THE COFAC ENEWS IS MOVING TO A BLOG.

Read the enews and keep up with COFAC departments on the COFAC enews blog.

All the headline news will be available on the COFAC enews blog, and you can link to the department blogs right from the blog. Read about the Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association Bowlathon; art alumnus Thomas C. Jackson's show in Annapolis; the 1st annual Graduate Experience in Museum Studies (GEMS) Symposium March 27th at the Figge Art Museum; and lots, lots more. Check out COFAC on the COFAC enews blog.

ON THE BEAT

WIU Wind Ensemble and alumni embark on a charitable, cultural, and musical exchange in Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

WIU students on boat trip to
Monk's Island.

Every college student hopes there will be at least one spring break trip that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Western's Wind Ensemble student musicians are making those memories right now.

WIU Brazil dance concert They are travelling, performing, learning and teaching in Brazil. That's a spring break trip no one will ever forget.

Oh, and did we mention they are donating 200 instruments to a children's home? Add Charitable Ambassadors to that "best spring break ever" list.

Keep up with the tour. Checking out their On the Beat blog.

How did all of this come about? Read On the Beat press release.

Read more at University Relations.
 

BROADCASTING STUDENTS HANDLE "BREAKING NEWS"

Tragic Suicide at Farm King

You always hope that students are learning skills in the classroom that will serve them well in their chosen career path, and then you hope students can apply those skills when the time comes.

Broadcasting students at Western are proving they are learning the skills they need AND they can apply them . . . at a moment's notice, in a dangerous situation, with great professionalism.

When a lone gunman entered Farm King store in Macomb on February 3 and started shooting, no one knew what the outcome would be. Broadcasting students headed where the news was happening and conducted themselves with such skill and professionalism that their video was fed to the Quad Cities. CNN also requested their video footage.

The outcome was the tragic suicide of a young man from Tennessee, IL.

Chair Sharon Evans shared some thoughts about the students and the event on her blog.

"Breaking News" Coverage

Cassidy Carpenter and Gary Davis
Directing the News

A couple of weeks ago there was "breaking news" in Macomb, a story that garnered interest from broadcast stations and viewers across the state.

Our newsroom received a tip about the story. At that moment broadcasting students put into action knowledge and skills acquired in their broadcasting classes. A wiutv3 reporter and videographer were the first news people to arrive on the scene of the incident. Back in the wiutv3 newsroom the executive producer was on the phone to the appropriate authorities getting information, checking facts, and keeping in touch with our news crew. Within the first hour a second news crew went out to assist in covering press conferences and talking to eyewitnesses. Although we were not scheduled to begin live broadcasts until next week, the decision was made to go "Live at Four", our usual timeslot and inform the public on the story. . . .

Read more about the broadcasting students and the coverage of this very sad event on Sharon Evan's blog.

Read more about broadcasting students, alums, and faculty by clicking on the Recent Posts on Sharon's blog.
 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION THOMPSON LECTURE

Dr. Peter Andersen will present the 20th Thompson Lecture on March 29th

Dr. Peter Andersen

Dr. Anderson will present "Sun Safety on the Slopes: A Health Communication Campaign on Sun Safety" on Monday, March 29th, 7:30 PM in the Sandburg Theatre.

Dr. Peter Andersen is professor of Communication at San Diego State University and has degrees from University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois State University and Florida State University.

He has done extensive research on interpersonal relationships, persuasion and, nonverbal communication. Much of his recent research focuses on cancer prevention, sun safety, helmet safety, tobacco control, and homeland security, with recent publications in the Journal of Communication, The Journal of Health Communication, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Cancer Prevention and Control The Handbook of Risk and Crisis Communication, Health Education and Behavior, Injury Prevention, Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, Pediatric Dermatology, and Trauma.

He has been an investigator or consultant on 11 health communication grant teams from NCI, CDC, and the office of Homeland Security. He has authored over 150 book chapters, research papers, and journal articles, as well as 5 books, including, The Handbook of Communication and Emotion. He has also published over 125 journal articles and book chapters. He has received recognition as one of the 100 most published scholars in the history of communication. Andersen has published three recent books. Nonverbal Communication: Forms and Functions (2008), Close Encounters: Communication in Relationships (2007), with Laura Guerrero and Walid Afifi, and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Body Language (2004).

Western's annual lecture is named in honor of Wayne Thompson, a WIU alumnus and noted professor of speech communication. The Thompson endowment makes possible a number of departmental programs to enhance learning and scholarship in the field of communication, including the annual Thompson Lecture which is given by a prominent scholar in the field.