Lecturer likes the challenges of finding ways to make
information available to students
Everyday, Jenny 'Alex' Alexander gets up
enthused and ready to help her students understand the theories
behind communication
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Editor-in-Chief explains how working at school
newspaper gives a very hands-on experience to its staff
As
Editor-In-Chief of The Guardian, Jessica Lander said that student media
is extremely important and helpful to any student at Wright State.
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Department Chair has high hopes for Communications
Department
Whether it be media, politics or teaching, Dr.
James Sayer has a love for them all
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Jenny Alexander
Interview
Katie Dickerson
Every day, Jenny “Alex” Alexander gets up enthused
and ready to help her students understand the theories behind
communication.
As a lecturer and professor at Wright State University,
Alexander said she likes the challenges of finding ways to make
information available to students. “I especially enjoy teaching the
communication classes that I do because every single person can relate
to the material,” said Alexander.
Alexander took her first communication course as an
early childhood education major at WSU. “I was immediately drawn
to the theories and practice of communication,” she said, “so I took a
second communication course.” The second communication course springboarded her into her current career as well as her way of life.
Alexander was an adjunct professor in 1994 and 1995 and
has been a full-time lecturer since 1999. The courses she teaches
include interpersonal communication, small group communication and
effective listening, among others. Although all are equally important to
her, Alexander said she is drawn to health communication.
“Communication is something that we all participate in
on a daily basis with friends, loved ones, health care professionals,
co-workers and strangers,” she said. “I am fascinated with the study of
those dynamics and I always will be.” Lately, her fascination with
business communication has grown. She’s currently preparing to take over
the class.
Alexander loves to teach and would rather do nothing else.
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Jessica Lander Interview
Jennifer Collins
As Editor-In-Chief of The Guardian,
Jessica Lander said that student media is extremely important and
helpful to any student at Wright State.
“The Guardian is a stepping stone into any media
career. You get to use what you learn about in your classes and gain
more experience than you could at any other on-campus job. No other
media venue can show you that like The Guardian can,” said
Lander, a junior.
Lander explained that working at the paper gives a very
hands-on experience to its staff. It teaches them how to be a part of a
true media source with a real audience. According to Lander, the
knowledge gained is priceless. The Guardian also provides
exposure. Last year, one of Lander’s stories was recognized by local
media outlets.
“I wrote a piece on a student that had been injured in
Iraq. I’d heard about it on Tuesday (and) did interviews. It was in the
paper by Wednesday, and then I had newspapers and television stations
calling me and asking me questions about it. I have to say that I was
pretty proud of that,” said Lander.
Once she became Editor-In-Chief, she decided it was
time to make some changes. She redesigned the newspaper’s format and
restructured the submission guidelines. While it’s hard work, Lander
said it’s a great way to learn and teach other students how to write and
cater properly to their audience.
Lander
takes her job very seriously, and also has a strong sense of pride.
“Being Editor-In-Chief of The Guardian is the most important
student job on campus. I take a lot of criticism, but we are the voice
of Wright State every day (and) in every issue we put out. This is the
only student organization that can say that.”
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Dr. James Sayer Interview
Carr
Whether it be media, politics or teaching, Dr. James Sayer has a
love for them all. As chair of Wright State University’s Communication
Department for the past 17 years,
Sayer has many responsibilities not only as the
department head but a successful well-known professor of communication
as well.
Sayer
said more than 32 years ago he saw himself as a history teacher. Like a
lot of his students he too was headed on a different path, little did he
know that his passion for political science and communication would take
over his life.
Although Sayer is now in the communication field, he
still keeps his interests alive by completing many activities such as
his research about comparing the similarities to media and politics from
now and then. These similarities include the media impact on the
Vietnam War and the war today with Iraq. Sayer spends a lot of his time
advising students about their majors. “Students’ biggest decisions are
deciding what area of communication they want to go into,” said Sayer.
“Communication is kind of like air, and it’s everywhere.”
One of Sayer’s most rewarding experiences as a
professor is when students come back from their careers and have
accomplished something with the help of their education, he said.
Sayer’s responsibilities as department chair are to oversee the general
operations of the department and for the past 17 years he has done just
that and more, including scheduling classes and deciding who will teach
them.
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