Course Builds Skills While Creating Lasting Memories for Students Who Participate

By Taylor Titus

Sixteen students and three faculty members traveled south of the equator for two weeks in March to tell the story of the people, places and things in Curitiba, Brazil. The students were members of the College of Communication and Information’s International Storytelling course.

“I’ve never stepped foot outside of the United States until this class, and I’m thrilled,” said Molly Devaney, senior broadcast journalism major. “We had an unbelievable journalistic experience. We partnered with an intelligent bunch of Brazilian students who wanted to learn just as much about us as we wanted to learn about them.”

Kent State University partnered with the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná. PUCPR lent the Kent State group facilities to use as a newsroom, equipment and most importantly their students. The Kent State student teams partnered with the PUCPR students to help with their reporting and contacting sources.

“Sure we could go to Brazil anytime, but to work with students just like us is an experience like any other,” said Jason Kostura, junior broadcast journalism major. “Sometimes it takes an experience like that so you can step back and just say wow.”

The students spent all day covering unique aspects of Curitiba and Brazil in general. Students covered stories, such as the booming Catholic population in Brazil, hazing, the public transportation system of Curitiba, Curitiba favelas and more. Two Kent students went to Iguaçu Falls to report on the world’s largest hydroelectric power plant.

When the students weren’t reporting, they spent most of their time bonding with their Brazilian partners or exploring the city of Curitiba. Some of the highlights included an outdoor Curitibian market, a bus tour of the city, Oscar Niemeyer Museum and botanical gardens.

Most of the trip was devoted to reporting, but there was free time for the students. The last portion of the trip was spent in Rio de Janeiro, where the students had nothing to do but explore. While in Rio, the students saw the Christ the Redeemer, took the cable car to Sugar Loaf mountain and caught some rays on Copacabana beach while soaking in the Brazilian culture.

“The class was everything I had imagined,” said Glenn Bolich, senior broadcast journalism major. “The students we met in Brazil were helpful and fun to be around. It was such a fun time, and I would recommend it to anyone.”

The International Storytelling course meets all semester. Before the trip, students create a story with a connection to the country they are going to, as well as plan out the stories they want to do while there. One of the most fun parts of the class is “meeting” the partners via Skype. The week before and week of spring break are spent in the foreign country. Once the students return to Kent, they work on producing all pieces of their stories and launch the Dateline website.

“The resources and opportunities made available to us through the Brazilian university and student partners were amazing,” said Alyssa DeGeorge, senior magazine journalism and visual communication design major. “It’s crazy to think how significant a two-week time period can be. We developed our journalism skills, expanded our horizons and formed close friendships. You don’t come back from a trip like this the same person.”

VCD Preparing Students for International Design

Visual Communication Design and Photo Illustration students at Kent State University have an exclusive opportunity to study design abroad. The School of Visual Communication Design (VCD) proudly announces a 12-day study abroad learning adventure in Berlin and Prague for students in March 2013. Junior, senior and graduate level students enrolled in Graphic Design 2 or Graphic Design Field Experience will meet design professionals, international students and experience the global design community firsthand. The courses will meet weekly during the spring semester, travel during the spring recess and complete a studio project upon their return. Assistant Professors Gretchen Rinnert and Jillian Coorey are leading the program.

Graphic Design Field Experience focuses on problem-solving methodologies employed in visual communication design, in the context of the cultures of Berlin and Prague. In the design-abroad course, students will apply narrative and storytelling methods, design research, analysis, documentation and implementation in their studio projects. Students will grasp European design perspectives and aesthetics while building a more attractive portfolio and resume that demonstrates international design experience.

Students in Graphic Design 2 are charged with a Visual Narrative and Mapping Assignment to document an event or experience through visual narrative using photography and typography.

When: March 15 – March 27, 2013
Cost: Approximately $3,200 plus tuition

For questions regarding Design Abroad please email designabroadvcd@gmail.com or call Gretchen Rinnert at 330-532-8690. Find more information at http://www.design-abroad.com/.

Students Experience London Through Eyes of Ad, PR Professionals

By Nicole Gennarelli

Twenty-four students from Kent State’s College of Communication and Information traveled to London May 10-27 for a life-changing study abroad experience where they engaged with different cultures to grow both personally and professionally.

Kent in London: Global Ad & PR, taught by JMC Assistant Professor Danielle Coombs, Ph.D., and JMC Associate Professor Michele Ewing, was designed to provide an academically challenging yet professional study abroad experience for students interested in communication careers. The two-part course began in January when each student was expected to select an area of expertise. These areas could be content focused (health and beauty, fashion or sports), role-focused (copywriting, event planning or management), or media-focused (social media, television or print). During the semester the students researched and presented a multimedia presentation on their area of expertise in relation to the United States. Once in London, students began to research the same area in relation to the United Kingdom. The final presentation compared and contrasted the differences between the student’s area of expertise in the two locations.

“The Global Ad & Public Relations course focused on a comparative research project to help students develop an area of expertise and learn about the influence of cultural differences in advertising and public relations strategies,” Ewing said. “This cultural understanding will give students an edge when they interview for internships and jobs.”

The location gave students the chance to acclimate to London and become part of the city. Dr. Coombs’ husband worked in England for several years and is originally from London, so her familiarity and connections helped play a key role in the success of the course.

“If you look at advertising and PR, London, Paris and New York are where all the big agencies are located,” Coombs said. “In terms of the content we wanted to study, London is the place to be. I wanted it to be in one city so the students could get to know that city. When you try to hit a bunch of cities in a short period of time, you wind up not really knowing any of them really well. Our students got to know people in the community and got to know London.”

The students visited “we are social,” a global conversation agency; “Action Aid,” a non-profit charity dedicated to ending poverty; “Mother;” a major advertising agency and “Edelman,” a global public relations firm. They attended a social and global PR lecture with students from the London College of Communication and took a group trip to Oxford, as well. Outside of the required visits, students were also able to sign up for different outings they wanted to attend such as a trip to Parliament.

While planning this course, Coombs and Ewing wanted the end result to have a pay-off for students.

“Our thinking was that we wanted this to be a chance for the students to test the waters,” Coombs said. “You need to go out and interview people. You have to get good at pitching yourself and what you’re doing.”

“Networking with advertising and PR professionals and hearing about their global communications work seemed to inspire students about their future careers,” Ewing said. “I could see the excitement on the students’ faces as they met professionals who worked at major global advertising and PR agencies. Students also gained confidence in contacting and networking with professionals.”

Christina Loss, a senior advertising major and marketing minor, always dreamed about studying abroad but knew spending a whole semester away from home would be difficult. Loss had taken a few courses with Coombs and Ewing previously, so she felt comfortable under their direction.

“Part of our semester project was to contact experts in our areas of expertise and pick their brain,” Loss said. “This really helped me become more comfortable interacting with professionals in the advertising industry. Contacting and interviewing in London was even more nerve-racking, but it definitely helped me become more accustomed to initiating the conversation.”

Loss said she learned so much about other cultures and how the world operates. This trip is just the beginning of her world travels.

“I love and miss so many things about our class and being in London,” she said. “I bonded with many of my fellow classmates, and I know we will keep in touch for years to come. We all got along so well and they kept me laughing day and night.”

Read and see more of the student’s experiences at http://www.kentinlondon.com and read about CCI study abroad options at http://www.kent.edu/ccistudyabroad/index.cfm.

CCI Faculty and Students Travel to Israel With Comparative Religous Thought II Class

By: Emily Horne

The Jewish Studies group in a Druze village. © Photo by Megann Galehouse

In May, David LaBelle, who is directing the Photojournalism program, and two of his students traveled to Israel. On this trip, they joined Chaya Kessler, Director of the Jewish Studies program, David Odell Scott, Chair of the Department of Philosophy, and other students participating in a short study-abroad trip through Comparative Religious Thought II, which fulfills both the Humanities Core and Global Diversity requirement.

A market area from the streets of Old City Jerusalem. © Photo by David LaBelle

Kessler said after speaking to LaBelle at a new hire orientation three years ago, they discovered many similar interests that could potentially lead to collaboration. “In both our programs we strive to expand beyond our own small niche. Collaborations allow this to naturally develop,” Kessler said. LaBelle also spoke highly of the collaboration saying, “this is what we need to be doing more of, quite frankly.”

LaBelle worked with students Megann Galehouse and Chloe Makarick to create an independent study project that involved the trip to Israel. The initial goal of the project was to do more than simply travel photography because “to shoot any kind of intimate or meaningful pictures on tour is a challenge,” LaBelle said.

The group chose to explore the idea of the “Jerusalem Syndrome,” a condition in which people think they are, in fact, one of the Bible figures and become very emotionally involved at those religious sites. This project proved to be more time consuming and in depth than expected so the group revised their focus.

The Stone of Unction inside the Church of the Holy Sephulchre in Jerusalem. © Photo by Chloe Makarick

While traveling, LaBelle, Galehouse, and Makarick shifted gears and looked more at prayer and how different people are praying. They tried to focus on how individuals choose to express their faith. Since Israel is the center of different religions, it provides for a variety of religious experiences. This project will continue throughout the semester.

Galehouse, a junior in the photojournalism program, said this trip allowed her to learn how to be more patient with others as well as the importance of allowing oneself to get to know people based on their interests and thoughts. “It will open your eyes to new things and teach you to be a better person,” she said.

Makarick, a senior information design major and photojournalism minor, said her own personal goal with this trip was try to connect with as many people as she could. Not only did she connect with the people in Israel but with the others on the trip as well. “It was awesome how great the group meshed together. We were all intermingling, learning from each other and exchanging ideas,” she said.

Prayer candles in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. © Photo by Megann Galehouse

Galehouse indicated her biggest takeaway from this trip as having the opportunity to shadow LaBelle. She said that experience was truly beneficial and something she will treasure. Makarick’s biggest takeaway was the realization that you have to experience unfamiliar cultures with an open mind and accept everyone despite the differences you may have.

Photographs from this trip and project will be on display near the Wick Poetry Center in the Library beginning September 12.

“I assure of you this: I came back not thinking I was Jesus or John the Baptist. Some people were a little surprised that I didn’t suffer from the Jerusalem Complex,” LaBelle joked.

Dateline Delhi: A Study Abroad Experience in India

This spring, 18 Kent State University students and their two professors, Gary Hanson and Mitch McKenney, spent nine days in Noida, near Delhi, in India’s Uttar Pradesh to produce a multimedia collection of news and feature stories. Their hosts at Amity University provided student-partners who served as guides, collaborators and translators.

Kristin Bauer, a senior photojournalism major and photo illustration minor from Westlake, Ohio, shares this first-person account of her study abroad experience where she experienced another culture and way of life as well as broadened her understanding of international journalism.

At first glance, one could say why would you choose India over other study abroad programs and opportunities at Kent State? However, my response would be, “Why wouldn’t I?”

I traveled to India with the International Storytelling class during this past spring semester to work on international journalism. In traveling to India, I learned so much not only about the world and journalism, but in true human kindness that we oftentimes lack within the United States

All of a sudden, all of the trivial things within the United States didn’t matter: from living in a place where I wasn’t able to consume clean water to living in a world where my biggest problem was waking up for class on time.

While in India, I was working on a story with my classmate about hospital overcrowding. My first day working on this story, I stood on the street of Delhi near the hospital in absolute shock and terror that people were just simply left to live like this.

A woman washes her family’s clothing in the Yamuna River. Due to the activities that take place along the banks of the river and in the river, the level of sanitation has sharply declined.(Photo by Kristin Bauer)

Despite of my fears in working on this story and talking to the patients on the street, I was surprised about the kindness I found in what seemingly was the darkest corner of the world in which I traveled to. It was then the patients offered me water and food because they were concerned for me. I couldn’t believe how someone who had so little could even begin to worry about me, someone who seemingly has so much.

Traveling to India has shown me just how much we take things for granted within the United States. Things alone such as clean water, a vital need, go completely unnoticed within this country when so many go without.

Studying abroad is such a truly life changing experience and I would highly recommend doing so at some point within college.

To view the other stories told in International Storytelling, please visit www.datelinedelhi.org.

To view my blog from my trip and to view other photos, please visit http://kbauer7.wordpress.com andwww.flickr.com/photos/kristinbauerphotography.

For more information about study abroad programs at Kent State, visit www.kent.edu/studyabroad

Credit to http://www.kent.edu/

Dateline Delhi Website Launches, Features Multimedia Projects

By Anne Dudley

Eighteen communication students and three professors from Kent State University spent 10 days of March in Delhi, India reporting on culture, environment, the economy and more for DatelineDelhi.org, a multimedia news website and product of the International Storytelling course. The site officially launched on Monday, April 30 showcasing student photography, video and feature stories from India.

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State partnered with Amity University School of Communication in Noida, India for the project. Amity provided students and faculty for collaborative reporting, guidance around the city, and for most of the group, lasting friendships. The Kent students stayed in on-campus housing and even set up a newsroom in the School of Communication’s facilities.

This is the second International Storytelling course that professors Gary Hanson, of Ravenna, and Mitch McKenney, of Hartville, have led. Last year, the team produced Dateline Shanghai with Shanghai International Studies University. LuEtt Hanson, Ph.D., the associate dean in the College of Communication and Information, accompanied the group and secured relationships with Amity leaders for future academic exchanges. Amity students will visit Kent State for 10 days in September as part of the partnership and collaborative learning experience.

Teams of students gathered images, video, audio for news and feature stories from the Delhi area, taking in the sights and sounds of the capital city and its people. Some rode elephants and visited orphanages and hospitals, while others ventured into the slums, construction sites and the local YMCA. While in India, the group traveled to the Taj Mahal, a beach resort in the state of Goa and to Mumbai.

The course met for 10 weeks prior to leaving for India, using the time to report on Indian culture in Northeast Ohio as a practice run with multimedia journalism in teams. After returning to Ohio students spent the remaining course time preparing their stories for the website debut.

Senior visual communications design major and participant Laura Contrucci, said, “traveling to India was absolutely incredible, for many reasons. The things I saw, good and bad, were eye-opening and led to reflection and growth. I feel so lucky to have been given the opportunity; it is truly something I will remember fondly for the rest of my life.”

“Being able to go to India at this point in my life really changed the way I view everything,” junior communication studies major Meghan Hawsman said. “I am still at a point in my life that I am very impressionable and going to India has changed me for the better. I am now able to look at situations from a different point of view and not take anything for granted. This is a beautiful place that I believe everyone should have the opportunity to visit in their lifetime.”

For more information, follow Dateline Delhi on Facebook andTwitter.

Student Traces 30 Years of Mother’s History Through Florence Program

By Ryan Collins

Kent State University student Lydia Coutré stands on a bridge over the Arno River in Pisa, Italy, near the Santa Maria dellaSpina Church.

From 1982 to 2012, famous Italian sights like Florence’s cathedral, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Colosseum or Venice’s Grand Canal probably haven’t changed much. However, the person behind the lens in 1982 and 2012 will be different.

When Kent State student Lydia Coutré, a junior newspaper journalism major, returns in May from studying abroad with the College of Communication and Information’s program in Florence, Italy, the photos she might add to her family’s scrapbooks will look familiar.

Coutré’s mother, Rita, backpacked across Europe in 1982. She traveled to cities like Pisa, Rome, Venice and Interlaken, and Coutré wants to see literally the same sights as her mother.

Coutré’s mother brought back carousels of 35mm slides from her trip. Coutré originally saw the slides when she was working on a fifth grade project about Italy. She said she’s been captivated ever since.

Before Coutré left the United States, she spent hours converting many of the slides to files on her computer. She plans to visit the same cities as her mother and retake some of the slides 30 years later.

“I got the idea to do my ‘30 Years Later’ project last summer while I was working one of my three jobs to save money to get here,” she said. “I mentioned it to my mom, and she loved the idea.”

Coutré said her map is marked with some of the spots she needs to visit, but she plans to get directions from the Kent State Florence staff for more elusive locations.

“I knew I wanted to go sometime in my life, but I never even dreamed that I would get to spend four months here,” Coutré said. “When I found out Kent State had a program for it, my only questions were ‘What semester am I going?’ and ‘Should I sell my car to get there?’”

A group of Kent State University students studying abroad in Florence, Italy, pose for a photo. Thirty years later, Lydia Coutre (back row, third from left), a junior newspaper journalism major, is visiting the same sights her mother traveled to, retaking pictures of the same landmarks and blogging about her experience.

The Kent State Florence program is housed in a 13th century palace located in the city center. Students live in apartments near the building, and they have the support of a fully English-speaking staff.

Even though her classes in Florence get her full Kent State credit, Coutré’s apartment is fully furnished, and she gets to eat amazing Italian cuisine, the most exciting part of the semester for her is to visit Venice, just as her mother did.

“Everyone says that studying abroad will change you,” she said. “You’ll come back a completely new, and all-in-all better person. Not only am I getting to know myself, but I think this trip is giving me an entirely new way to get to know my mom.”

Coutré is blogging about her experience and posting the “30 Years Later” retaken photos as she travels athttp://lydiaislost.blogspot.com. Her first retaken shot was of Florence’s cathedral, the Duomo.

At the end of her semester in May, Coutré hopes to have 40 to 50 retaken pictures.

For more information on Kent State study abroad opportunities, visit the Office of Global Education’s website atwww.kent.edu/globaleducation.

For more information on the College of Communication and Information’s program in Florence, Italy, visit www.kent.edu/ccistudyabroad.

 

CCI is now on Pinterest!

By: Emily Horne

Pinterest, a virtual bulletin board, seems to be the new “it” Web site and social media outlet that many people are talking about. While it has not entirely reached the business and organization audience, Kent’s College of Communication and Information (CCI) is now on Pinterest. Like some other universities, CCI has been researching the best ways to utilize Pinterest. There seem to be mixed opinions on whether universities need to be on Pinterest yet or not but why shouldn’t Kent’s College of Communication and Information be one of the first?

What other universities are doing:

1. Contests
2. Showcasing its Personality
3. The Student Experience
4. Study Abroad Destinations
5. Dorm Room Decorations
6. Artwork Created by Students
7. Achievements from Alumni

What can students gain from CCI’s Pinterest profile?

1. CCI Student, Alum and Faculty Successes: Many people with connections to CCI go on to do great things during or after their time with the college. On this board, followers can see what these people are doing.
2. School of _________: There is a board for each of CCI’s four schools that showcase information about the school and stories that relate. Pay attention to these boards if you are a prospective student, a current student, or a former student!
3. Facilities: This board showcases the great facilities each of CCI’s programs are housed in. From the recently renovated facilities in Franklin Hall to the Resource Room in the Art building, CCI’s programs offer their students the best.
4. Study Away: CCI offers a variety of study away programs. Here, we are pinning information about various programs.
5. Why CCI Kent Blog: Here we are reposting blogs posted here on our Why CCI Kent blog to reach more students.
6. For Future Students: Students interested in CCI, whether current college students in other majors or current high school students, can look to this board for basic information.

Send us your work:

We would love to begin showcasing student work (artwork, photography, research, Web site design, etc.) on Pinterest. If you are interested in seeing your work on our page, please send an E-mail to ccikent@kent.edu with your work, a caption, and a link (if applicable) to attach to the pin.

Follow CCI Kent State:

Follow us on Pinterest to keep up on the latest information.  http://pinterest.com/ccikentstate/ Also, please help us to promote our Pinterest account. Share it on Facebook, Twitter and repin our pins that interest you!

Global Comparative Media in Paris and Florence

Learn about European journalism with CCIKent this May during summer intercession

Applications are being accepted through February for this short study abroad course scheduled for May 2012 Intersession: 

Open to: All graduate and undergraduate students interested in European culture and how European media function.
Length: Two weeks, one in Paris and one in Florence: Travel dates will be May 12 – May 27.
The plan: Learn about European journalism, TV production, PR and advertising by visiting media outlets and meeting professionals and experts in the field, both in Paris and in Florence, as well as during a day trip to Milan. 

Cultural outings include visits to the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles, and to the Uffizi in Florence.

The cost: Approx. $2,600 plus airfare and Intersession 2012 tuition.

Study in Paris and Florence with CCIKent’s Global Comparative Media Course

For more information and to complete the application, visit: http://kentglobalmedia.wordpress.com/

Check out the website and email Deborah Davis with your questions – dldavis@kent.edu.

 

 

Interested in studying abroad?

Information from http://www.kent.edu/globaleducation/index.cfm

Want to travel the world and earn school credit at the same time? Check out the study abroad fair!

Whether you are an international student interested in attending Kent State, or a current student who would like to study abroad, we can help you get the information you need to make it happen.

The Office of Global Education plans, coordinates, sustains, and monitors the University’s global initiatives, exchange programs, and support services for international students and scholars. Our goal is to systematically contribute to Kent State University’s efforts to prepare our students with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives required of effective citizens in a global society.

Have questions? Contact a representative from the Office of Global Education at 1-330-672-7980 today.