Tuesday, Sept. 20 will mark the first Communication Symposium of the academic year. This symposium will be the first of a two-part series discussing communication outlooks and the media coverage of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The symposium takes place on two separate days to cover the topic with the the first occurring on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 11 a.m. and the second on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 11 a.m. Both will be held in Old Main 12.

The Lakeland community is invited to join the conversation and share their ideas and participants are welcome to come to either one or both conversations.

The Rio 2016 conversation is the first of four symposia being held this semester. Topics will vary from Gabby Douglas to Ryan Lochte, the depiction of Brazil and the threat of the Zika virus.

Other symposia include the rhetoric and media of the upcoming election, the Flint water crisis and environmental communication, and media and body image.

“The Communication Program Symposium is an open forum for conversation about interesting present-day topics in communication studies, not tied to a specific class or grade. It’s a place for interested people to intelligently discuss topics in the field,” said Casey Schmitt, assistant professor of communication.

For more information about the event, contact Schmitt at [email protected].