Far Eastern University Communication Society (FEU CommSoc) together with students from the Department of Communication (DepComm) is looking forward to showcase the first online transition of its signature event—the 2021 Communication Week starting Monday, May 3.

CommSoc brings a relevant theme to their field ‘Game Changers, The Generation of New Media’ in the context of the rapid changes of new media where the media industry struggles to keep up.

In an online interview with FEU Advocate, CommSoc Press Relations Officer Jonathan Suguitan said that the meaning behind the theme is about facing such challenges presented by the emergence of new media.

“CommSoc will be communing with the new generation who will mold the future of media. The goal of CommWeek is to emphasize that we are the Game Changers, and it is up to us to act upon it,” Suguitan shared.

With a lineup of nine total events, Comm Week will be conducted until May 8 through Zoom and Facebook live, where each session takes different roles and objectives. 

Sessions for May 3

One of the first events will be ‘PREPR: Practical Readiness in Entering the Professional Road’, industry-focused training that aims to prepare graduating students for the corporate world.

Saguitan stated that this event stemmed from the need to reinforce the preparedness of graduating students due to causes that prevented them to physically attend the university such as the pandemic and economic recession. 

All of which have impeded the advancement of learning for FEU students, especially graduating students that will be spending their entire final year online. 

Another session is called ‘Music Transforms! Rhythm for Health and Well-being’, serving as a musical therapy to alleviate the level of stress, anxiety, and depression for the participants. 

Further, it aims to gather enthusiasts from the university that may possibly share interest in music. Ms. Ma. Solinda Garcia-Bautista, a pioneer of music therapy programs in the country will be the guest speaker to accommodate the music enthusiasts of FEU.

At the same time, ‘Tamversations: Tamaraws Charging Through the Pandemic’, will commence integrating the members of the student body, faculty, and the FEU admin in one session. 

This would allow them to examine the recent decisions on the issues of academic break, academic freeze, and ‘no student left behind’ campaign, which all gained mixed reactions from FEU students. 

CommSoc also cited that the major purpose of the event is to “..bridge the gap between the students, faculty, and the administration,” creating a roundtable discussion as one of the segments of the event. 

Session for May 4

The session called ‘Jack of All Trades, Master of One’ exhibits a challenge for communication students as it will depict the realities of being a communication student. 

Afterward, this is projected to be helpful in contributing to the specialized skills of the participants for them to determine, practice, and master a skill. 

The activity stemmed from the concern that companies prefer graduates that are specialized in a skill instead of those with entry-level skills. 

Sessions for May 5

The session ‘Tech Made Simple: A Tech Guide for the Non-Techies’ will strengthen the Information and Communications Technology literacy of participants.

With two Information and Technology experts to be invited, participants can expect a discussion about gadget specifications, internet effectivity, and the significance of technology. 

After that, a session called ‘LF: Sponsor’ will involve the importance of corporate sponsorships, industry partnerships, and proposals. It will also discuss how to write sponsorship letters, partnership packages, memorandum of agreements, and how to ace the presentation deck. 

This activity will be headed by two accomplished personalities of the FEU BA Communication alumni community which CommSoc has yet to reveal. 

Session for May 6

For the fourth day of the event, this session called ‘the Situationer’ is a major event of Comm Week that creates an avenue for professionals and students of communication to deliberate on the current situation of the industry.

Mr. Norman Agatep, former Chairman of the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines, Ad Standards Council, and a member of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines will be the keynote speaker of the program. 

Agatep will address the following: the situation of the Communication industry, media practitioners, and the awaiting future for communication students. 

This session will also gather student leaders from different communication organizations of prominent universities to discuss and present possible solutions for such problems. 

Ideally, the program would then unify the organizations and people involved to release a call for action for the betterment of the discussion on the Communication industry. 

Session for May 7

Entitled ‘COMM-PAI!’, the program will be a five-hour-long session exclusive for FEU Communication Batch 2021 which will be filled with activities which promote interaction as a Team-Building Activity. 

Acknowledging themselves as one of the first batches to transition and graduate online, would also serve as a send-off ceremony for the senior students.

Further, this would allow the participants to anticipate the challenges ahead of them given the struggles of the communication industry. 

Sessions for May 8

This program is called ‘COMMemorate’ which will serve as a commemoration of the efforts made by the DepComm and the substantial contribution of professors. 

While the final session, ‘From the Watchdogs: The Journey of Journalism’ is directed towards the overview of the current situation of Philippine Journalism, which will commence on the same day as World Press Freedom Day. 

This will feature several journalists and media practitioners to relay their insights and help the participants understand the relevance and importance of press freedom in society. 

Despite the long list of programs that CommSoc is preparing, they did not deny that the virtual transition of Comm Week is a challenge due to their efforts fully operating online.

This year’s comm week will be a collective effort and emotional bid of goodbye from fourth-year Communication students as part of their final output for this year. 

Suguitan also confirmed that the week-long event will open its doors for non-Communication students to freely join the programs. 

As of writing, CommSoc is working to bring the invited guests and speakers into their prepared programs. 

-Antonio Luis Carreon

(Photo courtesy of FEU CommSoc)