Six Students and Two Faculty from Communication Arts Department Present at New York State Communication Association Conference

In the first panel, entitled “Viewing the World through Theory Colored Glasses,” Marymount Manhattan students presented papers they completed in Professor Anastacia Kurylo’s spring 2008 Principles and Theories of Communication course. Papers in the first panel examined current global and social issues through the lens of a communication theory. Student Alex Catarinella ’09 presented “Cultivation Theory and Suicide,” and Meagan Ballenger ’11 presented “Using Adaptive Structuration Theory to Promote Civilian Involvement in the Iraq War” during the panel. Other student papers accepted to the first panel included Thomas Ford ’11’s “The Rhetoric of a Cause: The Uganda Civil War” and Rebeka Badila ’11’s “Social Penetration Theory and Former Child Soldiers.” 


Alex Catarinella ’09, Megan Cabelos,
Sydney Zarp ’11 and Jillian Moseman ’11 

The second panel, “Small Behavior. Big Change,” featured student presentations of papers they wrote in Professor Kurylo’s spring 2008 Interpersonal Communication course and a discussion with the audience following the presentations. Students used interpersonal communication theory and concepts to argue that a small change in an interpersonal communication behavior might have dramatic societal impact if adopted by a large population. Megan Cabelos presented “Yelling and Divorce Rates,” Jillian Moseman ’11 presented “Encouraging Family Meals,” Sydney Zarp ’11 presented “Do You Know My Name? The Importance of Learning Names and Its Effect on Everyday Life,” and Meagan Cowan-Barnes ’11 presented “Eliminate Chivalry to Create Equality.” Kimberly Redmond ’09’s paper “Changing Aggressive Driving Habits,” was also accepted to the second panel. 


Megan Cabelos, Meagan Cowen-Barnes ’11,
Sydney Zarp ’11 and Jillian Moseman ’11

Anastacia Kurylo, assistant professor of communication arts, and Corey Liberman, assistant professor of communication arts, also presented at the conference, which was held in the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, NY. Professor Liberman was elected to the position of Public Relations Coordinator and Laura Tropp, associate professor of communication arts, was elected to the position of Nominating Committee for the executive board of NYSCA at the conference. 

“The students were professional and thought-provoking in their presentations,” said Professor Kurylo. “During the second panel, the audience spent thirty minutes in discussion with the students after the papers they presented.” 

Professor of Communication Arts David Linton, Professor and Chair of Communication Arts Katie LeBesco, Assistant Professor of communication arts Rebecca Mushtare and Assistant Professor of communication arts Terri Dewhirst have organized panels of their students to present in past New Jersey Communication Association conferences, in addition to organizing past panels of students at the New York State Communication Association. Anastacia Kurylo serves as president of the New Jersey Communication Association. 

The New York State Communication Association conference is held each year. For more information, click here. 

For more information about the New Jersey Communication Association,click here.

Published: November 11, 2008