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Edison
Darke County Campus students, left to right, are Ruby Sacher,
Julie Roseberry, Cierra Kaufhold,
Zach Bevins, Tamera Mendenhall, Cory
Jefferis and Rj Rabi Galleto.
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Edison State Community College
Edison DCC
communication students interact with BRC residents
Communications students at Edison State Darke County Campus have been
going into Darke County schools for several years, talking to
elementary and intermediate students about drugs, bullying… even the
values of being courteous and respectful.
Edison’s summer Fundamentals of Communication class entered new
territory this year, talking to Brethren Retirement Community residents
about the challenges of the generations.
“You’ve lived through these decades,” the students said. “You have
dealt with them, survived them.” They noted the Great Depression and WW
II, and then offered brief summaries of the successes and challenges of
each decade through today’s issues of racial tension and terrorism.
Their point?
“You have lived through so much… dealt with so much… what advice do you
have for us as we deal with our challenges,” they asked the seven
residents in attendance.
“As a nation, we need to bring God back into our lives,” said one
resident. The others immediately voiced their agreement. From their
perspective, it was as simple as that.
The students, without exception, considered the presentation a
successful experience, not only having a respectful offering to
different generations but also in teamwork. While they were happy with
the way their assignment went, they had a bonus their counterparts in
the fall and spring don’t have.
“What I really liked,” one of the students said, “was sitting down with
the residents and simply talking.” The other students agreed. “We got a
chance to get to know each other… learned a lot more than we did
standing in front of them with our presentations.”
Bob Robinson, Edison DCC communications instructor, said the speech was
the Capstone of the course. It incorporated all of the elements of
communication fundamentals – from research, ethics and critical
thinking to teamwork and diversity – needed to be successful in today’s
world.
“Today’s professionals – more than anytime in the past – need to be
able to work as a team and understand the issues of human diversity,
not only among themselves but also those with whom they are
communicating,” said Robinson. “They need to understand the roles that
these values play in their dealings with others.”
In the fall and spring, Edison students make their Capstone
presentations to students in kindergarten through sixth grades. This
summer their audience consisted of adults in their 70s and 80s.
Photos courtesy of Jan Teaford, Brethren Retirement Community
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Following
the presentation, students sat with BRC residents and
discussed the issues of their
respective generations. Comments from the
residents were all positive.
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