March 2006 Dr. Ed McLuskie has been notified that his essay, "Resituating the Audience Concept of Communication: Lessons from the Audience-Commodity Critique," will be published this year as a book chapter in Connecting with Arts Audiences, edited by Lois Foreman-Wernet and Brenda Dervin. He also learned that a paper has been accepted for presentation at the International Communication Association, in Dresden, Germany, June, 2006; the paper, intended for his book project on the theory of communicative action, is titled, "The Embeddedness of Communication in the Lifeworld of Labor and Socialization: Hegel’s and Humboldt's Communicative Turn."   February 15, 2000                 We have another success story from one of our MA graduates.       Emina Musanovic has accepted a four-year offer of full support to join the Ph.D. Program in the Department of German at the University of California, Berkeley. She also had been accepted by 5 Ph.D. programs, some with similar offers, in (1) the School of International Service, American University, Washington, D.C.; (2) the History of Consciousness Program, University of California, Santa Cruz; (4) the Cultural Studies program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; and (5) the Communication Studies program, Temple University. Emina's M.A. thesis from Boise State (2005) is titled, "Ersatz Cultures: Populism through Identity-Formation in Post-Communist Yugoslavia" (Thesis Chair: Ed McLuskie), and was the basis for acceptance into all of these prestigious programs   February, 2006      Professor Dawn Craner has had a paper accepted for presentation at the International Conference on the Arts in Society in Edinburgh, Scotland, in August.        The paper is "Intersecting Life and Literature: Narrative Technique of Ford Madox Ford."   BSU Professor's Photos Lead to Would-be Assassin's Conviction 04:21 PM MST on Wednesday, January 11, 2006                      Associated Press & KTVB TBILISI, Georgia -- A court in the country of Georgia has sentenced a man to life in prison for trying to kill President Bush and the republic's leader.  Vladimir Arutyunian threw a grenade that landed about 100 feet from the stage where the leaders were standing last year. It didn't explode. Arutyunian said he would try again to kill Bush if given the chance.  He was also convicted of killing a policeman during an arrest attempt several weeks after the incident.  Pictures taken by a Boise State professor while overseas ultimately helped authorities arrest Arutyunian.      On May 10, 2005, Bush met with the president of Georgia to speak to thousands of citizens in the former Soviet Republic.  Ed McLuskie was in Georgia to lecture at a few foreign universities and he went to the rally to take pictures of the hustle and bustle.  While he was there snapping away a Soviet-era grenade, wrapped in a red plaid cloth, was thrown from the crowd and landed about 100 feet away from the two presidents.  Investigators say the grenade was live, but it turned out to be a dud and did not explode. Vladimir Arutyunian, accused of trying to kill U.S. President George W. Bush, seen in a defendants' cage during his trial in Tbilisi, Georgia, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006. The trial of Arutyunian accused of trying to assassinate the U.S. and Georgian presidents approached its end on Wednesday GEORGY ABDALADZE / AP The man authorities have charged with attempting to assassinate the president is pictured here with a checkered handkerchief in his right hand.  Inside the handkerchief was believed to be a live grenade.      "But all you have to do is look at the photographs and you can see that they've been used to at least identify somebody," McLuskie told NewsChannel 7 in December.      "It would not only have been leaders of two countries potentially injured by that, but hundreds perhaps of innocent bystanders, including some of my students."      A month later the FBI called McLuskie asking for his photos, saying he may have taken pictures of a man in a leather overcoat, suspicious attire for the warm day, and holding a red plaid handkerchief, which looked just like the one wrapped around the grenade.  Reporter David Gale contributed to this story
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January 20, 2006 BSU Talkin' Broncos Win Clackamas Tournament The Boise State debate and speech team brought home 41 individual awards to easily win the team championship at the inaugural Clackamas College Invitational Forensics Tournament Jan. 13 and 14 in Portland, Ore. All 12 members of the Talkin’ Broncos squad placed in at least one event, contributing to the team total of 211 points. Pacific University (Ore.) was second with 69 points, Linfield College (Ore.) third with 49 points, and Lewis and Clark College (Ore.) fourth with 29 points. Ten colleges and universities from Idaho, Oregon and Washington participated in the tournament. First-place award winners for Boise State were: Katy Jibben (sophomore, Boise), who won open division Speech to Entertain, novice Informative Speaking, novice Persuasive Speaking and novice Program Oral Interpretation; Barton Jackson (junior, Eagle), who placed first in open Informative Speaking and open Impromptu Speaking, and who teamed with debate partner Chad Judy (sophomore, Idaho Falls) to win open Parliamentary Debate; Judy also won junior Rhetorical Analysis. Jordan Park (freshman, Idaho Falls) placed first in junior Informative Speaking and junior Speech to Entertain; Nate Pohl (sophomore, Boise) won both Prose Interpretation of Literature and Dramatic Interpretation; Camille Levi (senior, Nampa) was first in junior Persuasive Speaking; and Kristin Davidson (senior, Winnipeg, Manitoba) won open Rhetorical Analysis. Other multiple award winners for Boise State were Francie Bevill (senior, Boise), Wayne Rysavy (junior, Ramstein, Germany) and Jessica Wingett (senior, Boise).
KTVB Channel 7 featured Ed McLuskie, Communication, in a Dec. 5 news report on how photos McLuskie shot in the Republic of Georgia helped capture the man accused of trying to assassinate President George W. Bush in May. The trial for Vladimir Arutyunian, who was identified with the help of the photos, began yesterday.
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Heather Rae, film studies, has been named a juror for the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Rae produced and directed Trudell, which premiered at Sundance 2005. The documentary traces the life of Native poet and activist John Trudell and will open later this year.
Gretchen Warthen, who graduated from the Department in the early 90s, was a guest lecturer for the UTP class in January.  Gretchen is a member of the Director's Guild and has worked on numerous television reality programs, including most recently The Apprentice.  She shared a wealth of experience and insights from her years as a camera operator, director of photography and director with current Comm Department students.
January 19-21, 2006 Ed McLuskie, communication, participated by invitation as a discussant to scholarly presentations for the 20th anniversary celebration of the University of Vienna-based journal, Medien & Zeit, Jan. 19-21 in Vienna, Austria.
Dr. Renu Dube's New Book Examines Practice Of Killing                           Baby Girls In India       A new book co-authored by sisters Rashmi Dube Bhatnagar, Renu Dube and Reena Dube, examines colonial and postcolonial feminist theory in India. In “Female Infanticide in India: A Feminist Cultural History” (State University of New York Press, 320 pages, $86.50 hardcover, $27.95 paperback), the authors argue that femicide must be seen as part of the continuum of violence on, and devaluation of, women.        A United Nations Population Fund study has shown as few as 800 girls in some regions of India for every 1,000 boys. In other parts of the world, that ratio is about 1,064 girls for every 1,000 boys. Although infanticide dates back to the colonial period, easy access to ultrasound technology has led to a sharp increase in the number of female fetuses being aborted as well. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports as many as 50 million girls and women are missing from India’s population as a result.       The authors examine the popular myth that female infants in India are murdered because they are considered undesirable — because the demand for a dowry when they marry, although illegal, can bring the family to financial ruin — and the corollary that boys are considered an investment in the future. In doing so, the authors examine the progressivist British-Colonial history of infanticide reform and show how the colonial reform efforts exacerbated the problem and facilitated the reemergence of a generalized practice of femicide. In the closing chapters the authors examine various forms of traditional and contemporary resistance to the practice as well as the devaluation of women.         “Female Infanticide in India,” note the co-authors, “breaks new ground in postcolonial feminism theoretically and methodologically, not least because it is a project completely co-authored, from start to finish, by three sisters.”           Bhatnagar has taught in India and the United States; Renu Dube teaches rhetoric and intercultural communication at Boise State University; and Reena Dube teaches film, literature and postcolonial theory at Indian University of Pennsylvania. Media Contact: Kathleen Craven, University Relations, (208) 426-3275, kcraven@boisestate.edu
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Dr. Suzanne McCorkle, Professor, serves as Director of the Dispute Resolution Program, now housed in the Department of Public Policy and Administration.      McCorkle and coauthor Dr. Melanie Reese coauthored a book, Mediation Theory and Practice, that Allyn and Bacon published in 2005. McCorkle also published a negotiation case, “Computer-Based Collaborative Negotiation: The Appleby House Case,” in Communication Teacher in January 2005.      McCorkle remains active in the professional conflict resolution community. She presented a workshop on teaching mediation at the National Communication Association Conference and a paper on ethics and the hiring of a mediator at the Western States Communication Association Conference. She spoke in honor of mediation pioneer Sam Keltner at the Northwest Communication Association, and contributed comments on the Uniform Mediation Act at the Idaho Mediation Association Conference.      The Idaho Supreme Court appointed McCorkle to serve on the Idaho Uniform Mediation Act Taskforce.          The Dispute Resolution Program is the recipient of a Department of Agriculture Grant to house the Idaho Agricultural Mediation program. In October 2004, Dr. McCorkle served as an accreditation team member for the Northwest Council of Colleges and Universities.      McCorkle currently chairs the Boise State University Freshman Success Taskforce charged with making recommendations on how Boise State can increase freshman retention.
Dr. Janet Mills, Professor, presented a paper, “Strongest Self-Portraits: Appreciative Inquiry in Action” at the 28th Annual Teaching Public Administration Conference and published the paper in the Proceedings.      Mills is qualified to administer and interpret the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and has created several confidential reports on team and organizational character for clients.      She presented workshops on “The Power of Teams” and “Psychological Type” to leadership classes for state associations of Realtors in Alabama, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington, and Idaho.      The Women’s Dermatologic Society invited Mills to Toronto as the keynote presenter at their national conference. Mills addressed “Gender, Power, and Communication.” She presented a similar program to Executive Women International in Boise.      Mills continues to teach courses to the Idaho Certified Public Manager Program and the Northwest Community Development Institute. She offered seminars on “Generational Personality” to Canyon County Job Service, Work Source, The Idaho Association of Developmental Disabilities, and the Western Idaho Community Action Partnership.      Mills is advisor to the Master of Public Administration Association (MPAA) and Pi Alpha Alpha (PAA) honorary society. She also serves on the advisory board for Boise Samaritan Village.
November 29, 2005 Dr. Heidi Reeder, Communication, will be on the KIDO 580 AM morning radio show this Thursday from 9-9:50 am to discuss "Managing Family Stress During the Holidays." If you have comments or questions you can call into the show at 580-KIDO (5436).
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November 29, 2005 SPEECH / Communication Students Present Speech Showcase      Boise State communication students will present their semiannual Speech Showcase at 7 p.m. Thursday December 1st in the Student Union Jordan Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public.      Each of the eight finalists from preliminary rounds of judging, representative of about 1,000 students taking Communication 101, will present an eight-minute speech to compete for more than $1,500 in scholarship money, as decided by a panel of distinguished judges. Rob Perez, a senior vice president for U.S. Bank and major underwriter for the event, will present the awards. Communication professor Heidi Reeder will emcee the program.       During the judges deliberations, instructors names will be placed in a hat and five names will be drawn to give impromptu speeches. A separate panel of instructors will judge this impromptu round and the winner will receive a $50 award.  The next Speech Showcase will be presented in the Spring of 2006.
EXCELLENCE / Mills Awarded 2005 Pi Alpha Alpha Adviser Award Janet Mills, professor of public policy and administration, was awarded the 2005 Pi Alpha Alpha Chapter Adviser Award of Excellence from the national organization. Pi Alpha Alpha is a national honor society for public affairs and administration students. Mills, who has been adviser to the Boise State chapter since 1997, received her award at the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration national conference in Washington, D.C., in October. The purpose of the award is to recognize an individual who has made outstanding contributions in support of a Pi Alpha Alpha chapter as adviser. This is the third year the award has been presented.
October 5, 2005                               Derek Chan of DreamWorks Animation Visits Department of Communication On October 5, 2005 Professor Ben Shedd, himself an Academy Award winning filmmaker, introduced Derek Chan to the Department and, more specifically, to the Advanced Video Production class.  Mr. Chan is Head of Digital Operations at DreamWorks Animation SKG.  He says, "When I first entered computer science, one of my goals was to create software that even my mother could use."  After working at DreamWorks for several years he says, "My goals are more closely aligned with making software that even a traditional animator could use.  Either way you are looking at a pretty tough road.
September 14, 2005 The College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs hosted a luncheon honoring its Outstanding Alum. This year's honoree is communication graduate Vickie Rutledge Shields. Shields is the dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Eastern Washington University. Before starting her new job in August, Shields was the associate dean for faculty advancement, curriculum and general education at the College of Arts and Sciences at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

August 31, 2005
BSU Documentary Focuses On Compassion of Idaho Kids
Film to be shown at Dalai Lama’s Sept. 12 address to children
     A film to be shown just before the Dalai Lama’s Sept. 12 Kids’ Day address, “Laying the Foundation of the Future,” will examine the compassion of Idaho’s children. The approximately eight-minute documentary, being produced by Boise State University students, grew out of Gov. Dirk Kempthorne’s invitation to young Idahoans to tell the world what compassion means to them. 
     Communication student Saandra Steinfelt is producer for the project. Others involved include Boise State adjunct instructor Jesse Cordtz (who with Steinfelt owns A Window to the World production company), students Erin Monnie and Matt Dewey and TVTV station manager Terry Christenot.
     The film will focus on children as young as 5 and as old as 18 who display compassion through community service. Children were filmed at the Idaho Foodbank, the YMCA, the Meridian Boys’ and Girls’ Club, Meals on Wheels, St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center and other locations.
     Steinfelt worked through Karil Sokoloff of Sun Valley, a follower of the Dalai Lama, to get permission to film both this short piece and a one-hour film documenting the Dalai Lama’s visit to Idaho. The suggestion to create a piece focusing on children was a natural fit, since both Steinfelt, a youth leader at the Treasure Valley Community Center, and Cordtz, who grew up with a day care center at his home, have extensive experience working with children. Both also work with the Idaho Children’s Educational Film and Television Foundation.
     Those who are not able to view the short documentary at Sun Valley will have an opportunity to see it at Boise State later this fall. Details of that event have not yet been announced.
Media Contact: Kathleen Craven, University Relations, (208) 426-3275, kcraven@boisestate.edu

September 24, 2005
                            Boise State's National Champion Talkin' Broncos
                                      Kick Off New Season with Win at CSI
     The Boise State University debate and speech team kicked off the 2005-06 season by winning the College of Southern Idaho’s Golden Eagle Invitational Tournament. The Talkin’ Broncos captured the CSI title for the fifth consecutive year, and the seventh time in the eight-year history of the competition. College debate teams from Idaho, Utah and Montana competed in the event, held Sept. 23-24 in Twin Falls.
     Boise State rolled up 112 team points to second-place Northwest Nazarene University’s 51 points. Brigham Young University (48 points) finished third.
     Team captains Kristin Davidson (senior, Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Hillary Davidson (senior, Spokane, Wash.) led the Boise State scoring with first-place finishes in five speaking events. Kristin Davidson won top honors in Rhetorical Analysis, Informative Speaking and Program Oral Interpretation, while Hillary Davidson won Prose Interpretation and Poetry Interpretation. Chad Judy (sophomore, Idaho Falls) won Extemporaneous Speaking, giving Boise State speakers six first-place awards in the eleven speech events. Other top finishers for the Talkin’ Broncos were Miles Stirewalt (senior, Pocatello), third in both Rhetorical Analysis and Speech to Entertain; Camille Levi (senior, Nampa), third in Informative Speaking and fourth in Persuasive Speaking; Jordan Park (freshman, Idaho Falls), third in Persuasive Speaking and fifth in Informative Speaking; Barton Jackson (junior, Eagle), second in Informative Speaking; Wayne Rysavy (junior, Ramstein, Germany), third in Impromptu Speaking; and Jessica Wingett (senior, Boise), fifth in Persuasive Speaking.
     In debate competition, the Boise State team of Barton Jackson and Chad Judy posted a perfect 8-0 record in winning the tournament’s open division of debate. Hillary Davidson and Wayne Rysavy placed fifth and the team of Kristin Davidson and Miles Stirewalt finished ninth in the open division. Rick Martini (senior, Boise) and Jessica Wingett lost a 2-1 decision to BYU in the finals to finish second in the tournament’s novice division.
     The Boise State team returns to competition in three weeks when they travel to Cameron University in Lawton, Okla., for the Pi Kappa Delta Bi-Province Invitational Tournament.
                           Story courtesy of:  Kathleen Craven, University Relations, (208) 426-3275

Boise State Communications Professor Makes Appearance on
NBC's "Today Show" 
     It started with an unexpected call on Monday, Jan. 10, and ended with a day
of celebrity for Boise State Communication professor Heidi Reeder. The call was
from a woman at NBC’s Today show. "I was skeptical at first," said Reeder, "but
then she put the producer on speakerphone."
     The pair asked Reeder what she knew about friendships, especially those
between men and women. As it turns out, she knows quite a bit. Her expert
opinion has been quoted in Time Magazine and Psychology Today, among other
 places. And so it was she found herself flying off to New York City just days later  to discuss the topic with Katie Couric and Al Roker on the Jan. 13 show.
     Although at ease before the cameras, the experience leading up to her moment of fame was a bit outside the norm, she said. The top-notch hotel, fancy car, make-up and wardrobe specialists — all of it made her feel like a celebrity for a day. Despite all the activity, she was surprised at how conscientious and professional the staff was. "When I think of a news program, I think of chaos," she said. "This was chaos, but it was controlled chaos."
     And just how did she calm the nervous butterflies she felt leading up to the interview? "The real turning point for me was when I had the thought that I was just teaching in front of a larger audience," she said. "I felt very fortunate to have such a large audience." The Today Show reaches about 6 million viewers each day.

Former Top News Executive Speaks to Faculty/Students  
     Av Westin, former producer of ABC Evening News, visited the Department
of Communication on December 7.  Westin spent 52 years in the news business,
beginning his career as a protégé of Eric Sevareid. During his tenure with ABC  and CBS he won six Emmys, four Peabodys, and numerous other awards for his leadership in the field. While at Boise State he spoke to faculty, students, and local media professionals about the best practices in broadcast journalism, encouraging dedication to the news profession and high ethical standards in the service of community.

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 Another Citation for Dr. Lutze
    Dr. Peter Lutze, Associate professor of Communications, was recognized on the evening of January 12, 2005 as the Progressive Technology Pioneer of the Year by United Vision for Idaho, a coalition of 25 organizations   representing over 50,000 people throughout Idaho representing people living in poverty, people of color, women, people with disabilities, conservationists, farmers and farm workers, labor union members, educators, human rights activists, people of faith, nurses and social workers.
     Peter's citation stated (in part) that he "volunteers countless hours organizing, fundraising and
creating programming for Treasure Valley Television (TVTV)--Boise's public access television station--and supports numerous progressive causes by his presence and buoyant, positive attitude...Because of Peter's leadership, TVTV has worked with dozens of groups in the Treasure Valley to help them get their messages out and foster community dialogue.  Those groups include Gays and Lesbians, Latinos, peace activists, youth and many other people that both reflect progressive values and challenge them.  He is a pioneer and a visionary who is
having a powerful impact on the way the movement for progressive change uses technology and the media.  Congratulations Pete!"          --by William Whitaker, Boise State University, College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs, School of  Social Work.

McLuskie Granted Fulbright Award to
Teach in the Republic of Georgia
     Ed McLuskie, a communication professor at Boise State University, has
been granted a Fulbright award to teach in the Independent Republic of Georgia. McLuskie will teach a graduate seminar and offer lectures on the philosophy and sociology of the public sphere for democracy.
     This is the second Fulbright professorship award McLuskie has received —
the first was to the University of Vienna, Austria, in 1997.
     The awards are made by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, which has 12 members appointed by the president. Grants are made possible through funds appropriated annually by the U.S. Congress, as well as contributions from partner countries and the private sector.  The purpose of the Fulbright Program is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those in the approximately 150 countries currently participating in the program. McLuskie will attend an orientation meeting in Washington, D.C. in mid-July before leaving for Georgia.

Boise State University Student Wins National Journalism Honor
Society of Professional Journalists recognizes Justin Terry Report
Boise State University Senior and Communication/Journalism Major Justin Terry
has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists for in-depth reporting
for his radio news story, "New Freedom Riders."  The Society of Professional
Journalists announced the Mark of Excellence Awards national winners for outstanding student journalism at the 2004 SPJ national convention in New York City on September 11.
     Terry, a student reporter for Boise State Radio who will graduate in May, says he plans to pursue
a career in broadcast journalism.  For his story, Terry traveled with the Immigrant Workers Freedom
Ride bus as it traveled through Idaho.  More than a dozen buses traveled across the country, picking
up hundreds of immigrant rights advocates along the way, similar to the civil rights movement in the 1960s.  They met in Washington D.C. and New York for mass demonstrations promoting changes to
the U.S. immigration policy and other civil and human rights issues.
     This year's winners were chosen from more than 3,200 entries in 45 categories including print,
radio, television and online.  The Society has honored the best work in collegiate journalism since
1972.  Additional information is available at http://radio.boisestate.edu.

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Congratulations Ladies!
     Please join the Point of View committee and the Department of Communication in congratulating
Dr. Heidi Reeder, Associate Profess or Communication, Monica Hopkins, Communication graduate student and Torrie Rae, Communication undergraduate student.
     Dr. Reeder, Monica and Torrie were recently selected to present their research at the 2nd Annual Point of View conference on Sexuality in a Diverse Society, November 16-17, 2004 in the Special Events Center.
     Dr. Reeder will present "Widening Our View to Include the Intersexed" on Wednesday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m.
     Monica will present "Reading Identity Politics Through Marx: A Proposal" on Wednesday, November 17 at 10:40 a.m.
     Torrie presents "Neosexual Revolution" and her original slam poem, "More than My Ovaries" on Wednesday, November 17 at 11:40 a.m.
     Again, congratulations to these outstanding Communication Department presenters.  If you would like more information about the conference please visit our website at http://union.boisestate.edu/pointofview

    
The following articles were written in a Communication Hand Book dated sometime in the Fall of 1981.  The two gentlemen referenced have recently retired from distinguished careers in the field of Communication.

     "Ben Parker was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas.  He has been teaching here at BSU since 1977.  Within the department he teaches classes in interpersonal communication, human relations, communication theory, research methodologies, senior seminar, fundamentals of speech and conflict resolution.  He has an extensive background in the field of intercultural communication.  Dr. Parker enjoys reading, remodeling, music and collecting rock and roll memorabilia.  Parker's claim to fame is that he owns an original copy of the first Rolling Stones album autographed by all of the founding members."
     The album Dr. Parker is holding in this photo is The Buddy Holly Story and the first item he took down from the wall in his office when he retired was undoubtedly the poster of his favorite pop icon, Janice Joplin.  He's probably still humming "Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?" as he climbs aboard his refurbished John Deere tractor to do some chores on his farm in Maine.  Happy trails Ben!

"Marvin Cox is originally from Fairfield, Idaho.  Having received his Ph.D. in communication, he has emphasized his interests in the areas of argumentation, persuasion, small group process, public address, communication education, and listening.  He enjoys backpacking as one of his recreational pastimes and consequently has taken a wilderness class as another field in his teaching area so that he can enjoy hunting, fishing and tinkering along with his work."
     You know, Marv just sold that truck about a year ago.  Said he got a fair price for it, but it sure was hard to let it go.  Well Marv, it was hard to let you go too, but all of us who have been associated with the Department of Communication have great respect for the career you have had and wish you a happy, long, and healthy retirement.

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