Illinois Communication & Theatre Association Newsletter • February 2026 •

Mark Your Calendar

2026 Convention: September 17-19

Wojcik Conference Center at Harper College, Palatine, IL

THE PRESIDENT'S PODIUM

A Message From Tim Connors

Hello ICTA Friends,  As you are reading this newsletter, have you realized how exciting ICTA is  becoming? There are so many wonderful opportunities to learn, grow, and network in this environment.  Have you listened to the new podcast, Speaking Up? People that care about communication talking on topics that are important to you.  Have you kept your calendar open for this year's convention? Cool logo, sessions have already ramped up and I bet you get a few golden tickets!!  I am proud to be President of ICTA and I love the direction we are moving!  -Tim 

The First Vice President's Podium

A Message from Harry Bodell

Dear ICTA Community, As difficult as it is to fill Tim Connors’ colorful convention-planning shoes, I’m thrilled to serve as your 2026 ICTA convention planner. We can’t wait to return to Harper College from September 17–19, 2026 to explore Discovery in Disruption. This year’s theme invites us to explore how we find strength in disruptive times, develop new skills alongside emerging technologies and tools, and discover fresh perspectives as our disciplines - and our students - navigate constant change. Together, we will examine how communication and theatre can respond creatively and critically to moments of uncertainty and transformation. That said, you can trust that there will be no disruptions to the many elements that make the ICTA convention so special: panels offering an immediate impact on your classroom and teaching practices, networking opportunities with colleagues and friends old and new, opportunities to voice your valuable perspectives, and plenty of swag and raffle prizes! We’re also pleased to announce that our official convention hotel has been booked! We are excited to stay at the Westin Chicago Northwest as our official off-campus convention home. This beautiful hotel offers a comfortable and convenient home base throughout the convention. With modern amenities, a beautiful lobby, spacious banquet rooms, a central bar/restaurant, and easy access to the conference site (only a short drive on the highway), the Westin will provide a welcoming space to rest up, connect with colleagues, and continue conversations. Behind the scenes, the ICTA Planning Committee is hard at work shaping a dynamic and relevant program, and your voice matters most in that process. Panels are currently being developed, and we encourage you to share your ideas, suggest session topics, and communicate your priorities for the convention experience. Whether you have a fully formed panel proposal or simply an area you’d like to see represented, we invite you to make your voice heard by completing this survey above: Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any and all thoughts, hopes, and questions related to convention. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as exciting new developments unfold! Sincerely, Harry

DIRECTLY SPEAKING

A Message From Executive Director, Ed Schwarz

Are you a tech savvy member of ICTA? I don’t think that we are on the cutting edge of technology, but we do have a couple of opportunities that you might like to take advantage of. One is an app that simplifies your participation with ICTA, and the other is the ability for you to receive text messages from ICTA—but only if you want them. ICTA’s App Did you know that ICTA has an App? The app is provided by Wild Apricot, the company that hosts the ICTA website and maintains the ICTA membership database. Here are some of the things you can do with the Wild Apricot member app:

• Get advance information about ICTA’s annual convention
• Register (after July 1 each year) and make payments for ICTA’s annual convention
• Update/edit your member profile, including your address, phone number and email address

So, How Can You Get This App? Go to your app store (iOS or Android) and search for “Wild Apricot member app.” After downloading the app, you can log in by using the same email address and password you use when accessing the ICTA website or when registering for ICTA’s annual convention. When you first open the member app, you’ll be asked the usual sorts of things—whether you want to receive notifications, if you agree to the terms of service and privacy policies, etc. After that, you can do all of the things listed above—and more. Text Messages from ICTA The Executive Board of ICTA recently decided to give text messaging a try since many people have prioritized this method of communication. We intend to use text messages sparingly, for our Newsletter, important announcements, and occasional reminders. Email will continue to be the primary way that we communicate with everyone, but if you would also like to receive text messages, you must opt in first. ICTA can NOT send you a text message if you don’t first opt in. Of course, you can opt out whenever you want to stop receiving text messages. To opt in, you must edit your profile in the Wild Apricot member app (or on the website). After choosing the edit function, you can read the terms for receiving text messages. To begin receiving text messages, simply move the appropriate slider to the “on” position (or check the box if you are on the ICTA website) to indicate your consent to receive SMS/text messages. I hope you’ll give the Wild Apricot member app a try. Please let me know if you have any questions. -Ed

a Teaching Toolbox by second vice president marilee applebee

Adobe Premier Pro Ten years ago, I was assigned to teach a new class called Broadcast Journalism. Yes, I could teach writing and public speaking, but videography?  Film editing?  After climbing a learning mountain, here I am, splitting my schedule between my English classroom and our Broadcast Journalism computer lab/TV studio. I’ve seen how shooting video and then editing it into a finished project with Adobe Premiere Pro is allowing my students to communicate in new and diverse ways.  Today’s teenagers have been editing videos on their phones for years, but when I introduce them to Premiere Pro, it’s a whole new world of creative opportunities.  In “BroJo” we make PSA’s where they can highlight the social issues that are important to them.  We feature teams and groups around the school, so that our students get to know each other and their successes.  We learn how the right soundtrack underneath their content can communicate the vibe they want.  We have fun with “slide” transitions that show movement, “dissolves” that smooth over rough cuts, or “dip to black” transitions that help to set a serious mood.  We figure out how to green screen, so they can put their subjects in a new setting that is more interesting to the viewer. If you have the chance to teach filmmaking with Adobe Premiere Pro, hand your students a camera and see what kinds of new stories they will tell. 

Adobe Premier Pro is availabe in the iOS and Android App Stores

A special report from IHSA Assistant Executive Director, Brian Rohman

Bring Back Debate (with your help!) As a result of recent advocacy, the IHSA is instead interested in bringing back the Debate State Championships. To make sure our case is iron clad, we are hoping to involve as many schools as possible to demonstrate that well over 10% of the total membership of the IHSA is involved and engaged in the event. This is where you can come in! If your school already participates in debate, please make sure that they continue to do so. For others, consider entering The Pro Con Debate Challenge. Students choose one of the many debate topics from the season. They can work alone or with other students from your school to conduct research and write a 3-5 minute speeches in support and in opposition to their chosen topic. The students will record themselves delivering the speeches in one cohesive video and submit that for judging. It’s that simple, and a state champion will be crowned. The beauty of this event is in its asynchronous nature! Videos are due on March 15th. Students can read their speeches (so no need for memorization). Coaches have reported that their anxious students feel confident in this format and this confidence has helped them when they return to in person competition. It is also a great opportunity for a debate club or speech team members that are interested in debate to determine if they would enjoy competitions the following year. Finally, teachers can use this as a classroom experience. One coach has reported assigning this to an entire class of students. The students would then decide through an adjudication process which four videos will be submitted for the state tournament. If you have any questions, or are interested in competing this year, please visit idcvarsity.tabroom.com for entry or reach out to me at bmrohma@ilstu.edu. -Brian

The Rep's Report

A Message from Student Representative, Nathan Gonzalez

Technology is ubiquitous in this present age, especially in higher education. It has dramatically changed in the last few years, especially when we think of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). When such technologies appear, grad students often look to our colleagues for guidance. However, for one reason or another, we are often unable to secure advice, and must make decisions on our own. Speaking from common experiences among grad students, some adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward AI, while others fully embrace it. However, we should not be quick to adopt such stances. We often fear what we do not know or fully understand. In that fear, we adopt rigid stances and inadvertently create conditions where AI may become uncontrollable. To truly assess the full potential and risk that comes with new technology, we must be able to fully understand AI. We must implement and use it responsibly in both our personal lives and in our roles as educators or scholars. Once we understand it inside and out, we can then evaluate its potential and adopt informed policies and practices. For those who are hesitant due to concerns about irresponsible use, consider this: If we do not teach others how to use AI properly and appropriately, how can we expect its responsible and academically enriching use? Although this message primarily revolves around AI, it applies more broadly to any emerging technology. We must be ready to embrace the future, and that starts with learning to adopt the technological tools at our disposal. Whether we are in the role of an educator or scholar, or simply seeking new resources to support our educational journey, there is always something new to explore and learn. -Nathan

Advocacy in Action

A Message from Advocacy Chair, Lauren Morgan

Back to the Basics When the ICTA advocacy journey began in the fall of 2016, the first step was a simple conversation with a local legislator. State Senator Tom Cullerton visited the Decision 2016 class I was co-teaching at College of DuPage to share with students his experience working in state government. As part of his talk, Senator Cullerton shared how he had worked with high school social studies teachers to get legislation passed that returned Civics as a requirement to the high school curriculum statewide. The senator was excited by the potential impact educating students on the importance of government and civic engagement; I was inspired by what the Senator and social studies teachers had accomplished, and wanted to know if he might help Speech teachers make Speech a statewide requirement. After his presentation, I approached the senator to learn more about the details of how he helped pass legislation and inquire if he might to do something similar for Speech teachers. “Yes, I think I can do that. Let’s find a time to meet.” That conversation began a four year journey in advocacy that eventually led to the creation and passage of SB 2354, the bill adding Forensics Speech to the Illinois School Code. Senate Bill 2354 was signed by Governer J.B. Pritzker in 2021, yet few schools have expanded their course offerings in Speech at the high school level and few secondary faculty, administrators, or school boards even know about the bill of the opportunities it provides for students. Therefore, more advocacy is needed, and it’s time to get back to the basics. Advocacy First Step First, we need to understand how the context of communication education has changed in the ten years since my initial conversation with Senator Cullerton. Here are some key changes:

• English Language Arts teacher licensure has eliminated hiring of Speech teachers
• Illinois State University eliminated their Communication Education sequence to prepare students for teaching Speech Communication in Illnois High Schools
• Dual credit has been expanding to achieve the following intentions: (1) Reducing college costs, (2) Improving the curriculum for high school students and the alignment of the curriculum with college and workplace expectations, and (3) Offering opportunities for improving degree attainment for underserved student
• June 2023, IHSA eliminates Debate due to low participation and adds Short Film to Group Interpretation and Drama to help prevent elimination of the activity
• The AI Revolution introduced a new disruptive technology in education

Second Step Next, we ought to be engaged in deep learning about AI and leading conversation about its impact on communication. After all, the debate rages as to whether AI is a useful tool in our technological development or the ultimate threat to humanity, yet there is no disputing the fact that it is impacting teaching, learning, and communication significantly. In fact, some writers have proposed that as we move forward with AI, we will need to be even more “human-centric.” In other words, we all need to be competent human communicators, and as Communication educators, we need to ensure that there are competent teachers preparing to teach the essential communication concepts and skills that cannot be automated in the Age of AI. Final Step Lastly, we need to recognize that our most effective step is talking with our local legislators. Talking with our local legislators helps us to build relationships with those who have the resources to make change. How to Talk to Your Legislator Talking with your local legislator does not require any specific skill set. You simply call them and share your perspective on a particular issue or concern. In our case, you can do the following:

• Identify your local legislator: You can find out who your state representative and senator is by putting your address in this webpage for the Illinois State Board of Elections.
• Research your legislator before you call. Visit your legislator’s webpage and social media accounts to learn more about your legislator and the issues which are of interest to them. Communication education is a decidedly non-partisan issue, yet getting to know your legislator can help you in developing your relationship with them.
• Develop a “script” before you call. Many organizations are encouraging constituents to call their local legislators and provide scripts for making those calls. :
• Example Script: "Hello, my name is [Your Name] and I am a constituent living in [Your City/Town]. I am calling to urge [Senator/Representative Name] to [support/oppose] [Bill Number or Topic]. This is important to me because [1-2 sentence personal reason]. Thank you for your time."
• Meet with your legislator. Make an offer to further discuss your concern with your legislator and hear more about what they are doing to support education in Illinois.

I recognize you may be hesitant to contact your legislator. However, I imagine hearing from a constituent offering encouragement to advocate for improving communication education for all students would be a welcome change from typical constituent concerns. You can also follow the the lead of President, Tim Connors, who recently met and invited Governor J.B. Pritzker to be a guest on our ICTA podcast, Speaking Up! Now, that’s some advocacy!! -Lauren

Announcements

If you have a panel idea for 2026, contact first vice president, Harry Bodell

Nominate a colleague for an ICTA award

If you are interested in serving on the board or on a committee, contact executive vice president, Jeff Przybylo.. In 2026 we will seek people to fill the following positions: Second VP (Higher ed), Executive Vice President, Secretary, Secondary Ed Chair, & a Student Rep.

Remember, this is our newsletter. Please use this form to contribute ideas for our May 15, 2026 issue.

Editors Feb 2026: Rocky Roque & Jeff Przybylo,

The ICTA newsletter will publish May 15, and August 15. Inquiries can be directed to our communication director, Rocky Roque