The Communications Department at SIU hosted its annual CMST Day on the last day of October to get one last hurrah in for Halloween with fun and games ranging from Jenga and bean bag toss to decorating mini pumpkins. They took this time to educate others about what the communications department has to offer, welcoming all students whether or not they are majoring or minoring in the field. 

There has been a growing trend of many student organizations and clubs receiving less recognition for a couple of years now because of the pandemic putting restraints on them or stopping them from participating in their selective activities and events altogether. This caused many organizations on and off campus to hit a declining point or close down permanently.

But now that the regulations around preventing the spread of the virus have been relaxed, RSO’s, campus major representatives and faculty now get the chance to reignite the flame that is student involvement. 

“Educating others about us whilst giving students the chance to take a load off is really what we are all about,” faculty advisor Dustin Greenwald said. 

The students, faculty, and staff were all very excited to be able to have the opportunity to hold this event once again after Covid-19 hit and halted many campus events, including CMST Day, from being properly enjoyed. 

The event attracted many people from across the campus and each station got their chance to contribute, but the bean bag toss game ended up becoming the fan favorite rather quickly. Not only did passersby engage in this game, but the event organizers did as well and added to the lively atmosphere outside Faner Breezeway. At one point, a small competition began to see who had the best knack for bean bag toss. Spoiler alert, the communication majors won. 

The hosting of the event on Halloween was similarly enjoyed by everyone because they were able to feel comfortable dressing up without the discomfort of prying eyes in classrooms or the workplace. Many students and faculty came dressed up and even held a photo booth with props for Halloween costumes so everyone had the opportunity to enjoy themselves and get into the spooky spirit one last time. 

“The key to putting the word out there about stuff like this is finding a way to make it fun and that’s what they did here… I didn’t even know about how much the communications department even did until I found myself here,” attendee Matthew Bower said. 

The main goal for this event was to explain what a communication major or minor has to offer and how it can be implemented in future career opportunities and paths one might seek out. 

Another objective was to point out just how diverse communication studies are and are including but not limited to journalism, public relations, education, marketing, broadcasting and much more.

“A communications career has so many paths someone can take and can work for any kind of person who’s willing to put in the time,” Dustin Greenwald said. 

Hundreds of students ended up passing through and taking part in the festivities throughout the day as well as stopping by to inquire about the communications department whether to learn more about it for future reference or simply to educate themselves on another part of the campus. 

Staff reporter and photographer Mo Collar can be reached at m0.alexander on instagram or [email protected]. 

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