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.