Good Things Happen Over Coffee

Coffee doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Yeah the occasional break up, layoff or lecture might happen over a dark roasted blend.

But for the most part, good things happen over coffee.

Friends come together to laugh.
To share.
To reminisce about good times.

New business opportunities begin.
Great ideas come about.
Group projects get done.

Blind dates go down.

Over coffee, cream and sugar.

This simple beverage has a way of connecting energetic, loving, noble people.
It has a way of uniting spontaneous, hopeful, noble ideas.

Good things happen over coffee.

Especially Noble Coffee.

Analyzing Radio Reporting

As we learn about radio broadcasting, I’ve gained new appreciation for different aspects of this medium.  I don’t know if it will change the fact that I dread my dad changing my country music station to his sports talk show every car ride, but it has given me something different to think about as I’m lost in the analyzing of sports.  Instead, it’s really interesting to note the speaker’s delivery and the strategic aspects of production such as the use of ambient sound, bites, tags and teases.

Chris Filippi, reporter at KIRO radio in Seattle is exactly right when he says that radio reporting needs to be direct and attention grabbing because “when people are listening to your story on the radio, they’re doing it while they dodge traffic, talk on their cellphone and do their makeup.” Listeners get lost in complicated, long descriptions so especially without any sort of visual aid, it is imperative to keep it simple but engaging.

Live Tweeting as a Form of Reporting

I am by no means an avid “tweeter.” Although this is probably because I can’t come up with enough witty things to share throughout my day, I would rather blame it on not having a smart phone and forgetting all my funny remarks, words of wisdom and (lucky for you guys) whiny complaints by the time I log onto my computer.  However, being required to tweet for class has broadened my perspective on what this social networking tool can be used for.

Newswriting Basics

And by basics, I mean let’s start with what I remember learning about writing in the third-grade.

Readers of Today: No Easy Audience

In reading today’s assignment, what resonated with me most is the fact that as time goes on it’s becoming more and more difficult to entertain readers.  Life for most of us moves at such a fast pace that if any of us are going to sit still and focus our attention on anything for any given amount of time, it better be worth our while. If not, the chances are slim to none we’ll even be given a second chance.

Because there are so many ways to tell stories today through videography, typography, visuals, audio, and good old fashioned story-writing, presented through a variety of platforms, it’s no easy task to measure up to competitive sources and means of communication.

A New Year, A New Blog-Worthy Class

Media Writing should be a great class to evaluate and improve my writing. I especially hope to learn about the different types of writing required in the field of communications. I look forward to sharing my ideas and reflections throughout this semester.

First Gig of (one of) my (many) Dream Job(s)!

Lots of memories were made this summer with family, friends and new co-workers. The past few months were so busy in the best way. But they flew by… I can’t believe I head back to school for my sophomore year this week.  I’m excited and a little anxious for what the upcoming year will bring.  Before I start another chapter, I want to share some pictures from the most memorable night of my summer. My neighbor, who is like a second mother and a best friend to me, was engaged to be married. After ten years of dating her fiancé and this being the second marriage for both of them, she was well beyond the hoopla that young brides and grooms (okay mostly, brides) fall into. She wanted a simple backyard wedding with just family to witness. But during one of our Monday night Bachelorette showings, as I helped her find shoes and jewelry online, she started trying to think of a way to secretly have me there and I offered to take her pictures. Win-win situation! Boy did I have a blast as the wedding photographer. Thankfully my neighbor wasn’t a young Bridezilla to overwhelm me with the responsibility of capturing every moment perfectly.  She realized what was most important about her day and told me she just wanted one good picture, which calmed my nerves. I could handle that! She knew I would do my best – and I did. Over a thousand pictures and a 128-paged Wedding album later, here are a few of my favorites.

THE WEDDING ALBUM

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¡Bienvenido al centro de español!

I can’t believe the school year is over. UNREAL. My first year at Elon was nothing short of incredible and was certainly a year I will remember for the rest of my life.

I’m so glad I was introduced to the programs that Elon’s El Centro de Español has to offer. Because of their welcoming staff and students, I truly believe they offer a cultural experience and community that no other university can provide. Check out my final DMC project, a glimpse into how special El Centro is to all of us invested in the spanish language here at Elon.

Photo Display for Comm School by DMCers

Downstairs McEwen of the Communications building needed a new display so I helped create a mash-up of my talented class’s photos! See what you think:

Stop Motion

Experimented with stop motion animation to my lovely friend, Mackenzie Robert’s voice singing “You are my Sunshine.” It was fun project and I really gained appreciation for the importance of attention to detail in animation. Pretty cool how it all works but definitely not an easy feat. I hope you like it!