Just the Beginning

I can't believe this semester is already coming to an end. However, now that it's over I'm pretty relieved. I would have to say that this has definitely been my most challenging semester yet, all because of Capstone. It seems just like yesterday that I was sitting in my Capstone class trying to brainstorm some idea for my senior project. Hard to believe, but that was 8 months ago! Now, that I'm completely done with my project I have a lot to be proud of.

It took a long time to figure out what exactly I was going to do, but I'm so glad that I chose to make a documentary because it allowed me to use my creativity in so many different ways including filming, writing, and editing. I also got the opportunity to work with an actual client, the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership. I'm so glad that I was able to work with them because I met so many wonderful people throughout the process.

When it all comes down to it though, I feel like my project had a really meaningful purpose. I was able to show people how important it is to volunteer and get involved in your community. The volunteers in my documentary were so inspiring that I actually had a few members of the audience come up to me after my presentation and tell me that after watching my documentary, they wanted to go out and volunteer right away! When I heard this, I knew that the goal of my project had been accomplished.

Before I even started my project though, I was so nervous. I was worried about filming, editing, writing, everything! It just seemed like a lot, and since I was doing most of it over the summer I knew I would be completely on my own without help or advice. I just had to keep telling myself that everything I needed to know, my professors had taught me. Another challenge for me was conducting the different interviews. I'm not an extremely outgoing person, so getting the courage to go up to strangers and ask them to be on camera was a little difficult. Luckily, by the third day I felt very comfortable and confident talking with the different volunteers and homeowners. Editing was another challenge for me. I love to edit, but going through hours of video and picking out the different pieces and putting them into some kind of order is a tedious task. I was worried it wouldn't turn out the way I wanted it to, but in the end it turned out great!

The one thing I gained from my senior project would have to be confidence. I'm somewhat self-conscious of my work and not always sure of myself, but after receiving such great feedback from my family, classmates, and professor, I felt like this is actually what I'm suppose to be doing. I always use to wonder, "should I really be in broadcasting? Am I really cut out for this?" This project answered all my questions. I can do this. As long as I use the knowledge I have learned here at Westminster and keep my confidence, I can pursue a career in broadcasting.

Capstone almost Complete!

This Tuesday I presented my Capstone Presentation on the documentary I created, "Helping Hands." Up until my presentation day I had been working extremely hard on editing, tweaking, and writing my introduction. It seemed like this day would never come, and when it did I was extremely nervous. A few of my fellow capstone classmates had already presented including, Melissa Maines, Amanda Conway, and Nicky Piszczor, and they all did a great job. I was hoping I could do just as good as them.

My presentation started at 7 PM and was held in Mueller Theatre. After arriving, setting up, and preparing my speech a few times, people started coming in around 6:45. I was extremely nervous, but once my family started to arrive I felt much better knowing that they were all there to support me. Not only did a lot of my family show up, but also a lot of the broadcast students and a few of my good friends.

My introduction went fairly well however, I did stumble a little in the beginning. I think my notecards hurt me more than they helped me. When I would look down to see where I was, I couldn't find my place and then I got flustered, but when I just kept talking I was fine. Then it was time to play my documentary. This was the most important part of my presentation and most nerve-wrecking. I wasn't worried about anything except what the audience would think. Not only did I want to meet people's expectations but I wanted to impress them.

After my documentary concluded I asked if anyone had any questions. My classmate Doug Kunst raised his hand, but instead of asking any questions he gave me 3 wonderful compliments which made me feel really great. I also got some great compliments from my family and friends. I was lucky enough to have one of the actual volunteers from my documentary there as well. Ray and his wife came to my presentation and she told me that after watching my documentary she felt like she needed to go right out and volunteer. It was great to hear this because that was the main goal of my project. I wanted to make a documentary not just for the sake of making a documentary, but to actually serve a purpose and inspire people.

Overall, I'm happy and relieved that my presentation is finished, but more than anything I'm so happy that it went well. As I look back on all the different goals I made for this project, I truly feel that I have met each and everyone of them. The final step of my capstone project is to enter it into several contests. Thank you everyone who came to my presentation and supported me! I would also like to thank Debby Hennon, The Lawrence County Commnunity Action Parntership, and of course all the volunteers of His Hands Ministry!

Mind My Manners

Last Thursday all seniors of Westminster College were invited to Dine 'n Shine. The dinner was sponsored by the Career Center and included a guest speaker as well as a brief fashion show. Our capstone class decided that we would all sit together at a table which was a great bonding experience as we enjoyed our meals and got some helpful tips on proper etiquette in a business setting.

The guest speaker for the night was Dr. Cary Horvath, who spoke while we ate our meals. She discussed the importance of manners and gave us some great tips for etiquette whenever we have a lunch or dinner job interview. My first thoughts were that I had pretty good dining etiquette and knew the "rules" of eating properly in a public setting. However, to my surprise I learned a great deal that I will carry with me in the future.

Most of the tips Horvath gave us are simple ideas, but can make a great impression on a future employer. For example, when shaking a person's hand, you should not look down. Instead, you should look directly at the person. I'm assuming that this is to make you appear friendly and social, yet confident. Another tip that I never really thought about is that you should be careful what you order. Try to avoid messy foods such as spaghetti. This is something I will always remember because it's not easy to eat these kinds of foods without either looking awkward or making a mess. By the end of the meal I realized my dinner etiquette wasn't as good as I thought, but I learned from my mistakes. I used my dinner fork to eat my salad, and my salad fork to eat my dinner, I took a piece of bread when I should have passed the basket first, I didn't place my napkin on my lap until I got my meal, and I passed the salt without the pepper.

After we were finished with dinner, the Career Center had put together a fashion show in order to show us the difference between business casual and business formal. I thought that all the students and faculty involved in the fashion show did a great job. Through the fashion show we were able to visually see what's appropriate for a normal day at the office or a job interview. Once the show was finished several students asked questions. I learned that slacks or a skirt are equally appropriate for a job interview, women can wear flats or heels, and when in doubt dress conservatively!

Overall, I greatly enjoyed Dine 'n Shine. Not only did I get a delicious meal out of it, but I also got some valuable tips that will help me in the future.

Ten Minute Interview!?

As I've mentioned in previous posts, my college experience at Westminster has been a challenging, yet extremely worthwhile journey. Looking back I can see how all the classes and projects have really transformed me into the young professional that I am today. Coming in as a freshman, I was nervous, shy, and not really sure of what I wanted to do. Now that I'm a senior I can look back and see how I have really transformed throughout the years, not just my focus, but my whole attitude. There are several classes that I believe have played a large role in making me who I am today.

TV and Radio announcing with Dr. B was one of my BC electives second semester of my sophomore year. I first decided to take this class because it sounded like fun and I really enjoy having Dr. B as a professor. However, on the first day of class I was second guessing myself when we were handed a syllabus with all of the assignments we would be doing throughout the semester. Ten-minute interviews, live radio remotes, and so much more. I was overwhelmed and wasn't sure if I would make it through this class.

One of my first ten-minute interviews for this class was to be with Kayla, who is a blind student. It was to be used as part of the Round Table series for Titan Radio. I was extremely nervous. I remember thinking, "how do I get in contact with her?" " Do I send her an e-mail?" "Does she even have e-mail?" I know it may sound silly, but just getting in contact with her and going about asking her to do an interview was a little bit of a challenge for me. The second challenge for me was figuring out what kind of questions to ask her. I had to do a lot of research and come up with many questions that I thought would be appropriate for the interview. To my surprise, probably the easiest part of this whole project was the interview itself. Kayla was such an easy person to talk with and was willling to talk about anything and everything. That long ten minutes ended up flying by for me.

I had many more projects like this for TV and Radio announcing, and as the semester went on I could see myself really improving and getting more comfortable with radio interviews. This class truly was an eye-opening experience. I realized then that if I was going to be in this business I can't be a shy person and I can't be intimidated by simple assignments. I also learned that by challenging myself I actually gain a lot more rather than always looking for the easy way out. I'm very thankful for all of the classes, professors, and projects that have challenged me to get me where I am today.

10 Years From Now...

This past weekend was Homecoming here at Westminster. Each year so many alum come back to WC to watch the parade, visit the college campus, and of course, meet up with old friends and fellow classmates. This weekend I got the opportunity to meet up with old friends and see how their lives were going. Some had jobs in the field, some were still living at home, and some were either in grad school or law school. It's kind of scary to think that next time Homecoming rolls around, I'll be the one answering all the questions about my current life and occupation. However, it will be such a great experience to talk with my fellow capstoners and see how their lives are going as well.

If I could look to the future 10 years from now I think there is one person from my class in particular who I would be interested in seeing what they're up to. Doug Kunst, who is actually a year older than me, has really impressed me over the years. Even though he may not like being at Westminster for an extra semester I'm glad he's here because he always has a positive attitude and brings humor to our class. Over the past two years in particular though I've really noticed Doug excelling and taking on new tasks. For example, this year for his capstone project he's been covering the Wilmington Greyhounds football team each home game and has created a video blog where he posts updates on each game. My first time watching his video blog I was so shocked! I thought to myself, "Wow, Doug is really good at this, why hasn't he done more reporting?" Not only is Doug good at putting the story together, but he does it in such a fun and unique way which really makes it interesting to watch.

Along with his current project, Doug has always been involved in the major. Doug does a lot for out weekly news show, The County Line. I have to admit Doug is my all-time favorite director. He's very cool, calm, and collected when he directs a show and it just brings a positive atmosphere to the rest of the show. Doug has also been involved in TitanTown sports each year. Although I'm surprised Doug hasn't done more on-air stuff, since he's so good at it on his blog, he's really great at working behind the scene.

I think I'll be most interested in seeing what Doug is doing 10 years from now because he always seems to surprise me whether it's in sports, on-air, or directing. I could see Doug doing a number of things once he graduates. I could see him working with some type of sports team, working as a director at a news station, or even being on-air talent! Whatever Doug Kunst is doing 10 years from now though I know he'll be excelling and be doing it with a positive attitude!

Andy on the Air

When I was a freshman I looked up to the seniors so much and was so impressed with their knowledge and how dedicated they were to the major. The funny thing is, now 3 years later, I look at some of the underclassman and think the same thing. However, I feel that one person in particular has the potential to really shine.

When my sophomore year started, Andy Borts was one of the freshman broadcasters that I noticed right away. He was so excited to jump right in and get started. Coming in to college he already had a background in radio and DJing, but he's always up to learning something new. Not only is he very talented, but he also has a great personality. I don't think I've ever seen Andy in a bad mood. He always has a positive, upbeat attitude that puts a smile on everyone's face.

At the end of his freshman year I remember that he was voted by the broadcast majors as the "Most Valuable Freshman," which I agree with. Andy has really stepped it up and taken on a lot of responsibilities. He's currently our Music Director at Titan Radio as well as on-air talent. Even though Andy has a strong background in radio I really admire him for experiencing all aspects of broadcasting. He's done announcing for football games, reporting for the County Line, and he's currently the host for Coach's Corner.

Not only is Andy great at what he does, but he's also great at encouraging others. Whether it's upperclassman or freshman, Andy is always willing to lend a hand. Another thing I notice about Andy is he's very dedicated and he takes his responsibilities seriously. For example, last month, Amanda and I were in the radio station to do our Thursday morning talkshow. However, to our surprise their was no sound coming from the board or over the radio. We didn't know what was wrong so we called Andy to see if he had any idea. At 7 in the morning Andy came right over to the radio station (even though he was sleeping) to try and fix the problem.

Overall, I think Andy will really go far with his talent and personality. He's always striving to get better at what he does and I really admire that. As long as he keeps doing what he's doing, I think next year Andy will definitely be one of the seniors that the freshman look up to!

Looking Up to a Westminster Alum

Now that I'm a senior broadcast major I feel as though I have some large shoes to fill. The previous senior broadcast students were all very dedicated to the major and worked really hard. My fellow seniors and I have been trying to step up and take on this leadership role and maybe even become mentors to some of the underclassmen. I know when I was an underclassman I definitely looked up to a lot of the seniors.

Although there are several Westminster alumi who have had an impact on my college career, there is one person who I look up to more than others. Chris Norris (aka Chucko), who graduated last spring, has always impressed me with his broadcast skills. Whether it was anchoring, reporting, filming, or announcing, Chris always knew what he was doing and was good at it. However, I think one thing that Chris and I both have in common is we both really enjoy editing.

I remember when I was a sophomore I was in video production class with Mr. Weaver and he had us make individual mini-movies as one of our video projects. This was probably one of my favorite college courses because it wasn't strictly focused on news and it let me be really creative with my projects. For my individual mini-movie I filmed a really cheesy "scary" movie, starring my fellow capstoner, Amanda Conway. I remember when I went into the edit bay to capture my video I wasn't real sure of how to do it. Luckily, Chris was there working on a project and he was very willing to help me out. As I sat there and let my extremely "cheesy" video capture I was thinking that Chris probably thought I was crazy, but to my surprise he watched some of the video while it was capturing and said, "wow, you can do a lot of cool stuff with this when you edit."

Not only is Chris extremely talented at editing, but he's also very versatile in other aspects of broadcasting. He was always involved with the County Line whether it was reporting, anchoring, or producing. He was involved in sports as well. He did packages for Titan Town sports and announced the Men's basketball games. Chris was also invovled with the radio station by doing news and DJ shifts throughout his college career.

I really look up to Chris and admire him. I believe that seeing him work so hard has really pushed me to work harder. Now that I'm a senior, I feel as though I have to take on the responsibility of stepping up and being a role model to the underclassmen. Hopefully someday someone will look up to me as I do to Chris.

Helping Hands

A helping hand can go a long way. That's the message I want to convey to my audience. Each summer since 2004, the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership recruits local volunteers to help those in need by completing various household jobs and repairs. This faith based community volunteer project is called His Hands Ministry and it truly reflects the meaning of lending a helping hand. Whether it's building a ramp for a handicapped child or trimming bushes for an elderly widow, these volunteers find satisfaction in fulfilling the needs of others.

From July 21st to the 25th these volunteers dedicated their time to helping out members of their community. I decided the best way to convey my message would be to create a 10 to 20 minute documentary which will showcase the volunteers' efforts and the positive effect they have on the community. I filmed 2 to 3 hours of footage, took about 200 pictures, and got 15 interviews from homeowners and volunteers. My documentary will focus on three or four houses in which the volunteers worked at. Using both still photos and video, I will tell the story and mission of His Hands Ministry and illustrate to the audience the benefits of lending a helping hand.

The title of the documentary will simply be "Helping Hands." After racking my brain and trying to come up with something more elaborate I decided this title is something my audience will be able to remember and it fits the documentary perfectly. Along with the documentary I plan to create a 30-second trailer using video and still photos to preview the film.

My capstone presentation will take place Tuesday, November 18th at 7 PM in Mueller Theater. For my presentation I will give a brief speech on why I chose to do this as my senior project, play the documentary, and then take any questions from the audience. The main objective of this documentary is to persuade my target audience to volunteer for His Hands Ministry. My target audience includes all male and females in the Lawrence County area of age 12 and older. Other goals for this documentary include:

• Increasing the number of volunteers for His Hands Ministry



• Have the documentary shown in Lawrence County



• Enter the documentary into a student film competition
  

Since starting capstone class back in January, I feel as though I have a clear idea on exactly what my capstone project will be. I look forward to creating the documentary and I hope my message will appeal to my audience.

An American Idol

In these past two weeks I wrote about people who have really inspired me and helped me out throughout my college experience. Although these are people whom I know on a personal level there are many people who I have never met, but have inspired me in some way. One broadcast professional who I really admire is Ryan Seacrest. Many people may know him as the "pretty" guy with really nice hair and teeth or the host of American Idol, but there's much more to him than that. I was even surprised about some of the information I found out about him.

According to http://www.blogger.com/www.wikipedia.com Seacrest was born in Atlanta, Georgia on December 24, 1976. Seacrest quickly got interested in the Radio business after reading the morning announcements over the PA system at his high school. At the age of just 16 he began interning at one of Atlanta's top radio stations, WSTR/Star 94. TV.com says that at first Seacrest didn't get the internship, but after creating an impressive demo tape for the station's program director he got the 7 to midnight shift.

Seacrest kept his job at the radio station all through high school all through his college career at the University of Georgia. Also, during his freshman year he began hosting a sports show on the weekends. Upon graduating from college he moved to Los Angeles to further his career in radio. In L.A. he worked for a local radio station and began to develop his career in entertainment by hosting shows such as Gladiators 2000 and Animal Games.

Seacrest got his big break when he accepted the job of co-hosting the new reality show American Idol. Once the ratings for the show went through the roof, Seacrest was in the national spotlight. Seacrest stuck with his true passion of radio by launching his own radio show in 2003 called "On Air With Ryan Seacrest." His career has skyrocketed ever since American Idol and he continues to host television shows, radio shows, and star in commercials.

According to his official website, http://www.ryanseacrest.com/, he has raised funds for one of his philanthropic partners, Operation Smile, which gives free reconstructive surgery to underprivileged children with facial deformities. Other achievements of Seacrest, reported by TV.com, are eight emmy nominations, member of Forbes's magazine Celebrity 100, and host of the 2007 Emmys.

I could probably go on and on about his different achievements and awards, but what I really find the most interesting about Ryan Seacrest is that he started off just like any other person. He found a love for radio at a young age and did whatever it took to make it his profession. I really admire the fact that he had to work hard for what he wanted in life and it wasn't just handed to him. I also love the fact that he is multi-talented in broadcasting. He can DJ a radio show, host a TV show, and produce a TV show. After doing research on Seacrest I have found a new respect for him and I hope one day I can be successful at what I want to do.

A Challenging Journey

Throughout my college experience I have been challenged and tested in many ways. Looking back I remember my high school teachers always lecturing us about how hard college was going to be and that we won't always be able to take the easy route. After being in college for 3 years I completely agree with my high school teachers. Although it's been a tough journey to get to my senior year I realize that it was all worth it. Along the way I have had many professors that have challenged me, but one professor really sticks out in my mind.

Mr. Corso has not only been one of my professors but he is also my advisor. Coming in as a freshman I was a little overwhelmed and not quite sure of what classes I should take, but Mr. Corso was very friendly and helpful when it came to making my schedule. My first class with him was speech and I'm not an extremely outgoing person so when it comes to public speaking, I get nervous. I remember sitting in class the day of my first speech waiting for my turn. My palms were sweaty, I was constantly looking over my note cards, and my heart was racing. Knowing that a lot of us were nervous, Mr. Corso gave us some inspirational advice and told us that the audience can't sense how nervous we really are. From then on I was able to get through the class and I actually did improve my public speaking skills.

Another class that was challenging for me was mass communications my junior year. I was looking forward to this class because it was part of my major, but I found it to be pretty challenging. Mr. Corso had us do 25-minute presentations on a topic that related to mass communication. My partner and I got to present on the history of books, which I wasn't too thrilled about because I wanted something more fun like magazines or movies. I knew it would be a challenge to make a 25-minute presentation on books interesting, but Mr. Corso told us to use whatever tools we wanted to present the information such as the Internet, PowerPoint, videos, etc. In the end I actually enjoyed putting the presentation together because it let me be creative and use my broadcasting skills, and we got a lot of great feedback from students in the class which I was really happy about.

Our final project for this class was also a challenge. In groups of 5, we had to create a 5 minute documentary on someone who has made a difference. Before this assignment I had never made a documentary and I was a little nervous about how it would turn out. My whole group was helpful in the process, but I knew I was crucial in this project because I was the only BC major in my group, therefore I sort of took on a leadership role. Not only did this project teach me a lot about working with others and creating a documentary, but also being a leader. In the end, our documentary turned out great and we even won an honorable mention in the nationwide contest our documentary was submitted to!

Overall, Mr. Corso has really challenged me throughout my college years, not only by advising me in what classes to take, but also by the classes he taught. Not only do I learn a lot when I am pushed to do something, but I also grow as a person. Since taking speech class I'm more outgoing and better at public speaking, and since mass communications, I've learned how to work well with others and take on a leadership role. These attributes have all helped me to get where I am today. I'm currently an EP for Titan Radio News, I'm captain of the Westminster dance team, and I'm Co-President of Dance Theatre. If I wasn't challenged in the past to do these different tasks, I don't think I would have these leadership roles today, and I can thank Mr. Corso for that.

Learning From A Professional

My internship at WKBN this past summer has really helped me grow in more ways than one. Before starting my internship I was hoping it would be a way of figuring out what I want to do once I graduate. Throughout my internship I got the chance to go out with different reporters, shadow a producer, as well as hang out in promotions for a day. However, looking back there is one person who greatly helped me along the way and was willing to take time to teach me.

Dan is a fairly new reporter at the station, but he is really is good at what he does. He goes out by himself everyday, gets the story, does interviews, writes the story, and edits it all together. I find this to be an extremely stressful task and I give all VJs credit for doing what they do. As an intern I got the opportunity to tag along with the reporters and go to really neat places, however, for most of the stories I was with Dan. I'm really grateful that he took time out of his busy schedule to stop and teach me things while he was working on a story.

Even though I was just an intern, I felt like I actually contributed to the story each time in some way. Before finishing up an interview Dan always asked whether or not I had any questions to ask. He gave me a lot of great advice when shooting a package, as far as how long to hold a shot, what to shoot, different angles, etc. Once we got back to the station I would write my own version of the story and then Dan would look over it and give me suggestions and tips. Dan is a really great writer so getting advice from him was really helpful.

One day when we went to film Governor Ed Rendell in Sharon Dan was really pressed for time. He had to have two stories done that day so while he went to work on the other story, he asked me to sit in the edit bay while it was capturing and write down sound bites that I thought would be good to use. I picked out maybe 5 or 6 different bites that I thought were the best and once he was finished he came over and chose one from which I picked. Out of all the reporters, Dan definitely was the most helpful and gave me the most opportunities to contribute to the stories.

Even though I was only there for one summer I learned so much. Not only did Dan trust me to do things, but he was also very honest and told me a lot about the business, not just the positives but also the negatives. On my last day before I even got the chance to ask, Dan gave me his card and told me if I ever needed any advice or wanted him to look at something to just give him a call.

Going into my internship I had a lot of expectations, but the overall experience has really surpassed those expectations. I got the opportunity to go out on stories, get feedback on my writing, and receive professional advice. I'm truly thankful for all the time Dan took out of his day to stop and help me to make sure I was learning. Coming out of my internship I feel that I have greatly improved my writing skills, gained a new respect for VJs, have a better understanding of the business, and made some great connections.

Discovering Something New

It's my senior year here at Westminster College and I can hardly believe it. Looking back at all the classes I've taken and all the hard work I've done the past three years makes me feel as though I have accomplished so much. However, one class that has left a lasting impression on me is Public Relations 101.

It was my sophomore year and I was trying to decide on a minor to go along with my major in Broadcast Communications. I considered many different options, but then I found out about Public Relations. After learning more about it I decided to go ahead and take PR 101 to help me decide whether or not this is something I could really enjoy. The first week of class was a little intimidating because most of the students were already PR majors or minors and seemed to know a lot about the business.

One of our assignments was to stay updated on current events and news and then be quizzed every week. This was a challenging task. I found it almost impossible to read all the news that was going on in the world each week. I would watch the news and do a lot of research online, but the quizzes were extremely hard. This showed me how much news there really is in the world and how it's important to keep updated on what's going on around you, especially in Broadcasting and Public Relations.

Our final project for this class was also an eye opening experience. We had to work in a group and actually come up with a product and present it to the class, as though it was a formal business pitch. I found this to be extremely challenging. We had to create a media kit, press releases, business cards, brochures, etc. Although it was very time consuming I found along the way that I really enjoyed doing everything we did. It allowed me to use my creativity and my broadcasting skills at the same time.

Overall this class was not only an eye opener, but also a great learning experience. I found out a lot about myself. I have always been a little shy and apprehensive about giving speeches and presentations, but by the end of the semester I had done so many speeches in this class I felt as though I turned out to be a pretty good speaker. I also discovered that PR and broadcasting go together quite well. PR professionals deal with the media a lot and reporters deal with PR a lot. Finally I discovered that this could be a possible occupation for myself. I found myself actually enjoying going to class and learning more about the business as well as working on the different projects. My goal in life is to have a job that I really love and I realized someday it might be a job in Public Relations.

I'm so glad that I took this class because it did end up being my minor, and perhaps another major. I feel that it will really give me an extra boost when I go out into the real world and try to pursue a job in broadcasting. Not only have I improved on my speaking skills but also my creativity and thinking outside the box. I look forward to the other PR classes I will be taking next semester and hopefully they will have just as great an impact on me as PR 101.

Getting An Early Start

This past week has been busy for me, but I feel as though I have accomplished a lot because it's only July and I already have almost all of the filming completed for my capstone project. After meeting with Debbie from the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership, I was able to get some good background information on the organization that I am focusing my project on, His Hands Ministries. I also met with the other 5 women in charge of the organization who would be helping me throughout the week.

His Hands Ministries is basically a large work project that runs through LCCAP and takes place one week out of the summer each year. The idea is to help out residents throughout Lawrence County with household jobs or projects that they may not be able to do themselves. Volunteers do everything from trimming bushes, to painting, to building wheelchair ramps. This was the 5th year for His Hands and there were between 30-40 different projects going on throughout the area.

Before the week started, I received a packet of information from Lynn at LCCAP, which contained all the houses addresses and a brief biography of each family receiving help from His Hands Ministries. Then each morning I called Lynn to get a list of all the houses the volunteers would be working on that day. Each day I made my rounds to about 5 or 6 houses to film the volunteers in action. I'm so glad I had a GPS, because the houses were all over the county and I definitely would have been lost. I went to houses in West Pittsurg, Harlansburg, Volant, New Castle, and other places I've never been before. I spent between 5 and 6 hours each day driving to different houses, filming, and interviewing people. By the end of the week I ended up with about 2 to 3 hours of footage, including about 15 interviews with different volunteers and homeowners. Not only did I get a lot of video, but I also made sure I took my digital camera to get lots of stills.

On Friday, after all the work was completed, LCCAP held a luncheon for all the volunteers and homeowners. The leaders of His Hands from LCCAP had asked me a week earlier if I would be able to make a slideshow of pictures in order to play at the luncheon. So Thursday night I spent a few hours going through all the pictures I had taken and created a 15-minute slideshow using MovieMaker. After playing it I got a lot of great feedback from people at the luncheon especially from the 5 women in charge.

So now that I have a good start on my project there is one more thing I would like to finish before I go back to school. I have not interviewed Debbie yet from LCCAP. She was in Harrisburg during most of the week that His Hands was going on so I'm hoping I can schedule a time to meet with her before the summer is over. Other than that, I have A LOT of editing to do once I get back to school. However, I'm glad I got the filming part done so hopefully I can get a lot of my editing done before other Capstone students need to use the edit bays for their projects.

Not only was this past week a great accomplishment for me, but it also was very interesting. I met so many people throughout this experience including the homeowners and volunteers. After I told them what I was working on they all thought it was such a great idea and were very thankful that I was trying to help out the organization for next year. So not only is this project my ticket to graduation, but it's also a great way of helping out my community which gives it even more purpose.

The Interning Experience

I've been at WKBN for about two months now and it's not only been a great learning experience but also very eye-opening. I'm really starting to get the hang of ENPS and I think it's a great program because it's pretty much an online rundown that everyone can access and edit. The anchors and reporters can type their stories right into the rundown and it appears on the teleprompter.

I've also been learning a lot about the job of a VJ. I don't think the public really understands how much work a reporter actually does. Sometimes when I go out with reporters the people we are interviewing or filming are pretty surprised to find out that there's no real camera man, just the reporter. Ever since the merger with WYTV, only a few of the reporters that have been there for a long time have their own camera men. I've also been learning a lot about writing scripts and trying to improve my writing. After we went out on a story I came back and wrote my first VOSOT and showed it to the reporter to see what he thought. I learned that I need to cut down my story and make it much more tighter and concise. However, ever since then I really have been improving my writing.

Although I find the job of a reporter to be exciting and interesting, I do have doubts on whether or not I could actually be a reporter. I'm not the type of person who can knock on a strangers door and ask them if they want to talk on camera, especially if it invloves the death of a family member. Some of the stories we go out on do involve some type of crime or murder and I'm not going to lie it can be scary at times. One day we were sent to a house where a woman was murdered just 5 hours prior and all we knew is that one person was arrested. We had the address and that was it, no further information.

So even if I can't be a reporter I feel like I have plenty of other options. Nate and I got the opportunity to intern in the promotions department the other day and I felt like this was something more along the lines of what I would like to do. They create all the promos for the station and work on special feature shows such as a "Movie Review," and "Sunday Morning with Dee." I'm hoping to keep in contact with some of the promotions people so when I begin working on my capstone project they can give me feedback.

First Week of Interning

I experienced my first week as an intern at WKBN First News. My classmate, Nate Dodd, and I were excited, yet nervous to go in on Monday morning and begin our first day as interns. When we arrived the executive producer, Maggie, met with us and gave us packets with important information that we would need throughout the summer, such as phone numbers and script formats. Then we logged onto computers and were introduced to ENPS, which is a news wire program. At first it was a little confusing, but once I used it for awhile I got the hang of it. Not only does ENPS allow you to access news, but it also allows you to send messages to co-workers and look at rundowns for the different shows.

Throughout the week I was got to meet multiple employees and I got to know two of the reporters really well. On my first day I went out with Roxann. We went to an elementary school that had raised $5,000 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation in order to allow a local girl, who is sick, go to Disney World. Being out on this story was a great experience because it was great to see all the kids and how excited they were that they had raised enough money.

On Wednesday I got to see the downsides of being a reporter. I went out on a story with another reporter, Dan, but we didn't have much luck. We were unable to get any interviews because no one really wanted to talk, including the police. We had no footage, no interviews, and were pressured for time so Dan ended up calling the producer and we were assigned another story. However, we were in the complete opposite direction so we had to drive about 45 minutes to cover this other story. We ended up getting the other story and got back to the station with plenty of time for editing. Although it was sort of stressful, I'm glad that I got to experience it because I want to know all the ups and downs of each persons job in the business so I can figure out what I want to do.

Then on Friday I went out with Roxann again to downtown Youngstown. I've never been there before and it was great to see because it really is a nice part of the city. She was doing a story about "Party on the Plaza" which is an even the city holds every other Friday in the summer. While she was getting some footage she explained to me how it is very important to hold your shot for more than a few seconds. I also got to sit in and watch her edit the package, which was really neat. Although the editing program they use is different than what I'm use to, I think it's something I could learn just by playing around with it.

Overall, my first week as an intern has been very exciting and I look forward to learning more. So far, I haven't felt overwhelmed, which is good, and I feel like this is something I could actually do and be good at. My overall goal with this internship is to gain as much experience as I can and hopefully figure out what exactly I want to do in this business.

Finalizing My Final Project

The semester is finally coming to an end, and so is my first part of Capstone class. For our final on Monday we will be turning in our Amazing Race applications, as well as our binders which include all the information about our senior projects. For our final period we will be learning the importance of teamwork once again and completing the Titan Traverse course which is outside, so hopefully we will have good weather. Although I feel as though I have accomplished a lot in Capstone so far, I still have quite a ways to go.

After talking with my professors, I finally pinpointed what I want to do for my senior project. Originally I had the idea of mixing broadcasting and Public Relations by picking two clients, one being a non-profit organization, and the other being just a regular local business. My plan was to create an advertising campaign for both organizations and then produce both radio and television spots, which would hopefully be used on air. However, after discussing my ideas with Dr. Barner, he suggested that I stick with just a non-profit organization and sort of be their public relations person by creating radio and television spots. The one non-profit organization he mentioned was the Women's Crisis Shelter in Lawrence County.

After talking with Mr. Corso I found myself a little unsure of what I wanted to do. I have my mass communications class with Mr. Corso and for our final project we created 5-minute documentarys. He really enjoyed my documentary and thought my group did a good job so he suggested that I do something along the lines of a documentary for my project. I told him that I do enjoy editing and I really liked creating the documentary because it let me use my creativity.

So after speaking with my professors I talked to Mr. Weaver about my project again in Capstone class. One non-profit organization that he mentioned was the 4-H club, which is not very well-known to many people. He thought that this organization would be a good idea because there is not much awareness about 4-H, but there are many people in the area who are involved with the club. So after hearing from each professor I took awhile to think about what each one had to say and finally came up with an idea. I have been thinking about it all semester and it feels great to be sure of what I want to do.

For my project I have decided to take Dr. Barner's advice and stick with just the non-profit organization. After choosing the organization I would like to work with, I will contact and meet with whoever is in charge for an interview. In the process I will conduct both archival and descriptive research to get a good background of the organization. Then I will create two 30-second radio spots and one 30-second television spot, however this may change due to what the client may want. Then in order to tie in the documentary aspect that Mr. Corso suggested, I would like to create another 5-minute documentary for the organization. This way, they can have something to show to anyone who is not familiar with the organization and is interested in finding out more.

Although deciding on what to do for my project has been a large task, the actual project will be even more time consuming. I feel it's still early to tell exactly the direction my project will go in, but now that I have a good outline, research, sources, goals, and timeline I feel that I have a jumpstart and things will come together as I go along.

The End of the Semester

As I mentioned earlier, this semester has really flown by. However, I still have so much work to finish up before I can finally be done with my junior year of college. This has definitely been the toughest and busiest semester yet for me with 19 credits and capstone class. I have about 4 more big projects that need to be finished, and then I can start preparing for my summer internship.

The first project, that will probably take the most time, is my documentary for my mass communication class. We were put into groups of 5 and assigned to create a 5-minute documentary about a person who has made a difference. My group has been working on this since February and all that's left is some editing, which I enjoy doing anyway. Our documentary is about a woman who runs a food pantry in New Castle. Once it's finished, I think it'll turn out great!

The second project I'm working on is my literature review for my capstone class. The review is to focus on research for our senior projects, and since I have finally determined my project I have been able to work on my research review the last few weeks. My research involves Public Service Announcements and regular television commercials, and what the differences are when producing the two different types of spots. For my overall senior project, I'll be creating these two different types of commercials for two different clients.

The third project that is only a few days away is a presentation on water quality in my environmental science class. This class is definitely not my forte, but I've been doing pretty well so far, and I'm hoping in the next few weeks with all the labs, presentations, and tests that I'll be able to keep up with this class.

Finally other projects that I have to finish up involve commercials for my commercial production class, labs and a final in my environmental science class, and a final in my public relations research class. All in all, this semester has been extremely busy with all the classes I am taking, and I will feel very accomplished once I do finish up all my projects, tests, and presentations. Once I do complete this semester I'll then be able to focus on my internship at WKBN, which I am very excited about, but haven't had much time to think about!

Looking Back...But Moving Forward

Wow this semester has gone quick. Not just this semester but, the whole year has just flown by! Although I'm very excited that I'm almost finished with yet another year of hard work, I'm also a little sad. I'm starting to realize just how close I am to graduating and being out there in the "real world." I like to look back on everything that I've done so far in college and I feel as though I've accomplished a lot. College has really helped me grow not only as a broadcasting student, but also as a person. When I first came to college I already knew that I wanted to major in broadcasting, and unlike most college students I never ended up switching my major.

I realized that I wanted to major in broadcasting after taking a media class back in high school my senior year. It was a fairly new program at my school and we didn't have much equipment. We reported the morning announcements from a small storage room and created numerous video projects. My teacher allowed us to be very creative and was always supportive of what we wanted to do. At the end of the year we each had to complete a final video project of whatever we wanted to do, and I decided to create a senior video for my graduating class. It was a big project and I spent many hours searching through old yearbook pictures, shooting video, and editing it all together. Although I probably spent 2 or 3 hours working on that video each day I loved every second of it. That's when I realized that this is something I could do for an occupation.

My media class in high school wasn't the only event that prompted my decision to major in broadcasting...it goes even further back. When I was about 10 years old, my cousins and I use to create our own videos. We live next door to each other so we were constantly together during the summer. We did everything from commercials, to game shows, to talk shows, to even news shows. I remember one time I reported a fake news story about a milk spill down by the cheese plant, and I even did an interview with my dad, who was the manager at the time. I look back at everything now and laugh, but I feel like I've always had a passion for broadcasting.

Now that my junior year of college is quickly coming to an end, I still have a lot to look forward to in the next year. This summer I will be getting my first real broadcasting experience as an intern for WKBN in Youngstown. I'm hoping this internship will really point me in the right direction of where I want my future to go and what type of job I'd like to have. Also, next semester I will begin working on my senior Capstone project, which is a little scary, yet exciting! I'm glad that I'm getting the opportunity to combine both broadcasting and public relations into my senior project. Finally, at this time next year I'll be job searching, which seems so unreal to me. Although, the years have gone by quick, I have gained a lot of useful and important information along the way.

Time is Running Out...

A few weeks ago I blogged about the importance of teamwork, and this week I got a much better understanding of its powerful meaning.

It was 2:30 in the afternoon, 5 hours till showtime, and Nicky and I were working on scripts for The County Line. We didn't have a complete rundown yet, but we were able to work on intros and readers while we waited for a finished schedule of the show. However, as we were typing up our scripts we weren't sure of what all the package intros were, what readers we needed to use, and what segments of the show were changed or cut. After we got a rundown, we tried filling in the holes of what we didn't have and made a few phone calls to get anchor intros for packages. We did as much as we could, but we had to leave for Capstone class at 3:40.

I wasn't too worried about our scripts at the time, I just figured it would all come together like it usually does. After Weaver let us leave Capstone class early, Nicky and I headed back up to the newsroom to hurry up and finish our scripts. It was about 4:30, 3 hours till showtime, and we were still unsure of a few packages. We were able to finish up almost all of the script at 5:15 and decided to break and get ready for the show, and then meet back at 6:15 to finish a few details, and print out our scripts.

I still wasn't too worried about our scripts and I felt pretty confident in the rundown. After getting ready, I met Nicky in the newsroom to print out our scripts, but that's when things really went downhill. It seems like everytime another anchor and I are printing out our scripts, the printer has to give us problems. I still have no idea what was going on with the printer last night. All I know is that it was 6:30, an hour till showtime, and we had no scripts.

The next 45 minutes were a hectic mess as we scrambled to get the printer working and using what we had to try and put a script together. I was frustrated, not with anyone in the room, but just with the printer. There were scripts laying around everywhere. Luckily, we somehow managed to get all the scripts for the telemprompter and were able to fit a run-through in. However, the show didn't go quite as well as it should have. I felt like I was under a lot of pressure and I thought at any minute something else could go wrong.

After this experience, not only do I understand the importance of teamwork, but I also understand the most important element of teamwork - communication. If your team doesn't communicate with you, things are bound to go wrong. I don't feel that anyone in particular was to blame for the way the show went, I just feel like the team as a whole wasn't communicating enough. All I can say is we learn from our mistakes, and since I'm anchoring next week, I'm hoping the show runs much smoother. And as for the printer, well, I'm still mad at it.

Getting Your Big Break

Earlier this week a Westminster alum, Eric Burns, came to speak at the college. Burns has had quite a career and has worked with some well-known television networks including PBS, E! Entertainment, and the Fox News Channel. He started off by talking about his experiences here at Westminster, and then summed up his entire career in about 45 minutes. It was great to hear from a professional and how he got started working in the business, however he made it seem so simple.

To my surprise, Burns wasn't even a broadcast major, he was an English major! However, in order to be a profound journalist or reporter, you do need to have good writing/speaking skills and I guess that's what helped him get his foot in the door. But, before he got into the broadcast business he tried to make it into show business by performing stand-up comedy acts act comedy clubs. So how did he make it into the broadcast world? Well, it sounds a lot easier that it seems. He made a tape, mailed it into a big station in New York and was hired. Even Burns mentioned how lucky he was to receive such a great job right away.

So after getting his big break at a station in New York City, Burns continued to jump from different networks and finally ended up at Fox News Channel where he stayed for many years. Burns said that his biggest issue with moving from job to job was trying to find a job where he could be in one place to be with his family.

So going back to how Burns got his big break in the broadcast world, I think today, this seems very unrealistic. A lot of the speakers that have come in to talk to my classes throughout my years at Westminster have talked about how you have to "get your foot in the door" and how you're going to be rejected many times before you find a job. Then when you do find a job you're going to start out at the bottom and have to work your way to the top. Also, almost every speaker mentioned something in regards to the low pay and how you shouldn't expect to make a lot of money.

I feel like today, the broadcasting business is very competitive, not just with different stations, but also with the employees. For example, if an anchor is making too much money because they have been at a station for so long, they have the possibility of being fired so a new and younger person can come in and be paid for less money. Maybe this wasn't the case when Burns was starting to make his way into the business, and maybe that's why it was so easy for him to get a good job. I feel that over the years the business has become more and more competitive, and more and more people are striving to be the best of the best. Even here at Westminster, I can feel the competitiveness among the broadcast majors.

I know that when I graduate and begin job searching, it's probably not going to be as easy for me as it was for Burns, but I realize that. Right now my expectations are that I'm going to have to send out lots and lots of resumes, and once I do find a job, I'll probably be constantly working my way up. I'm OK with that though, because as long as I'm doing what I love it doesn't matter.

One Step at a Time...

So I had my interview this week at WKBN and it went really well! The lady who discussed the internship with me was a Grove City graduate and actually interned there herself before she recieved a job. It was great to talk with someone who knew what I was going through and she had a lot of great advice for me as well. First she showed me around the building and then we talked in her office. After she finished up telling me about the internship and answering any questions that I had, she offered me an internship!

I recently emailed her to let her know that I would gladly like to intern at WKBN. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm not sure what I want to do or where I want to go after college, but I'm hoping this internship will really give me a good idea and drive me in the right direction. I was told during my interview that I would be able to try all kinds of differents things such as going out with VJ's, editing, or working with promotions. I'm excited to get the chance to work in a professional atmosphere and network with people who have been working in the business for years.

Now that I have an internship all figured out, my next step is to figure out my senior capstone project. Mr. Weaver is having us make a calendar which will keep track of everything that we will be working on from here on out. I think this is a good idea, especially for someone like me. At times I tend to be quite a procrastinator, however I always make sure I get things done, even if it is the night before. For my senior project though, I really need to make sure I'm on top of things and work on things in a consistent and timely manner so I can get everything done and not be stressed out.

I've recently been brainstorming to try and come up with different ideas for my project and right now I have one idea at the top of my list. Since I also really enjoy doing Public Relations, I want to somehow incorporate it into my senior project. I feel that the best way to do this would be to do an advertising campaign where I can use my PR skills to create the campaign and then use my broadcasting skills to create radio and television advertisements to go along with the campaign. For right now I'm going to keep thinking.

Working Together

At the beginning of the semester each person in my Capstone class had to fill out application for The Amazing Race. The application was 15 pages long and asked questions that really made you think about yourself. Not only did the application really make me think about myself, but also my partner, Christina. The application had you choose adjectives to describe your partner, describe a time where you and your parnter had an argument, and talk about your partners strengths and weaknesses. I realized that I really didn't know my partner that well, but I recently found out we make a pretty good team.

The second part of this project is to actually create the application video to send in with your application. Christina and I had talked about the video for awhile, but wanted to make sure we knew exactly what we wanted to do before we started shooting. We worked on brainstorming and preproduction for about two weeks in order to plan out the video. Once we came up with an idea that we were both happy with we wrote a script and came up with a storyboard. I even watched past application videos for The Amazing Race that were posted on the web to see what other people might have done. Some of them were very creative and well edited, but a lot of them were basically just two people sitting in front of a camera talking about themselves the whole time. Christina and I wanted to do something that would not only be creative, but also different.

After we finished up with preproduction, we were ready to begin filming, however this didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped. We had planned to begin filming on a Monday, but due to technical difficulties our filming got pushed back a day which really made us nervous. We took the next day to film our first opening scenes, and then we took the next day to finish filming the rest of the video and refilming parts that weren't quite up to par. Although it took a lot of time, we got our video shot and we got the video captured onto the computer so it would be ready to edit once we returned from spring break.

Even though I felt as though I didn't know my partner very well in the beginning, I found out that we work very well together. We both have our strengths and weaknesses, but when we combine them, we can be even stronger, for example, Christina is better at writing, while I'm better at editing. I also learned that even when we came to a bump in the road, we worked through it and still got the job done. Even though we aren't actually making this video hoping that we get picked to be on The Amazing Race, I think Christina and I might actually make a pretty good team if we did happen to be picked. I feel that our video turned out really good and I'm excited to start editing it and putting it all together, and hopefully once it is finished I can post it.

Making Progress!

So a few weeks ago I had posted about an internship fair that was held here at Westminster. My Capstone class went and we were suppose to bring our resumes and try and network with the representatives there. After I went I really didn't think much of it. There was really only one company which related to broadcasting which was WKBN in Youngstown. I talked with the representatives for awhile and then handed them my resume, but so did everyone else.

Well these last few weeks have been pretty stressful with projects, presentations, and midterms so the last thing on my mind was trying to find an internship. I occasionally search the web and post my resume on different sites, but I haven't had much luck. The whole internship thing has been stressing me out for the longest time because I see other classmates being successful in getting interviews and I feel as though I'm a few steps behind.

Well, my whole attitude and mood changed when I received an e-mail on Wednesday. It was from the executive producer, Maggie Henderson, at WKBN in Youngstown, the same people I turned my resume in to! I was so excited to see an e-mail in my mailbox titled "Internship." Maggie said that she looked over my resume and was impressed and was wondering if I would be interested in a summer internship, which is exactly what I was looking for.

I called Maggie back the next day and set up an interview. Before my interview though, I need to make sure I'm prepared. I plan to update my resume, practice my interviewing skills, and update my resume tape in case they ask for one. I'm so excited to have an interview for a real internship, but I'm nervous at the same time. By having an internship I'll be able to not only gain the hands-on experience I need, but also find out what I want to do in the field of broadcasting. I've never been sure about what I want to do in broadcasting, but I always thought I would be able to figure it by doing an internship.

Not only would this internship be perfect for me because it's television, but it's also relatively close which means I wouldn't have to worry about driving really far. Having an internship like this would really help me to network with the professionals and find references to put on my resume. Now all I have to do is prepare myself and I hope I get it!

Less "Me" and More "We"

This week in capstone we learned all about teamwork. This is an important element in the world of broadcasting because everything runs by the work of many. Each week we produce a show called the County Line, where we present local news, sports, and feature stories to the community. Putting together a show like this each week takes an immense amount of preparation, skill, and teamwork. In order to learn a thing or two about teamwork, our capstone class met with members of Titan Traverse who put us to the challenge.

We started off by pairing up with another person and introduced them to the rest of the group by using our creative skills. We were given paper, markers, and play-dough and were instructed to use the materials in any way to help us describe our partner. After introducing our partners and playing a few quick games, our real challenge was presented to us. The members of Titan Traverse set up a smaller version of The Amazing Race. After being separated into two teams, we were given instructions and then began our race. The race included a scavenger hunt for clues, a puzzle, an obstacle course, and a blindfold game. Unfortunately, my team fell far behind on the puzzle part and we were unable to catch up. After my team finally finished we talked together as a group on how teamwork relates to and is used in our major.

I found this race to be exciting, fun, and challenging all at the same time. One thing I realized about myself is that I am a very competitive person. I use to play sports in high school and I was always competitive then, but I never thought I would be so competitive in something so small as a Titan Traverse activity. I found myself sprinting across the quad as fast as I could to get to the next clue. I also found myself becoming frustrated when members of my team would step on an object during the obstacle course causing us to start all over. However, I feel that a competitive spirit is a good quality to have, especially in broadcasting. Television shows, newspapers, and magazines are all about ratings and competition. When you're not number one your constantly striving to be number one. However, I realize that although I'm a competitive person who really wants to win, sometimes it takes more than just one person to be successful. This is where teamwork comes in.

In order for a television show to be successful and gain ratings everyone must work together and do their part to achieve this common goal. Without the producer there would be no one to produce, without the director there would be no one to direct, without the reporters there would be no one to report, and so on. It's important for each person to do their part, but it's also important to communicate with the rest of the team. I feel that The Amazing Race activity really brought a new light to the definition of teamwork. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses; however we all have the same goal. In order to accomplish that goal we must work together as a team.

No More Newspapers?

Is there a future for the newspaper? Since today's world is so fast paced not a lot of people have the time to sit down and read a newspaper. Instead, we can can tune in on the radio to listen to the latest news while we drive to work. We can flip on the television, relax and watch the evening news, or we can read news stories on the web with the click of a button. With all the technology we have today it's much easier to find news stories that appeal to us in a short amount of time.

Newspapers have been around in America since the 1700s and have served their purpose for many years. However, some people believe that the newspaper may be coming to an end due to technology and the different mediums we use to find news. Even newspapers themselves create their own websites to display the same news stories they are printing in their papers. So why are so many people turning to the Internet to find news? Well, personally I find the web to be a much quicker and convenient way of finding information. Whether it's reading the latest news, watching videos on You Tube, or doing research for a school project, all the knowledge and information I could possibly need is right at the tip of my fingers. I don't have to search through a library or spend money on a paper, I just have to have a keyword.

Not only is the Internet becoming a main news source for people, but it's also allowing people to become their own journalists. The new craze in Internet news are citizen journalist sites. These sites allow people of a community or neighborhood to post their own news stories, photos, and videos. I checked a few of these sites out including "neighbor go" and they seem like a good idea. However, most of the stories I found were about school events, such as Family History Night at a local elementary school. They're not what you would call "hard news stories," but the purpose of the site is for people to post news that they find interesting or important to them. If the local residents didn't write these small stories that they find important, then no one else would.

Another main news source people are using today is, of course, television. If you're already watching television then why not keep it on to hear the evening news? Television makes it so simple to be up to date on what's going on because there are so many news channels we can choose from, including national and local. Another reason why I think more people turn to television for news rather than the newspaper is because it's visual. Instead of reading, you're listening and watching at the same time. Not only do you hear about a fire, but you also get to see it, which makes the story much more exciting.

Overall, I think the newspaper will still be around for awhile. Even though the world is becoming much more hi-tech, many people still look to the newspaper as their main news source. I think we all use a mix of different mediums to gather information and for many people that includes reading a newspaper. Even though I mainly rely on the Internet and television for my daily news, if an interesting headline catches my attention I'll pick up a paper and read it.

Working Under Pressure

This past week has been probably the busiest week all semester for me. That's because it was the week of the Dance Theatre show. I felt like my entire life revolved around dance for a straight week. This is my first year as an officer for Dance Theatre and it was quite an experience. I'm the Public Relations chair so I was in charge of promoting the show, helping out with t-shirt designs, and anything else related to PR. I really enjoyed having a say in everything we did, but it definitely kept me busy.

Along with the 6 hour rehearsals every night I spent a lot of time running to get pictures printed, working on a board to display the pictures, and I worked on editing music for the show, not to mention I had my own dance that I choreographed in the show that I had to worry about. I'm the type of person who is always happy to help someone out and I hardly ever say "no." So anytime anyone needed anything or asked me to do something I would be sure to do it. I don't know if my inability to say "no" is a good or bad thing, but it definitely made my life more stressful.

This whole week was a real eye opener for me because it showed me how well I can work under pressure, and that's exactly what it's like in the world of broadcasting and PR. Everyone is constantly working to meet deadlines and trying to be the fastest and most efficient at what they do. My one PR professor says that sometimes if you ask a client when they want something done they'll say, "Yesterday." It's a face-paced industry where you have to be prepared for whatever comes your way, and if you can't work well under pressure then it's probably not for you.

Although I wasn't in the best mood this past week, I was able to get all the work done that needed to be and it really paid off. The show went extremely well and we made the most money we've ever made in one night on our Friday night show. Not only did all the officers hard work make the show a success, but all the work I did must have showed because I was voted in as next year's Co-President, which I'm really excited about.

I feel that some of the extra-curricular activities you do on campus can really have an impact and prepare you for the real world. Whether it's learning teamwork by playing a sport, joining a club and meeting new people, or learning to be a leader by running an entire organization, it can give you the experience you need for a job after college.

Thoughts on My Senior Project

This week in Capstone we discussed our senior projects. Some students in the class are set on what they would like to do while others, like me, are still trying to figure it all out. Our senior projects should reflect what we would like to do once we graduate college, but I'm still not positive of what I want to do. In class Mr. Weaver had us brainstorm in order to come up with different ideas for our projects.

Some ideas I came up with were commercials and advertising. During my sophomore year I took a Public Relations class which I really enjoyed and did well in. That's when I decided to add my PR minor. It's neat how much broadcasting and PR relate to one another and how I can use my broadcast skills in PR and my PR skills in broadcasting. I'm the type of person who likes to be creative, use my skills, put something together, and then present it. I would rather work on a project than study for a test any day.

Thanks to the brainstorming in class I now have an idea of where I would like to go with my senior project. I'm hoping to be able to do something that will require my skills in both broadcasting and PR. One idea I have in mind at the moment is to create an advertising campaign and produce both radio and television commercials. This will allow me to not only use my knowledge in PR but also my creativity in broadcasting. Other goals I would like to accomplish during Capstone is to make more connections in both the PR and broadcasting world, work on my resume, and find an internship. Every time I think about everything that I need to accomplish I become stressed out, but Mr. Weaver has assigned us to work on a calendar of all the events and things we need to be doing during the semester. By doing this I'll be able to time manage everything and hopefully be a little less stressed!

Insternship Fair

As I posted last week, our assignment for capstone was to attend the internship fair here at Westminster. In order to prepare, I printed out 5 copies of my resume and did a little research on some of the companies that would be there. When I first walked into the fair I was surprised to see that there were not many students there. However, the fair lasted for 2 hours and there may have been a good number of students in and out throughout that time period.

My first stop was at WKBN where I met and talked with Amy Garland. I found out that Amy is actually a Westminster graduate and currently works for WKBN as the web producer. Not only did she tell me about the station and what the interns do there, but she also gave some good advice. She explained how she was once in my shoes and looking for an internship and what she did to get where she is now. She answered all the questions we had and accepted our resumes.Although there were not many other companies there looking for broadcast students, I learned a lot from talking with some of the representatives there. One man who works in Human Resources told me that he was also a broadcast major in college, but then decided to switch over to Human Resources.

Another lady I talked with told me that a lot of companies looking for interns prefer 2 page resumes opposed to one page resumes. She said that if you have a lot of experience it's important to include it all in your resume rather than cut something out because that's what employers look for.So although I may not have found exactly what I was looking for at the internship fair it was a good learning experience and I'm glad I went. I got the chance to speak with professionals, discuss resumes, and learn about different internships. Overall I learned some valuable information that will greatly help me in my search for my future internship.

My Internship Search

The search for my perfect internship has begun! I have been working on my resume and have been constantly searching online to see what types of internships I can find for this summer. I'm really not sure of what I want to do once I graduate college, but I'm hoping that by having an internship I will learn more about the business, be able to try new and different things, and then be able to go from there. What I do know is that I would prefer to work in television, but I understand that in order to get to television I may have to start out in radio. I enjoy radio, but I feel that there are more opportunities in television and I can better utilize my skills. College has really helped me to grow in the field of broadcasting. I feel that with the knowledge I have I will be prepared for whatever internship I find, whether it's radio, television, or news. Today our assignment for Capstone is to attend the internship fair being held here at the college. We are to take our resumes and try and network with the different companies or organizations that will be there. Two of the companies that I plan on talking to today will be WKBN and Disney. It should be interesting to see what types of internships are available...

BC Capstone

The second semester has finally started after such a long break and I'm ready to get back into the swing of things. One of my first assignments for my capstone class was to create a blog and keep up with it by writing weekly posts. With this blog I would like to log my capstone experience and discuss what steps I will be taking in order to find an internship for this summer. This week in capstone class we discussed our Amazing Race applications in which we had to apply for. The application had a variety of questions that really made me think. We discussed how the process of filling out the application was similar to that of a job application or a job interview. Even though it was an application for a reality TV show it gave me an idea of what it would be like to apply for a job or internship in broadcasting.