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Top Communication students invited to join national honor society

Junior and senior Communication majors with high GPAs will receive invitations this week or next to join Lambda Pi Eta, the national honor society for Communication students. To be eligible students must (1) complete 60 semester credit hours, (2) have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 for all courses taken, (3) complete the equivalent of 12 semester credit hours in Communication, (4) have a minimum GPA of 3.25 for all Communication courses, (5) currently be enrolled as a student in good standing, as determined by the institution’s policies, and (6) rank within the highest 35% of one’s class in general scholarship. Invitations will be extended via postal mail and campus email. If you qualify, but do not receive your invitation by March 15, please contact Sare Gardner to check your eligibility. Qualifying students will be honored at the department’s end-of-year event. The deadline to join is March 19.

Communication student accepted to University of Utah law school

Carlie Lythgoe, a Bachelor’s of Integrative Studies student with a Communication emphasis, has been accepted to the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. Lythgoe said, “I am excited to gain a legal education and to be able to give back to my community here in Utah in a meaningful, systemic way.”

91¶ÌÊÓƵ Debate team president wins top honors at Undergraduate Research Symposium

Weber State Debate team president, Jordan Stephens, was awarded top honors and full funding from the annual 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Undergraduate Research Symposium with his research project on COVID-19 testing.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ Speech takes second overall in Talk Hawk Invitational

The 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Speech Team took second place overall in the Talk Hawk Invitational last month in competition with schools from across the U.S., including Duke University, the University of Montana, the University of Utah and Morehouse College. Team awards also included a third-place finish in debate events and a third-place finish in Individual events. Individual awards included:

• Rebecca Brown: first place in Open Dramatic Interpretation, first place in IPDA Debate speaker points, second place in junior IPDA Debate, and fourth place in novice Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Brad Baker: fourth place in junior IPDA Debate speaker points, third place in Junior IPDA Debate, and sixth place in novice Impromptu speaking.
• Krystiana Davis: third place in novice IPDA Debate speaker points, third in Novice IPDA Debate, third in Novice Persuasive Speaking.
• Sophie Beck: first place in Novice IPDA Debate speaker points, first place in Novice IPDA Debate, first place in Open Informative Speaking, sixth place in Open Program of Oral Interpretation, and Top Novice in Open Program of Oral Interpretation.
• Akir Rowe: second place in Novice Extemporaneous Speaking, third place in Junior IPDA Debate, and one of the two first places in Junior IPDA Debate.
• Jazmyne Olson: first place in Junior IPDA Debate, second place in Junior IPDA Debate speaker points, third place in Novice Impromptu Speaking, fifth place in Open Extemporaneous Speaking, sixth place in Open Poetry, and Top Novice in Open Poetry.
• Kyle Housley: fifth place in Open Dramatic Interpretation, seventh place in Open Prose, and Top Novice in Open Prose.
• Weber State’s Speech and IPDA Debate Team is working hard to prepare for PKD Nationals scheduled for March 18-21. The team can use judge support. If you are interested in judging at Nationals, please contact Mark Galaviz at Markgalaviz@weber.edu.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ Debate qualifies for the Mountain West National Debate Tournament qualifier

The debate team of Zoe Thomae and Bailey Brunyer achieved one of their competitive goals by making the jump from Junior Varsity to Varsity this semester. Weber BT represented the team well picking up two wins in their first varsity tournament, the Northwestern University Tournament, the largest intercollegiate policy debate tournament hosted each year with nearly a hundred colleges and universities represented. Two weeks later, they took that momentum and made it to the elimination rounds of the Monmouth Invitational, only their second tournament at the varsity level. Having won over 50% of their rounds in varsity, Thomae and Brunyer qualified to represent Weber State Debate in the District 2 National Debate Tournament qualifier.

Weber State Debate hosts successful High School Speech and Debate Workshop

Weber State Debate brought together nearly 30 high school speech and debate students from schools across Utah for a three-hour workshop to help students refine their speaking and debating prowess heading into state and national championship competitions. Weber State Debate students took the opportunity to learn to teach, developing lesson plans for each of their sessions and sharing their experience to help local students get a leg up on the competition. In addition, the Director Workshop brought together several new administrators to help prepare for hosting several of the local national qualifying tournaments.

Analysis of Argument students have letters to the editor published

Students in COMM 1270 used their argumentation skills to get engaged in local advocacy with the publication of two op-eds this semester. Carlie Lythgoe’s letter, “Utah desperately needs better sex ed curriculum,” was published in the Deseret News and can be read here: Connor Kirkham’s letter, “Biden must compromise if unity is to be reached,” was published in the Standard- Examiner and can be read here:

Professor publishes article on privacy and pregnancy loss in the workplace

Dr. Sarah Steimel has published an article in the journal “Women’s Studies in Communication.” The article is titled “Communication privacy management and pregnancy loss in interpersonal workplace communication.” It can be read at

Faculty member publishes book chapter on emotional support animals at college

Dr. Susan Hafen has a book chapter in press. It is titled “Having emotional support animals at college.” It will be published in T. H. Housel (Ed.) “Mental Health Among Higher Education Faculty, Administration, and graduate students: A Critical Perspective” from Lexington Books.