The Media and Communications department of Muhlenberg College will be holding its 8th annual Alumni Week from April 3rd through April 6th. This year the Film Studies department will also be formally included in the event.

Alumni will include professionals in the Media and Communications field working for companies such as CNN, Viacom, Sports Illustrated, and various PR firms. Some notable alumni include Mike Alexander, who is working in international PR, and Lisa Siciliano from Viacom.

The event is currently being planned by department faculty Dr. Sue Jansen and Dr. Jeff Pooley. Brainstorming had begun with a group of alumni, students, and faculty and has been boiled down to this smaller team as planning has progressed. One alum had suggested they, “fill the halls of Walson with alums” and that is essentially what they will be doing.

Throughout the week alumni will be giving talks during Media and Communications class periods. Due to this, the alumni will be sharing their knowledge all over campus, wherever courses within the department are being held.

Some of the presentations will take the form of master classes. The alumni will be using their time to hone in on what they do specifically within their career and focus on their particular business. These classes will function not only as an opportunity for students to learn, but also for faculty. Dr. Jansen stated regarding her favorite part of alumni week, “I like to see the interaction between students and alums, and alums and alums. I also like what I can learn from alums.”

The department of Media and Communications was created in 1978 and the first alumni therefore graduated in 1982. There will be some alums from this far back, but most will be more recent Muhlenberg graduates. This is due to the connection these former students continue to have with the school and its faculty.

This week is an opportunity for the successful graduates to share their knowledge and experiences gained after leaving Muhlenberg. It is also an opportunity for them to give back to the place that gave them their education to make them who they are now.