Kent Communication Society (KCS) is taking steps to become a bigger presence among College of Communication and Information student groups. One big step for the club is officially associating itself with the National Communication Association as one of their student clubs.

Molly Taggart, an adjunct professor and faculty to adviser to KCS, met with officials while in Salt Lake City for the National Communication Association’s 104th Annual Convention to iron out the details of making KCS into a nationally-affiliated program.

National Communication Association Student Clubs began in 1995. It is a collective of student communication clubs on various college and university campuses that helps promote the study, teaching and application of communication through social and educational events.

 “(KCS is) pretty much doing the same things but getting a lot more recognition for the students, a larger network, there are conferences just for those in charge of these student clubs that they can go to,” said Taggart about affiliating KCS with National Communication Association Student Clubs. “It’s basically rewarding and giving credibility to the students that are already doing this great hard work in our school.”

Some of that work includes the “Communication in Action” event that Taggart’s senior seminar class put together this semester. KCS hopes to continue to put a spotlight on these students’ accomplishments in the School of Communication Studies and also use their platform to prepare students for their future in communications.

“We’re taking a forward look into graduate school, careers and other opportunities that will be on the forefront for students,” Taggart said. She hopes to continue to hold events such as panels with graduate students, professional development seminars and other career building activities.

However, one of the hallmarks of KCS, according to Taggart, is the “at-home” feeling she wants the group to feel whenever they are together.

“Being around each other is the best part about KCS. I think that conferences, seminars, professional development is great and wonderful too but people will never come to those types of sessions if they dont first feel at home here,” she said.

Carson Munn, a sophomore communication studies major and president of KCS, shares the sentiment and hopes he can continue making KCS a place where communication students feel comfortable to go and express themselves.

“We want to make it a place where everyone in CCI can go and relax and talk to other people in CCI and not just come and go from Taylor Hall everyday for class,” Munn said.

Munn hopes to build on what KCS has built in the previous semesters and lead it into its next chapter.

“I believe that we have become a stronger club this semester and hope that next semester we can still grow and become a place that students want to be,” said Munn.

Jacob Majka is the CCI reporter. Contact him at [email protected].