The WTAMU Department of Communication and Distinguished Lecture Series welcome Jill Whitfield to the JBK Legacy Hall Feb. 20th at 6 p.m. to share her story with WT students. Whitfield graduated from West Texas A&M University in 2009 with a degree in Corporate Communication and a minor in Advertising and Public Relations. She went on to complete her Master’s in Public Communication & Technology, Public Relations at Colorado State University. Seeking a career in entertainment communication, Whitfield has worked as an intern for Lifetime Television, as a digital marketing strategist, a venue support manager for Goldstar Events, a Campus 2 Career Recruiter for NBC Universal, a production team member for award shows and special events and is currently a career consultant for the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at Texas Christian University.

This presentation is part of WT Communication Week, which takes place Feb. 19 – 23 and includes a Game Show, WT Alumni Table Talk, a movie screening of “The Intern” and “Project Runway” which features professors dressing up as their favorite celebrity. The entire week is centered around the theme, “That’s Entertainment!”

Planning Committee member Will McAfee is excited to hear from Jill Whitfield, “I think what she has done with her career so far is amazing and how she has gotten to this point will be interesting to hear.”

Broadcasting electronic media senior, Chase Mardis, is looking forward to the event. “Comm Week has always been something almost every Mass Comm student looks forward to, and I think this year will be no different.”

On Monday, Feb. 19, Planning Committee members Kyle Hubbard and Hope Holman will host a game show in the Fine Arts Complex Recital Hall from 12:15-1:20 p.m. The event will be their version of the games that occur on late night television.

A group of WT alumni will gather to meet informally with students at the Alumni Table Talk Event held at JBK Legends Feb. 20 at 7 p.m., with appetizers provided by the Department of Communication and the Communication Alumni Network. During the Table Talk event, students will have the opportunity to visit with Stephanie Williams Turkowski; a Texas Tech Doctoral Student; Tre and Emily Calvin, students at Asbury Theological Seminary; Kaitlin

Johnson, a digital content executive producer for KFD; Charlie Keys; a Youth Minister at First United Methodist in Canyon, and Brittany Castillo; a communication specialist in the WT Communications and Marketing Services Office.

At 12:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 21, Students are invited to participate in Celebrity Dress-up Day. There will be a book drive held in the Fine Arts Complex at noon. The children’s books received will be taken by Communication students to Cape Town, South Africa as part of their Study Abroad experience during Spring Break.

On Thursday, Feb. 22 the ever-popular “Project Runway” returns with five teams of students dressing up faculty members as various celebrities. As the faculty members promenade in the Branding Iron Theatre to music, a panel of judges will determine who gets the crystal pumpkin for the best portrayal. Planning Committee member Will McAfee adds, “COMM Week 2018 will feature several new events and activities and more interactivity on social media. The COMM Week celebration always draws students together, and this year stands out to me because participants will learn from others’ stories but are also encouraged to share their own.”

The final event of the week is an outreach effort to area high school students interested in careers in Communication. Students will have the opportunity to view an award-winning documentary produced by WTAMU students, tour the Media Communication facilities and hear several students speak about the opportunities available through WTAMU’s Department of Communication.

The 2018 Communication Week Planning committee:

Emma Eickhoff – Communication Master’s Program

Jonathan Espinoza – Broadcast Journalism

Halle Hebbel – Advertising Public Relations

Hope Holman – Corporate Communication

Kyle Hubbard – Corporate Communication

Will McAfee – Broadcast Electronic Media

Megan Nelson – Advertising Public Relations

Audry Palmer – Communication Master’s Program

Allie Smith – Broadcast Journalism

Sarah Young – Advertising, Public Relations

Dr. Mary Liz Brooks, Assistant Professor of Mass Communication

Prof. Randy Ray, Associate Lecturer of Mass Communication and Director of Broadcast Engineering

For information about any of the events or Jill Whitfield’s presentation, contact Dr. Trudy Hanson at (806) 651-2800 or [email protected].