JALC Faculty Present at Illinois Communication and Theater Association Conference and Cheer on Lady Vols in the Process

Published on September 26, 2023

Recently, five outstanding faculty members from the Department of Communication, Humanities, and Social Sciences (Pat Idzik, Tom Chandler, Philip Brewer, Cornelius Fair, and Anthony Zarinana) presented at the Illinois Communication and Theater Association Conference, hosted at Heartland Community College. Their presentation was a mindful discussion on emotional use in the classroom called “Teaching From the Heart: The Role of Emotional Expression in Classroom Instruction.”

Pat Idzik spoke on the use of deception as a catalyst for critical thinking, Cornelius Fair intertwined the use of Critical Communication Pedagogy with grief into a personal and contemplative reflection, Philip Brewer spoke on rage and the need for an emotion-focused instruction as a means of progressing interests and heart, Anthony Zarinana provided a personal and deep reflection looking at the juxtaposition of roles between being a student and being a teacher and how it has shaped his take on pedagogy, and Tom Chandler highlighted the overt importance of emotion as a necessity for constructive and meaningful instruction.

One of the highlights of the conference was that the Lady Vols Volleyball team was also in town for a tournament, and the group took the opportunity to cheer them on as they continued their winning ways this season.

“Overall, this was a great experience where we were able to highlight the stellar student athletics that make JALC a two-year college powerhouse, as well as impart scholastic and academic excellence in the form of a shared, interdisciplinary panel,” said Pat Idzik.

For more information, contact Steve O’Keefe at 618-985-2828, Ext. 8569 or steveokeefe@jalc.edu.