Name: Brooke Bennington
Year: Second Year Doctoral Student
Research Interests: Parasocial relationships and media socialization
Tell us about the Graduate Student Organization (GSO). The GSO works to support the academic and professional development goals of all graduate students in the School of Communication. We host professional development workshops, invite panelists to speak with graduate students, and put on social events for the entire department.
Why did you join the GSO? I joined GSO because it presented a unique leadership experience and the opportunity to help organize the events that made such a difference for me as a first-year graduate student.
What is your favorite memory of working on the GSO? My favorite memory from being on GSO is from our annual holiday party. Each year, we make a new trivia game with a different theme. Last year, the theme was “The History of Derby Hall” and it was so much fun to go through all of the university’s records and uncover the truly wild history of the building. Did you know that Derby Hall burned down three times?? We didn’t!
What tips or suggestions do you have for graduate students who are trying to find a sense of community at Ohio State University? Get involved and show up! Whether you hold a leadership position within your department or just show up to events, it’s sure-fire way to meet people and find a sense of community. During my first year at Ohio State, I attended as many GSO events as possible. I grew so close with the other graduate students through these social events and really found a strong sense of community within the department.
How can graduate students get involved with and support the GSO? The GSO is always looking for ways to improve and better support graduate students. The best ways to get involved with GSO are to attend the social events and communicate any needs you have with GSO so we can work with you and the rest of the department to ensure that the needs of the graduate students are being adequately represented and catered to. Another great way to be involved with GSO is to run for one of our exec board positions! Our elections take place each year in April with new members being onboarded in May.