A Small Group Communication Experiential Learning Course (EXL) is allowing MTSU students to have some fun, help the campus community while also teaching them how to communicate with one another in a positive and productive way.

Officially dubbed “Turning the Tables on Hunger,” the DJ competition will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at Cantrell Hall inside the Tom H. Jackson Building on MTSU’s campus. The event’s purpose is not only to help the EXL students learn how to communicate, but to also raise donations for the MTSU Student Food Pantry.

To attend the event, MTSU students must present their student ID and donate three or more items from the MTSU Student Food Pantry needs list. Students who donate at least five items will be eligible for door prizes. Collection boxes have also been set up in various buildings across campus.

Students in Department of Speech and Theatre professor  Jennifer Jackson’s EXL course planned the event, prompted by what they say was “an undeniable commitment” to help fellow MTSU students who use the pantry. Through the construction, planning and execution of the event, the EXL students are learning how to work as a team and how to communicate in small groups in a real-world setting.

The Small Group Communication EXL Course is allowing students to cultivate a strong understanding of the value of discussion, deliberation, and problem solving within a small group. The students are actively learning techniques for communication and the decision-making process in groups of four to six.

For more information about the course, contact Jackson at 615-494-7975 or by email at Jennifer.Jackson@mtsu.edu.

For more information about the MTSU Food Pantry, visit www.mtsu.edu/foodpantry.

— Jimmy Hart (jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu)