WSCA: FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FRONTIERS

Peter Andersen, WSCA President

Over the years WSCA has developed some wonderful themes, metaphors and folk beliefs to define our organization. Many of us have called WSCA an extended family. WSCA has been described as an intimate "national" convention or the best of the "regionals." Its central credo has been to "Work hard, play hard," and WSCA members feel an obligation to do both. No organization "boogies down" as WSCA has done for 20 years at our annual sock hop. No other organization regularly sponsors ski trips and golf tournaments. And I defy any other communication organization to match venues like Pasadena, Monterey, Denver, and Vancouver.

Having fun never obscures that fact that this is a high quality research organization. Partying just complements our strong commitment to maintaining two high quality research journals, an excellent newsletter and website, a conference where the typical panel is as good or better than you'll hear at any communication convention. WSCA's familial quality, its intimacy, its play and work, the scenic beauty of our annual venues, and its commitment to research are not empty conceptualizations. They are living topoi that are embodies in both our rhetoric and our actions.

The Western Region has always been a psychological, intellectual, topological, and ecological frontier. "Connections: Communication and Ecology," President-Elect Dennis Alexander's theme for the 1999 Vancouver convention, embodies the deep ties we feel interpersonally, intellectually and geographically to this region and to one another.

It is with feelings of humility, warmth, and honor that I begin my term as President of WSCA. To be head of this family, even for one year, is an extraordinary experience for me. Thanks again for trusting me with your extended family. I will take good care of her in my capcity as the last President to serve an entire term in the 20th Century. Please stay in touch and share your ideas, comments, criticisms, and suggestions with me at any time via the technology of the 21st Century, e-mail at peterand@mail.sdsu.edu,or via that 20th Century technology at 619-594-4222.

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WELCOME TO VANCOUVER

Dennis Alexander, President-Elect

As I kept saying to interest group meetings in February, welcome to Vancouver. I am very excited to plan the first of convention in our 70 meetings history outside of the United States. Larry Richardson, Local Host, reminds me that it is not far from the Washington border and the international crossing is an easy affair. Still, the convention site marks another milestone and turning point in our association. I will visit the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver to see the hotel and how we will "fit." Connie Conlee and Larry Richardson will accompany me to make sure that the fiscal and fun aspects of the convention are well planned.

Elsewhere in this newsletter is the formal call for papers. Beyond the call for papers, I encourage you to e-mail me with any ideas you have that will improve our convention. By the time you receive the printed copy of WSCA News, a tentative synopsis of the 1999 convention is posted on the Website. You will notice that I have taken programmers= advice to heart, and we only have interest group meetings early one morning, not two. Also, some felt the Sunday brunch had grown past its usefulness as a social event, I have chosen to eliminate the brunch and slightly alter the schedule. I have also talked with some of our Community College members from the Northwest and hope to help plan a program that addresses concerns unique, but not exclusive, to two year schools. Again, if you have ideas that are outside the usual program proposal issues, let me know. My hope is to plan the best program the membership wants.

I also want to take the opportunity to say I do not plan the convention alone. The chairs of the fifteen interest groups and presidents of two affiliate associations are the normal contacts for program proposals and competitive papers. I am sure they will also entertainment suggestions which are both usual and the unusual.

WSCA is characterized by its members abilities to work hard and play hard. Vancouver is another opportunity for us to extend the tradition of working and playing to our full potential. See you in Vancouver.

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WSCA Officers for 1998-99: Election Results

WSCA's Executive Council has new members, beginning their terms at the Denver Convention.

Dawn Braithwaite, Arizona State University, West, was elected First Vice President. She will succeed to the President-Elect position and plan the year 2000 convention in Sacramento.

Pam Kalbfleisch (University of Wyoming) was elected Second Vice President. She will chair the Legislative Assembly.

Delegates at large to the Executive council are Julie Benson-Rosston (Red Rocks Community College), Mark Bergstrom (University of Utah), Leigh Ford (New Mexico State University), Karen Rassmussen (CSU, Long Beach), and Gust Yep (San Francico State University).

Link to WSCA Officers Webpage

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IT TAKES A VILLAGE 

Peter A. Andersen, WSCA President 

It takes a village, or perhaps small army, to plan and deliver a WSCA conference like the one in Denver. As program planner I want to convey my deepest thanks to the hundreds of volunteers that made this conference "happen." I'm sure I'll forget someone, but here goes anyway.

First, thanks to our wonderful local hosts Sue Pendell and Karl Burgchardt of Colorado State Univesity, for incredible cooperativeness, hard work and a positive attitude (I never heard them say no!). Thanks also to their excellent local host committee: Lin Allen, University of Northern Colorado; Dianne Blomberg, Metropolitan State College; Tami Bollis-Peci, Denver University; Fran Dickson, Denver University; Benita J. Dilley, University of Colorado; Denver; Nina Gomez, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs; Janellen Hill, Regis University; Chris Hirsch, University of Colorado, Boulder; Pam Kalbfleish, University of Wyoming; Lois Kline, Pikes Peak Community College; Karen Krupar, Metropolitan State College; Jacqueline Mettille, Metropolitan State College; Alison Peticolas Peesel, Denver University; Conrad Smith, University of Wyoming; Bryan Taylor, University of Colorado, Boulder; and a special thanks to Delia Story, graphic designer, Colorado State University.

The people who make the WCSA program happen, the Interest Groups Chairs were an excellent, cooperative group and deserve my deepest thanks: Communication and Instruction, Jan Hoffman, Mercer College; Communication and the Law Hanns Hohman, San Jose State University; Communication Theory and Research, Pat Arneson, University of Northern Colorado; Community College, Ralene Hearn, Mendocino College; Executives Club, Sandra Petronio, Arizona State University; Freedom of Speech, John Williams, California State University, Sacramento; Health Communication, Leigh Ford, New Mexico State University; Intercultural Communication, Brad Hall, Univerity of New Mexico; Interpersonal Communication; Valerie Manusov, University of Washington; Interpretation and Performance Studies, Jane Donovan, Linn Benton Community College; Language and Social Interaction; Charlotte Jones; Carroll College;Media Studies; Tom Reichert, University of North Texas; Organization for Research on Women and Communication, WSCA Affiliate Organization; Cindy Griffin, Colorado State University; Organizational Communication, Geri Johnson, San Francisco State University; Rhetoric and Public Address, Dana Cloud, University of Texas; Western Forensic Association, WSCA Affiliate Organization, Greg Miller, San Diego State University.

Thanks also to my incredible undergraduate student assistants at San Diego State University, Lisa Adams, Denise Buelna, Missy Creech, Elsha Cunningham, Kathleen Kramer, Eric Naranjo, Mona Sandoval, Sheri Sjoberg, Tiffany Sunde, and Nicole Yaroslavsky.

A huge thanks to our Newsletter Editor and Webmaster, John Cagle at California State University, Fresno, who, for the first time, and at very short notice was able to post the entire WSCA program on the WEB: http://www.csufresno.edu/speechcomm/wsca.htm

Thanks to the hard working and seldom recognized WSCA committee members. Time and Place Committee: Paul Krivonos (Chair), Jeanine Congleton, Blaine Goss; Nominating Committee: Betsy Bach (Chair), Ken Salter, Paul Krivonos, Martha Einerson, Alexis Olds; Finance Committee: Jess Alberts, (Chair), Paul Mongeau, Mark Bergstrom, John Reinard (alternate); Distinguished Service Award: Pam Kalbfleisch (chair), Betsy Bach, Pat Ganer; Bob Avery (alternate); K-12 Award: Craig R. Smith (chair), Bob Stockton, Jan Hoffman; Fisher Award Leah Vande Berg (chair), George Cheney, Todd Imahori, Jan Schutz, Wen Shu Lee, Valerie Manusov, Brian Spitzberg, Melanie Trost (alternate), David Henry (alternate); Publications Committee, Bob Avery (chair), Mike Salvador, Bryan Taylor, Leesa Dillman (alternate); Newsletter Search Committee, Dennis Alexander (chair), Michael Mayer, and Madeline Keaveney.

Thanks to our Executive Director, Connie Connie, for all her hard work beyond the call of duty.

Finally, a special thanks to Patricia Schroeder, the best Convention Keynote speaker in my memory and a truly nice person.

Thanks a second time for all your help.

Peter

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Robert Boren Receives WSCA Distinguished Service Award

Robert Boren, Professor at Boise State University, is the 20th Recipient of the Western States Communication Association's Distinguished Service Award. This is the most prestigious award presented by the association. The award is given to those who have shown outstanding dedication and commitment to the development of the Western States Communication Association and the Communication Discipline.

Pamela Kalbfleisch, Associate Professor at the University of Wyoming and Chair of the Distinguished Service Award Committee, presented this award to Professor Boren at the Annual Convention of the Western States Communication Association in Denver, Colorado, on February 16, 1998.

Professor Kalbfleisch introduced the 1998 award winner with the following presentation:

This year's recipient of the Western States Communication Association's Award for Distinguished Service has been consistently described as a Champion of Education. This person is widely known as someone who readily finds opportunities for others to excel. This person encourages others to get involved; encourages them to achieve; encourages them to seek quality in their work, and to find their own voice.

The Field of Communication has benefited from this person's presence. Seven Communication texts have been authored by this year's recipient of the Distinguished Service Award as well as over 40 monographs. This year's award recipient led a small Communication department tucked away in only a few rooms at a Western university to become one of the largest and most active on campus with their own Communication building. This person has also led students and faculty to become active, involved members of the Communication discipline and several of his former undergraduate students and advisees went on to receive doctorates and they are here today.

It should be obvious how the Western States Communication Association may have benefited from such a dedicated scholar and educator. He has tirelessly served on numerous committees, task forces, boards, and offices across our organization from debate and public speaking to interpersonal and organizational communication. He hosted one of our conventions in his local city telling us, if he hosted it we would come, and we did. He is a former President of our association and he continues to champion the development of the Communication discipline in the West.

He is our respected friend and colleague. This year's winner of the Distinguished Service Award for outstanding contributions to the Western States Communication Association and the Communication Discipline is Robert Boren from Boise State University.

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Announcement

At the 1998 WSCA conference in Denver, several members met to discuss Queer Studies representation at Western. The impetus for this meeting was the recent move on the part of NCA to grant division status to LGBT. If you have an interest in the voice of Queer Studies at WSCA, please contact Elizabeth Whitney at the University of Utah:

e.whitney@m.cc.utah.edu

Look for more information in the next newsletter concerning a round table and meeting at Western in Vancouver 1999.

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A "Modest Proposal"

by Mary McEdwards, California State University, Northridge

As our 1998 WSCA keynote speaker Pat Schroeder told us, one of the most important and necessary communication activities Americans can engage in is the simple use of reading aloud to their young children.

She noted that recent research shows that the human brain is continually growing and changing up to the age of 9 or 10. Reading aloud to children takes advantage of this growth and change by providing them with an enhanced ability to communicate successfully in life--a necessary attribute for today and into the future. Children read to by their parents usually do the same for their children--and on through the generations.

She also called upon WSCA members to help her find a way to show Americans the need for and the benefits of this activity.

My "modest proposal" is that all of us teaching students in any communication field can incorporate in our courses information about the benefits of and the need for reading aloud to their children, present and future. We can continue to remind them through their school years to make full use of this activity. It can bond parent and child, it greatly aids in the growth of the young child's brain, and it can bring pleasure to the parent reader.

If we can get every speech teacher in the U.S. to push the "read to your children" idea, we will have found a no-cost, efficient, and successful way to equip our future generations to make the most of the next millennium. Start today!

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Organizational Communication Interest Group News

Four top papers were presented in Denver, representing a wide variety of approaches and methodologies to organizational communication. The

authors, Jeffrey Kassing (St. Cloud State University), Scott Moore (Fresno State), Craig Scott, Laura Quinn, C. Erik Timmerman, and D. Garrett (University Of Texas - Austin), John Oetzel (University of New Mexico), and James Sass (Arizona State) were recognized at the business meeting, which was chaired by Geri Johnson (San Francisco State University).

Johnson handed the gavel over to Deborah Dunn (Westmont College), the last chair for the century. Tim Hegstrom (San Jose State) was elected vice-chair, and Scott Moore was elected recorder. The 1998 paper readers were thanked, and included: Scott Chadwick, Gary Ruud, Tim Downs, and Gerry Smith.

A number of good ideas have been proposed for the 1999 Vancouver

conference, especially with regard to the theme, communication and ecology. Members are encouraged to continue the conversation, and submit panels either to the interest group or to talk to Connie Bullis about larger convention ideas. Craig Scott has suggested that organizational communication scholars might consider a theoretical look at the ways ecological and biological organizational models have advanced and impeded our thinking in organizational communication. Please follow up on theme and panel ideas, via your own networks or e-mail. To add your name to the "org comm list" please e-mail Deborah Dunn at dunn@westmont.edu.

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Health Communication Webpage

Stephanie J. Coopman reports that WSCA's Health Comunication Interest Group has a website and that you can check out the HCIG website at:

http://www.cruzio.com/~rogue/HCIG.html

The HCIG website will be linked to the WSCA homepage.

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Editor's Notes

by John A. Cagle

This is the first issue of WSCA News under my editorship. I hope to make the newsletter a useful tool for WSCA and our members to communicate with one another. There is also a print version mailed to members.

The website version, WSCA News on the Web, will also have "late-breaking" news between the print editions, and it is of course in color. If members or interest groups have webpages of interest, we can put links on our homepage to them.

WSCA News comes out three times a year: April, October, and January--not exactly a calendar year, but facilitative of our convention schedule. Material is cordially invited, especially scatalogical humor or anecdotal narratives or germane editorials, although reports on the activities and vicissitudes of our interest groups and members may well be more appropriate.

Comments and suggestions to me, johnca@csufresno.edu, are welcome, either for the print or electronic versions of the WSCA News.

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