The National Communications Association conference honored Saint Rose graduates Brian Cooke and CJ Odendahl for their academic papers submitted as part of Professor Jin Kim’s Research in Communications course. Cooke’s project was named a top student paper in the Theatre, Film, and New Multimedia Division of the conference. Odendahl received the same honor in the Performance Studies Division for their submission.
Cooke’s paper titled “Breaking the Bubble: Paradigm Shift in Intersectional Representation on Primetime Television” covered the popular show White Lotus and the disparities between gender roles and race within the series. Odendahl’s entry titled “To Be The Man, You’ve Gotta Beat The Man: The Role of Gender and Intersectionality in Intergender Wrestling” discussed gender perspectives in modern wrestling.
For student papers to be accepted by the NCA they must be examined by 3-5 peer reviewers. The reviewers are composed of doctors, professors, and professionals within the field of communications. Once a paper is accepted, rewards are granted to the top student participants. Students are then given the opportunity to present their work at the annual NCA conference.
“Typically one to two students are accepted into the NCA each year,” said Kim. “Each paper submitted focuses on cultural motifs and phenomena- they taught me something new,” said Kim.
Kim encourages students to submit their work to the conference as a way to express their ideas and establish themselves within the communication workforce. “When a student has their paper accepted, it is a fantastic achievement,” he said. “I am honored and very proud to represent students and their work when they go into the NCA.”
Professor Kim began involving students with the NCA conference about ten years ago when he began teaching at Saint Rose. “It started as sort of an experiment,” he said. After seeing the successes of several students and their ideas, he continued the tradition of submitting student work.
The research involved in writing an academic paper for the NCA is a rigorous one that requires a large amount of commitment on each student’s behalf. “Students do this not just because they need the grade for my course, but because they love what they are doing,” Kim said.
The conference to commemorate award winners will be held from Thursday, Nov. 16 through Sunday, Nov. 19 at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. Due to transportation expenses, Cooke and Odendahl will not be attending.
The next round of academic papers will be sent to the 2024 International Communication Association for review. This event will take place in June of next year in Gold Coast, Australia.
Professor Kim looks forward to the next event and seeing what his students will write next. “I love doing this. I am genuinely honored, and it is a privilege to supervise these students through this process.”
