Stand by me sos

Feb 12

2025
with

Nicole O’Donnell, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University

Stand by Me— Nostalgia for a time we weren't alive

Dr. Nicole O’Donnell, an Assistant Professor in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University, discusses nostalgia and meaningful media—media content that elicits a significant personal response from the audience—in relation to this beloved film.

Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre Moscow, ID

Tickets

Film Synopsis

A writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.

    After learning that a stranger has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four Oregon boys decide to go see the body. On the way, Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton), Vern Tessio (Jerry O'Connell), Chris Chambers (River Phoenix) and Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman) encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, as they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys' adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.

    Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

    About the Speaker

    Nicole O’Donnell, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. Her areas of expertise include media psychology, social influence, and the communication of scientific, health, environmental, and risk-related topics.

    Nicole has a strong passion for community-engaged scholarship, frequently collaborating with nonprofit organizations and government agencies to conduct research that informs design and evaluation of mass media campaigns. Recent partners include the Hume Lee Transplant Center, the WA Traffic Safety Commission, the Inland Northwest Healthy Youth Collaborative, and Room One. She prioritizes sharing her research outside of academia to inform policy and improve public health and safety.

    Nicole is affiliated with the Murrow Center for Media and Health Promotion, the Media Mind Lab, and Washington State Health Care Authority’s Prevention Research Sub-Committee. Her research has been published in Health Communication, the Journal of Health Communication, the Journal of Risk Research, Visual Communication Quarterly, and other notable publications.