New Student Club Enriches Communication Skills

There is a new way that GSU students can improve their communication skills. The Communication Studies Initiative, formerly the Speech and Forensics club, is looking for students to join their club and take part in a variety of activities designed to improve not only their communication skills, but also their intercultural skills.

According to Arness Krause, the faculty advisor for the Communication Studies Initiative, the new club offers GSU students a wider range of communications skills that students can improve through involvement in the club.

"The Speech and Forensics club was developed to support speech competition on a state and national level," said Krause. "What we found with GSU's demographics was they (GSU students) wanted to study different forms of communication studies, such as written communications, human communication, intercultural studies, public speaking, in addition to forensics speech and debate."   

There are monthly activities already planned for the Communication Studies Initiative well into next semester. This month, the Communication Studies Initiative will host its first monthly meeting of Conversation Café in conjunction with GSU's International Culture Organization. Conversation Café will take place November 14 from 3 to 4pm in GSU's Student Commons, located on the second floor of the A building.

Those who attend Conversation Café will have an opportunity to speak with some of GSU's international students. Each international student will represent their home country at the event. Students from China, Germany, Peru, Ukraine, Hong Kong, India, and Cameroon, are currently slated to attend the event.

Future Communication Studies Initiative activities will include a January Conversation Café on the topic, "Civil Rights in the 21st Century." In February, the club will host a panel discussion titled, "For Discrimination, Affirmative Action," in which affirmative action in the 21st century will be discussed. There are also plans to cohost a Public Speaking Contest with GSU's International Culture Organization in March.

Students who are interested in getting involved with the club can contact Arness Krause at akrause@govst.edu, or Etta Oben, President of the Communication Studies Initiative, at eoben@student.govst.edu. The Communication Studies Initiative is open to all GSU students, regardless of area of study.