What is SOC Week?

SOC Week is an annual tradition held during the spring semester for the purpose of gathering as a community in a spirit of celebration, education and growth. The SOC Student Ambassador team leads the coordination of a week filled with events and activities sponsored by members of our AU, SOC and communication community. All are welcome to participate and/or contribute to the creation of a week that celebrates the excellence of the AU School of Communication.

Questions and Getting Involved

If you would like to know more about SOC Week, have ideas for the week, or would like to be involved in the planning process, please contact the SOC Ambassador Coordinator at SOCambassadors@american.edu.

2013 Schedule of Events

ALL WEEK:

• Be one of the first at an event for a free SOC Week 2013 water bottle!
  
• SOC Ambassadors will be tabling on the 3rd floor of MGC with SOC giveaways!
• Tweet about your experiences during SOC Week 2013 via #SOCweek2013.
  

MONDAY, APRIL 1:

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION? LEARN ABOUT SOC MAJORS DURING SOC WEEK 2013
Monday, April 1
1:30-2:30pm
MGC 331
Think you might be interested in a communication major, but not really sure what it entails? Stop by this information session to learn about SOC majors and how they prepare you for an exciting career. (SOC majors include public communication, journalism, film & media arts, communication studies and foreign language & communication media)

WVAU OPEN HOUSE
Monday, April 1
2:00-5:00pm
MGC 256
Come check out American University's very own student run, internet-based radio station! Take a look at the station and view DJ's in action to get an understanding of the institution of college radio!

THE EAGLE'S FEATURE WRITING WORKSHOP
Monday, April 1
6:00-7:00 pm
MGC 252
Wondering how to make that professor profile really sing? Or maybe you want to jazz up that boring protest story? Come to The Eagle's Feature Writing Workshop to learn tips and tricks to really put your readers in the moment, and develop your own style of writing.

RECENT SOC ALUMNI PANEL: LIFE AFTER UNDERGRAD
Monday, April 1
7:00-9:00pm
SIS Founder's Room
Join six recent SOC alumni on a panel discussing their career paths, post life at AU. They will answer all of your burning questions like: How is life different post undergrad? What are the most desirable skills in the communication field now? What was the best/ most useful class they took in SOC?

ALUMNI PANELISTS: 

Jett Choquette, SOC/BA '12, Health Communications Associate, IQ Solutions (SOC major: public communication)

Katherine Cotsonas, SOC/BA '11, Lead Strategic Communications/Multimedia Specialist, AVIAN Engineering (SOC major: journalism)

Jeremy Diamond, SOC/BA '09, Post-Production Coordinator, Discovery Studios (SOC major: film and media arts/visual media) 

Caitlin Henley, SOC/BA '10, Associate Producer, Sirens Media (SOC major: film and media arts)

Ethan Klapper, SOC/BA '11, Politics Social Media Editor, The Huffington Post(SOC major: journalism) 

Claire Scattergood, SOC/BA '11, On-Air Personality for 93.1 WPOC, Clear Channel Media & Entertainment (SOC major: journalism)

TUESDAY, APRIL 2:

BAGELS AND BRANDING AND ELEVATOR PITCHES, OH MY!
Tuesday, April 2
10:00am-12:00pm
MGC 200
Join Public Communication Professors Scott Talan and Pallavi Kumar for a crash course in branding and elevator pitches. Bagels will be provided by the SOC Ambassadors.

PIZZA WITH THE DEAN
Tuesday, April 2
11:30am-1:30pm
Butler Boardroom
Join the SOC Grad Student Council and SOC Dean Rutenbeck for a pizza lunch!

PAIRING GRAPHIC DESIGN WITH SOC
Tuesday, April 2
4:30-5:30pm
MGC 245
Learn how a Graphic Design minor or major will fit with your SOC major, all in four years.
RSVP here: http://tinyurl.com/AU-Graphic-Design

ATV OPEN HOUSE RECEPTION
Tuesday, April 2
6:00-7:00pm
MGC 3rd Floor Lobby
Have the opportunity to hang out and enjoy snacks with ATV members. Come and see what new and exciting production they have in store for the semester. Then stick around for Chris Palmer’s latest film screening in Wechsler Theater at 7:00 pm.

STORIES FROM THE WILDERNESS WITH CHRIS PALMER
Tuesday, April 2
7:00-9:00pm
Wechsler Theatre (MGC 315)
Last year, SOC grad students Sarah Gulick, Sylvia Johnson, and Erin Finicane were on a mission: to go into National Park Service Wilderness areas and bring back stories from the wild. Braving the elements, they produced a video series that captures the diversity of an American Wilderness experience. We invite you to join us for a screening of the series followed by a discussion about the valuable role film plays in protecting these wild lands. The three student filmmakers will be accompanied by Garry Oye, National Park Service's Chief of Wilderness Stewardship, and Chuck Dunkerly, Executive Producer of the series and Producer/Director at the Harpers Ferry Center.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3:

THROUGH THEIR EYES: SCREENING WITH BILL GENTILE
Wednesday, April 3
12:00-2:00 pm
Wechsler Theatre (MGC 315)
Join SOC Professor Bill Gentile and SOC students who visited Cuba together as a study abroad opportunity. There will be a short Q&A session following the film. There will also be AU Abroad representatives there to answer questions. Preview the trailer here: http://vimeo.com/54190475.

SOCIAL NETWORKING: YOUR PATH TO AN INTERNSHIP OR JOB
Wednesday, April 3
2:00-4:00pm
SIS 300
Join SOC Career Advisor, Julia Beyer as she shares the key to using social networking as more than just a way to procrastinate doing homework online, but to actually get a job or internship.

PREPARING FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL
Wednesday, April 3
3:30-5:30pm
MGC 303A
Tips for strengthening your graduate school application and how to manage your expectations academically and professionally.

HAPPY HOUR PIZZA WITH THE COMMUNICATION STUDIES FACULTY
Wednesday, April 3
5:00-7:00pm
MGC 3rd Floor Lobby
SOC faculty will be on hand to talk about the School's interdisciplinary Communication Studies major in a meet-and-greet event in the lobby outside MGC Room 300. Pizza will be available, and all SOC students are welcome.

THURSDAY, APRIL 4:

STUDY ABROAD SOC!
Thursday, April 4
1:00–3:00 pm
MGC 332
Come hear from your fellow SOC peers about their study abroad experience, as well as an overview of the study abroad application process as an SOC student. You will also have the opportunity to hear from a career counselor to learn how to market your abroad experience on your cover letter and resume.

SPEED NETWORKING WITH DEAN'S INTERNS
Thursday, April 4
1:30-2:30pm
MGC 200
Join SOC Dean's Interns past and present for tips and tricks on how to land the internship, then make it count.

GREATEST SCENE EVER PRESENTATION CANCELLED
Thursday, April 4
3:00-4:00pm
LOCATION TBD (look for an email announcement)
Join us for a live taping of the SOC TV program Greatest Scene Ever, with hosts Professors Greg Smith and Paul Oehlers. The program looks at great scenes in movie history. The presentation will include an explanation of the origins of the show, an open discussion with the audience, and a trivia contest with prizes and surprises.

HER CAMPUS PRESENTS: WOMEN IN MEDIA
Thursday, April 4
3:00-4:00pm
MGC 200
Love reading fashion blogs? Ever thought about starting your own blog and branding yourself? Have no idea where to start? Come listen to the advice of D.C. fashion bloggers and grab the opportunity to ask them questions!

WHAT DOES A DEGREE IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION GET YOU?
Thursday, April 4
6:00-8:00pm
MGC 245
Recent public communication alumni will be on campus to share what they are doing, how they got there and how their public communication degree is helping their career. Refreshments for the event will be provided by the Public Communication Division and PRSSA.

REACT TO FILM SCREENING: SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN
Thursday, April 4
7:00-9:00pm
Wechsler Theater (MGC 315)
Join React to Film for a screening of Searching for Sugarman, a recent Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Feature. It is an inspiring, captivating film - most importantly, this film does not only appeal to documentary-lovers: it is a great movie too. Please watch the trailer and view the film website for further information here: http://www.sonyclassics.com/searchingforsugarman/

FRIDAY, APRIL 5:

DEAN RUTENBECK'S ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Friday, April 5
2:00-3:30 pm
Media Production Center, TV Studio
Join Dean Rutenbeck and the SOC Ambassadors for an ice cream social to wrap up SOC Week. There will be an ice cream truck providing ice cream novelties and WVAU will be the DJ for the event!

FROM THE FIELDS: AN AMERICAN JOURNEY
Friday, April 5
6:00-8:80 pm
Wechsler Theater (MCG 315)
Professor’s Browns new documentary From the Fields: An American Journey was distributed to NBC affiliates across the country in the fall of 2012. This film is a biography of a Chicano journalist who worked in the fields of the Salinas Valley as a child and went on to a successful career as a reporter at NBC. From the Fields goes beyond the hateful rhetoric surrounding the immigration debate and into a deeper exploration of what it means to work, to support family and contribute to our American society. From the Fields has already been recognized with an Orson Welles California Film Award and a CreaTV award for Excellence in Directing.

POST-SOC WEEK:

SOUTH ASIAN ARTS FESTIVAL
Saturday, April 6
11:30am-8:00pm
SIS
The South Asian Arts Festival (SAAF) is a platform to generate discussions about artistic expression of the South Asian and Diasporic identities across borders. AU Professor of Photography, Leena Jayaswal, will showcase her award-winning movie Crossing Lines and her award-winning photography, Motherland. The event is $3.00 for students and includes all day pass to the festival, lunch, beverages, and snacks throughout the day! For more information and to see our other speakers and artists, please visit us at: www.southasianartsfestival.org

THE SOCIAL LEARNING SUMMIT
Friday & Saturday, April 12-13
SIS
The Social Learning Summit is back for a third year in a row, and the American University Social Media Club once again invites all students, educators and professionals to come, listen and learn from one another about the impact of social media in their lives. This two-day conference will be packed with industry-focused panel discussions and keynotes from innovative thought leaders all eager to examine and explore the power of social media. Learn more

The SOC Ambassadors would like to thank the following organizations for sponsoring SOC Week 2013 events:

ATV

AU Career Center

AU Department of Graphic Design

The Center for Environmental Filmmaking

SOC Dean's Office

SOC Office of Graduate Services

SOC Office of Strategic Partnerships and Programs

SOC Office of Student & Academic Affairs

SOC Undergraduate Academic Advising Team

SOC Communication Studies Division

SOC Film & Media Arts Division

SOC Public Communication Division

SOC Undergraduate Council

Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)

The Eagle

Her Campus

React to Film

Social Media Club

South Asian Arts Festival

WVAU