Coastal Carolina University’s Department of Communication, Media, and Culture will hold a weeklong event to highlight its programs, scholarship, and opportunities for students. Daily offerings throughout Communication, Leadership, and Activism Week, scheduled for April 17-20, include discussion panels, faculty research talks, and a lecture by visiting scholars.

The event is designed to foster community among students, both within the major and among those interested in communication, activism, and leadership.

“We wanted to have a week where we could offer opportunities to educate our students and empower them around topics of leadership and activism, which we study in our department from a communication perspective,” said Linsay Cramer, event organizer and associate professor in the Department of Communication, Media, and Culture.

Visiting scholars Matt Meier, associate professor of communication and theatre and director of the Speaking and Listening Center at DePauw University, and Gabriel Cruz, assistant professor of media studies in the Department of Mass Communication at North Carolina Central University, will deliver a centerpiece of the event in a lecture titled, “Out of Touch and Overthinking It: Pop Culture, Ideology, and Critical Thought.” The event will be held on Wednesday, April 19, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Atheneum Hall’s Alford Ballroom. The scholars’ work focuses on critical analysis of popular media including television programs The Office and Last Week with John Oliver and films Deadpool, Black Panther, and She-Hulk.

Cramer said Meier and Cruz “look at how those spaces can be productive for activism and social change, as well as how they can be counterproductive and how they can perpetuate inequities. It is a really engaging way for students and faculty to learn about media and its role in perpetuating or resisting inequities.”

Another purpose of Communication, Leadership, and Activism Week is to introduce students to opportunities in CCU’s Master of Arts in Communication with a focus on social changes and leadership.

“We have this master’s program because we see a growing desire and concern among – not just young people, but also students who are going back to school, people who are continuing their education, who are interested in how they can benefit their communities, their country, and the world,” said Cramer. “We want to highlight and promote that and help students see that our programs equip them to go out in the world and do those things.”

For more information, contact Cramer at 843-349-4151 or lcramer@coastal.edu.