by Ericka Simpson, Triangle staff writer
Dorm Wars. Gunshots in a Crowded Room. Ramenfest. The Legend. Since 2004, Professor of Communication Studies Dr. Randy Hollingsworth’s, persuasive communication classes have split into groups and conducted campus-wide activities to learn how to plan, implement and evaluate a persuasive campaign. To receive the best grade, the group must persuade the largest amount of students to participate in their campaign.
Persuasive communication projects are a “collaborative learning” experience for the students, according to Hollingsworth. It teaches them teamwork and gives them “field experience” in the art of persuasion. The project, assigned at the beginning of the semester, is a short-term campaign lasting three weeks..
Hollingsworth said that the purpose of the project is to teach students how to persuade. They must persuade him to approve the project, and they must obtain permission from the proper channels such as the Office of Student Life and Student Government Association.
The group then broadcasts its idea through posters, email or chapel announcements. It must obtain help from other organizations for executing their project and persuade as much of the student body as possible to participate.
Hollingsworth said he enjoys this assignment because it teaches students how to communicate with other organizations. However, he never knows if he will continue the project each year. Ethical issues come into play. This year OSL took down some of the Ramenfest posters which said BYOB–bring your own bowl. Someone crossed out the bowl and wrote beer, which some perceived as offensive. Gunshots in a Crowded Room’s band name was debated because of the recent shootings at other colleges.
But, Hollingsworth said that the administration has given his students multiple praises over the years for the projects
SGA praises the persuasive communication projects because they create on-campus events which promote community. According to senior Olivia Pool vice president of on-campus events, SGA helps fund some of the events if a proposal is submitted to them and is found to be useful.
“When done well, small group communication projects help us to provide more opportunities for student interaction that we would otherwise be unable to create with our own limited manpower,” Pool said.
A popular event continued from last year’s persuasive communication project was Dorm Wars. Juniors Josh Davis and Zach Harrison, sophomores Savannah Stroud, Olivia Smith and Tim Baldi, and freshman Lynette Musser conducted this year’s Dorm Wars.
“We played off the intense loyalty many people have for their dorm and facilitated a high-action game where they could defend and conquer dorms,” Stroud said.
Students dressed up according to the theme for their dorm and attacked other dorms’ residents with shaving cream-filled balloons. Stroud said that it was stressful because they did not have enough referees for the game, but it was fun to watch.
“I enjoyed seeing everyone come out dressed up and ready to defend their dorms,” Stroud said.
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Hollingsworth oversees each of his classes’ events and has been pleased with the creative ideas formulated by them.
“My students make me look good,” Hollingsworth said.