{"id":102,"date":"2018-01-09T00:00:19","date_gmt":"2018-01-09T00:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/?p=102"},"modified":"2020-04-21T23:52:46","modified_gmt":"2020-04-21T23:52:46","slug":"stutzman20180109","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/2018\/01\/09\/stutzman20180109\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacob Stutzman and Phyllis (Shelley) Stutzman"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Rev. Phyl L. Stutzman (2017)<\/p><\/div>\n

The Reverend Phyllis (Phyl) L. Stutzman<\/strong> is the pastor of Emporia Presbyterian Church<\/a>.\u00a0 Pastor Phyl is a graduate of Truman and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA)<\/a>.\u00a0 She has served churches in Missouri, Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma, serves on presbytery level committees, and has served on the board of Young Clergy Women International<\/a>, an ecumenical organization that supports young women in ordained ministry.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Dr. Jacob Stutzman (2015)<\/p><\/div>\n

Dr. Jacob Stutzman<\/strong> is an instructor and course designer with the Institute for Leadership Studies at the University of Kansas. He earned his Ph.D. in Communication Studies at the University of Kansas, then taught communication and rhetoric and coached debate at Oklahoma City University and Emporia State University before taking his current position. He studies and writes about the rhetoric of politics and religion, as well as interfaith dialogue.<\/p>\n

Together, Phyl and Jacob live in Emporia, KS and are routinely active in interfaith community building and ecumenical work, as well as raising their daughter, Annora.<\/p>\n

What year did you graduate and what was your concentration?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

Phyl (left) with two of her \u03a4\u039b\u03a3 sisters (ca. 2000).<\/p><\/div>\n

Phyl (P):<\/strong>\u00a0 2001, Communication Arts
\nJacob (J):<\/strong>\u00a0 2001, Communication Arts<\/p>\n

What extra-\/co-curricular activities did you do?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0 Tau Lambda Sigma<\/a>, I ran the youth group and sang in the choir at First Presbyterian Church, Kirksville, and worked at the Truman State University Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n

J:<\/strong>\u00a0 Debate<\/a>. It was all debate.<\/p>\n

Did you go to grad school? If so, where?\u00a0 Was it immediately after you left Truman or did you wait?\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0 I went to Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary after a gap year, during which I served as an intern at First Presbyterian Church, Jefferson City,<\/a> while I made my decision about which seminary program would be best.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Phyl with Jacob at her graduation from Seminary (2005).<\/p><\/div>\n

J:<\/strong>\u00a0 My plans shifted a lot in my senior year, so I started an MA program at Truman that I decided to leave after one year in order to start my MA at Texas State University in Communication Studies. After that, I completed my PhD at the University of Kansas.<\/p>\n

What was your first job after graduation?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0 Pastoral assistant at First Presbyterian Church, Jefferson City.<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong> I was a graduate assistant coach for Truman\u2019s debate team<\/a> for a year.<\/p>\n

What work do you do\/What are you doing now?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0 I am the solo pastor\/head of staff at Emporia Presbyterian Church<\/a> in Emporia, KS.<\/p>\n

J:<\/strong>\u00a0 I\u2019m working for KU\u2019s Institute for Leadership Studies, developing some new courses and programs, and teaching online classes.<\/p>\n

How has your Liberal Arts\/COMM education helped you?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0 Every Sunday, I\u2019m speaking in public and doing all of the audience analysis, revision, practice, and research that goes into the weekly sermon. I also write newsletter and newspaper articles, and engage in community organizing. All of this requires me to make broad connections with people from lots of different backgrounds. My job is as varied as my liberal arts education!<\/p>\n

J:<\/strong>\u00a0 For a while, I was more directly in a communication and debate position at a liberal arts university, so it was directly applicable! In my current position at KU, I work with students from all across the university to get them to bring their own perspectives to some shared leadership concepts, so a liberal arts background is tremendously helpful. I can hold multiple, competing ideas at once, either trying to fit them together or trying to make a choice between them. That\u2019s a very useful approach.<\/p>\n

What would you say a COMM student should absolutely<\/u> do while at Truman?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0 Take non-major classes beyond the basics. I took Biomedical Ethics<\/a>\u00a0and, even though I\u2019m not a doctor or medical researcher, I still sometimes have to talk to families and patients about significant medical decisions (especially at the end of life). That course helps me do that in a more informed and thoughtful way. I didn\u2019t plan on using that class in any meaningful way, but almost 20 years later, I still do. Also, Musical Theater<\/a> was just fun! Who knew 50 pages of dramaturgy could be so relaxing?<\/p>\n

J:<\/strong>\u00a0 Make some stuff. We made websites in college, and 20 years ago that was kind of a big deal because it showed off a range of skills and gave us a place to be public. Now, the stuff you need to make is different. Make a podcast, make a YouTube series, blog about something that can get an audience, write things that aren\u2019t just for class. Most of it will probably be terrible at first, and that\u2019s a good thing. As long as you know it\u2019s bad, you can work on improving it. And as long as you\u2019re not afraid to be wrong or mess something up, then you\u2019ll be open to a lot more opportunities to get things right.<\/p>\n

Which class did you dislike at the time you took it, but now you\u2019re grateful you took it?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0 I really did not enjoy Business and Professional Communication<\/a> while I was in it, but it was a class that has really paid off. Interview skills, group project management, managerial communication, have all helped me navigate being the head of staff as well as bridge the divide between the nonprofit and corporate worlds.<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong> I\u2019d say the Mass Communication<\/a> class with Dr. Speckman. I thought the class wasn\u2019t going to be useful because I wasn\u2019t in the journalism concentration, but a basic understanding of media structures and media criticism is really important to being a critical consumer of the news.<\/p>\n

What was your greatest accomplishment at Truman?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0 Graduating. Senior year, I was overloaded with 21 hours and if not for the good graces and assistance of the COMM faculty, my advisor, and my fellow students, I would not have made it through.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

J:<\/strong>\u00a0 She\u2019s reading this, so I\u2019ll say meeting my wife (and not running her off). But also, winning the 2000\u00a0NPDA<\/a>\u00a0National Championship, Truman\u2019s first intercollegiate national championship in debate.<\/p>\n

\"\"

LEFT – Jacob (right), with debate partner Ryan Kennedy, after winning UMSL tournament (1998). RIGHT – Jacob (left) with former debate partner Ryan Kennedy, after lunch in Edmond, OK (2016).<\/p><\/div>\n

Why is Truman a good place for a student to study?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0 Ours was the first class that applied to Truman State University, rather than Northeast Missouri State, and so with the name change, our freshman year experience came with a heightened emphasis on the liberal arts mission of the institution. It turns out, that matters! Particularly in my case, where my vocation is so broad in scope, the liberal arts foundation helps me draw from all those areas of study and apply them to all of the things that I do \u2013 from using psychology in pastoral care, to budgeting and finance in the church, to the importance of historical and political context while engaging modern ethical dilemmas, to basic written and oral communication skills.<\/p>\n

J:<\/strong>\u00a0 There are a lot of reasons: small class sizes, access to qualified and engaged faculty, a strong liberal arts mission, but the one I didn\u2019t realize until I graduated was just how good Truman State\u2019s reputation is. Having a Truman State diploma helped open some doors that another school might not have. I took a political science class during my MA and the professor was a new guy, fresh out of his PhD program. He earned is undergraduate degree from a small private liberal arts school in California. He really liked my work and at one point asked where I\u2019d gone to college. When I told him it was Truman State, his eyes went up, he sat back, and said \u201cThat explains it.\u201d No one wants to put too much value on prestige or reputation, but that doesn\u2019t mean it doesn\u2019t matter. Truman\u2019s reputation<\/a> is golden.<\/p>\n

What advice would you give someone who wants to go into the same line of work as you?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"

Phyl with her former colleague (ca. 2015).<\/p><\/div>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0 Do something other than religious studies. Cultivate coursework, civic engagement, friendships, and organizations so that you can meet people where they are, not just tell them the things you know about God. The pastorate is more than just sermons on Sundays and writing theological reflections. The pastorate is walking with people through the good, the bad, and the mundane of life. Parishioners and community partners come from all sorts of backgrounds and you have to be able to relate to all of them.<\/p>\n

J:<\/strong>\u00a0 Save your syllabi and take good notes on how the best instructors do their jobs. One of the biggest failings of higher education is that most graduate students don\u2019t learn how to teach. Instead, because of the short shrift teaching gets, they often learn that teaching isn\u2019t important. Truman is a school with faculty who are good teachers, who take teaching seriously. That\u2019s not the case everywhere. If you\u2019re thinking about paying for grad school with a teaching assistantship (and you REALLY should be), or a career in academia, remember what makes for good teaching so that you can emulate that when you\u2019re at the front of the room. Truly, your time at Truman may be the best chance you have to see those positive examples.<\/p>\n

What do you miss most about campus\/Kirksville?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0 Thousand Hills State Park<\/a>. And sitting on the quad with my friends. I rarely get to sit outside somewhere beautiful and talk about classes, articles, life in general, with people in the way that I did during college. I miss that.<\/p>\n

J:<\/strong>\u00a0 Late nights in Kirk Memorial, when the debate offices and squad room were still there. It was cold and usually cramped, but worth it.<\/p>\n

What tag line would you create for the COMM department at Truman?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0 “COMM one, COMM all” (please don\u2019t print that).<\/p>\n

J:<\/strong>\u00a0 Clearly, I could have paid more attention in my Public Relations<\/a> class because I\u2019ve got nothing here.<\/p>\n

If you could come back to Truman and teach a class for a semester, what would be its title and what would it be about?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Both:<\/strong>\u00a0 It would be great to teach a class on religious communication. We\u2019d talk about communication within religious contexts, like sermons and denominational material, interfaith communication, and the ways religion communicates with the secular world.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Jacob, Phyl, and Annora (2017)<\/p><\/div>\n

That, of course, would depend on the two of us being able to tolerate working with each other. The process of writing this answer proved that such an endeavor would be a touchy situation.<\/p>\n

What did we not ask that you think is important for people to know?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

P:<\/strong>\u00a0 You didn\u2019t ask if I intended to be a COMM major, or if I would do it again. The answer to the first is decidedly no. But the second, yes, I would do it again.<\/p>\n

J:\u00a0<\/strong> I\u2019ve always thought this was a really good question, and I always ask it in interviews and when setting up new projects. And sitting on the other side of it this time, I don\u2019t have a good answer.<\/p>\n

If you would like to hear more of the Stutzmans’ stories or would like to learn more about the Department of Communication, contact us!<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Reverend Phyllis (Phyl) L. Stutzman is the pastor of Emporia Presbyterian Church.\u00a0 Pastor Phyl is a graduate of Truman and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA).\u00a0 She has served churches in Missouri, Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma, serves on presbytery level committees, and … Read More →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":497,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50608],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-watdn"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/497"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1917,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102\/revisions\/1917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.truman.edu\/commspotlight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}