For the first time in known Tech history, two undergraduate students from the Technical Communication (TC) program will present at the 56^th Annual Technical Communication Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. Greg Koch and Roger Renteria, senior undergraduates, will present “The Benefits and Pitfalls of Social Networking Sites” at the international Summit. 

The official description and proceedings can be found at http://www.softconference.com/stc/sessionDetail.asp?SID=143445. Koch and Renteria are co-presenting a subject that is current and familiar to them.  With more people using social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, businesses are taking notice and wondering if they can market their products using this new media. A business would need to know the pros, cons, etiquette, and liability issues when using such sites. An example that Roger explained was of a small business in which someone decided to use a religious image that could be offensive to someone not from that culture. The presentation is to educate and suggest appropriate practices for working on such sites and how to minimize the risk of alienating consumers.

Koch and Renteria are very excited to present at the Summit. This is not the first time that New Mexico Tech Technical Communication students have presented before at a Society for Technical Communicators (STC) conference. In 2005, three students, Carmelita Wasson-Cereceres, Jennifer Bracken, and JW McFarland presented at the Region 5 Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. However, this is the first time New Mexico Tech students will present at the national Summit. Mr. Renteria admitted being a little nervous, “…we’re still students presenting about Myspace and Facebook.” The argument is that this is a relatively new media and they are at the cutting edge because they understand TC and marketing. The Summit reviews each presentation proposal for merit and since this proposal was accepted it is obvious that Koch and Renteria have done their research.

There are currently seven Technical Communication majors and minors planning to attend the Summit. Koch and Renteria recommend that anyone in the TC field should go to at least one of these conferences before graduating. Mr. Koch described it like classes but more specialized. There are sessions covering very interesting, cutting-edge topics throughout the duration of the Summit. Students in the academic field also have the opportunity to learn what practices professionals are doing in the industry. For more information on the conference and detailed proceedings visit http://conference.stc.org/

This Summit is a great opportunity for anyone in the TC field and the students who want to further their education. The STC Trinitite Student Chapter of New Mexico Tech can use your help, they are actively searching for support of travel and lodging arrangement. For more information send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and help these students achieve their education goals!