One Monday afternoon in September 2013, I walked into Room 277 of the Student Center, on a whim that the student newspaper might be in need of a design assistant. It was almost a perfect storm; one of the four designer spots had just been vacated when I wandered into the office that would later become a second home to me. The Production Manager at the time, Laura, gave me a shot and hired me even though I wasn’t an art major and had only taken one class about graphic design. As a communications major, I was intimidated by the level of experience everyone else on the production team had. I was so eager to fine-tune my skills, though. I soaked up all that I could, and I found that I had a natural talent that became a turning point of my student and professional career. 

I spent my first semester with The Sentinel designing for the opinion section, learning the ropes, and getting to know the rest of the amazingly talented and welcoming staff. I worked closely with the opinion editor at the time, Brittany Maher. She and I clicked right off the bat, and our teamwork started to show in the unique personality the opinion section began to take on. Here we are four semesters and 53 issues of The Sentinel later, and Brittany and I’s initial teamwork has turned into a fantastic marriage of creative collaboration. She took over as Editor-In-Chief, and I was promoted to Production Manager, the position that I admired so much my first day in the newsroom. As the two leaders of this organization, we took our positions to heart and employed a fearless mentality. We didn’t hesitate to bring fresh perspectives, better writing techniques, and new design elements to the paper. We took it and ran with it, not sure of where it’d end up. 

It was about a year ago this time that Brittany and I began to discuss the new ideas we wanted to implement for the next semesters. We emphasized teamwork and staff meetings. We made bringing together the people who work to make this publication a priority and took everyone’s ideas into consideration. One of the first things I wanted to change when I took on this leadership position was to make our online edition full color. Majority of the pages print in black and white, and the online version looked the same as the print one. I brought in a new system for the designers and added a new color to our style guide, which doesn’t seem like much, but it took our publication to a new level. Brittany and I also made a point to plan more special covers that would stand out to students on a visual level. We strategized new ways to catch people’s attention and increase our readership. It worked, as we now have a higher pickup rate than ever. It wasn’t easy, and it definitely took the effort and caring work of our entire team to give The Sentinel the audience we feel it deserves. I’m incredibly proud of the momentum and motivation Brittany and I were able to bring to the staff. We’ve seen so many positive changes, and looking back it amazes me how much we’ve accomplished as a staff in just a year. 

I’ve worked with so many talented people that have come through the newsroom in the past two years. Each of them, from the photo editor to the marketing assistants and the people working in other branches of student media have impacted my career in such a wonderful way. I’m so thankful for all of the heated debates about pop culture, never-ending Facebook chats, memorable trips and adventures, and late night problem solving sessions I’ve had with each of them. It is so rare to be a part of such a dedicated team, let alone lead it. I hope future leaders in student media and every KSU student organization will continue Brittany and I’s legacy of emphasizing teamwork and inclusion, because only then can the full potential of The Sentinel be discovered. 

I’m so thankful for my time in the student media environment. Our adviser, Ed Bonza, has been such a reliable source of advice, laughter and comfort. He has always kept his window open to us when we needed words of reassurance and encouragement. As students, it is almost inevitable that we would make mistakes at some point. But Ed has an amazing patience and while we never intentionally test it, there have certainly been times where he provided an immense level of understanding. He is the type of boss that would never push you past your comfort level, but rather inspires you to hold your work to a higher standard. Even though my time in the newsroom is over, the life lessons, advice, jokes and wonderful conversations with Ed will always stay with me. 

When I started at KSU five years ago as an unsure yet determined freshman, I was completely blind to the field of communication and media. I never would have thought I would find my college experience in a newsroom, but now I know it was the best place for me to be. This experience has filled my heart with stories and friendships that go far beyond the experience I describe on my resume. For all of you that find yourselves wanting more out of your college experience, I urge you to find your outlet and become involved in a student organization. Take a chance on yourself, become involved, and encourage others to do so as well. In the words of the famous Babe Ruth, "Don't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game."

It blows me away how capable a group of students can be. Plenty of people may underestimate us, but we know that through student media we have the power to sway opinion, inform student publics, bend emotion and bring together a community of owls. Thank you, Student Media, for giving me the opportunity to share my work with this incredible campus.

It’s an optimistic time to be in the field of communications. The digital landscape is expanding, analytics are becoming more fine-tuned, and the market is more accepting than ever. More often people are becoming emotionally invested in brands because of digital outreach. The opportunities for reaching the audience are greater in 2015 than they eve have been. This post will discuss two major ways that these factors may affect the future of public relations.

The use of social media analytics continues to gain steam in the field of communication.  The approach to interpreting data has shifted from traditional standards to include a more qualitative standpoint. In the field of public relations, our audience is everything. Each strategy or tactic that is planned in a campaign has a human audience, and each campaign begins with research. We must understand our publics before launching a campaign or risk losing invested time and money. Raw, calculated data cluttered with numbers can sometimes tell us nothing of the human audience we seek. There is a demand for humanized data, a softer, more qualitative type. This type of data is the most important to a PR practitioner. As Brian Massey suggests in his article 3 Refreshing Ways To Look At Marketing Analytics, “It’s not just for data scientists anymore.” To me, this suggests that even those in non-scientific fields should realize that with the way things are progressing, having the analytical skills to interpret data will become a required skill for most jobs.  And if you're unsure what type of data is appropriate for your situation, KISSmetrics offers a great guide on When to Use Qualitative and Quantitative Data.

In the future of the public relations field, a minor in statistics could give you an edge over someone who studied marketing. Having the skills to turn abstract and untamed data into suggestive campaign strategies is no easy task. It takes a finely tuned eye to be able to quickly recognize patterns and trends, create a plan and then execute it effectively. Social media is a necessary component to public relations and marketing campaigns. As Tracy Vides put in her article on RivalIQ’s blog, "Social media is as integral to today’s marketing mix as print was in the 1960’s.” It is only going to expand from this point. You’ll need plenty of experience using analytics and interpreting meaningful data in order to stand out on a job application.

It’s no surprise that people are responding to an increased amount of marketing tactics. Content that is succeeding is increasingly visually-based. Aesthetics of messages are becoming more important to consumers without them even realizing it. The social websites with the fastest growth over the past year, according to Rex Santus’s article on Mashable, are Tumblr and Pinterest, who recently beat out Instagram. All of these major contenders whose active usership is dramatically increasing all have one common thread; visually-based content. Tumblr is a microblog site that is essentially a combination of Instagram, Twitter and Reddit’s best features. Pinterest is a tool based off of visual organization. People respond to visual content, but what does that mean? The content still has to be thoughtful. It has to draw on emotions, pique interest, and only then will it evoke an action. There is much psychology in visual communication and it relates to semiotics and brand image as Laura Oswald’s article identifies. 

The future generations of publics are only going to become more accustomed and even expectant of spectacular visual content in marketing and public relations. The most interesting platform that fits into this visual puzzle of social media is Snapchat. This photo and real-time based application allows friends to share moments in such a way that the receiver feels connected to them. This app managed to create an atmosphere of instant relationship bonding. Alexa Economacos even calls it the “Snapchat revolution” in her blog post on her experience with the app. Snapchat has recently added new marketing-friendly features on the app such as the ‘discover’ section and the ‘live feeds’ of various world events such as the NBA Finals. With features like this, people all over the world can experience something in real-time from a personal and human perspective. When it comes to visual breakthroughs, Snapchat is leading the pack. 

Overall, there are many ways technology breakthroughs and changes in audience dynamics will affect public relations. By being open to innovation and moving with the flow of market demand, we are able to better understand our audience and send strategic methods in effective ways.

What’s the occasion, you ask? Well, the idea began when my boyfriend and I heard the announcement that his all-time favorite rock band, Green Day, were being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. Before I started dating Vinnie I knew and liked Green Day (by that I mean I had illegally downloaded most of their radio hits and found a few other lesser-known tracks), but I didn’t put them in the same category as my favorite bands. I was a naive listener who didn’t fully know what this band was all about. But, I was open to learning and I was lucky to start dating the best rock music professor I’ve ever known. Vinnie has the best way of explaining things, especially when he’s passionate about it. His electric excitement surrounding (what I had thought was) a seemingly overhyped anti-establishment punk band sparked my curiosity and prompted me to dive into more of their music, and really listen this time. Not that I had a choice, because Vinnie was going to unapologetically blast one song after another each time we got in the car together. I have to thank him for it though, because if it wasn’t for that I may have completely overlooked this extremely talented, versatile and in-your-face rock band that I’ve come to know and love. This is just one of the many amazing ways Vinnie encourages me to look at things from new perspectives. He’s pretty good like that. If you still need some convincing, just read up on Rolling Stone’s latest article; it paints a solid picture of the band’s 27 year-long road to get to Cleveland. It makes our ten hour car trip seem like a blink in comparison. 

So we talked it over, and knowing we were unable to afford the tickets to the actual induction event, I started grasping at straws. I didn’t want to give up on the idea of going just yet. Lucky for me, I came across an event that the Hall of Fame Museum was hosting; a simulcast where they broadcast the Induction Ceremony live and uncut. If you’re unfamiliar with the R&R HOF, the Induction Ceremony takes place in April and by late May it is turned into a 3-hour long special shown on HBO. We didn’t want to wait until May for it to air, we didn’t want to miss out on the action, we didn’t want to see an edited version of the greatest event (so far) of Green Day’s career. Basically, it was an easy decision to spend $50 on two tickets to the simulcast rather than try to play the lottery to afford the $1,400 tickets to the ceremony itself. And after all, we were overdue for a road trip. 

However much I feel I’m a fan of Green Day, I know it doesn’t come close to the deep connection of loyalty and love that Vinnie has for the band, and especially their frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. Saying Vinnie is passionate about Green Day is an understatement. He’s waited for hours to be front row for a show, knows Green Day Guitar Hero like the back of his hand, learned a hefty number of their songs on guitar (and some drums), gotten a tattoo of their lyrics (recently touched up!), dyed his hair to be BJ for Halloween on more than one occasion (once jet black for the American Idiot era and once bleach blonde for the Dookie era), and has plenty of memorabilia (always still collecting though!). Beyond that, Vinnie has taken every one of Billie Joe’s words to heart. Green Day challenges their fans to be independent thinkers, and it connects with Vinnie in such a way that he practices the band’s philosophy of intense self-efficacy every day of his life (and it has inspired me to do the same). He has such a respect and appreciation for them that it goes beyond anything tangible. It was built over the course of his teenage years where he turned to their music to make sense of what was happening around him in his life. There was never a day where the band let him down, and I could relate to that with my love for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. To see his favorite band reach such an accomplishment as being inducted into the Rock Hall is something that not every music fan gets to experience. I knew as soon as the announcement came out that Vinnie needed to be in the city, in the atmosphere, experiencing this monumental event in the history of this band that means so much to him. He hadn’t seen them perform live in years and I could tell he needed to fill his rock and roll soul with a big ole helping of Green Day.

Next thing we knew, we were jumping in the car on a pilgrimage to our Mecca. The shrine of Rock and Roll music. The Hall of Fame. This is the place where countless talented artists have been given the nod of approval, a place solidifying their accomplishments for all future generations of music lovers. It is a stamp that marks bands as true contenders and contributors to the history of music. The Red Hot Chili Peppers were inducted in 2012, and I’m beyond excited to check out their exhibit, among others of course. I’ve always loved music but only recently have I really wanted to know all that I can in terms of music history. The idea of being in a building full of so much rich music culture is so humbling and the thought alone gives me chills. 

As if we weren’t excited enough about Green Day being inducted this year, it’s no surprise that they’re in good company. While Green Day is this year's only band that is being inducted in the first year they're eligible (a seriously notable accomplishment, as the Rock Hall has been known to snub a few worthy rock bands), the 2015 Induction Class features so many other incredible artists including Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Ringo Starr, Lou Reed and a few older blues musicians I’m not as familiar with. Each inductee will be presented by a band or artist that has been heavily influenced by them. The star-studded lineup of presenters includes some of my favorite artists including Fall Out Boy (15 year-old me is especially stoked), John Mayer, Miley Cyrus (I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ll be fan-girling over her all night), Paul McCartney (yes, both of the living Beatles will be there!) and the legend of a man that is Stevie Wonder. 

On top of that, there will be additional performances by Zac Brown Band (the only country band I like nowadays), Dave Grohl (a member of freaking Nirvana, founder of the Foo Fighters, and one of the best modern drummers of all time; I’m ecstatic!), Joe Walsh (I grew up with the Eagles, so duh I’m excited), Gary Clark Jr. (Vinnie saw him with Kings of Leon last year and said he’s an outstanding performer), and also Beck and John Legend. That doesn’t even include the performances by the inductees and presenters. And I’m dying to find out what fun on-stage collaborations will take place. Seeing multiple artists join in on one performance is characteristic of the Induction Ceremony, and it’s a rare opportunity to see super jams with a group like this. 

The more I think about this year’s ceremony the more surreal it feels that not only will we be in the same city as these amazing people, but we’ll have a one-of-a-kind experience by watching it live. I feel so lucky that I’m able to make this trip with my best friend and see that amazing smile on his face when we watch Green Day take their place alongside so many rockers that have influenced both of us. Tomorrow night is sure to be incredibly memorable, so stay tuned for my next post that’ll give you all the details!

Anyone else notice a lull in the music scene last year? Maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention, but I've been listenting to the same stuff over and over. Recently, though, I've felt a swell of new jams on the radio that are actually gettin gmy attention. Lately I’ve been digging a ton of songs that have been coming out. Alternative music is getting a resurge, which I absolutely love. Pop is starting to become a mix of rap and electronic, two genres I’ve always been able to dance to. 

You’ll never get the job you really want if you’re too nervous to apply for it. That’s the bottom line that I’ve been looking at while hunting for jobs. Since graduation is closer than ever, I've been scouting the job listings more and more each day.  I've come across a few that I feel are a perfect opportunity, a few that I might not be totally qualified for, and even more that would cause me to move to a new city. After being inspired by one of my favorite New York bloggers, I've come to realize that being at this scary, uncertain and chaotic point in my life is actually a beautifully exciting place to be. It feels so good to have this many opportunities in front of me, and I'm starting to become really excited for my future. Though I might not know where I'll be living or who I'll be working for, I know my career will be an exciting one. I love my industry, and I want to make sure I work for a company that I love as well. I'm lucky to have a huge variety of interests, so I feel confident that one day I'll be working one (or two!) of my many dream jobs.  My friend Emily totally read my mind in her FB post.

Even though I look for jobs all the time, I only apply for the ones that I really think are worth it. I'm not panicked about finding a job just yet. I have the time to be picky so I'm taking advantage of it. I've even applied for some top-level internships, because those can be harder to get than some entry level jobs.  Last month I applied to be a production intern for Rolling Stone Magazine (my favorite publication, and an absolute dream opportunity). I’d have to give up all of my summer plans to move to New York, but I didn’t let that keep me from applying. It's always worth a shot.

The perfect job isn’t going to just fall into my lap. I’ve realized I have to dig for it and be willing to change my plans and just go for it. In order to make it out of the horrendous process of job searching, you have to be ambitious. I’ve been using every job search method possible to find openings in my field, and I have high hopes that I’ll come across the right thing at the right time. More updates on my job search to come.