’s English professor
Communication at
August.
saw potential in her writing
Andrews University.
Kryzia Abacan is a native of
and suggested she consider
Toronto, Canada, who is in
changing to pursue an
lifted up but seemed like
her first semester of the
undergraduate degree in
they only hit the ceiling
masters in Communication
English. So, the spring
from the silence of the
degree at Andrews
semester of her first year,
phone. Then in early July
University. She grew up as a
Abacan became an English
of 2014, she got a call
Seventh-day Adventist
major, with her interest in
about her application. After
Christian in Toronto,
medical school starting to
talking with the chair of the
Canada. She went to college
fade.
Department of
at Canadian University
Her junior year at CUC,
Communication, the
College (CUC) where she
Abacan became the
application process went
started out as pre-med
Student Association’s
Prayers had been
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FALL 2014
(S.A.) Communication
the overall image of S.A., she
One of her peers mentioned the
Vice President, and it was
began to think about Public
masters of communication at
very evident and noticeable
Relations as a career option.
Andrews University, thinking it
to the other officers how
“Public Relations had never
would fit perfectly in her
well Abacan performed at
been on my radar,” Abacan
ultimate goal of crisis
her job on S.A. “I like
bluntly stated.
management.
looking at a situation,
Abacan knew it would be
“I think having a masters will
figuring out the different
important to graduate with a
give me that edge over my
solutions to it, and then
masters degree in order to be
competition in the future,” said
taking the best route to fix
competitive in her career, and
Abacan, who graduated last
it,” Abacan said.
so began looking into
May.
As she thought about what career to choose to best use her English degree, and as
“I haven’t been here
different masters programs during her fourth year of
that long, but the classes I’ve taken so far have lead me to see
college.
she worked to
communication in a different
help
way than before. It’s not just talking one-on-one or in an interview, it’s bigger than that.” Abacan said, “The professors here at Andrews are really helpful in trying to open doors and provide opportunities for me. They are very interested in what I want to do with my life.”
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FALL 2014
Whirlpool Public Relations Guest Speaker by Livvy Knott
On October 21, Kristine Vernier (senior manager for Global Public Relations, Whirlpool Cooperation) presented to the Beginning Media Writing class some of the tools and tactics of writing for Public Relations (PR). She defined PR essentially as the strategic communication process between organizations and their publics.
Top picture: Public Relations m ajor, Joyce Yoon in pink, and Kristine Vernier on the right.
Vernier helped illuminate whom exactly the “public” is in public relations: the media, the consumers, the trade customers, the employees, the stakeholders, the management, and the government—to name a few. She gave a lot of practical in-themoment tips for interviewing— ones I hope I remember in the moment.
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FALL 2014
AU News visits the Capitol The class which produces AU News, JOUR-441 spent the day in Lansing, Mich. covering stories affecting Michiganders such as the new minimum wage law. We interviewed our state representative Dave Pagel and public policy analyst Peter Ruark. –in Lancing, MI
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FALL 2014
Kristina Penny: WNDU News Report by Taylor Bartram
From back row on left: Stella Ng, Alexa Holdipp, Lindsay White, Taylor Bartram, Kristina Penny (guest speaker), Cassnette Cooper, Olivia Knott, Alexander Thomas, Christopher Wheeler. Front: Isaac Smith
Our guest speaker for Begin Media Writing class was Kristina Penny. Penny graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Andrews University. Penny now works as a producer for WNDU News and produces for the early morning show. She expressed how she ended up “falling in love” with the position she is in now, compared to what she thought she was going to be doing after graduating. It was an important to have a wide variety of internships and jobs so that she is exposed to her future from different opportunities. Kristina Penny’s advice was very helpful for me now in preparing for my future.
Piston’s Review Public Relations Emphasis by Ashley Neu
On Wednesday, November 19, twelve students from the Communication Department took a trip to the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, Michigan to participate in a Communication panel put on by the Detroit Pistons. Arriving to the stadium around 5:30, all the students met in a special room where the panel took place. The panel consisted of five individuals who deal with communications in the sports industry. From being a sports writer, to a field report, to the head of all social media for the Pistons, the students listened to all the great information the panelists shared. “The night exceeded my expectations for both educational value and enjoyment.” said Communication major, Brittany Ward.
Where Are They Now? Paco Ramos
Our own Paco Ramos, MA '13, working the election beat last night as Digital Content Producer at KUSI News (San Diego).
Lerato Moepeng, BA ’14, completed a summer internship at Adventist World Radio in Silver Spring, MD. She is helping manage the social media for the web and communication team. A special thanks to Comm. Department alumnus and Hope Channel producer Elroy Byum for providing us with this photo.
Lerato Moepeng