4/23/98
contact: Dean Schnurr, (740) 593-0030
ATHENS, Ohio -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson will deliver the keynote speech for the 30th annual Communication Week at 8 p.m., Monday, April 27 at the Convocation Center on the Athens campus. Jackson will speak on the theme of Ohio University's College of Communication Week, "Communication and Democracy."
One day is devoted to each of the five schools in the College: The J. Warren McClure School of Communication Systems Management; the School of Interpersonal Communication; the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism; the School of Telecommunications and the School of Visual Communication. The Telecommunications Center, which was added under the umbrella of the College of Communication last July, will share a day with the School of Telecommunications.
Jackson will kick-off the week with a 5:30 p.m. "town meeting" on Sunday, April 26, in the Radio-Television Communication Building (RTVC) on campus. The televised event will be hosted by Jackson and includes a panel of specialists in the fields of medicine, education, human services, economics and environmental studies. The panel and local audience will spend 90 minutes exploring the "class gap" in American society.
College of Communication Dean Kathy Krendl said Jackson's "experience in politics and devotion to social justice gives him a unique perspective of democracy around the globe."
Immediately preceding the keynote speech, Krendl will honor the late founder and former Dean of the College of Communication John Wilhelm. Members of Wilhelm's family will be at the Convocation Center for the presentation.
Beginning Sunday, April 26, a student art exhibit featuring the Pulitzer Prize winning work of former student Martha Rial will be on display in the Baker Center Ballroom for the entire week. The exhibit, sponsored by the School of Visual Communications, will contain more than 200 works by current students. A collage of photos depicting the 30 years of the College of Communication will be on display in the Ballroom.
On Wednesday, April 29, the Telecommunications Center will celebrate its 35th anniversary. The staff will be conducting tours of the facilities in the RTVC building at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and finish the day with a reception and awards banquet in the evening.
Communication Week 1998 will conclude Friday, May 1, with the dedication of the new Scripps Survey Research Center. This state-of-the-art facility on the fourth floor of the Central Classroom Building is a computer-aided, voice-and-data laboratory designed for instruction and research in interviewing. The dedication will begin at 3:30 p.m. with an equipment demonstration afterwards.
In addition to these special events, each school will be presenting informational sessions, alumni panels, feature speakers and other activities.
Jackson's keynote speech is free and open to the public. Convocation Center doors will open at 7:00.