The Road to Success
While the atmosphere of the Berry communication department is professional, students also describe the "sense of casualness" that permeates the Laughlin Building, which houses the department. Public relations major Erin Gibson describes how, "most of the professors invite us to be on a first-name basis with them, which relaxes stressful situations." The Laughlin Building really does give students a sense of family. Professors and students have more than just professional relationships, they have friendships that can last beyond the years of college. "I changed my major three months before graduation because I saw someone's senior portfolio," said senior public relations major Erin Lampley. "I knew then that I wanted to do public relations because it allows me to express myself through media."

The Real World
Communication Department Chair Bob Frank has made it a policy to illustrate the real-world situations that communication majors deal with. "You can't communicate without a liberal arts education," he said. "We emphasize saying something worthwhile." Communication majors actively participate in fostering relationships across the campus by participating in activities such as the newspaper, yearbook, the new multimedia student website, and forensics team. "We make work and academics integrated," added Frank.