volume v issue i, november 2017 language€¦ · 10/10/2018 · are dear to me,” said brandley....

VOLUME V ISSUE I, NOVEMBER 2017

Employing empathy

page 3

page 8

Discover how to save face in interpersonal relationships

Learning the

language of civility

Explore WSU students’ experiences with

courtesy on campus.

Manipulating visuals

page 7

Recognize the role images and video play in communication

TABLE OF CONTENTSFrom the Editor ................................2

Workplace Satire ............................3Dan Baerga

Student Feature ..............................3Regina Esparza

The Language of Civility ................4Comm 1130 Media Writing

Reconsidering Political Correctness .....................................6Nina Morse

Visuals Manipulate the Impact of Communication .............................6Francisca Flores

New Faces In The Comm Dept ....7Bailey Woolsey

Traits Needed For A Successful Professional Future ..........................7Paula Ninatype

Employing Empathy .......................8Desaree Sandoval

Firm DirectorNina Morse

Creative DirectorAlex Flitton

Account ExecutivesMaria JacquezPaula Ninatype

OPC Faculty AdviserNicola Corbin_______________

PresidentKylie Harris

VP RecruitmentMicah Van Sickle VP Social MediaAlyssa Steinbeigle

VP Special Events & FundraisingNic Sells

VP of PublicationsCeleste Daley

PRSSA Faculty AdviserLeslie Howerton

PRSSA Professional AdviserJason Carlton

Ogden Peak Communications is a Weber State University (WSU) student-run public relations agency. It is affiliated with WSU’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). It produced this newsletter for Communication students and those interested in pursuing a communication degree.

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Welcome back fellow Communication students: This issue of The Peak focuses on the aspects of communicating in a civil manner in coordination with the Center for Community Engaged Learning’s annual theme, civility.Our first article provides a cheeky take on a few personalities to watch out for at work. This month’s featured student, Benjamin Brandley delves into the experiences of an interpersonal and family concentration. Learn more about Weber State University students’ experiences with civility on campus by turning to pages 4 and 5. This issue also touches on trending topics such as political correctness, the role visuals play in communicating civilly and ethics. The department recently acquired two new professors. Learn more about them on page 7 and be sure to give them a warm Weber welcome. Are you looking for something that will give your academic experience a little zing? Develop crucial skills through hands-on experience and get involved with one (or more) of the student-run organizations within in the Communication department today by visiting MyWeberMedia.com. For more information on the Engaged Learning Series including a calendar of events please visit https://www.weber.edu/ccel/els.html.

Enjoy, Celeste Daley VP of Publications

From the Editor

BEN BRANDLEYRegina Esparza

The inquisitive and reserved Ben Brandley, a senior at Weber

State University, hails from the city of Layton, Utah. Brandley graduates this fall with a degree in interpersonal communication. He enjoys writing music, taking walks, playing basketball, all while enjoying some Taiwanese curry food in his free time.

Brandley found that his fascination with people drew him to the social sciences. Recently, Brandley has focused on school activities and has had professors who have helped him along the way. When he began school, he had no idea what communication entailed until he fell in love with a public speaking course taught by Brent Warnock.

Currently, Brandley enjoys his involvement with KWCR, Weber State University’s radio station. “Robin Haislett is the best advisor anyone can ask for, the experiences have been incredible and the friendships that I’ve started there are dear to me,” said Brandley. He plans to attend graduate school next fall to further his goal of becoming a professor. Brandley intends to inspire his students along with researching and discovering new information that helps others.

“Believe There is Good in the World,” offers Brandley. Helping others for him is the key to a significant life and creating positive energy will help build lasting friendships.

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WORKPLACE SATIREDan Baerga@dan_baerga

Working nicely with other people isn’t always easy. Differences in points of view, personalities and beliefs often get in the way. Knowing who to

confide in and knowing who can get you in trouble are all part of the delicate balance of socializing in the workplace. Below is a list of people to watch out for at work.

1. The Boss This one may come off as a no-brainer, but for some people it isn’t. Not only do your bosses have hiring and firing authority over you, they can flex their muscle and delegate. They can make life a living nightmare with extra work or menial tasks. Be careful not to turn into a brownnoser. No one likes one of those well except for the boss.

2. The Cubicle NeighborWe’ve all heard you should be a good neighbor. But the real question is how do you be a great neighbor? This is the person you’re going to see every day and work alongside them on very important projects. Not having a good relationship with your coworkers will make the simple tasks seem more difficult than they need to be. “Treating your coworkers with civility because it will lead to a positive working environment,” recommends Sarah Steimel, an assistant professor in the Communication department.

3. The Watercooler GossipThe gossiper is literally the worst. They have a tremendous ability to make or break a reputation. The last thing anyone wants to deal with at work is an interoffice feud. There are enough things to worry about at work than a potentially harmful spat with a coworker, such as solving climate change.

4. The Office SnitchThere’s a saying we’ve all heard before, “snitches get stitches.” Except at work, the informant receives bonuses and accolades while their victims get pink slips. Not that you’re a bad employee, they have the boss’ ear and are able to influence their thought processes.

5. The Heavy LifterNot to be confused with the brownnoser, they are among the hardest working employees in the office. They know how to get the job done. Why is it important to be nice to them? Wouldn’t it be great to have a power hitter in your corner backing you up? Yes, it would be.

Student Feature

Be wary of these FIVE personalities

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LEARNING THELANGUAGE OF CIVILITY

Q: Can you think of a time when someone said something rude or offensive to you?

“Well technically because I’m German, people like think of Germany in terms of Nazis. So once here at weber state my first semester I told somebody I’m German and you know the Nazi salute? Yeah, he did it… I was like super offended this well I’m German but I’m not a Nazi so that made me super mad.”

Adoley Schwarze

Q: Can you think of a time when someone said something rude or offensive to you?“I guess sometimes people like to say I’m too quiet or on the opposite side too loud. Sometimes it’s offensive because you’re just trying to get a point across. And then they’re saying that you’re just being obnoxious, which is hurtful. I try to steer away from people that are offensive and make it a point to hurt you.” Cheyanne Dunn


“I’m from Venezuela. During my first couple of months liv-ing in the US, I remember meeting this person. When I told her I was from a different country she said, ‘Uh, Venezuela. So that’s like Mexico?’ So I said no, It is in South America. She said, ‘ah, I thought all people from South America were Mexican.’ It was a little bit offensive.”Liz Homez


“Um yes, basically, I was at work and one my coworkers announced very loudly that I didn’t know what I was doing because I was a woman.”

Morgan Stonehocker

Weber state senior, business admin major from Germany. Preferred not to be photographed.

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These are the results of an informal survey where WSU students tell their experiences with civility on campus.

Q: Is there a way that the person might have conveyed the ideas without being offensive?

“I think if you would just be more, you know more like questioning things that would be more polite because it’s a very sensitive topic for everyone. Talk about it but in a nice way and ask questions if you don’t understand what it means ‘cause it’s our history.”

Q: Do you think that Weber has issues addressing issues in a civil matter? Why or why not?

“In the end it’s the person him or herself that acts in a cer-tain way that’s not necessarily by weber or the people that represent weber… I think weber does a good job promoting civility with all the signs they have put up recently. So yeah, I think they’re doing a good job trying to promote civility.”


“I think the better way to handle situations like that is to be polite about it and ask someone to calm down or to speak up better than just been mean about it.”


“I think weber is one of the better schools. They are pretty open. They have open doors all over the place that you can go and talk to multiple people about your issues. Usually, issues get handled pretty quickly.”


“Yeah, maybe if she used a different wording, different words and realized that Venezuela was a different country in South America. She could have said that.”


“No actually when there were like white genocide themed posters outside the first day of class I think the Universi-ty handled it pretty well. They had a conference on if you wanted to talk about it and wanted to express yourself and say how you feel, how you felt by seeing that, ah yeah, the university did a very good job in that manner, making every-one feel welcome.”


“Um yes, basically, I was at work and one my coworkers announced very loudly that I didn’t know what I was doing because I was a woman.”


“Yes, I wish that they would have explained better why I was not as knowledgeable without making it about my gender.

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Francisca Flores@franfloresc1919

Visuals are pictures, charts and information in forms that appeal to the sense of sight. Visuals enable the act of making someone’s point through images and text. “When visuals show people who look like you, act like you and talk like you, it builds this level of empathy and connection with them,” said Robin Haislett, an instructor for the Communication department at WSU. Haislett believes that when people such as journalists do not relate to individuals, media outlets often are harsh on the visuals and information that is used to portray them.

Civil communication is the choice people make to communicate their beliefs or needs on the foundation of respect, restraint and responsibility. “Civil communication is people wanting to use correct language, in a way they can attack ideas and not people,” said Alexander Lancaster, an assistant professor at WSU. Lancaster speculates

that the visual element is hugely important because written text combined with the use of different photos helps one’s argument reach a larger public, and it is extremely powerful. Boundaries have been settled to communicate in a civil manner but that does not mean that the media follows those rules.

Agenda setting theory describes how media influence affects the order of presentation in news articles about news events in the public perception. Nowadays, we are in a world where blogs and 24-hour cable news channels shape society’s perception. Media outlets prioritize stories based on agendas. Although, the media doesn’t tell you what to think, they

do tell you what to think about.Visuals play a significant role

in communicating the image of individuals in the news to the world. I bet you have heard about the “Stanford swimmer” before. Numerous major news outlets referred to Brock Turner as the “Stanford swimmer” and used his school photo (picture on the left) in their articles. Some of these major news outlets include names like The Washington Post, TIME and ABC News. These news outlets focused on his achievements rather than the damage he triggered to his victim on the night of January 2015. The media’s use of Turner’s photos and unnecessary social status headlines affected the public’s perception in 2016.

More than a year after the night in question, Turner was found guilty of three felony counts of sexual assault. he was sentenced to six months jail time. The presiding judge said, “A prison sentence would have a ‘severe impact’ and adverse collateral consequences’ on Turner.” Perhaps, the use of his mugshot, pictured on the right, would have fostered a different sentiment regarding Turner and his crimes.

Nina Morse@NinaLMorse

Does civility and political correctness mean the same? During an era when Americans elected a president who showed up at rallies promising not to be politically correct, and fulfilling that promise when calling Mexican’s rapists, drug dealers and “bad hombres.” We should ask ourselves if calling a woman fat is rebelling against political correctness or just plain rude.

“Being politically correct is a process of taking out of your vocabulary and your thought process any discriminatory language that has been directed historically at a disadvantaged group,” assistant professor of political science at WSU Leah Murray explains. Whereas, Merriam-Webster dictionary defines civility as training in humanities, further distinguishing the term as courtesy, politeness and a polite act or expression.

Based on these definitions, it would be politically incorrect to make statements that stereotype a race of people, but name calling and impoliteness may be better classified as incivility.

Perhaps, the lines have blurred between the two terms. According to a Time Magazine article, Megyn Kelly once asked the president about referring to women as “dogs” and “pigs.” His response: “We have to stop being so politically correct in this country.” Recalling our definitions, we can determine that name calling has nothing to do with being politically correct, but rather it is uncivil.

“It is true that many people today feel that civility has vanished, and true that the cause can be traced to contemporary factors like political polarization and the rise of the internet,” said Professor Keith J. Bybee, vice dean at Syracuse University and author of How Civility Works.

Political polarization is extremely evident in our current events. We have

NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. One side accepts the protests for equality and opposition of police brutality, while another side believes the kneeling is disrespecting our flag, veterans and war heroes.

“I do believe that people are becoming less civil. We are seeing a huge change in our country. When we have a leader, who allows bullying and tearing others down, it creates a new image that Americans think they should be,” said Jamie Lobato, civic advocacy student. This new image embraces being politically incorrect and emboldens those who believe that they should be able to say what and how they feel without being labeled a bully, a racist or a bigot.

Alas, the war of words rages on, regardless of whether those words are civil or politically correct. Each of us may remember our mothers saying, “if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all.” Perhaps, it is time to remember mom’s advice.

Visuals Manipulate the Impact of Communication

Brock Turner, 22, school versus initial booking photo

RECONSIDERING POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

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Bailee Woolsey@baijowoolsey

Stephanie L. Gomez, a

Southern California native, has made her home in Utah. A first-generation college student, Gomez attained a bachelor’s degree in communication from California Baptist University. In 2011, she received a master’s degree from California State University in San Bernardino. Gomez had a mentor that encouraged her to obtain a doctorate before continuing to teach. She then moved to Utah to attend the University of Utah where she obtained a doctorate in 2015. She specializes in cultural studies with an emphasis on media studies, contemporary rhetoric, performance and identity. After graduating, Gomez was an adjunct professor for the University of Utah from 2015 to 2017.

Gomez has a very strong passion for teaching and has always wanted to continue that through her career. She

is currently teaching public speaking, interpersonal and small group communication along with mass media and society. Currently, she is teaching at both the Ogden and Davis campuses. “I love teaching media classes because that’s what I’ve studied for a really long time,” said Gomez. She also enjoys teaching others how to overcome their fear of public speaking. Gomez chose Weber State because she “wanted a university that cared about teaching” and “Weber State University is a school that really values their students and teaching.”

Another Southern California native, Andrea Baltazar originally hails from Oxnard, California. Baltazar obtained a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in media studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2008. From 2009 to 2012, she was a part of the Television Production Program at Oxnard Community College. Baltazar, then went on to Pepperdine University Seaver College where she received a Master of Fine Arts for screen and television in August 2017. She worked as an adjunct professor for Oxnard College in its film, television and electronic media department. Baltazar boasts extensive experience from interning at Fox Sports to working as a video production assistant, theatre technician and videographer at various organizations.

At Weber State University, she is currently teaching digital media, audio production and performance along with in-studio production classes. Baltazar said she chose Weber

State because she “needed a change.” Although she loves the beach, Baltazar spent all of her previous life living in Southern California. Baltazar enjoys the diversity that the Ogden campus provides. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking Utah’s beautiful trails. Baltazar said, “I have always lived in a beautiful place, but you have to drive so far everywhere. Here in Utah, you can drive five minutes to go hike.” She enjoys listening to music and just hanging out at home. Baltazar appreciates a good Netflix television show that is original with a great story line such as House of Cards and Narcos.

NEW FACES IN THE COMM. DEPARTMENT

STEPHANIE GOMEZ ANDREA BALTAZAR

Ethics“Ethical communication enhances human worth and dignity by fostering truthfulness, fairness, re-sponsibility, personal integrity, and respect for self and other,” according to the National Communi-cation Association.While many confuse the definition of ethics with that of morals, it is important to distinguish the two. Ethics means being respectful to yourself and others. Often, ethical values are influenced by the society we live in. As an aspiring professional, it is important to never forget ethical practices. When you fail to remember ethics, you will find yourself in a crisis. “If you don’t live and breathe ethics in your public relations career on a daily basis, you may overlook inauspicious ethical missteps that can later breed disaster,” cautioned PRSA board members. The Public Relations Society of America boasts the world’s largest association for PR practitioners and dedicates September to ethical awareness.

ValuesThe Oxford dictionary defines values as “principles or standards of be-haviour; one’s judgement of what is important in life.”“A value … is a single belief of a specif-ic kind. It is a trans-situational guide to attitudes, actions and judgements. It lifts us above attitudes about specific objects and situations, to more ulti-mate goals that affect how we should judge a wide sweep of objects and situations,” wrote John Braithwaite, criminologist and professor at the Australian National University.A value is something that is personal to oneself. Those times that we are completely alone, what we feel we value in life guides our actions. As such, the way we behave when no one is watching embodies our values.

MoralsMorals do not determine values, but are formed because of values. Comprised of a personal belief system, morals are used for choosing between good or bad and right or wrong. In 2016, research was conducted to investigate the comparison of journalists who abided by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Code of Ethics in 1996 to the newly revised version in 2014. This research sought to determine the morality of the changes made and how these changes affected professional journalists. One of the most significant differences the research found is that there is now a distinction between a journalist, which could potentially be anyone, and a professional journal-ist, which will hold government and leadership accountable for their actions. Morally sound journalism is precisely that, keeping the record straight and free of opinion, so that the reader can determine their own conclusion on the matter.

Ethics, values and morals are traits we should embody as aspiring and current professionals in a communication filled world. What we say and what we don’t all indicate something to the world around us. These traits have been put to the test by the society in which we live.

Paula Ninatype@PaulaNinataype

THE TRAITS NEEDED FOR A SUCCESSFUL, PROFESSIONAL FUTURE

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ogdenpeakcommunications.mywebermedia.com WeberStatePRSSA weberprssa

WSUComm wsucommdept

Elizabeth HallRoom 330801-626-8924

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Desaree Sandoval@desareesandoval

Human beings are great performers. From

the moment a person wakes up in the morning to the time they go back to sleep, they are putting on a performance for the people around them. “We’re always on stage,” said Brent Warnock, an instructor in Weber State University’s Communication department. Warnock described this behavior by citing research conducted by Erving Goffman, an American sociologist. Goffman described a metaphorical “front stage,” “back stage” and “off stage” in his 1969 book titled, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. People’s behaviors and actions are influenced by what “stage” they are on.

This concept also helps explain

the face-negotiation theory in communication studies. In Em Griffin’s book, A First Look at Communication Theory, face-negotiation theory or saving face “helps explain cultural differences in response to conflict.” How society views someone is especially important, and it plays a role on one’s self-image. Conflict causes people to feel anxious and uncertain, so one takes the necessary precautions to avoid tension. Warnock believes that people have many faces, and they use a different face for every person in their life.

Warnock stated that civility “is the ability to interact with others in a virtuous way.” He expanded on this by saying civility provides people a safe space to interact in an authentic way. It happens when people are in a constant state of awareness. “I’m not sure [civility] ties into face-

negotiation theory,” said Warnock. “It is almost the opposite of civility in some forms.” So how does one save face while also remaining authentic?

With the state of society today, it is important to allow others to feel heard and validated. This is especially true within interpersonal relationships. Employing tactics that provide a reliable place for people to be heard is necessary for healthy relationships. However, this does not mean people need to be inauthentic to themselves. To create a society conducive with civility, people need to feel comfortable with experiencing positive conflict. This type of conflict allows people to resolve problems within interpersonal relationships while maintaining the relationship. Positive conflict helps people contemplate different ideas and reach common ground.

Employing Empathy

To remain authentic while saving face in interpersonal relationships, follow these four steps:

The first step is to introspect and identify personal values. These values will help a person remain authentic when interacting with others. 1

Humans have a natural instinct to build barriers when interacting with others to avoid conflict. However, it is im-portant that people develop the skills needed to resolve differences in a healthy manner while remaining authentic. Employing the four steps in this article will allow people to be civil while simultaneously being true to themselves.

The second step is to create boundaries. These boundaries will help people remain authentic in every interaction they encounter. 2

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The third step is to develop cultural competency. This allows one to experience empathy for others who may not view the world the same way.

A final step is employing empathy for others. Having empathy also develops effective interpersonal skills.

volume v issue i, november 2017 language€¦ · 10/10/2018 · are dear to me,” said brandley....

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