This year, new and returning Communications Fellows traded their usual ice cream social for Zoom and trivia. Nevertheless, the Aug. 27 event allowed first-year Fellows to connect virtually with upperclassmen and hear about their experiences in the Fellows program.
Rather than meeting in Steers Pavilion for ice cream 鈥撀燼s is tradition 鈥 the Communications Fellows program hosted a virtual social event to kick off the academic year, inviting new and returning Fellows to join in via Zoom and introduce themselves.
David Bockino, associate professor of sport management and director of the Communications Fellows program, explained that when he first announced that the program wouldn鈥檛 have an in-person ice cream social due to COVID regulations on campus, he received emails from upperclassmen asking if there was any way the beloved tradition could continue online.
鈥淭he Communications Fellows love the ice cream social and I knew it was too important to completely skip,鈥 Bockino said. 鈥淪o while everyone is sick of Zoom meetings, I thought it was really the only way where we could get all hundred or so Fellows in the same room so they could meet each other.鈥
The ice cream social allows first-year Fellows to connect with upperclassmen and meet potential mentors, and returning Fellows also have the opportunity to speak about their experiences and educate the new students on campus. This year the four classes of Communications Fellows were also joined by 黑料不打烊 alumni Lumiere Rostick 鈥20, Colton Cadarette 鈥19 and Ashley Follenweider 鈥19. Additionally, Fellows competed in an online trivia game to win ice cream and coffee, before breaking into groups depending on their major and academic interests.
Bockino said he hopes the first-year Fellows walk away from the聽 social knowing that the Communications Fellows is a group of students that supports another, 鈥渨illing to help each other out inside and outside the classroom,鈥 he explained.
鈥淭his is a group that knows how to smile and have fun. There鈥檚 a lot of pessimism in the world right now 鈥 much of it is for good reason,鈥 Bockino said. 鈥淏ut sometimes you need to just take some time to play a mindless trivia game and win an ice cream cone for you and your roommate.鈥
The Fellows鈥 class of 2024 consists of 35 students across the School of Communications鈥 six undergraduate majors. Meet them here.