Samuel Flores | Intro to Communications | SPC 1017

We had our big Zoom presentation session covering Chapters 3, 9, and 10 - Intercultural Communication, Communicating in Groups, and Group Leadership and Problem Solving. My role as class leader meant I didn't have to present. Instead, I sat there with my notebook, watching everyone and taking notes on how they did. I'm really glad I did because there was a lot to take in.

I kept thinking about how challenging it is to present over Zoom. You can't feel the energy of the room. You're staring into a little camera dot at the top of your screen, hoping people are paying attention. Your slides have to carry a lot of the weight. And if your WiFi cuts out for even a second, it throws everything off. But honestly, most people handled it really well.

Chapter 3  Intercultural Communication

    Group 1 went first, and Carlos Martinez opened everything up. His topic was Culture and Communication, and I actually learned things I didn't know before, which doesn't always happen when classmates present, I'll be honest. He explained dominant culture, how it's basically the learned system of norms held by the majority group of empowered people in society. He also covered culture shock, co-culture, and code switching, explaining how people adapt their language and behavior depending on their cultural context. That one resonated with me personally because I do it every single day and never had a name for it. His pacing was great, he stayed organized, and used personal examples that kept me engaged the whole time. It was a strong start to the session.

    Then Jason came on, and honestly, a lot of respect to him. His topic touched on sexual orientation, religion, and intercultural communication, and that is not an easy subject to speak on in front of your entire class over Zoom. He handled it thoughtfully and clearly though. He connected everything back to how identity shapes the way we communicate across cultures, and his visual aid was genuinely one of the most creative of the day.

Chapter 9  Communicating in Groups

    Group 2 was next. Jeremiah talked about how families shape communication and made a point that stuck with me, that families are basically the first place we learn how to communicate, and that follows us everywhere we go. He gave a solid summary at the end, and his slides were clean and visually easy to follow. 

    Giovanni went after him and covered the different types of groups, interest groups, service groups, homogeneous and heterogeneous groups, and the drawbacks of each. He was confident and knowledgeable and gave a really clear example of a heterogeneous group that made the concept easy to understand.

    Eric covered Healthy Groups next. His screen share was a little scattered, but he explained the content clearly, and his main points came through without any confusion.

    Then Kimberly came on, and she was honestly one of the strongest presenters of the entire session. Her topic was Characteristics of Healthy Groups, and she delivered it really well. Her visuals were excellent, her explanation of accountability was clear and backed up with a solid example, and her segment on synergy was probably the most visually engaging part of the whole Zoom call. I underlined "very good visuals for synergy" in my notes.

    Then there was Destinee. She covered the Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing stages of group development, and she was memorable from start to finish. She said something I wrote down word for word - "Conflict isn't the enemy, avoiding the conflict is." I don't know why that landed so hard, but it did. She also described norming as the rainbow after the storm, which is honestly such a perfect way to put it. Her examples for groupthink were excellent, and she stayed confident and engaging the entire time.

Chapter 10  Group Leadership and Problem Solving

    By this point in the Zoom call, I was fully invested, which actually surprised me, considering we were already about an hour in.

    Maryari went through Task Roles, and it was a lot of material - Givers, Seekers, Analyzers, Supporters, Harmonizers, Mediators, Gatekeepers, Recorders, and Expediters - but she covered every single one, and the information was genuinely excellent. I found myself writing quickly, just trying to keep up with her.

    William presented on Effective Meeting Leadership, which was a little funny considering we were all literally sitting in a virtual meeting as he spoke. His examples were clear and straightforward.

    Roberto covered the Foundation of Systematic Problem Solving, and the idea that has stayed with me is that problems aren't solved by intuition alone. Using a structured method keeps you organized and reduces errors. That feels like something I need to apply way beyond this class.

    Yasmeya was one of the most polished presenters on the entire call. Her topic was the Decision-Making Process, and her visuals were genuinely impressive. She spoke quickly but clearly, and you could tell she had a strong command of her material. Covering that much content confidently is not easy.

    Macly covered Deliverables and the four types of oral formats, describing each one clearly with solid examples. His conclusions were strong, and he was very well-spoken throughout.

    Takiya closed out the session with Communicating Group Solutions. She explained how to analyze problems effectively, and even though she felt she wasn't fully clear at times, her explanation was actually excellent. I wrote that down, and I meant it.

Being a Project Manager

    I have to talk about this part too because it meant more to me than I thought it would.

    This was my first time ever serving as a project manager for anything. And going into it I was genuinely nervous. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if people would take me seriously or if I would actually be able to help. I just hoped it would come together.

    But then people started reaching out to me. Asking questions, checking in, trusting me with things they were unsure about. And something about that completely changed how I felt about the role. The moment I realized people actually trusted me it stopped feeling intimidating and started feeling meaningful. Every time I helped someone work through something or just feel a little more prepared, it genuinely filled me with joy and pride. I don't know how else to describe it. It made me proud in a way I wasn't expecting at all.

    I also want to give a well-deserved shoutout to Veronica, my project manager partner, because she was absolutely amazing throughout this entire process. Every single group, she handled the conclusions, and she did it well every single time. That kind of consistency across multiple groups back to back is not easy to pull off, but she made it look effortless. She kept everything organized and gave each group a proper, meaningful ending. I really couldn't have done this without her, and I want that on the record.

    Being a project manager for the first time taught me more than I expected, not just about organizing things but about people. About what trust really means and what it feels like when someone comes to you for help, and you actually come through for them. That feeling is something I plan to hold onto for a long time.

    Everyone who presented today did something real. They took material from a textbook and made it mean something through a laptop screen. That is not easy. I know because I was watching closely and taking notes on every single person the entire time, and not once did I find myself zoning out.

    Proud of this class. Proud of Veronica. And honestly, a little proud of myself too.