GC Communication Dept.

The Communication Department offers majors in broadcasting, communication, journalism and public relations. Minors are available in communication, writing and multimedia. For film studies, you can major in communication with a concentration in film, and spend a semester at the LA Film Studies School.

Students are encouraged to publish and produce, shaping portfolios over four years. Practical experience is available through the C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest, an annual event; the Correspondent, a television news show; 91.1 The Globe, an FM radio station (WGCS) that sends a signal 60 miles and streams worldwide; The Maple Leaf, a yearbook; and The Record, a weekly newspaper. In 2011, we launched FiveCore Media, a video production company that provides students with professional experience in serving internal and external clients.

One or more internships are required, depending on the major. In the last two years alone, students have interned with the Indianapolis Colts, Fox TV, WFRN FM, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, Goshen General Hospital, Everence, The Elkhart Truth, The South Bend Tribune, Froggy 102.7 FM, El Puente, WNDU TV, the Elkhart County Community Foundation and more.

Communication is a dynamic field of study that prepares students for meaningful service and fulfilling careers. The department is committed to bridging studies in the classroom and applied work off campus, and to encouraging group contributions. In recent years, for example, teams of students and faculty have fanned out across the country to develop a documentary on Mennonite women of color; traveled to El Salvador to report on fair trade coffee, and to Swaziland to report on the HIV/AIDS pandemic; and spent a week in Pittsburgh, publishing a church convention newspaper. In 2012, a team of students will travel to Greece to produce a video while following in the footsteps of the apostle Paul.

Involvement in communication also provides avenues for self-discovery and creative expression, giving students a solid base for further learning in graduate, professional and personal settings. Graduates have pursued vocations as broadcasters, business executives, designers, editors, educators, lawyers, ministers, public and advertising practitioners, reporters, and more.