Media 413 Blue House Agency, the department’s in-house communications and marketing team.
PHOTO CREDIT: Trevor Thompson
This spring a talented group of nine students has taken over communications and marketing for the Department of Communication and Media. Working with department administration, they are engaged in promotion and outreach, event planning, graphic design, copywriting, multimedia production, public relations, and social media strategy.
“I’m working primarily on events planning,” says team Department Outreach Coordinator Amy Aiello. “I have some experience with event planning from my sorority and previous internships, but in this role, I’m learning more logistics of event planning, like how to create an event plan from scratch and manage and promote the event.”
The students on the team are gaining experience with professional communication efforts as they prepare to step into roles they are interested in pursuing for their careers. This semester they have already planned several department events, promoted community engagement, created multimedia projects, and participated in professional processes.
“I worked with Dr. Casper to set my learning goals,” says Danya Ramirez, Social Media Manager for the team. “I wanted to build on my existing experience, and I’ve already learned so much that will help me in my career.”
To join the team, each student applied and interviewed for a practicum position. They were selected for their unique skills, experience, and perspectives. They are now building their resumes, filling their portfolios with work samples, and getting one-on-one assistance from faculty supervisor, Dr. Casper.
What began as a group of individual practicums will become a new class, MEDIA 413 Media Activities: Blue House Agency, in Fall 2019. The team will grow from nine students to nearly 20. Students interested in joining must apply and interview for positions in order to register.
The MEDIA 413 class is intended for experienced students ready to specialize in their area of interest. Students with a background in media production, writing, marketing, outreach, and/or public relations are encouraged to join the team. Instructions on how to apply will be posted on the department website in April.
“I’m the Visual Communications Specialist for the team,” says Mackenzie Gillam. “I’ve been working on creating visually consistent materials. It’s been a great way to apply what I’ve learned in other classes about both branding and graphic design. I’m definitely going to apply again next fall.”