Communication News Spring 2020

Spring 2020 Edition

Senior Celebration of Flipgrid Farewell Messages

COVID-19 is inspiring us to get creative and learn to use new tools to build community.

Before the closures, we had been planning our first ever COMM Graduate Celebration for the evening before graduation. Since we can't meet face to face, we have decided to hold the event via Flipgrid.

Making Masks for Maryland

Communication alumna Alyson Frazier (2019) is helping keep Marylanders fashionably safe during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Frazier is the marketing coordinator for Route One Apparel, an online store that specializes in making trendy, affordable, state-pride apparel and accessories for those who want to make wearing clothing “fun while making a statement.”

Messages From SU Communication Alumni

Brooke Reese, Class of 2017

Multimedia Journalist for WKRN

News-2 in Nashville, TN

Being in television, the show must go on. But I certainly never thought it would be a career I could do from home.

I’ve moved to a remote workstation in my apartment, where I can edit, write and shoot FaceTime interviews at home. Every so often, I do go outside for in-person interviews for better visual content.

Stacey Foxwell, Class of 1987

Vice President of Operations for

National Public Radio (NPR)

As on-site essential employees, my staff is rotating shifts being in the building, either in Washington, D.C., or Culver City, CA (NPR West).

In addition to keeping our facilities extra clean, we’re helping to keep the approximately 10% of our staff, who are still needed to get our newsmagazines and newscasts on the air every day, safe and well fed.

Mitchell Northam, Class of 2015

Freelance Sports Reporter

I’ve been a full-time freelancer since I moved to Durham, NC, in October 2018, doing regular work for the Orlando Sentinel, SB Nation, NCAA.com and elsewhere. In sports writing, the sort-of niche I found for myself was covering professional soccer and college basketball, both men’s and women’s.

March and April are typically very busy months for me, with soccer starting up and basketball coming to an end.

Eric Hammond, Class of 2000

Senior Account Executive at

Maroon Public Relations

Beyond missing the camaraderie with my colleagues, I definitely feel like teleworking has cut into efficiency some.

Before, I could immediately walk over to a coworker’s desk to discuss edits on a press release or walk into their office to ask a question. Now, it often requires scheduling a video meeting or exchanging long email chains.

Sarah Wood, Class of 2016

Video and Digital Media Advisor for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio

Our office has been teleworking for a little over one month, which has meant a lot of our meetings, projects and communication have moved almost entirely online. This has presented new challenges in navigating ways to retain our current work flow while physically away from the office.

Diamond Holton, Class of 2015

Administrative Assistant for the American Federation of Government Employees and Editor and Beat Writer for SB Nation/Bullets Forever

As an editor and writer, I’m actively engaged in reporting on the Washington Mystics full time and the Washington Wizards part time. That comes with attending games, developing a rapport with the players and also being the narrator behind stories that have no voice.

Rachel Taylor, Class of 2016

Branded Content Creator with 6AM City, NC

I started this job right as stay-at-home orders were issued in North Carolina, so, my training and getting started with this job have all been done from home and over video calls.

It has been hard not to be in an office with coworkers, but I don’t feel too disconnected because we are able to communicate through the day with Slack and video calls with Google Hangouts.

Rebecca Hudson, Class of 2006

Community Relations Lead for NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility

The COVID-19 shutdowns have definitely changed my day-to-day operations.

Prior to transitioning to a telework status, I was routinely out in the community doing things, such as community events, meeting with civic leaders, working alongside legislators and exploring ways to share NASA’s mission throughout the community.

Mary Holden, Class of 2018

Program Coordinator for Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore

Social distancing/teleworking has impacted my work since now we are unable to have our in-classroom programs. We have been working to share all of our materials to schools and teachers to help them in any fashion during this time.

A Message From Our Faculty

New Challenges: Reflections from

the Communication Department

By Jennifer Cox

The Communication Department has always been a uniquely multifaceted group. Our professors teach a wide range of subjects, including media production, organizational/human communication, public relations, journalism and media studies.

The shift to teaching online has exacerbated those differences in some ways (How do you teach studio production without a studio?). But it also has brought us together to discuss the best ways to give our students the education they need and deserve.

Email the Communication Department

SU is an Equal Opportunity/AA/Title IX university and provides reasonable accommodation given sufficient notice to the University office or staff sponsoring the event or program. For more information regarding SU’s policies and procedures, please visit www.salisbury.edu/equity.

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