SJMC professor emphasizes the “social” in social distancing, brings classmates together

“College is about the relationships you build as much as the knowledge you learn,” said Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication Chris Snider. This philosophy has shaped what the COVID-19 classroom looks like for Snider and his students.

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2018 graduates Victoria Tramp and McKenna Carrigan first met the spring semester of their senior year. Both majoring in PR, they shared many late nights working together and soon became close friends. Victoria stayed in DSM and McKenna moved to Milwaukee post-graduation. They still continue to see each other and plan many road trips together. "Our favorite JMC memory would have to be our capstone group working together at West End," McKenna said. "One of our group members bartended there so we would have our meetings during the week with everyone in Meredith and when he had to go to work, we would all move and work there. With laughs between drinks and thinking up new 'strats and tats' it was the best part of our SJMC experience." Victoria now works as an accountant coordinator at Flynn Wright and McKenna is the Membership and Marketing Manager at the University Club of Milwaukee.

A post shared by Drake SJMC (@drakejmc) on May 9, 2020 at 5:30am PDT

In times of change and uncertainty, Snider leads with empathy. “I tried my best to just listen to students early on to determine how I should approach my classes,” he said. “I created a place where students could anonymously tell me what they were going through so I could design my classes around their needs.”

The result was an increased focus on relationships and the community aspect of Drake that students and faculty cultivate.

“We started a series on our School of Journalism and Mass Communication Instagram account called SJMC Besties, where students talk about how they found their best friend by being a part of this school,” Snider said. “I think that is something important for us to think about in an online environment—how we can ensure that our students still meet that person who will become a best friend for life.”

Other social projects have included a letter writing program with more than 50 alumni and creating a website to profile the school’s seniors. Snider’s design thinking class interviewed seniors about creating a proper sendoff from their Drake careers, with potential to see a few of them come to fruition.

“My goal for social media with our current students is to reiterate that they made the right choice when they came to Drake,” Snider said. “That goal has only amplified during these times.”

If anything, this semester has been a lesson in the importance of connection—whether in person or online. Snider has conducted Facebook Live interviews, participated in Zoom reunions and even hosted a live call-in show on Facebook.

“The response to our social media has been positive. There were rumors of students shedding a few tears,” Snider said. “We know it’s not a replacement for Street Painting or Senior Wine and Cheese, but it’s hopefully some small sense of normalcy in an uncertain time.”