COM Highlights

In the course COM 340: Rhetoric and Popular Culture, the focus is on understanding how meaning is crafted in modern society through popular culture. By critically analyzing various artifacts, I learned to navigate and interpret the pervasive influences of popular media. This course sharpens analytical skills by examining public messages, identity construction, and the impact of cultural representations based on factors such as gender, race, and class. The highlight of this course is the Module 6: Final Project - "Who Are You?" Pop Culture Poster Salon, where I showcased my understanding by creating digital posters that explore pivotal pop culture artifacts' rhetorical themes and cultural impacts, fostering engaging discussions with peers.

In COM 300: Human Communication Research, the emphasis is on harnessing communication research to discern valid and reliable information amidst everyday claims from friends, media, and more. This course fulfills the "Methods and Analysis" requirement for Communication Studies majors and stresses the importance of critical consumption and production of information. I acquired skills to evaluate arguments using research methods and learn how to conduct and critique scholarly communication research. A crucial assignment in this course is the Research Proposal, wherein students design a study to address a communication question. The Method section of the proposal is meticulously crafted to include study design details, methodology, and processes, thus enabling replication by other researchers.

Together, these courses equipped me with the tools to critically engage with and produce informed content within cultural and academic spheres.