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.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
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!
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!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
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!
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!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, September 29, 2008
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:
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.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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.
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.
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