Ashley Bockmann

Hello everyone!

My name is Ashley Bockmann and I am 18 years old from Ralston, NE. I am going pre-med and majoring in Biology. I love traveling, drawing, painting, and watching movies.  I have never had any online class experience.


 I chose to be in Intercultural Communications because it will be a good asset in my future. I hope to gain skills that will help me to better communicate with our diverse world.

I am excited for this new experience!

Hello all!

My name is Chelsea Eaton. I am a junior studying broadcasting with concentrations in Spanish, marketing, and communication studies.  Originally from Eagan, Minnesota, I love the Vikings and Twins, as well as shopping, primarily at the Mall of America!  My favorite hobbies include rollerblading, road trips, traveling, and watching Tarantino movies.

At Lincoln, I joined the Chi Omega sorority and now stand as the Marketing Chair there.  I also am involved in the ASUN Publications Board, National Broadcasting Society, University Ambassadors, and the American Marketing Association.  

In this class, I look forward to learning more about differences and similarities communication has between different cultural backgrounds.  Its interesting to learn more about communication in cultures that are different than what we have grown up considering the "norm."  I am nervous about keeping up with all the various aspects and assignments this course requires, but I think I will get a lot out of it!

In the future, I hope to work in the entertainment/feature news industry. My dream is to produce at The Ellen Show or a late night talk show.  I must keep my options open, however, because the industry is really rocky.  I also hope to travel as much as possible, and attend many more Beyonce concerts like the one pictured above!  

Emily Frandsen

Hey guys!
My name is Emily Frandsen, born and raised here in Lincoln. I am a junior, double majoring in Advertising/Public Relations and Film Studies. This will be my third online class, however only one was similar to this class where we would post our discussions on Google+. I'm interested to see how this class goes, due to there being a lot more online material/projects.

I chose intercultural relations, because it's something I feel is important for my future career path. The long term goal is to do advertising for film. I recently was just in France for an internship with the Cannes Film Festival where I got to observe a PR company execute promotions for their films, for audiences all over the world. It was an awesome experience and I'd love to learn more about how to communicate better professionally with all different cultures.

My biggest passion is travel. Within the past year I have been to Phoenix, NYC, Mexico, Germany and France... It's starting to really hurt the wallet, but travel is so important in our young years. I love music, anything from Lana Del Rey to Andre 3000 to MGMT. But don't get me started on Kanye West. Genius.

James Crowl

My name is James Crowl and I am a fourth year English and Communications Studies major with a Film Studies minor.

I chose to take this class because I am interested in the field of intercultural communications and the benefits to society knowledge on this subject would bring. Additionally, I have come to enjoy the online class format, as it allows me a more flexible schedule.

In my spare time I enjoy traveling, reading and experiencing new things. Every weekend I try to do something new in order to expand my horizons and learn more about the world.

I'm looking forward to interacting with all of you throughout this class!

Zach Harris

Hello class, my name is Zach Harris and I from Omaha, Nebraska. I am 22 years old and this is my senior year here at UNL, which I am a Marketing major. I have taken a few online classes before, but this is my first time with a class like this that communicates via blog.

The first reason that I am taking Intercultural Communications is to fulfill my elective requirements. I also thought this would be a very interesting class to take. The world is a very diverse place that have all sorts of cultural groups and many cultural boundaries, which is why I am excited to learn more about  it.

I am a very active person, which is one of the reasons I decided to start working at the Campus Rec. During the week I am there close to 6 hours a day working and working out. I am part of the Member Services team which is all about customer service. Being a very extroverted person has a lot of benefits when dealing with customers and also will help me build skills for when I get a Marketing job. 

In my free time I like to hang out with friends and travel, mostly to colorado. My friends and I try to plan a trip to colorado to snowboard/ski at least once or twice a year.

I look forward to working with you all in this class, have a great day!

Jake Fromm

Hello All,

My name is Jake Fromm and I hail from the great state of Iowa.  I am 21 years old and a senior this year.  I will be finishing my Marketing major this spring, along with a minor in Spanish and a minor in Communications.

I chose to take this class because I decided to pick up a communications minor, and this class seemed interesting.  I have a very busy work schedule during the week, so being able to do the work for this class on my own terms will make things a lot easier for me.  I ultimately would like to get into international marketing, so this class seemed like a good fit for my interests.

I work as a Marketing Intern for B & R stores, the company that owns Russ’s Market and Super Saver.  The majority of what I do has to do with promotions, and I help manage both company’s Facebook and twitter pages.  I also help develop promotions and target offers to help drive sales.  It has been a great experience for me, but my schedule tends to get very hectic during the week.

In my free time, I enjoy playing video games and golfing when the weather cooperates.  I also enjoy playing with my pet hedgehog, Albert Einspine.  Yes, you read that correctly, I have a pet hedgehog.  During football season you will be able to find me glued to the TV watching my beloved Patriots.  I thoroughly enjoy sports in general and like to stay updated on sports news.  

I look forward to taking this class and working with you all this semester!

Connor Neth

Hello Everyone!  My name is Connor Neth and I am from Elkhorn, Nebraska.  I'm a senior this year studying Actuarial Science.  I was born on November 6th, 1991.  This is my first online class that I have taken so hopefully the learning curve with all of the resources isn't too steep for me!  

I love playing soccer and hanging out with friends when I'm not studying.  My favorite team is Manchester United.  Manchester United play in England and are the reigning champions of the English Premier League.  Following Manchester United is a lifestyle choice and I have a really hard time when class conflicts with watching games.  Any left over time I have is spent at the Rec rock climbing which I got certified in last year and I try to get there three times a week.

In regards to this class, I have a free class in my schedule and wanted to take another Communications class because I liked a previous Communications class a lot.  I ended up choosing up this class because it was online and I think studying different cultures is very exciting.  The end of the year project looks fun so I can't wait to get started!

Maggie Spieker

Hi Everyone!! 
My name is Maggie Spieker, I'm originally from the small town of Malcolm, NE. I grew up on an acerage about 25 minutes outside of Lincoln so i had the opportunity to own and ride horses but also had the perks of living close to Lincoln. I'm 22 years old and am a senior at UNL this year. I wish i could say that i would be graduating in May, but I'm going to take a short victory lap! 

I started out majoring in Nutrition, Exercise, Health Science, but recently switched to dietetics. I decided that i wanted to focus more on the nutrition side of things. I'm glad i switched and have really enjoyed my new major so far! I recently got a job as a dietary aide which will be great experience for my future and makes me excited for things to come! 

I am definitely an outdoor girl! I love being outside and being active. I enjoy going in bike rides, running, laying at the pool, snowboarding,grilling, and golfing. Along with being outdoors i also really enjoy cooking. I love trying new recipes, especially from pinterest. Last summer my boyfriend and I flew to Dana Pointe, California to visit my Aunt and Uncle. I had the time of my life! My favorite part of the trip was taking a boat to Catalina Island. 

Hanging out on the beautiful Catalina Island

I'm taking this class as an elective because communication is so important in our everyday lives.I have taken a few online classes before, but am slightly worried about this one just because I'm not very good with technology sometimes. Although I'm eager to learn about how different cultures communicate. I think it will be interesting and beneficial for my future. Being a dietitian i will be working with people from all different cultural backgrounds. 

Nina Jamesine Pickrel

Hello, all!  My name is Nina Pickrel.  I'm a computer science major from Lincoln, Nebraska.  I'm 20 years old, but only for another few weeks!  I'm one of those rare creatures that has never changed my major since starting college-I've been computer science pretty much right from the start.  Normally I much prefer going to an actual lecture, but I have taken a few online courses before.  I was glad that this course was offered online, as it fits my schedule much better this way.

I chose this class above the other options to fulfill my ACE 9 requirement because communication is a very undervalued skill in so many workplaces these days.  It is appalling how often I see or hear of time wasted in a company due to poor communication.  I hope to broaden my skills and learn to be a competent communicator in order to thrive in whatever career I end up taking.  Intercultural communication is especially important to me, as computers and technology are the main reason we can connect with people around the world.  Only in the last couple decades, communications with the rest of the world have jumped, all due to technology.

In my spare time, I really enjoy reading and writing stories.  I also like to play a lot of video games, and several table top games as well.  I also like archery, camping, and hiking.  I spend a lot of time with my friends, as well.  A lot of my time is also taken by my current job as a Quality Control Intern at Fiserv Banking Solutions.  All in all, I'm a very busy bee!

Last but not least, Go Big Red!

-Nina

Hello to All,
My name is Mariah Waltemath and I am 20 years old. I was born and raised in North Platte, NE for 18 years of my life. I graduated in May of 2011 and moved to Lincoln the following August.

I started out an education major but soon switched to psychology. I recently declared my second major in business administration this last spring. I have been working at the UNL children's center for 2 years and I also work for an organization called the American Society of criminology. I have worked with them for almost a year and have already been able to travel to Chicago, Atlanta, and San Francisco. This picture is from last week when I was in San Francisco.

I am currently am enrolled in 3 online classes. This was not my original plan but taking 3 was the only way to get into the classes I needed. I have only taken 1 online class before these 3 so I am a little nervous about managing all of these. 

I chose intercultural communication as an online class because I've always had n interest in language. I have taken several Spanish classes and now I want to dig deeper into the way people communicate in different cultures. This is important to me since I plan to pursue  business and hopefully end up in management of some sort. 

Some of my interests include traveling and photography which happen to go hand in hand in my case. I also enjoy cooking, which my boyfriend Kalen appreciates. I also have 2 insane cats that I have to keep up with. I recently got an RA position in the human development lab and I'm very excited to get started in there!

I'm excited to get past all the introductory things and start learning about they ways that different cultures communicate with other cultures and withing their own culture!

--Mariah

Jesse McManus

Hello everyone, my name is Jesse McManus.  I am 22 years old and I was born and raised in Lincoln, NE.

I was previously a Pre Architecture major, but am now an Accounting major.  I originally came to UNL in Fall 2009 and I joined the Navy Reserves on September 2, 2010 after my first year.  I graduated boot camp in late October 29, 2010.  I then proceeded to "A-School", which is the school that teaches you how to do your job in the military.  I returned home in Lincoln, NE on February 28, 2011 and have been drilling at Offutt Air Force Base since then.  I am currently a Petty Officer Third Class and my ultimate goal is to get my bachelors, become an officer in the U.S. Navy, and continue on to a Masters.  Prior to going to boot camp I proposed to my high school sweet-heart, and got married on June 8, 2012.  We purchased our first home last August and got our first dog, Ares (not the zodiac sign "Aries" but the greek god haha), a red heeler or Australian Cattle Dog.

 I finally worked up the courage to register for classes again this last Spring semester and realized how much I have grown.  I cannot begin to explain how afraid I was to try to manage working full-time, going to school full-time, managing a military career and maintaining a household.  However, it has definitely showed me that I can do far more than I ever thought possible.  I just realized that I probably shared more information than necessary or wanted but I think it's important to remember that you never know what you are capable of unless you push the limits.

As far as my experience with online learning goes, this is my second time taking an online class at UNL.  Hopefully it isn't as taxing as AHIS101X!  I was not a fan haha.  However with my busy schedule an online class is extremely helpful!  I am taking this class because I have always been interested in Communication.  I hope to learn more effective ways to analyze the world I live in and to improve my communication skills.

My hobbies include playing guitar, listening to REGGAE music, working out, hunting and much more.  I just got back from Reggae on the Rocks in Colorado on Sunday, which was an amazingly fun time!  I am excited to get started and get into the groove of things!

Rachel Halbmaier Here!

Hello all!

My name is Rachel Halbmaier. I am 18 years old from the small town of Kenesaw, Nebraska. I graduated with 25 people, so coming to UNL has been a huge change!

Currently I am a sophomore Advertising and Public Relations major here at the university. I have concentrations in Theatre, Psychology, and Communication, which is why I am taking this class! This class will be my final class needed to complete my concentration so I'm really looking forward to it!

I have taken a few classes online over the summer, and I also did some distance learning classes my senior year of high school. I am a little nervous about how tech-heavy this course sounds, but hopefully I get the hang of it!

I really hope to learn a lot from this class. In the world of advertising, we need to be talk to anyone at any time. So I hope that I will gain an appreciation and understanding of many cultures and what is typical in their communication. I want to know the trends and how to blend with various societies when speaking, as well as what is common with our every day communication.

I love shopping, running, and watching movies with friends. I work at Maurices in the mall, so that definitely helps with my shopping habit. My boyfriend and I run all the time together: it is a great way to stay active and clear your mind. And I seriously own so many movies and have seen so many I can't even pick a favorite movie; however, if I HAD to choose.... Anchorman would win every time!

I am really looking forward to this class! Can't wait to get started!

Welcome to Comm 211x

Greetings! My name is Sara Baker and I am your instructor for Comm 211x. I have been working in the field of communication studies for about a decade now. I started out working in marketing first for a hospital then for a government contracting firm. After a few years in marketing, I transitioned career paths and began working for the National Communication Association as their student organizations coordinator. I enjoyed that  job so much I decided to go back to school and begin a career as a communication instructor, researcher, and advocate. 

I received my B.A. in Communication Studies at Virginia Tech. GO HOKIES! 

And then after working for a while (Atlanta & D.C.), I returned to school to start my graduate studies. First, I received my M.A. from San Diego State University

After graduating with my M.A., I came to UNL to work on my PhD in Organizational Communication. 

I have been teaching intercultural communication courses for the past six years beginning first at San Diego State and then here at UNL. I am thrilled to be participating in this online classroom experience and I hope that I can be of assistance to each of you as we explore the impact of culture and communication in our everyday lives and in the world around us. 

I would like to welcome you to our class blog. This web site, Blogger.com, will serve as the site for our overall class blog (http://comm211xfall2013.blogspot.com/) and will also be where you will post your individual cultural reporter blogs. You will need to subscribe to this blog (http://comm211xfall2013.blogspot.com/). To subscribe to this blog, please email me that email address that you will be using to access Blogger.com. I will send you an invite to join the class blog. For additional information on both of these assignments please see the syllabus and also the assignment descriptions posted on our class Blackboard page.  
For this first blog, I would like you to introduce yourself to the class. Please answer the following questions to get you started:1) Background information - name, age, major, hometown, experience with online learning; 2) Why intercultural communication? What do you hope to learn?; 3) What are your interests/hobbies?; 4) Post a picture or 2. You could even make a short video introduction.