2007-2008 Annual Report of Service - Shippensburg University

Institute for Public Service 7
Relations, respectively. Dr. Shaffer also judges
state History Day competitions and serves
as the debate team coach for Mechanicsburg
Area Senior High School. Dr. Winston Black
has worked with the Shippensburg Historical
Society’s archeological dig at Fort Morris. Dr.
Black and Dr. Catherine Clay have registered
new student voters. Dr. Susan Rimby gives
presentations on environmental reformer,
Mira Lloyd Dock, for local and regional community
groups.
Human Communication
Studies Department
The Department of Human Communication
Studies maintains active participation
and leadership in the National Communication
Association’s partnership with the Southern
Poverty Law Center, Campus Compact,
and the American Association for Higher
Education. This program advances the role of
the discipline, developing research and classroom-based
applications to address the most
significant social issues of our new century.
The discipline of communication studies is
uniquely poised to develop strategies to reduce
prejudice and hateful acts based on difference
and discrimination, and to increase appreciation
for diversity.
To this end, the Department of Human
Communication Studies encourages and supports
faculty actively engaged in public service
programs. Emphasis is placed on integration
of service in the academic curriculum, extending
theoretical analysis of communication to
purposeful practice designed to assist in community
based problem resolution. The department
maintains an active support committee
of faculty members with extensive service
learning training and experience (including
Drs. Sharnine Herbert, Kara Laskowski, and
Eveline Lang) who provide resources and
support to permanent and temporary faculty
interested in incorporating service learning in
Human Communication Studies courses. The
department also serves as a resource for local
community groups and organizations seeking
training and information on improving critical
message analysis and communication production
skills in a variety of contexts.
Faculty commitment to service has fostered
a climate of student service. In late fall
2007, faculty members in the Department of
Human Communication Studies were approached
by senior student Tyrone Dixon,
who requested assistance in early completion
of fall courses. Tyrone explained that he was
beginning the process to donate a kidney to
his sister, who suffered from complications
of lupus. The faculty immediately agreed
and worked with Tyrone to accomplish this
Tyrone Dixon
selfless and remarkable act. In addition, after
obtaining permission from Tyrone when
he returned to campus in January 2008, Drs.
Kara Laskowski and Sharnine Herbert alerted
university officials to Tyrone’s story, which
has been integrated into the narrative of
Shippensburg University LeaderSHIP campaign.
Students majoring in human communication
studies provide community service
through academically based service learning
and traditional community service projects.
Many devote their summers to inner-city
high school students through involvement
with the Pittsburgh Partnership, directed by
HCS faculty member Dr. Sharnine Herbert.
By serving as counselors, HCS students apply
interpersonal, small group, conflict resolution,
and leadership communication skills to benefit
high school students’ exploration of and motivation
for continued education.
Community groups and organizations
served by the Department of Human
Communication Studies in the 2007-2008
academic year include:
❚ Shippensburg University Head Start
❚ Grace B. Luhrs University Elementary
School
❚ Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Shippensburg
❚
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❚
Hawthorne Acres Animal Sanctuary
King’s Kettle
Drew Michael Taylor Foundation
Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter
❚ Chambersburg Cold Weather Drop In
Shelter
❚ MennoHaven and Outlook Pointe
Nursing Homes
❚ The Pittsburgh Partnership Program
❚ Shippensburg Area High School Dual
Enrollment Committee
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Shippensburg AYSO
Springfield School Theatre project
Many faculty in the Human Communication
Studies department also involve
students in service learning projects. Dr.
Eveline Lang’s students, for example have
been involved this academic year in the following
activities:
❚ The Boys and Girls Club
❚
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
❚ Health and Fitness awareness (the group
is collaborating with Maryrose Wilson
and our Health Initiative on campus)
❚ Supporting the Troops
❚ Animal cruelty/animal shelter support/
promoting adoptions from shelters
❚ High school drop-out intervention (presentation
to high school classes)
❚ AIDS awareness campaign
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Darfur awareness campaign
Diabetes Walk
Organ Donation donor card drive
❚ Spinal Cord Injury awareness campaign/
fundraiser
❚ Relay for Life (recruiting teams for the
spring 09 walk)
❚ Salvation Army donation and volunteer drive
Modern Languages
Department
The Spanish Club has continued its
outreach effort in the Latino community in
the area. The club visited the migrant workers
in the apple orchards with Reverend Bye,
accompanied by Drs. Ricardo and Ragone.
For Thanksgiving, the club collected four
cartons of goods and enough money to purchase
eleven turkeys. Drs. Lesman, Pineda-
Volk, and Ragone delivered the goods at the
Chambersburg Hispanic American Center
(CHAC).
The club sponsored a dance that raised
funds for the bilingual school that it has adopted
in Michoacán, Mexico. Dr. Ricardo led
the dance and raised $250. Dr. Ragone sent
the money with well wishing messages in
Spanish from the members of the club.
In conjunction with his translating course,
Dr. Lesman involved his students in a variety
of community services. He guided them in
translating a video for the Franklin County
jail, had them translate for the Chambersburg
Hospital and for legal services in Harrisburg.
Finally, Dr. Ragone had several students
doing internships with Head Start in
Chambersburg. They were involved in translating
newsletters, menus and memos; in in-