Making
Communication
Work
uccess in business requires excellent
communication skills," states
Carol Douglas Rivetti '84.
Carol's management position with Lucent
Technologies keeps her practicing the art
ofcommunication daily. She leads a team ofemployees who
select companies to market Lucent and sell equipment.
Dealing with 15 primary customers,Carol uses delegation,
technology, and critical analysis to get thejob done—from
home! Before Lucent Technologies spun offfrom AT&T,
Carol learned of an opportunity to telecommute.The major
corporation was looking for employees to take advantage of
developing technology which made working from home,
keeping in touch with clients, and communicating with the
office a reality. The opportunity was perfect for Carol and her
growing family. Carol and Todd Rivetti'84 have two
children, Christina(5)and Joseph(3).
Carol graduated from Cedarville College with a
communication arts major and business minor.A career day
on campus opened the door to her firstjob at
Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton,Ohio.
She worked for the Air Force as a contract negotiator for six
years before working for AT&T."At that time in the Air
Force,a person had many opportunities to work in areas other
than what was assigned," Carol states. Taking advantage of
those open doors positioned her for some incredible tasks.
At age 23,Carol was the lead negotiator on a $100 million
dispute between the Air Force and a major aerospace
company."I was in a debate class everyday!" she exclaims.
"To execute a business plan one must be an effective
communicator to share the goal with others," Carol says. She
is thankful for Cedarville classes such as rhetorical criticism
and argumentation and debate, which taught her analytical
skills. Carol states,"I use these skills every day and filter
decisions, motivation, and persuasion through the
fundamental Christian principles taught at Cedarville."
Carol couples the fundamentals with continuing education
course work offered by the company.
Carol and Todd continue to remain involved with Cedarville
College even though they commute from the Washington,
D.C. area. Carol serves on the Career Services Advisory
Council, and the Rivettis often invite prospective students to
campus, meeting them at Cedarville for the weekend."It's a
good break from the high pressure and fast-paced business at
Lucent," states Carol.
A
Life-
Changing
Speech
--.........
T
he vast majority of
Cedarville College
alumni have experienced Fundamentals of
Speech class. Butdo you remember it being a
life-changing experience? One alumna does,
and she wrote Dr Michael Lopez,professor of
communication arts, to tell him about it. One speech can
make a difference!
Dear Dr.Lopez,
I am writing to you to let you know that it was in your class
that I profited most in my one year at Cedarville College.
It wasn't anything along the lines of being a good public
speaker, unfortunately! I still talk way too fast—turning
ten-minute speeches into three-minute speeches.
What I gained came from a motivational speech that was
given by Chuck Jantzi,a psychology major who graduated in
1986. His speech was on living without a television for the
first year of your marriage to build the communication
between you and your mate.
When I was engaged to be married,I talked this over with
my future husband and he agreed to give it a try. The first
year, we were offered nine televisions from people who felt
sorry for us. We gladly turned each one down.We were all the
better for it.
We recently celebrated our eleventh year without a
television. The Lord has blessed us with two beautiful
children who benefit abundantly by our choice not to
own one.
We are forever grateful to Chuck Jantzi! If I could tell him
this story I certainly would. It was because of him and your
class that we even had the idea. I thank you both!
Love in Christ,
Kim Davidson Whitby'90N
Editor's note: Chuck lontzi earned his doctoratefrom
Wright State University in Ohio. He and his wife, Twi
Preparing Students For
A
Variety OfRoles
T
he Department of Communication Arts employs a combination of theory and practice to
prepare students to communicate effectively in a wide range of situations. The department
offers several majors,including broadcasting,communication arts, multimedia
technologies,and theatre arts. Students are able to select from a further medley of
specializations within the majors,including broadcast management/sales,video and
multimedia production,and organizational communications.
Broadcasting is offered as an interdisciplinary major in the department.The combination ofcourses is
designed to reflect the broad areas of knowledge necessary for a mass communications career. The major
is paraprofessional in nature and attempts to produce a balance between the practical and theoretical
aspects of broadcasting.
The multimedia technologies major prepares students for careers in the recording industry and related
fields. The exploration ofcomputerized audio, video,and MIDI technology in the program enables
students to become both skilled technicians and effective communicators by utilizing contemporary
electronic media.
The communication arts major prepares students for careers in public relations, personnel management,
consultancy programs, media communications,and corporate executive training. Because of the
importance of excellent communication skills in many professions, this major has also been chosen by
those pursuing careers in sales or politics. It also serves as excellent undergraduate preparation for those
planning additional graduate professional training such as law,theology,and business.
Theatre arts majors take formal courses and practical training which provide a solid introduction to
performance training, stage management,dramaturgy, and directing. Three annual department
productions along with student productions complement coursework. Advisors provide guidance for
securing theatre internships, theatre employment,and graduate study.
One ofthe hallmarks of the department is its accomplished faculty. This group consists of highly
qualified individuals with a corporate total of more than 171 years service at Cedarville.
Faculty members include:
James Phipps,Ph.D.,'68,Chairman and Professor OfCommunication Arts
J. Wesley Baker,Ph.D.,Professor of Communication Arts
Gary Barker, M.F.A.,'86,Associate Professor of Communication Arts
Deborah Haffey, M.A.,'68,Associate Professor of Communication Arts and Debate Coach
James Kragel, M.A.,Assistant Professor of Communication Arts
James Leightenheimer, M.A.,'80,Associate Professor of Communication Arts
J. Michael Lopez,Ph.D.,Professor of Communication Arts
Diane Merchant,Ph.D.,'78,Associate Professor of Communication Arts
Kurt Moreland,A.B.D.,'76,Assistant Professor of Communication Arts
David Robey,Ph.D.,Professor of Communication Arts and Director of Forensics and Theatre
Margaret Wheeler, M.Ed.,'64,Part-Time Instructor of Communication Arts
Matt Moore, M.A.,'92,Adjunct Instructor of Communication Arts and Assistant Forensics Coach
Mischelle McIntosh, M.A.,'77,Adjunct Instructor of Communication Arts
Miriam Miaddox Forum Naltleted
I
n the spring of 1997,the Department of
Communication Arts initiated the Miriam
Maddox Forum as a means to encourage alumni
oftheir programs to remain active with
communication arts students."We refer to it as
an honorary alumni society for those who were
involved in forensics,debate,or in at least three theatre
productions with the Village Players," shared
Deborah Bush Haffey '68,associate professor and debate
coach."We hope to encourage alums to help us continue
to foster good communications skills within our students
and those who will follow them."
The program is named after Miriam Maddox,who
devoted 27 years of her life as a professor in the
department."Mrs. Maddox laid the foundation for our
debate,forensics,and theatre program. Many graduates
are branded with her philosophy ofcommunication,
which was based on sincerity and integrity. Those are
important values to continue," Deborah said.
The Forum,under the direction of student officers, has
already fostered high school debate programs,including
an on-campus event for home-schooled students.The second High School Institute for Policy
Debate will take place this summer on campusfrom June 28-July 10,featuring many alumni
lecturers and mentors. Similar programs are in the works for forensics and theatre.
Any communication arts alumni wishing more information may contact the Department of
Communication Arts at 937-766-7959 or
