Phoenix Staff Writer

Poetry is something you expect from English students but this semester Dr. Mary Lanigan’s Communication and Society class challenged students from a variety of backgrounds to use communication theories to create poetry.

“I wanted to challenge our students to engage with communication theory in a creative and meaningful way,” Lanigan said. “Many of the poems students wrote surpassed my expectations, showcasing not only their understanding of the material but also their ability to communicate complex feelings about relationships through poetry.”

The communication theories the students used to write their poems are two theories by Steve Duck: The Relationship Filtering Model and The Serial Construction of Meaning Model. The Relationship Filtering Model is when individuals filter and interpret information in interpersonal communication and how it relates to the sequence of cues people pay attention to as they get to know each other. The Serial Construction of Meaning Model is how people construct and reconstruct meaning about relationships through on-going discourse.

The students in the Communication and Society class are from a variety of majors and of the poems highlighted below are from Psychology, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Communications. “We are thrilled to share the exceptional work produced by our students this year,” adds Dr. Lanigan. “These poems serve as a testament to the power of creative learning and the enduring relevance of communication theory in our daily lives.”