Baseball player Bryson Parks and Prof. Donald Connelly

About Bryson Parks: 

• Junior
• 5-11 outfielder
• Native of Marietta, Ga. 

About Prof. Connelly: 

• Professor of Communication - Broadcasting
• Owns a B.S. in Education and an M.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Central Missouri 
• 5 years in secondary education (tenured) and  21 years as a Professor at Western Carolina

Prof. Connelly and Bryson Parks

         Q&A with Bryson Parks:

• What did you like most about Prof. Connelly's class? Professor Connelly’s classes are all challenging but the best parts of his classes are the real life stories and experiences he shares every class that somehow always relate back to the topic he is teaching about. He keeps me on my toes with the amount of connections and experiences he has.
•  What makes Prof. Connelly a good teacher? Professor Connelly is a good teacher because he has tons of real world experience so he is able to share his experiences with his students, grade as employers would, and require students to get engaged so they are prepared to be employed out of college.
• What is something you’re involved in outside of class and sports that we may not know? I am an active member of the Kappa Sigma Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, a Greek-letter fraternity. It’s another family I have along with the baseball team. My brothers and I serve the community, host programs, shimmy and step, but mainly we strive to be leaders in the community and achieve in every field of human endeavor.
• How do you manage academics, athletics and a social life? What is your key to good time management? Managing acedemics, baseball and a social life is diffuclt but what makes it less difficult is having my priorities set. Sometimes I have to make sacrifices but to get the most out of each aspect I get what I have to do done efficently, whether that be my school work, hitting in the cages or working out, so I can maximize my time.
• What is your favorite spot on campus? The fountain in the courtyard is my favorite spot on campus. It’s in the middle of campus. Everyone has to pass through it. It’s a great place to go see people and hang out between classes.
• What is the most important skill you've learned through participation in your sport? The most important thing I have learned is to dance in the rain, which basically means keep your head high and be persistent. Through the highs and lows, have the ability to keep your confidence and be strong because it’s a game.There are going to be struggles, but ultimately it’s meant to be fun.
• Do you have any nicknames? Or if you could choose your own, what would it be and why? If I could choose my own nickname it would be “B”. Plain and simple. Short for “B Boogie”, a nickname I had when I was younger from dancing all the time and flying around the bases.
• What are your plans post grad? Post grad I plan to extend my playing days as long as possible but beyond that I would like to be a sports analyst for a major station or team, then eventually host my own sports talk or debate show where I can voice my own opinion on sports.
  
  Q&A with Prof. Connelly:
• What was it like having Bryson in your class? Bryson brings a sharp, realistic, focus on his career path and where he wants to go after school.  He is channeling his education to someday achieve those goals.  As a student athlete, he brings his team communication and leadership skills to group projects helping groups to achieve high academic levels.  Bryson understands that while school may be challenging, life after school may be more so.    
• What is your favorite sport or hobby? What do you like to do in your free time? I spent 23 years in local and network broadcasting usually on the production and distribution side of sporting events including high school, college and professional sports, and sport bass fishing!  My favorite, I guess I will have to go with soccer and international auto racing like the LeMans. In my free time, I like to attend my grandson’s high school soccer games and write.
• How often are you able to watch your student-athletes compete? When I joined the university I became the faculty advisor for the university radio station; the flagship station for the Catamount Sports Network. Guess what, I am still focused on the production and distribution side of sports!
• What’s your favorite spot on campus? My classroom. 
• What is your favorite thing about teaching? Watching my students leave shool and start their broadcasting careers in larger markets and achieving their career goals.
• What would students be surprised to find out about you? My first professional announcing and producing job was in 1973 when the Kansas City Royals moved into their new stadium.  I created the commercials that were used to launch that season in the most beautiful ball park in the country.  “The Kansas City Royals, where the good times are” was the branding slogan.  As someone still in college at the time, I got paid $500 or $3,000 in todays dollars!
• What is one class your schools offers that you wish you could take? It would be something from the philosophy and religion department related to ethics.  I teach communication ethics and responsibilities and how ethical principals apply to all aspects in life, including sports.

About Classroom Connections: In its second year, Classroom Connections is a weekly feature that showcases student-athletes away from the playing field and highlights the relationship between student-athlete and professor.