1. The Communicator | Vol. 18 | No. 1 | Spring 2016
THE COMMUNICATOR
Page 1
Public service, research and a virtual internship
keep senior Mackenzie Bledsoe busy
By Colleen Schauer
The past couple years have been some-
what of a whirlwind for Kenzie Bled-
soe, ‘16. She has had two major public
service internships, volunteers frequently,
has held many student leadership positions
and recently presented her collaborative
research at a conference in Montreal, Can-
ada.
The virtual internship with the State De-
partment is the most recent of Bledsoe’s
endeavors, and arguably the most presti-
gious. Former Secretary of State, Hillary
Clinton created the virtual internship so
that 300 different organizations associated
with the government could apply for an in-
tern. Each organization accepts one intern
and Bledsoe was one of the 2,000 appli-
cants to get accepted.
The specific organization that Bledsoe
works with is called All Children Reading,
which “was launched in 2011 as a way to
leverage all of the technology we have.”
The program was created by the US Agen-
cy for International Development, World
Vision, and the Australian Government.
The internship also encompasses the unique
experience of living in the digital age. The
internship is virtual, thus all of Bledsoe’s
work is assigned to her via a weekly email.
In fact, she’s never seen her boss face to
face. “We use WebEx, which is similar to
Skype. We’ve only ever communicated by
email or by voice. There is a camera fea-
ture, but I’ve never turned mine on and my
boss hasn’t either,” Bledsoe said.
When asked about the culture of the intern-
ship and how the digital aspect affected
that, Bledsoe explained the difficult tran-
sition between in person and virtual work.
“I’m all about the personal connection, so
it’s difficult to not have that. I like to be
able to check in with the people I work with
and ask them about their day and that sort
of thing, so this is much different.”
Despite the transition between virtual ver-
sus personal, Bledsoe is very fond of her
internship.
“All Children Reading struck a chord with
me,” Bledsoe said of the internship. She
went on to explain the trifecta that made the
internship a perfect fit, citing the non-profit
aspect, mission towards educational ad-
vancement, and emphasis on technology as
reasons why this internship appealed to her.
Though the virtual versus personal aspect
of the internship was an adjustment for
Bledsoe, she certainly has no fear of tech-
nology. In fact, her collaborative research
paper, with Professor Ishida, was titled:
Twitter Usage in Public Communication
Campaigns: Agenda Setting and Issue
Framing of the California Drought Crisis.
Bledsoe presented a continuation of her
research at the Central States Communi-
cation Association Undergraduate Honors
Conference in Grand Rapids, MI, where
she was awarded a “Top Paper” award.
The experiences that Bledsoe has gained
are so diverse from one another, and have
given her a toolbox of new skills.
Her internship with Mark Dayton’s office
has prepared her for the public service.
Most of what she did in this job was related
to public relations and archiving articles.
When asked what advice she would give to
younger students in terms of finding intern-
ships, Bledsoe said, “Mentorship is key. I
could not have gotten these things all by
myself.”
Hamline University Communication Studies Newsletter | Vol. 18 | No. 1 | Spring 2016
Photo courtesy of Mackenzie Bledsoe

2. The Communicator | Vol. 18 | No. 1 | Spring 2016Page 2
Through his various on and off-campus
experiences junior and digital media
arts major, communication studies minor,
Cole Mayer is finding his niche in sports
media and communication. Cole has gained
experience in media and sports by working
at the University of Minnesota, interning
with Sporting Kansas City, a professional
soccer team, and helping operate The Ora-
cle as managing editor.
Cole has been drawn to media and journal-
ism since junior year of high school. He
was a photographer for his school’s paper,
and it was around this time that the school’s
football stadium received a video board.
The P.A. announcer and Cole’s newspaper
advisor asked if he would be interested in
running a camera along the sideline. Cole
agreed and soon after began working at the
Sioux Falls Arena.
When asked about what drew him to
sports, Cole quickly responded “It’s the en-
vironment, the atmosphere, and that you’re
a part of this production. It’s awesome.”
Thinking back to high school, Cole remi-
nisced about his first Sioux Falls Stampede
game that went into overtime. He had the
corner camera, down near the ice, or as
Cole puts it “the best seat in the house.” As
the action intensified, Cole followed along,
keeping his camera on the puck. Suddenly
the crowd went wild- the Sioux Falls Stam-
pede had scored and Cole had captured it.
As they replayed the shot, Cole realized
that everyone was watching his work. “It
was me, a high school kid that got that shot,
and I’m working with 40-year-olds,” said
Cole.
Already achieving so much at a young
age, Cole was motivated to pursue both
of his interests, photography and video
board production, during his undergraduate
years. In his freshman year of college, Cole
applied to Hamline on-campus newspaper,
The Oracle, and the University of Minne-
sota’s Gopher Digital Productions.
During his time at The Oracle, Cole moved
from sports photographer to managing edi-
tor.After taking initiative as a newbie, Cole,
with the approval of then Editor-in-Chief
Preston Dhols-Graf, upgraded their camera
equipment his freshman year.
Not one to limit himself, Cole is also the
sports photographer for Hamline Athletics,
making the front-page for the website, and
his photos often feature in The Oracle. In
regards to his role at The Oracle now, Cole
states that he does what others “Won’t do,
can’t do, or don’t want to do.” He goes on
to add that “I manage the emails, and I just
pick up slack where it needs to be picked
up.” He also sells ads and still takes pho-
tos when necessary. Recently, he has been
looking to hire a group of motivated pho-
tographers who are “willing to work.”
Familiar with the concept of hard work,
Cole’s position at the Gopher Digital Pro-
ductions is unsurprisingly more than “stu-
dent-work”. Initially, Cole’s eager and per-
sistent phone calls landed him an interview.
In the end, he states that it was his ambition
and willingness to put himself out there
that got him the job, even though he is not
a U of M student. In regards to what his
job consists of, Cole says that “It’s just like
Put yourself out there:
Communication studies minor blends passion for sports with digital media
By Suada Karic
“It’s the environment, the
atmosphere, and that you’re
a part of this production. It’s
awesome.”
~Cole Mayer ‘17
Photo by Suada Karic

3. The Communicator | Vol. 18 | No.1 | Spring 2016 Page 3
watching T.V. at your home if you watch
live sports.” Cole works with different
camera angles, graphics going in and out,
play-by-plays, and on-air analysis. There
are also specific positions, such as produc-
tion, replay, director, graphics, technical
director, camera operator, show-control op-
erator, and video operator. He adds that he
and the rest of his team are able to do it all.
Impressively, Cole has been directing the
women’s hockey shows at the RidderArena
for two years. The arena is unique because
(unlike the other arenas) it is not attached
to the TCF Bank stadium, which according
to Cole, places more difficulty when direct-
ing, staffing, and manning because “”You
have to do everything separately and be at
the arena to put the show together.” This
didn’t stop Cole from accepting the posi-
tion when it was offered his sophomore
year of college. When he took over in Jan-
uary 2015, there were three months left of
the season. This included the NCAA Fro-
zen Four and the Division III Ice Hockey
Championship.
Working in a remarkable and memorable
setting comes with a set of skills. For Cole,
it is learning to work with a large group of
people. From fifty plus staff that can vary
from event to event, to freelance profes-
sionals, it is the ultimate learning experi-
ence.
Of course, Cole doesn’t stop there. In
the summer of 2015, he interned with
the Sporting Kansas City, a major league
soccer team based in Kansas. Once again
Cole’s persistence got him what he want-
ed. After applying and not receiving a re-
sponse, Cole emailed his (now) manager
and soon after received a phone interview
which led to his internship. The experience
lasted from the first week of June through
August 20.
The internship consisted of shooting and
editing various videos, including promo-
tional videos that appeared on the Sporting
KC’s official YouTube page and local chan-
nels. Cole also had the chance to create a
scrimmage and
training highlight
video for Sport-
ing KC’s major
sponsors. Cole
would also travel
with the team to
events and plan
out the week’s
broadcast to pre-
pare for game
day.
On game days,
Cole worked on
the broadcast
crew and operat-
ed a camera. He
did this for three
months while
commuting back and forth between Law-
rence, Kansas and Kansas City, Kansas.
Continuing his experience with soccer and
video board operating, Cole plans to work
for the Minnesota United this summer. The
Minnesota United is a (soon to be) major
league soccer team based in Blaine. Natu-
rally, there’s more than meets the eye, as
Cole adds “My plan is just to intern with
them this summer, get a feel for the organi-
zation and hopefully when they make that
jump to MLS- they’ll need a couple more
people on staff, full time, and I’ll be one
of them.”
After hearing about all of his happenings
and accomplishments, one has to ask,
“How do you balance all of this?” Cole
simply states that it comes down to prioriti-
zation. He admits that he has missed classes
to work at the U of M, but that for him it is
difficult to say “no” to a Big Ten Network.
He goes on to add that overall his experi-
ences at both The Oracle and the Universi-
ty of Minnesota have helped him to better
balance his school work. So what does the
accomplished DMA-Comm Studies junior
say in regards to advice? “I would just say
be ambitious. Put yourself out there. You
don’t know unless you ask.”
Cole and Andy Hernick run video media for a Minnesota Gopher
Hockey game Photo by Suada Karic
Photo by Suada KaricImage of Cole’s view from the film of the Gopher Hockey game

4. The Communicator | Vol. 18 | No.1 | Spring 2016Page 4
“What you learn from a
communication major is how to
communicate effectively
and strategically”
“You have to be able to adapt” were the
words that stuck with me after my talk
with Ina Baum, a 2007 Hamline commu-
nication studies alumna, who returned to
campus in December 2015. During her time
on campus she spoke to students about her
experience working for UNESCO, the In-
tergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
and her most recent job as the project coor-
dinator at the Potsdam Institute for Climate
Impact Research.
Baum’s experience is extensive, but she
actually left college not knowing what she
wanted to do. All she knew was that she
wanted to work for a nonprofit.
After a year of teaching in China at the
United International College, Ina began her
career in Germany working for the German
Commission for the United Nations Educa-
tional, Science, and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO). As a project manager for an
international volunteer program through
UNESCO, she faced many crisis commu-
nication situations.
She found herself working to help people
during the landslide in Colombia, the war
in Syria, and the earthquake in Peru. Ev-
eryday was different and called for her to
react quickly and flawlessly to each unique
situation.
Baum has to be highly structured and orga-
nized to manage people in this role. Com-
municating with such a diverse group of
people forced her to understand the best
method of communication to accomplish
her task.
She continues to use these communication
skills in her most recent positions focusing
on climate change. While in these positions
at IPCC and the Postdam Institute for Cli-
mate Impact Research, Baum has learned
quite a bit about the policies and impacts of
climate change.
Looking back on her time at Hamline,
Baum credits a lot of what she learned to
her communication studies and conflict
studies professors, Verna Corgan, Suda
Ishida and Colleen Bell.
She also credits her peers, who pushed her
to think outside of traditional views. Ham-
line created a space where she could chal-
lenge ideas and learn more about the world
around her.
“What you learn from a communication
major is how to communicate effectively
and strategically and how communication
flows and happens,” Baum said. Through
her work, she uses these skills every day
to make quick and strategic decisions about
how to communicate across a diverse group
of people.
As she looks to the future, Baum has
learned what her strongest skills are, her
weaknesses, and what type of work she
likes doing. “I envision myself probably
continuing to be in a world that has certain
structural requirements because I am quite
quick in learning,” said Baum.
Baum’s last piece of advice for current
communication studies students is “don’t
be afraid of learning and exploring—give
yourself the opportunity to learn again.
Take advantage of the diversity: you’ll
know yourself better when you learn about
others. Know your weaknesses, don’t be
afraid of them, and don’t assume you can’t
succeed. Instead, seek out resources if you
need help doing your best in a given area.
There are resources here at Hamline to sup-
port you!”
Alumna shares global knowledgeBy MacKenzie Bledsoe
Photo Courtesy of Suda IshidaIn photo from left: Pat Palmerton, Colleen Bell, Ina Baum, Suda Ishida, Verna Corgan,
Mackenzie Bledsoe and Jane Telleen

5. The Communicator | Vol. 18 | No. 1 | Spring 2016 Page 5
Hey Communication Studies
Alumni!
If you’re interested in
sharing your experiences with
past professors and current
students contact
Patricia Palmerton at
ppalmerton@hamline.edu to
join the Communcation
Studies Alumni contact list!
Senior Spotlight: Jordan Laffin
This spring Hamline senior Jordan Laffin
will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Communication Studies and a
minor in English.
After graduation, Laffin will be attending
Bowling Green State University’s College
to study in their Student Personnel pro-
gram. Laffin will also be a graduate intern
in the office of the Division of Student
Affairs.
“I decided to pursue Student Affairs be-
cause I’ve had so many positive interac-
tions with Student Affairs professionals on
Hamline’s campus,” Laffin shared.
Laffin attributes her future goals to the
transformative experiences she had
working in the First Year Orientation with
Becky Kaarbo and meeting regularly with
Hamline Dean of Students Alan Sickbert.
“I would like to be the same resource for
future college students as these people
have been for me,” Laffin explained.
Throughout her time at Hamline, Laffin
learned about various
aspects of communica-
tion, such as working
with diverse groups of
people, understanding
the way media af-
fects large audiences,
and how to perform
research.
“I see my experiences
in Communication
Studies as incredibly
diverse, which has
prepared me for the
caliber of work I will
be doing in graduate
school,” Laffin said.
As a last piece of ad-
vice to students, Laffin
would like to encour-
age students pursuing
communication studies
to branch out and join organizations on
campus. These organizations can help you
find what you are passionate about.
As Laffin shared, “you could end up mak-
ing connections across disciplines and find
a future career path you had never thought
of before.”
Photo by Ashe Jaafuru

6. The Communicator | Vol. 18 | No. 1 | Spring 2016Page 6
New Security Director: “Communication is
Critical”
An interview with new Safety & Security Director, Andrea Vircks
By Emily Butts
What is your career and educational
background?
I have my Bachelor of Science in Com-
munication Studies from St. Catherine
University and Master’s in Organizational
Leadership. I did three concentrations:
Ethics in Leadership, Strategic Manage-
ment, and Alternative Dispute Resolution
(ADR), which was through the Hamline
School of Law.
I spent the last seven and a half years at
St. Kate’s as the Assistant Director of
Public Safety. I’m really passionate about
violence against women or any gender,
working with students who are victims
of anything. Just victim-centered, stu-
dent-centered, customer service-centered.
Did you have other plans, or was Com-
munication Studies your strategic step
to get to where you are today?
When I first started college, I was an
International Business major and felt
a disconnect with the education I was
receiving and who I am as a person. It’s
still about building relationships, but the
ethics piece was missing for me. I knew
that communication is such a critical part
of your professional and personal life and
it’s applicable to any job.
How easily did your Communication
Studies degree translate into actual
work?
I think it was easy. There’s a lot of interac-
tion with the community so being able to
speak to people of diverse cultures, back-
grounds, gender, or religion is important.
For public safety, it’s often about dis-
playing that confidence and having to
command presence. Walking into a room
and taking control. And when you meet
parents or students, they need to feel con-
fident and trust you very quickly, so how
you present yourself, that
first impression is really
important. I think that the
communication education
played a significant role
in helping me grow those
skills.
Are there other instances
in your day-to-day work
that you see your commu-
nication training pop up?
Are there particular skills
that are used more often
than others?
Public speaking happens
a lot. Presentations are
given to a wide variety of
audiences so, as painful as
speech class can be; you
learn a lot and grow in that opportuni-
ty. How to write a persuasive speech or
education speech, I learned a lot in these
classroom settings. That all contributed
and helped me work my way up in the
department.
How important is written communica-
tion in your job?
It’s pretty significant. A lot of our work
today is done on email, whether it be a
concern for a student or something we’re
working on as a university. It’s trying to
do what others are asking while also tak-
ing care of our community. Because once
it’s out there, it’s out there.
An example is that crime alert that went
out the other day. I crafted that and pushed
it around and got some feedback. That was
articulating in a brief statement what we
need the community to know and com-
plying with the federal law, while being
mindful of the racial descriptors in there.
There’s crime happenings affecting our
community, so we must be thoughtful and
clear and conscious of what we’re saying
and how we’re saying it.
Because Communication Studies is such
a widely applicable degree, do you think
it’s best complemented by other sorts of
training and education?
Yes, but I think that’s also true for almost
any degree. There’s always a nice comple-
ment.
The ADR that I did was invaluable, so the
Communication Studies degree with that
is really important. Mediation, arbitration,
negotiation, those are all things we do,
especially in an enforcement manner, on a
daily basis. So how do you talk to people?
How do you read people? It’s the giving
part of it but also the receiving part of it,
so how am I receiving this information?
I found the ADR program was awesome.
Loved it.
Photo Courtesy of Hamline Insider
Vircks Continued Page 7

7. The Communicator | Vol. 18 | No. 1 | Spring 2016 Page 7
Professor, researcher and now equestrian
Communication studies department chair Patricia Palmerton wears more hats than
you may see in class
By Cloe Gray
Between staff meetings, advising stu-
dents, and teaching courses, Professor
Pat Palmerton keeps busy as the Depart-
ment Chair of the Communication Studies
Department.
Palmerton began her career at Hamline 30
years ago as the Director of Oral Commu-
nication. She has an extensive background
in communication studies, which started
with receiving her MA and PhD in Speech
Communication at the University of Min-
nesota, after receiving a bachelor’s degree
in psychology from Macalester College.
Since discovering her passion for commu-
nication studies, Palmerton has conducted
extensive research on different aspects of
communication. Her favorite research proj-
ect was when she had the opportunity to
travel to Scotland and conduct a qualitative
study on the benefits of equestrian vaulting
for children and young adults with special
needs.
Her research methods included interview
ing riders and riders’ parents, coaches,
horse handlers, and trainers. She also ob-
served riders working with the horses.
Palmerton found that equestrian vaulting
can be beneficial for riders with special
needs by helping riders relax, build confi-
dence, and learn new skills while having
the opportunity to work with horses.
Before her trip to Scotland,
Palmerton knew very little
about horses, but now has
great appreciation for them.
After Palmerton’s time in
Scotland, she became in-
spired to take horse-riding
lessons.
Today, Palmerton continues
to conduct research regard-
ing other aspects of com-
munication. In addition, she
encourages her student to
realize their capabilities as
researchers too. “I want stu-
dents to learn to fall in love
with the questions them-
selves,” said Palmerton.
Kasey Marquardt, a ju-
nior at Hamline, was one
of many students inspired to become a
communications major after taking Intro-
duction to Communication Studies with
Palmerton.
“Pat is a dedicated professor who truly
cares about her students. She is great one
on one and is always willing to do extra
work to help her students,” said Marquardt.
“She constantly sends us internship oppor-
tunities to give students in this department
the tools they need to succeed!”
Palmerton has made her mark at Hamline
and brings years of experience to each
course she teaches. She is a great resource
and her door is always open for students.
Stop by for career advice, help with re-
search, to talk about horses or just to say
hello!
Do you have any advice for current
Communication Studies majors?
Enjoy it, push, commit yourself and do
the best you can do in those moments. The
value in that moment of giving a speech is
so critical and important. I still think about
those moments in class and I can still
rely on those people. So be there and be
present. Learning to communicate through
these courses efficiently is an important
part of anyone’s work.
Vircks Continued from page 6
Photo Courtesy of Hamline Directory
Prof. Palmerton working with students Photo by Rachel Marzahn

8. Communication Studies
1536 Hewitt Avenue
MS-B1801
St. Paul, MN 55104
Phone: 651-523-2296
The Communicator | Vol. 18 | No. 1 | Spring 2016
Contributing Writers:
Mackenzie Bledsoe
Emily Butts
Cloe Gray
Suada Karic
Colleen Schauer
Faculty Supervisor:
Professor Suda Ishida
Editor & Layout Editor:
Sarah Campbell
Communication Studies
Faculty:
Verna Corgan
George Gaetano
Suda Ishida
Patricia Palmerton
Page 8
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