“What even is communication?”
Every person who is not a communication major
Throughout my four years (well, 3.75 years) at St. Norbert and studying this major, this was the hardest question that I have had to answer. It was never on a test or in a paper, nor was it something that I could study or prepare for. Rather, it was a question that would pop up repeatedly and with near certainty from other students, family members and relatives. Yet, each time my answer would change and fluctuate with no formidable answer.
Not surprisingly, I think that you would get some variance if you asked each communication student and professor this question. Yes, there is an overarching definition of the field if you look it up, but in the uncertainty between each individual, I’ve learned that there lies something greater in this subject than a simple definition. Rather than latching on to the baseline of communication, the transmission of messages to person to person, I believe that everyone finds a particular interest within the field that motivates them to keep learning.
For myself, that is the beauty of the discipline. Each individual seems to find what they are looking for, even though they are encapsulated in such a wide field. Some find themselves captured by the interpersonal and relational side of communication, focused on the interactions with have with people every day. Others like to focus on the effects of social media and technology, some feel the call towards the world of corporate communication with press releases, and even some like to focus on the world of photo, video and written communication.
Deciding to be a major in communication and media studies felt like entering a large funnel of information and experiences that eventually left me to focus on multimedia journalism and writing for my future career.
The journey through the communication funnel ultimately begins in my classes where I learned a broad range of information on a variety of topics. Of course, it started with the introduction-level classes in both media and interpersonal communication, in which I learned the fundamental theories and thoughts of the field. From there, I started began to dive into the variety of topics offered at St. Norbert, such as Health and Small Group Communication.
However, it was the elective called Writing for Media that struck my interest in the field. At the time, I was already involved in the school newspaper but had no formal training in journalistic writing. Due to the class’s practicality, I began to get more and more excited to pursue a career in journalism, which is something that I want to do after school. The class fueled me to write more in the paper, branching out for more articles and more responsibility. These experiences helped me to build my resume and to hold internships with the Green Bay Blizzard and Green Bay Bullfrogs, and even get a job with the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
The knowledge and interest in media I gained from these classes urged me to study in Washington D.C. for a semester. At the Washington Media Institute, I continued to further my skills in writing at an internship with an online publication. Additionally, I gained the necessary skills for my future through classes, such as video, photography, editing, public speaking and group organization.
As I wrap up my senior year, I continued to gain interest through the senior capstones in the field, while also applying these skills to the school newspaper as editor-in-chief. I am grateful for all the skills that this degree has taught me and am excited to join the workforce in the upcoming years.
As for future plans, I am hoping to get a job in Milwaukee within the media field. Whether that be for a newspaper, TV or radio station, or at some corporation, I am excited to take what I have learned and gathered over these last four years.
The communication field’s funnel has brought me numerous experiences and skills that I would not have otherwise. It is a personal journey for everyone, making that first question hard for each person to answer. Even now, I think that I would still have a hard time answering it. Yet, while I do not know the broad answer, I know what it means to me.
