COMM Week makes a COMM back

One of the ways UW-Green Bay Communication students are able to showcase their skills and abilities is through the department’s Comm Week. The unique thing about Comm Week? It is planned by students for students to showcase students.

This year’s theme was “Making a COMMback.” After last year’s Comm Week was virtual due to the pandemic, this COMM Week would be the first in-person event since 2018. “We thought the theme of “Making a COMMback” was very fitting because even though we held a virtual Comm week in 2021, we still made a huge comeback by holding this year’s Comm Week in person,” said C0-planner Allyson Haefke. Gabby (Heier) and I strategically pushed this year’s Comm Week back an entire month in case COVID-19 got better or worse. The decision paid off because we were able to attend Comm Week without masks.”

Comm Week had several events throughout the week that then ended with a banquet at The Weidner Center. Below is a summary of the week’s events:

COMM Get Coffee
Comm Week kicked off with COMM Get Coffee. With hot drinks and breakfast sweets, students were able to talk with the Comm Week team and eat goodies.

Alumni Speed Networking
One of the highlights of Comm Week is that current students are able to network with UW-Green Bay Alumni. Students were able to talk with alumni about their journey after graduating, their jobs, and any advice they would give.

COMM Master Your Skills
Students were able to connect with Career Services, get headshots and talk with Communication students about the major and emphases. Additionally, Martha Carrigan from Big Shoes Network came to give resume advice to students.

Wild Wild West
Comm Week had a fun celebration filled with games, raffles, and delicious food. Students who participated in events throughout the week were able to enter to win raffle baskets from Pinky Swear/Love Your Melon, the Comm Department, and the Green Bay Packers.

Thursday’s Banquet
Comm Week wrapped up with a celebratory banquet. Students, alumni, professors and administration gathered to applaud competition winners, the Comm Week Team, and guest speaker, alumna Pam

Keynote speaker Pam Roecker with co-directors Ally and Gabby, and Communication Chair Phil Clampitt

Roecker ’83 (Communication). Roecker congratulated students on their tenacity and dedication. She also touched on her time at UW-Green Bay. Pam gave students an important piece of advice: “It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you and what they think of you.”

The Comm Week Team excelled and truly exemplified the dedication and drive that UW-Green Bay students have. The team showcased transformative impact on their community and the accomplishments of Communication students and alumni.

Passing the torch: In the middle, Kendra Lepper and Daniel Bestul, with Gabbie Heier (left) and Ally Haefke (right).

Next year’s co-directors Kendra Lepper and Daniel Bestul are excited to plan the 2022-2023 COMM Week. “I am excited to build off the success we had this year,” Bestul says. “We have big shoes to fill and are excited to grow COMM Week even more next year,” Lepper concurs.

Congratulations to this year’s Comm Week Team: Allyson Haefke, Gabby Heier, Kelly Anderson, Daniel Bestul, Ally Gorenchan, Melissa Krueger, Larissa O’Malley, Austin Moehn, Laura Mueller, Tillie Peterson, Sound Ritzman, Olivia Ryan, McKenzie Ulmer, and Jared Valleskey.

Comm Week Team

“This year’s Comm Week Team was very unique because everyone on the team except Gabby and I had been on the team in years past,” Haefke said. The co-chairs said their expectations were blown away by each team member’s willingness to learn, determination and creativity. They didn’t expect this banquet to have the highest attendance or for this year’s Comm Week to be the best ever. Heier concludes, “We are both proud of what the team accomplished and can’t wait to see what they plan next year.”

In her speech, Pam Roecker (with Marge and Ed Weidner) noted that Founding Chancellor Edward Weidner was a supporter of women’s athletics.

Keynote Speaker Pam Roecker and photo of her playing days with the Phoenix