News
Then and Now: The tradition of debate at Vanderbilt
Dec. 7, 2023—
Vanderbilt Debate Featured as Part of VU’s 150 Year Anniversary Celebration
Oct. 30, 2023—Since Vanderbilt’s founding, public speaking and debate have played an instrumental role in campus life. Always at the helm of fostering campus dialogue, the Vanderbilt Debate Team exists to provide on-campus, national, and international educational opportunities that enable students to improve analytical, communication, critical thinking, listening, and research skills. Watch to learn how the Debate...
Department of Communication Studies Welcomes 2023-2024 Lambda Pi Eta Members
Oct. 25, 2023—Vanderbilt’s Department of Communication Studies recently inducted 15 members into its Delta Psi Chapter of Lambda Pi Eta. The Communication Studies faculty congratulates the following students – along with returning member, Caroline Lingle – for their academic excellence. 2023-2024 Inductees Macy Browning Reilly Caldwell Scott Coberly Mykayla Couchenour Margot Deutsch Payton Frankiewicz Brooke Galloway...
CMST Professors Claire King and John Sloop Publish New Books
Aug. 30, 2023—The Department of Communication Studies celebrates the publication of two books written by faculty members Claire Sisco King and John Sloop. In May, Professor Sloop published Soccer’s Neoliberal Pitch: The Sport’s Power, Profit, and Discursive Politics with the University of Alabama Press. American sports agnostics might raise an eyebrow at the idea that soccer represents...
Department of Communication Studies to Host 2023 Houston Symposium
Apr. 19, 2023—Tuesday, April 25th in Buttrick 103 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm the annual Houston Symposium will be taking place. Several Student Projects will be on display from 6pm-7pm. Visitors are encouraged to interact with the students who created the projects to learn more about them. The public speaking portion of the event will begin at 7pm. Attached...
Dr. Claire King Discusses AI, Celebrity, and Immortality with Engadget
Apr. 11, 2023—Dr. Claire King was interviewed by the on-line site Engadget for a story about artificial intelligence, celebrity, and the human quest for immortality. We can build immortal celebrities from ChatGPT and their existing back catalogs
Dr. John Sloop writes about the cultivation of diversity in MLS
Feb. 21, 2023—Professor John Sloop recently published an essay in The Conversation about the cultivation of diversity in Major League Soccer. Sloop traces how apartheid, racism, and the superstar Pelé all contributed, in different ways, to this development. You can read the full essay here: How apartheid, European racism and Pelé helped cultivate a culture of diversity in US soccer that endures...
Claire Sisco King discusses celebrity culture with CNN
Feb. 6, 2023—Dr. Claire Sisco King discussed celebrity culture and parasocial relationships with CNN. King focused on widely-regarded “nice” stars such as Dolly Parton and Tom Hanks. CNN reports: These “sweethearts” become symbols in American pop culture. We turn to them for inspiration, moral guidance, reliable entertainment and even solace, said Claire Sisco King, an associate professor...
Vanderbilt Debate to Host Exhibition Debate about Tik Tok Bans
Jan. 25, 2023—Vanderbilt University invites the Nashville and campus communities to an exhibition designed to introduce the craft of debate to new audiences while exploring a timely topic. The University of Mississippi will team up with Vanderbilt to host a debate exhibition at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, in Wilson Hall, Room 103. The event is...
Dr. Claire King Publishes Essay on Nashville’s Bachelorette Scene
Jan. 23, 2023—Dr. Claire King has published an essay that focuses on the ascent of Nashville’s bachelorette party scene. The essay, “‘Bach, Please’: Nashville bachelorette party culture’s investments in white Southern femininity,” was published in the journal Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies. Professor King writes: In the 2010s, multiple media outlets declared Nashville an “It City.” No longer simply the...