The School of Communication boasts nine registered student organizations (RSOs) that focus on personal growth, professional development, communication skills, and offer students both social and volunteering opportunities.
Outside of an outstanding curriculum and a meaningful classroom experience in the School of Communication, students are encouraged to join at least one RSO. These groups offer students opportunities to develop communication skills, work on personal growth, network, and engage in insightful dialogues.
Find out more about the School of Communication RSOs and how to join below.
The Association for Women in Communications (AWC)
The Association for Women in Communications provides students with meaningful out-of-classroom experiences by combining professional development, social encounters, and volunteer opportunities to give all members a well-rounded experience to succeed and create great connections.
“We do a lot of things. We have our student chapter, but we also have access to the professional Bloomington-Normal chapter which is now called the Central Illinois Communication Association,” said Kenzie Reimers, president of AWC.
In addition to the events and networking, AWC also provides its members with opportunities to volunteer within the community. In the past, AWC has done a hygiene and paper product drive for YWCA Labyrinth, created Valentine’s Day cards for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and hosted a blood drive for the American Red Cross.
“We try to do a social at least once a month, and we also try to have a guest speaker at least once a month. We fill in with other events as we’re able,” said Reimers.
AWC brings people together to discuss communication. According to Reimers, one of the best parts of having joined was, “getting to know other people, whether that was just bonding with the individuals in the organization or networking with professionals or other students.”
The Association for Women in Communications’ meetings take place on Mondays at 5:30 p.m. in Schroeder Hall, room 212. The RSO is open to all majors, genders, and academic years.
Learn more about AWC at Redbird Life.
Black Communication Association (BCA)
The opportunity to discuss issues happening within the Black community is extremely important to Aamari Taylor, president of the Black Communication Association (BCA).
“I wanted to have a place I could go to that talked about things I am interested in, to have a place with like-minded individuals who want to talk about heavy topics like police brutality, colorism, intersectionality, etc.,” said Taylor.
The BCA aims to build a safe space for students to discuss, debate, and analyze topics that are relevant to each individual.
A typical meeting begins with an icebreaker and questions to get the group started. They then talk about current and relevant subjects to the Black community. To wrap it up each meeting, students engage in a fun activity like playing cards or online games.
“The underlying objective of BCA is to serve and unify all Black students within Illinois State University by addressing their needs and polishing their communication skills,” said Taylor.
According to Taylor, her experience with BCA has been magnificent. The organization has provided her with opportunities to not only meet new people but also to create positive relationships with them, building the feeling of a real community.
The Black Communication Association meets every other Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Fell Hall, room 125.
Learn more about BCA at Redbird Life.
Graduate Student Association (GSA)
The Graduate Student Association (GSA) in the School of Communication has the goal of bringing together the graduate community through events, study sessions, meetings, and social media.
“We aim to bring the School of Communication program together, both inside and outside academic contexts,” said Haley Rey, president of GSA.
This RSO holds events such as bowling nights and holiday celebrations to help graduate communication scholars at Illinois State University build relationships and thrive as a community.
“We use these events to connect with faculty as well. With such a complex program, there are rarely occasions for the entire school to interact. Thus, we involve faculty, when possible, often inspiring new ideas and motivation for research collaboration,” added Rey.
One of the reasons why the president of GSA chose to be a part of the RSO is because of the potential she sees for strengthening this community. “GSA turns our program into something very special,” she said.
GSA is exclusive to graduate students, but undergraduate students are welcome to learn more about the master’s in communication program as a possible future opportunity for their academic path by joining the meetings or following GSA on social media.
Learn more about the School of Communication Graduate Student Association at Redbird Life.
Lambda Pi Eta (LPH)
“Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) serves as an honors society for students within the School of Communication. This network helps students get to know their field better and some of the professors/professionals within the field. LPH is affiliated with the National Communication Association (NCA). This RSO offers students a great way to expand their network beyond Normal, Illinois,” said Hannah Delorto, Lambda Pi Eta member.
A typical meeting for LPH involves discussing organizational goals and planning events.
Although the organization is still in the process of deciding the meeting time for the 2023-24 academic year, the meetings will likely happen on Thursday evenings in Fell Hall. Later this semester, they will review applications for the spring.
“I chose to join this organization because it forever connects me to communication, even well after my college years. Also, the organization has been in a stage of regrowth, so I was excited to be a part of that recruitment and selection process,” added Delorto.
LPH offers an opportunity to get involved with other official honor societies around the country, in addition to being actively involved in the communication field through the NCA.
Learn more about Lambda Pi Eta at Redbird Life.
The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)
“The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) aims to help students increase their professional image through networking, speakers, agency tours, and conferences. We work on building resumes and helping students build their personal brand. We also want them to build lasting relationships,” said Meghan Smith, PRSSA president.
PRSSA provides students with meaningful opportunities to socialize, professionally develop, and get involved in the community.
The organization has biweekly meetings combined with study sessions to help students thrive academically.
“We celebrate different holidays and have fun activity nights. It is a great way to help students network and stand out amongst their peers when it comes time to look for jobs,” said Smith.
Smith joined PRSSA because she sought to become more involved. “I instantly fell in love with it. I met so many new friends, heard so many great speakers, and even went with them to PRelevated, a regional PR conference,” said Smith.
“I loved the impact it had on me, and I want others to know about the experiences I had. I’m so lucky to be the president of this RSO, as well as to have the amazing board that I do,” added Smith.
PRSSA’s meetings take place in Fell Hall, room 158 at 6:30 p.m. every other Tuesday. The organization is not exclusive to students studying public relations.
Learn more about PRSSA at Redbird Life.
Speech and Debate Forensics Union
Imagine having the opportunity to be part of a great team, travel across the nation, and improve your public speaking skills. This is what members of the Speech and Debate Forensics Union at Illinois State University do!
Illinois State is proud to be the home to a nationally recognized—with 10 national team championships—forensics team.
Competitors practice their debate skills by spending an entire year researching and building arguments or counterarguments for a set resolution at tournaments against other teams.
They also perform seven to 10 speeches about topics they choose, improving both their persuasion and other verbal and nonverbal communication skills.
Jedge Slothower, the president of the organization, speaks enthusiastically about it. “You get so many opportunities to hear excellent speeches and meet amazing people all across the nation,” he said. “The travel is also a huge plus as it’s a fun bonding experience flying and traveling with my team. All in all, the Illinois State Forensics Union fostered a love for speech in me I didn’t know I had. I will be forever grateful to my coaches and my team for being so excellent.”
The Debate Team meets in Fell Hall, room 39 at 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, and the Speech Team meets in room 280 at 7 p.m.
Learn more about the Forensics Union at Redbird Life.
Student Television Workshop
Student Television Workshop (STW) gives students the chance to work with professional equipment to create video. Projects range from scripted comedy and narrative drama to music videos, cooking shows, reality shows, media critiques, and prank shows. Learn camera, lighting, audio, and editing skills from student mentors and the faculty advisor.
(A representative from STW was not available for an interview.)
Lean more about STW at Redbird Life.
The Vidette
The Vidette is Illinois State University’s fully digital student-led news organization on campus.
“I like to think of us as mostly a learning lab. You learn a lot in the classroom but what you’re able to do when you get the in-person experience at The Vidette is being able to talk to people, cover events, cover sports, whatever it is … it just gives you a lot stronger hands-on experience and I think that’s what makes it so amazing,” said Scott Prerost, editor-in-chief.
This RSO provides students with a great opportunity to get involved in the Illinois State community through covering news, writing about sports, and photography.
The team is composed of editors, reporters, and photographers who get the chance to travel to different states to cover news and current events. It allows students to flourish and get out of the classroom.
“It’s just taught me so much and it really changed my perspective,” added Prerost, who initially wanted to do sports radio and broadcasting, but became open to other possibilities after joining The Vidette. “I just loved it. It opened up my mind to a lot of things that I didn’t know.”
The Vidette accepts applications year-round. Applicants must fill out a form and pass an interview to join.
Learn more about The Vidette at its website.
WZND
After taking many of his classes from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fletcher Peterson could not wait to find ways to socialize.
“Everything shut down, and everything went online. I was so lonely, and I had no idea what I wanted to do. Then I heard about WZND from an alum. I knew it would be a way to meet friends, so that’s why I did it,” said Peterson, WZND’s general manager.
WZND is ISU’s award-winning student-run radio station. The radio broadcasts 24/7 both from an FM signal located at Waterson Towers and the website. They represent a great opportunity for leadership development and community involvement.
“We are open to students of all majors and of all experience levels who are interested in radio,” said Peterson. WZND recruits members through their general information meeting at the beginning of each spring and fall semester.
“We want people who really want to be here. We want people who are ready to work and are ready to have fun. We also need people who can work well on a team,” added Peterson.
WZND is divided into departments that have their own meeting times, activities, assignments, and duties for interns. “You can be an intern in multiple departments, but a lot of the time people are just in one department, and they love it,” said Peterson.
Joining the on-campus radio station provides students with practical experience and training, as well as the opportunity to serve both the ISU community and the residents of Bloomington-Normal through a high-quality broadcast programming service made by students.
