CCI Student Experiences Magic of the Disney College Program First-Hand

I looked over my shoulder to see Main Street USA lit up in the pitch black, with Cinderella Castle glowing in the distance. “When You Wish Upon A Star” was playing loudly, echoing in the empty night. An hour and a half after Magic Kingdom closed, the only people left in the park were me and my three best friends. In the farewell message, Mickey Mouse’s voice proclaimed a cheerful, “See ya real soon!” It was the last time I would see Walt Disney World as a Disney employee.

I’d been dreaming of the Disney College Program since I learned about it in high school. The program allows college students to move to Florida or California to work full-time in the theme parks, participating in a paid internship. As a public relations major, I thought nothing could be more perfect; I’d be working with the public every single day!

I applied for the DCP Fall 2012, and after two interviews and many conversations with my Kent State advisors, I was accepted into the program as a character attendant in Animal Kingdom. My job allowed me to speak to Disney guests and help create magical experiences when they met our characters. I had to look out for the character’s well-being, assist with photography, and keep the guests happy and safe. I was fortunate to have worked with such classic characters as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, and more!

In addition to working full-time as an attendant, I also chose to take a Disney course called Corporate Communications. I knew most of the information presented thanks to my Principles of Public Relations class with Michele Ewing and my Public Relations Case Studies class with Tim Roberts. I was thrilled that the final in the course was a group case study on a corporation of our choice. My group presented on DreamWorks Animation, ending the semester with a press kit and a ComicCon panel planned for the company’s theme parks opening in Russia in 2015.

The DCP offered several alumni speaker events for students, depending on their interests. I attended a panel on social media and marketing where I met John Rogers, leader of the Walt Disney Parks & Resorts digital marketing team. I told him that my dream was to practice PR for Broadway shows one day, and he was able to connect me with Greg Josken, head of digital marketing for the Disney Theatrical Group. Disney Theatrical Group oversees all live shows that Disney is affiliated with, such as Disney on Ice and Disney on Broadway. After a few emails and an informational interview, Greg invited me to send in my resume and tour the offices and theaters Disney is currently occupying in New York. I plan to visit sometime in August, and I can’t wait!

My favorite part of my DCP was the friends I made while I was there. I now have friends from all over the world: Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Japan, and everywhere across the United States. I plan on keeping in touch with all of them, and I hope our paths cross again!

My program ended May 17, and I’m suffering from some serious Disney withdrawal. I hope more CCI students take advantage of the Disney College Program in the future, especially if they’d like to network in a Fortune 500 company that owns such groups as ABC and Marvel. I would never give up my college program experience; it was an amazing opportunity with amazing people and an amazing company.

TeleProductions Earns Two Communicator Awards

By Brandon Koziol

Kent State’s own TeleProductions took home gold in the 19^th annual Communicator Awards.

“I’m pleased that TeleProductions has received this accolade,” said Mark Bussey, the director of technology and TeleProductions. “It is an important validation that our work is recognized as award winning, a confirmation of our continued pursuit of excellence.”

Out of more than 6,000 entries from around the world, two of TeleProductions’ videos were among those honored by the judges.

The production company earned both a gold and silver award. The Gold Communicator Award recognized the video “The Kent State UXD Program,” a video that incorporates hand-drawn cartoons to help highlight the User Experience Design (UXD) concentration in the Information Architecture and Knowledge Management program in the School of Library and Information Science. The Silver Communicator Award honored the “Traveling Stanzas 2012: Blooming Thoughts,” an animation that brings a poem written by a third grade class to life.

The International Academy of Visual Arts (IAVA) judged the videos and hand selected each. IAVA is a 600-member organization of professionals from leading media outlets like Disney and Time Inc.

“Winning these awards feels great,” said Graphic Designer Jim Hurguy. “It lets us know that the work we’re doing is appreciated and up to par with the work that those corporations are used to seeing.”

Hurguy worked closely Senior Media Specialist Shane Roach, who directed and produced the videos, and student graphic designers Brian Recktenwald and Alex Kurr.

For the “Kent State UXD Program” video, Roach explained how he wanted the commercial to help solidify the whole concept behind the program. He wrote the script around the idea of a person explaining what User Experience Design is all about while interacting with hand-drawn sketches. Since the program is based on user interaction and sketching out ideas, Roach thought this theme would be a perfect fit.

“Traveling Stanzas 2012: Blooming Thoughts” was a video created for the Wick Poetry Center. Hurguy and Kurr took on the job of bringing the third-grade poem “Blooming Thoughts” to life through animation. Kurr came up with the idea of using a rotating globe to give the animation a different, 3-D look.

With hours of hard work poured into the videos, the awards represent a great testament for TeleProductions, Roach said.

“We can put this out there, and future clients and the university can see that we’re being recognized for exceeding standards,” Roach concluded.

Share or Die: Voices of the Get Lost Generation in the Age of Crisis

By Nicole Gennarelli

Why should students and recent college graduates read Share or Die: Voices of the Get Lost Generation in the Age of Crisis? Because it is written specifically for young adults by recent graduates who can relate to their experiences.

According to the website, “Share or Die is an anthology with stories by an astonishing variety of recent graduates and twenty-something experimenters who are finding (and sharing) their own answers to negotiating the new economic order. It contains 25 articles with hands-on, practical advice about career, relationships, travel, education, housing, and volunteering.”

Don’t forget to visit & read more information about the book’s editor Neal Gorenflo, co-editor Malcom Harris & all the different authors who contributed to the book.

Interested? Check out some of these excerpts from the book!

•        “Unprepared: From Elite College to the Job Market,” by Sarah Idzik
•          “The Gen Y Guide to Collaborative Consumption,” by Beth Buczynski
•          “Get on the Lattice,” by Astri von ArbinAhlander and Yelizavetta Kofman

Post-College Flow Chart of Misery & Pain by Jenna Brager

Interview with Malcom Harris, co-editor of Share or Die: Voices of the Get Lost Generation in the Age of Crisis

• Why do you think this book is so influential and helpful for recent college grads and twenty-somethings?

I think there’s a lack of writing by and for young people about their lives that isn’t also trying to sell them something. If our readers identify with the book, that’s partly because it’s written almost entirely by people facing the same life conditions as they are.

• Why did you enjoy being an editor & author for this book?

A great thing about the process was getting to work with so many great young writers and artists. Some of them were friends in advance, but a lot of them weren’t. Doing a collection means searching out some voices people haven’t heard before, and that was a lot of the fun.

• What do you think the greatest message in this book is to the Generation Y population?

It’s right there in the title: Share or Die! What I hope people take away from the book is that what feel like individual problems are often times social problems, especially with this generation that’s been pathologized, entitled, etc. And social problems only have social solutions.

• Why do you think this book is something the Generation Y population needs at this time in society?

I’m not sure if society needs the book necessarily, but I think we’ve got to pay attention to some of the ideas in it. We’re up against the hard bounds of resource crisis, and if we don’t find ways to share what we’ve got, there’s going to be even more unnecessary misery.

• Would you have found a book like this helpful when you were a recent college graduate?

I’m sure I could have used it!

• How do you think the different stories by different authors help contribute to the diversity of the book?

The goal is for every reader to connect with at least one portion of the book. The more ways we can find to reach out to people and show them that they’re part of larger social patterns, the more people will find the book useful.

COMMUNICATION STUDIES STUDENTS EARN POSITIONS IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT GOVERNMENT

After much campaigning, junior communication studies students Natalie Moses and Amish Patel have officially earned their positions in the Undergraduate Student Government (USG). Both students attribute their successful campaigns to their experiences in communication studies and their involvement on campus.

Moses is the new senator of the College of Communication and Information (CCI). She is majoring in applied communication with a double minor in media literacy and public relations. As senator of CCI, Moses’ job is to represent the voice of all CCI students. One of her many responsibilities is to keep scholarships objective and make sure all undergraduate students have equal opportunities through the student government. Moses felt that she is a good fit for this position because she is an effective communicator and can relate to any CCI student. “I have a good understanding of the overall interests of CCI,” said Moses.

Patel is now the executive director of USG. His position involves being the spokesperson for the students, acting as liaison between the university administration, Board of Trustees and the USG, creating programs and initiatives to enrich the lives of Kent State University students, and much more. Within in the past two years, he has held positions such as director of student involvement and director of communications.  Patel’s passion for Kent State is what drives his involvement with student government. “I want to give back to a school that has given me so much,” said Patel, “When I saw the opportunity to make things come full circle and further improve the university, I knew it was my time.”

Both Moses and Patel agree that their experiences within CCI have contributed to their campaign success. Moses felt that skills she learned in advertising, visual design and public relations helped her while putting together her campaign. “The High Impact Professional Speaking class really helped me to be a confident speaker,” she added. Moses also noted her experience studying abroad in London as significant to her campaigning. “Working closely with Michelle Ewing and Dr. Danielle Coombs gave me advertising and public relations insight that taught me how to campaign,” Moses said. Moses is also very involved in student media, which she said keeps her up to date on what is happening on campus.

Patel said that holding multiple positions for Phi Delta Theta fraternity is what started his involvement on Kent’s campus. “My involvement in my fraternity has given me countless real-world experience and it has provided an amazing platform to network with,” said Patel. He was further introduced to the Greek Community and various aspects of the university as a result. Patel has been involved with different organizations such as Focus on the Future, Black United Students, Distinguished Undergraduates and more. Patel said that the remarkable insight he gained about student life is what ultimately made him want to share his experience with the rest of Kent State.  “As a communication studies student, I knew I wanted to change how USG reached students and presented information,” said Patel.

Both Moses and Patel want Kent State students to be more aware of what is happening on their campus and encourage them to get more involved with student government. “As much as this can be a boring thing for students to hear about, current legislation really affects students and their ability to be successful students and future professionals,” said Patel. Moses suggested that students attend the public USG meetings every other Wednesday, at 5 p.m., in the Governance Chambers, to see what is currently happening and pitch their ideas. Moses wants students to know that USG “is not an unapproachable thing.”

Moses and Patel both stressed the significance of USG’s Student Allocations Funding opportunities as something for students to take advantage of. Students and organizations are able to request funds to go on conferences that pertain to their major. “This is an amazing way for students to get real world experience and network with professionals across the country,” said Patel.

Patel encourages students to “follow a passion and get involved on campus! Plain and simple.” Applications and more information can be found in the USG office and online at usg.kent.edu.

Washington, D.C., Internship for Native Students Selects Kent State Student

Photo credit: Michelle Harbin Photography

By Catherine Berry

Victoria Humphreys, a Kent State University senior with a double major in applied and organizational communication, will experience the internship of a lifetime this summer through the Washington, D.C., Internship for Native Students (WINS).

About Humphreys
Born in Phoenix, Ariz., Humphreys is registered with the Gila River Indian Community, from her mother’s side of the family. Humphreys’ immediate family didn’t stay in Phoenix long after her birth, as they moved 28 times before she was in high school. Her family settled in Akron when she was in the seventh grade.

Humphreys’ mother graduated from Kent State in 2006, so the university was familiar to the family. Eager to follow in her mother’s footsteps, Humphreys applied to the university. She didn’t know she was accepted to Kent State until she received a phone call in late August from her mom telling her “to get to campus.”

“It was Welcome Weekend, and I just realized I was a Golden Flash,” she says. Fast-forward three years to her senior year. Humphreys is the vice president of Kent Communication Society, president of the Native American Student Association, thinking about joining student government and very involved in her classes.

Learning About the Internship
For a class assignment, she had to write a cover letter for the job or internship of her choice. Humphreys started researching Native American internships when she found WINS and fell in love. The class assignment soon became an exercise in job seeking.

Because of a lecture given by Stephanie Smith, adjunct instructor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, on governmental public relations, Humphreys asked for her assistance in honing her résumé, cover letter and essays to fit this particular internship.

According to the WINS website, the program “offers students of sovereign American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian nations the opportunity to build leadership skills while living, studying and interning in Washington, D.C.”

The Process
Humphreys says the application process was not too difficult for her. She had to show proof of tribal enrollment, have letters of recommendation from professors and the Tribal Student Services’ advisor from her reservation, complete a 500-word essay and apply. As soon as she submitted her application, she heard that she had been accepted.

Now, she is waiting for when she will hear which departments want her to join them this summer, based on her essays. She will make her decision in April. She is crossing her fingers for the Department of Defense.
Humphreys has always wanted to work for the Department of Defense and felt this internship would really help her get her foot in the door. She also aspires to do something that will eventually help Indian youth.

Humphreys has big plans for while she is in Washington, D.C. She will be seeing her family, going on a tour of the White House where she hopes to run into President Barack Obama and his wife, and doing lots of shopping.

Humphreys says that she is excited to make more connections in the Native community while gaining real-world experience this summer. She also knows how awesome this internship will be on her résumé.

“All of my professors and advisors have been amazing during my college career,” she says. “Some have gone above and beyond to support me and will continue to help and support me until I graduate.”

Kent State Chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America Earns National Honors

By Nicole Gennarelli

The Kent State Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) won three national awards at the PRSSA National Conference in San Francisco, Calif. earlier this fall.

PRSSA Kent won the Teahan Award, the most prestigious PRSSA award, for its website, and the Star Chapter Award, honoring the Chapter for its achievement of Chapter and professional goals. PRSSA Kent was selected from more than 300 chapters across the country for the Star Chapter Award.

“We were ecstatic to win the Teahan and Star Chapter Awards,” said Online Media Manager Ryan Collins. “Earning Star Chapter validated what we already knew − that PRSSA Kent is one of the best opportunities for Kent State students to learn and succeed.”

PRSSA Kent collaborated with Stefanie Moore, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC), and with Flash Communications’ students to research, design and create content for the new website.

“The students spent a great deal of time researching best practices related to website design for PRSSA chapters, as well as testing the website,” said Michele Ewing, PRSSA Kent faculty adviser and JMC associate professor. “The research efforts played a key role in the design and content development for the website.”

In addition, PRSSA Kent President Christine Morgan won the National Gold Key Award, the highest individual honor for PRSSA students. Morgan was one of 27 students to win out of 10,000 PRSSA members nationwide.

“When they called my name at the National Conference, I couldn’t help but smile,” Morgan said. “I felt a deep sense of accomplishment. Looking back at my freshmen year, I never would have pictured myself with this award standing in front of a room filled with the next generation of PR professionals.”

The four-day conference was composed of sessions that included panelists, speakers and events where students could network and improve their communication skills. There were many opportunities for students to connect with professionals and other students from across the country to secure internships and jobs after graduation.

Assistance from public relations alumni, Cleveland and Akron PRSA and other resources is what sets Kent State’s PRSSA chapter apart from the rest, Ewing said.

“The PRSSA Kent Chapter is fortunate to have Akron PRSA and Cleveland PRSA professionals located near Kent State and willing to help with professional development activities,” she said. “Our PRKent alumni are huge supporters of our Chapter. The students have lots of resources, but it really comes down to the leadership of the PRSSA officers. They spend countless hours on PRSSA activities. Generations of PRSSA Kent student leaders have worked extremely hard to grow the Chapter and create one of the strongest PRSSA chapters in the country.”

JMC prepares its public relations students for the real world by keeping the curriculum up-to-date by integrating social media and other Web content.

“It starts with guiding students to be excellent communicators, particularly developing strong writing and strategic thinking skills,” Ewing said. “The continued success of our PRKent graduates has built a valuable brand for the PR major at Kent State. We stress professionalism and ethics throughout the program.”

Photo: Five PRSSA Kent officers attended the 2012 PRSSA National Conference in San Francisco, Calif., this year. From left to right: Stephanie Black (VP of Public Relations), Trenton Chavez (VP of Membership), Ryan Collins (Online Media Manager), Christine Morgan (President), Hallie Pendergast (Secretary).

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About Dan LeBeau

I graduated from GlenOak high school and enrolled at Kent State in spring of 2009. Mark Warzinsksi, Teleproductions’ Production Manager,

was my professor for Video Basics. He told me about the department, and encouraged me to show up for the weekly training sessions.

After a semester of training with the department, I began work as a student employee. My first job was as part of a crew that worked on video board productions at athletic events. I also did some classroom recordings and studio shows, and began work in Master Control for the Engineering & Operations side of the department.

When our department bought our production and satellite uplink truck, I began traveling as a part of the crew that worked on remote productions for clients like ESPN3. Today, I spend most of my time working in Master Control, traveling with the truck, and working at Kent State athletic events.

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