Congratulations to students of the communication department who have been selected to present their research at the Sooner’s Communication Conference at the University of Oklahoma on March 8 and 9. Among the students selected, Calvin Coker, a graduate student of communication, received the Top Paper Award.

Coker developed the topic of his paper, “Argument Analysis in the 2000 Presidential Debates,” during a special topics course with Dr. Eric Morris that focused on the presidential debate cycles. Coker’s paper identifies and defends thematic argument groups in the presidential debate cycle for the year 2000. His research found that the 2000 debates are characterized by four major thematic elements: tax reform, expansion of federal government, national interest in the context of US and the global community, and domestic entitlement spending.

Coker is a graduate teaching assistant and is currently teaching two sections of public speaking. He also serves as a coach and judge for MSU’s policy and debate team. After graduation, Coker plans to pursue a PhD in communication or public policy.

MSU students selected to present research

“The Three E’s of Effectiveness: An Experimental Content Analysis of the Web Presence of NPO’s in the Heath Care Sector” Brandi Chen, Whitney Coker, Carmen Garcia

“Workshop on Creating Interviews that Promote Self-Disclosure” Levi Costello

“Saudi’s Culture: The Effect of Transition to Parenthood” Abdulwahab Alsulami

“Edward Said’s Orientalism: Where It Came From and How It Has Been Used” Andrew Frisbie

“Socio-Political Documentary Film as Character-Driven Genre” Dana Dominguez, David Van Bebber, Samuel Coad Dyer, Jr.

“Acting in Good or Bad Faith: Understanding the Impacts of Emotion Labor” Jaclyn Brandhorss

“Rituals, Stories, and People: A Literature Review Exploring Organizational Culture” Mikel Howard