CSCA PRESIDENTIAL REFLECTION: OUR STORIES . . . OUR LEGACY

Communication Studies, Summer 2004 by Cooper, Pamela

IMPORTANCE OF STORIES

We are the stories we tell. As Walter Fisher (1989) suggests, we humans are storytellers. We make sense of others and ourselves through story. A key concept in Fisher's narrative approach is the concept of narrative itself. Often we think of narrative as simply a story. This is a mistake, for as Fisher indicates, "When I use the term 'narration,' I do not mean a fictive composition whose propositions may be true or false and have no necessary relationship to the message of that composition. By 'narration,' I mean symbolic actions-words and/or deeds-that have sequence and meaning for those who live, create, or interpret them" (1987, 58). Or put another way, "there is no genre, including technical communication, that is not an episode in the story of life" (1985, 347). Thus, for Fisher, all communication is narrative. Narrative is not a specific genre (for example, stories as opposed to poems), but rather, a mode of influence. Thus, listening to a class lecture, talking with your friends, listening to a political speech or the evening news, reading a book-all consist of your hearing and shaping narratives. In Fisher's thinking, story is imbued in all human communication endeavors, even those involving logic. All arguments include "ideas that cannot be verified or proved in any absolute way. Such ideas arise in metaphor, values, gestures, and so on" (1987, p. 19). In short, Fisher attempts to bridge the divide we often have between logos (rational argument) and mythos (story, or narration).

Because of my belief in the power of story, I chose the theme, Our Stories. . . Our Legacy for the 2002 CSCA convention in Milwaukee. Stories are inevitable. What are the stories we tell? Some of us tell generally positive stories; others, somewhat negative ones. Whichever type we tell, these stories shape our perceptions of our lives. So too, our professional organizations. The quality of our professional organizations is influenced by the nature of the stories we tell. "How was the convention?" my colleagues ask when I return to campus.

For the convention, I created a timeline on which I placed stories of CSCA members. In this reflection, I want to share with you those stories, and then suggest the legacy I believe they create for CSCA. The stories are just as I received them. I have done no editing-after all, these are not my stories, but those of others. We each tell our own story in our own way. The stories follow, as close as possible, a timeline from the beginning of CSCA to the present day.

THE STORIES

At the 1937 convention in Wisconsin those present were so discouraged that they almost decided to abandon what we now call CSCA. I had not gone to Madison as I expected it to be knocked in the head and did not especially want to attend the funeral. Then came a telegram asking if I would serve as Executive secretary. I thought the honor was less than overwhelming, but agreed to serve. The association was dead broke.

I called a meeting of all the speech teachers in Columbia, elementary, high school, college, university, totaling 30, and we decided to hold a bang-up convention right here in Columbia, Missouri. We had no funds but told everybody to spend what was needed and present the bill in April. The printing bill was enormous, nearly $200 for the 8-page programs. We planned the program and invited top people. Most of them did not even know where Columbia was. Little airline service those days, everybody came by car or train. 80 people participated in the program. 300 people were present, each paying a $1.25 convention fee, which was enough to meet our bills. We ended the year as we began, with a zero-based budget. But the Association was now in full health, meeting in 1989 in Minneapolis with 890 delegates.

That was my first CSCA convention. Names? Andrew Weaver, Ralph Dennis, Alan Monroe, C.T. Simon, Bower AIy, Wilber Gilman, A. Craig Baird, Gladys Borchers, W. Norwood Brigance, Franklin H. Knower, Carrie Rasmussen, Rupert Cortright, H. Clay Harshbarger, E. C. Mabie-these were people you would find at convention those days. I have attended just about every convention since then, unless I was out of the country, and always thought the sessions were as good as those at the national meetings. I am now 96 and with a little bit of luck will show up in 2002.

Loren Reid, Professor Emeritus, University of Missouri, Columbia

My first CSSA Conference was in 1962. My Michigan State colleagues Kenneth Hence, Gordon Thomas, and Fred Alexander each encouraged attendance. I didn't need much encouragement since I'd been active in the Eastern Speech Association while teaching at the University of Maine before coming to Michigan State and I decided being active in the regional professional association was valuable to me.

My 1962 impression of the CSSA Conference was that the programs were well balanced between topics on research, theory and applied communication-including teaching methods. That program balance fit my interests in 1962. The convention climate was warm and cordial and gave you a feeling of belonging. It was helpful that I knew many CSSA members from forensics and debate travel, and American Forensic Association and Michigan Speech Association activity. I felt comfortable at the 1962 conference and felt good about the profession after attending. The networking was invaluable.