Two award-winning communicators, one an accomplished poet and lawyer and the other a respected broadcaster and documentary filmmaker, are scheduled to visit the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) campus next week to present public lectures and instruct students in classes and workshops. The visits are part of "Communicare," a weeklong effort by the UWSP Division of Communication "to share ideas and unite people" through excellence in communication.

Junichi P. Semitsu, (pictured left), director of Poetry for the People at the University of California-Berkeley, will present a public lecture, "Replacing Shock, Reclaiming Awe: The War on Race and the Race to War," at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 21 in Room 170 of the College of Natural Resources Building. In his talk, Semitsu will offer his perspective on the University of Michigan�s landmark affirmative action case before the U.S. Supreme Court and issues related to the war in Iraq.

Semitsu, 29, is a 1996 graduate of UC-Berkeley and earned his law degree at Stanford University in 1999. His skill as a communicator was effectively demonstrated when as president of his law school class he achieved the rare honor of winning both the "best written brief "and "best individual oral argument" awards at Stanford.

When noted UC-Berkeley poet June Jordan was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2001, she handpicked Semitsu to replace her as leader of the Poetry for the People project. Semitsu took a leave of absence from his corporate law practice in San Francisco to return to his alma mater in September 2001. The project, which has achieved national recognition, is designed to expose students and community residents to political empowerment, poetry writing and appreciation.

In addition to his free public lecture on Monday night, Semitsu, who teaches in the Department of African Studies at UC-Berkeley, will serve as a guest lecturer in a number of communication classes.

Later in the week, Bill Davis, a former central Wisconsin broadcaster and a 1968 UWSP graduate, will present his recent film on Nazi propaganda. Davis� film, "The Nazi Lie, Propagation of Evil," will be shown at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 25 in Room 333 of the Communication Arts Center.

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Davis has 29 years of experience as a sports broadcaster. He worked at WSPT Radio in Stevens Point while finishing his communication degree and was sports director at WAOW-TV in Wausau from 1968-70. His broadcasting career took him to larger markets including six years at WISN-TV in Milwaukee and 18 years as a sports anchor/reporter at KTVI-TV in St. Louis.

His numerous broadcast journalism honors include an Emmy Award for a story on the players strike in major league baseball and an Associated Press Award for a documentary on the use of steroids in American athletics. Davis, who earned a master�s degree at Webster University, has taught courses in media studies at the St. Louis school since 1994.

Davis features experts in persuasion, psychology, history and former Hitler youth members in his film to explain how members of the Third Reich used media manipulation to advance their cause.

In addition to the free public screening and discussion of his film, Davis will present a special workshop on documentary filmmaking for UWSP students.

"We hope this lecture series will be an annual opportunity to present excellent communicators for our students and the community," said Richard Ilkka, associate dean and head of the Division of Communication.

"Communicare" is supported by funds provided by friends and alumni of the Division of Communication to bring outstanding speakers to students and the residents of central Wisconsin.

For additional information about the two public presentations, call the Division of Communication at (715) 346-3379.

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