Final Reflection

Graduation Photo, April 15, 2018

As I prepare myself to graduate from the University of Wyoming in 3 days I have been doing a lot of reflecting. I cannot believe how fast this semester has flown by, it seems like just yesterday I was writing my first blog past, eager to learn more about what this class had to offer. Coming into this class in January, I was expecting to learn more about what it means to work in technology production.  The world is relying more and more in technology and I was excited about this course because as I head into the work field, I want to be prepared for anything that gets thrown my way. I was also looking forward to gaining more experience in the interviewing process, and I had many opportunities to sharpen my skills in this category through my audio interview, video interview, photo assignment, mapping assignment and web story. I love all the opportunities that we were given to step outside of our comfort zones and expand our creative sides.

I think that I had very high expectations for this course coming in because there is so much to learn when it comes to technology, editing, embedding, and creating good quality work and I believe that all my expectations were met. I loved that we were able to experience multiple channels through multiple different assignments. I feel that Dr, Landreville did a wonderful job of preparing us for what to expect in the work force and I am excited to share what I have learned with future employers. I feel more confident with interviews, editing and creating good quality work in the categories of photography, video and audio.

Graduation Photo, April 15, 2018

Soft skills were a foreign concept to me before taking this course, but I am grateful to now have more knowledge on this skills before I graduate. As someone who personally loves verbal affirmation, I am someone who loves giving it as well. One concept that was hard for me to learn, and that I am still working on, is being a good listener and not having to give verbal affirmation like “uh huh” and so on. I think that this is something that I will have to continue to work on, but I know that those who I interview in the future will be appreciate of the skill of active listening that  have gained from this course. As I have mentioned previously, I am also super excited about the new interview skills that I have learned throughout this course. I had to step outside my comfort zone multiple times, but each time became more confident than the last.

I believe that the skills of being an active listener and interviewing skills will help me in my career because my dream is to be a sports broadcaster. Sports broadcasters spend a lot of time in front of the camera, conducting interviews and listening to players. I believe that both these soft skills will be important because the focus will shift to the player and the interview rather than my verbal affirmation.

Graduation Photo, April 15, 2018

My favorite assignment from this semester would be the mapping assignment. Because I am a Colorado girl at heart, and because I will always love the mountains, I loved being able to share some of my personal favorite hiking sports in Colorado.  I actually had a random stranger read my blog post on my favorite hiking spots and ‘like’ my article. Knowing that someone benefited from my blog post makes me excited to continue to add to my portfolio and reach out to others.

My least favorite assignment was the photography assignment. I never realized how much goes into capturing the right photograph and I struggled with that assignment. I do not like lacking confidence after turning in school assignments, and I was not confident with the photos that I took. I had a really hard time finding the techniques that we talked about in class, in the real world. It was also hard to conduct interviews with strangers, and try and photograph them “acting normal” even though they had no idea who I was. Overall, the assignment felt awkward to me but I was grateful for the experience.

Graduation Photo, April 15, 2018

Wow, if I could go back in time there is a lot of things I would tell myself, but if I had to choose one it would be to not take life too seriously. I think that being forced outside of my comfort zone for a lot of these assignment made me uncomfortable at times and there were even times that I missed opportunities due to a lack of willing to try and talk to new people. I think that in my field (communication) it is important to  be able to adapt, learn and laugh at yourself sometimes. Overall, I am so grateful for all that I have learned from this course and I will miss the University of Wyoming so much. Thank you Dr, Landreville for a wonderful semester and all you have taught me, I will miss you vey much and I am excited to see where these new skills will take me in my future.

Sneaker Features by Justin Long and Kendra O’Brien

1) For this assignment, Justin and I decided that it would be a unique topic to focus on the sneaker culture at the University of Wyoming. I personally know nothing about sneaker culture, Justin is very educated on the trends, but I enjoyed learning more about how these trends are on the rise, especially at UW. We were able to interview two UW students, one from Wyoming (Austin) and one from California (Molly) and it was interesting to see their different opinions on style and sneaker culture in Wyoming and California.

2) As I mentioned above, I knew nothing about the growing sneaker culture before starting this assignment so there was a lot that I enjoyed learning throughout this experience. I also really enjoy new assignments where I am able to expand and learn more about videography, this assignment helped me expand my portfolio and knowledge of editing video clips together to create a final product. I have done video editing in the past, but it was exciting to see new features like voice overs and embedding music into our video. Something that was a challenge for me during this assignment was exporting the different clips from mobile devices to computers. Some of the files were too big and the exporting was difficult at times but eventually we were able to figure it out.

3) Something that surprised me during this assignment was how easy it was to edit and embed in iMovie. I thought that it was going to be more difficult to embed voice overs and music, but it turned out to be a fairly easy process and I really enjoyed gaining more experience in this area. I love learning new things and I now feel more prepared for when I have to do this in my future. I really enjoyed working with Justin on this project because of his unique ideas and creative flare that he brought to editing and filming. He came up with ideas I would’ve never thought of on my own and I think we played off of each other nicely. Something that was challenging, during this assignment, was making sure to have good sound quality during our interviews. Because we recorded our clips on Justin’s phone, there were parts that could’ve been more clear, but overall we are both very happy with how our final product turned out.

4) After completing this assignment I found myself excited with our final product and excited to bring these skills into my future career. On my national exchange last semester, at LSU, I was able to edit a 1 hour interview down to 8 minutes, using iMovie, for a final presentation and this assignment reminded me a lot of that assignment. Having prior knowledge helps in future projects and I see this project helping me complete future assignments that I will be given in my career field. I would ultimately love to go into the field of sports broadcasting, so I believe that having the knowledge to edit, embed, and present a final product is going to be an important skill to have.

Colorado Rockies vs. Denver Broncos Social Media

The purpose of this blog is to compare the social media sites of two major league sports teams, in Colorado specifically the Denver Broncos and the Colorado Rockies. Social media is a very powerful tool that companies and organizations can use to create exposure for there brand and keep in touch with their followers. Through this blog post, I will be looking at the social media sites of these two organizations analyzing their effectiveness at communicating with their followers and fan base. The reason that I decided to look at the social media sites of the Broncos and the Rockies is because they are the two biggest major league teams in Colorado. Sports organizations are unique because they have off seasons and they have to find a way to keep their fan base engaged even in their off seasons, and the easiest way to do that is through social media. I am interested, specifically because at the moment the Rockies are just beginning their season and the Broncos are in the midst of their off season. I wanted to see how their social media looks different in these two very different times. I was also interested in analyzing these two teams because I am interested in seeing how social media sites keep their fan base involved even when the team is losing. It is difficult to keep your fans interested when their team is not doing well and I am interested to see how these teams handle loses and celebrate wins and how that looks different on their social media sites.

Denver Broncos: 

The social media platforms that the Denver Broncos used were Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat.  Other social media sites that are not being used by the Broncos, that could be, are Tumblr and Pinterest. Although the Broncos are not utilizing all the social media sites that they could be, I think that they are using all the social media sites that best fit their image and fan base.  I personally thought that the Bronco’s social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter was very professional and eye catching.  I originally was brought to their official website and it was really easy to find all the social media websites from there.  When I was brought to the Broncos Facebook page my eye was immediately drawn to the first video on the page of Bradley Chubb’s highlight reel. I didn’t have to press play on the video but rather it just started playing automatically and even though I don’t know who Bradley Chubb is, I found myself watching the video and scrolling. The Broncos Facebook very nicely transcends into their Instagram and Twitter pages as well. The theme is the same across all platforms and there is new and exciting content on each different site.  The message that I noticed was the same across all platforms was the message of “Tradition”.  The Broncos pride themselves on tradition and how that has carried them through their seasons.  They pride themselves on the tradition that they keep the same, and that fans look forward too when attending their games. The purpose of these social media sites is to keep in touch with fans, sell merchandise, sell tickets, and advertise.  Even in their off seasons the Broncos need to stay relevant to their fans and they use social media to do that.

3 ways that the Broncos are using social media in an effective way:

1. They focus on the common theme of “Tradition” used throughout their multiple social media sites.
2. The automatically playing videos that draw in the fans eye and make them interested in what the Broncos are doing in their off season.
3. The way that the Broncos incorporate photos that fans send in on their social media sites, like fans children dressed in Broncos gear, or fans pets. This makes the fans feel extra important and noticed and makes the bond stronger between fans and the team.

3 ways that the Broncos could improve their presence on social media:

1. Even though they are in the off season, focus more their efforts on utilizing the upcoming Draft to stay relevant and keep their fans excited.
2. Posting more videos/highlight reels to keep their fans on their page for longer
3. More fan interaction. Maybe personalized videos from players with updates on the upcoming season and how they are spending their time in the off season. Fans like to feel  like they are involved in the players lives.

Photos Courtesy of Official Denver Broncos Facebook and Twitter Pages  

Colorado Rockies:

The social media platforms that the Colorado Rockies are active on are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, Tumblr and Pinterest. For the most part, the Colorado Rockies are taking full advantage of all the possible social media sites available.  I think that this technique could both hurt them and help them.  I think that it would be more beneficial for the Rockies to focus their efforts on a few social media sites, and do well, rather than trying to be active on as many sites as possible.  The Rockies are trying to be active on a lot of social media sites but they, in my opinion, aren’t thriving on any of them.  Their posts are not exciting and they are not doing a very good job at drawing in the attention of the user.  This year, the Rockies have a huge opportunity for social media and branding considering that this year marks 25 years since the Rockies were founded. They have the opportunity to use this to their advantage and increase their social media presence and follower base by a lot, but they are not utilizing this opportunity as well as they could be.  On Facebook and other sites their profile picture is the Rockies logo with 25 years attached to it, but other than that it wasn’t obvious that this was their 25th year. There presence across all platforms is active but not consistent.  They could be doing a better job of drawing their users in and across all their platforms.  The purpose for the Rockies social media is together their brand out there, sell tickets, sell merchandise and increase the fan base of the Rockies.  Another way that the Rockies need to be utilizing their social media is that they are in the beginning stages of their season, they are having wins and loses and they need to be using this to get their fans interested in their cause.

3 ways that the Rockies are using social media in an effective way:

1. They post often and try their best to not let their fans forget about them
2. There are some specific areas where they are using their 25th year to market and advertise themselves
3. They update their fans after each win and each loss by posting the score on their Facebook page.

3 ways that the Rockies could improve their presence on social media:

1. More consistent theme across all their social media platforms
2. More focus on improving their social media sites that have the greatest and most active fan base
3. Working harder to make their posts interactive and more personal to their fans, rather than just posting random things to try and stay relevant.

Photos courtesy of the official Colorado Rockies Facebook and Twitter Pages

From this assignment, I was able to learn more about the importance of social media presence. Looking and being able to compare the differences between the Denver Broncos social media sites verses the Colorado Rockies sites was interesting.  The Denver Broncos have a much more up-to-date sites and I believe are more relevant to their users even in their off season.  The Rockies,on the other hand, need to work on their social media presence and improve the effectiveness of their sites.  They have a wonderful marketing opportunity because it is their 25th year of baseball and they should be using that across all platforms.  Until this assignment I had not had the opportunity to compare an organizations social media sites so I may have never noticed the differences in the quality of these sites.  After this assignment I was able to see how important it is for organizations to have common themes across all of their sites and to have relevant and exciting new posts often.

5 Best Summertime Hikes in Colorado

I was born and raised in Colorado so this state will always have a special place in my heart. Being born here, I was raised on finding my entertainment outdoors. Whether that be hunting, fishing, or hiking! The purpose of this post is to show my readers, who also have a passion for the outdoors, some of my favorite hikes that I have had the pleasure of completing in the past 22 years I have lived here. I am going to start with number five and work my way to number one.

5 Best Summertime Hikes in Colorado

5) Horsetooth Reservoir- Fort Collins, Colorado

Horsetooth Reservoir is one of my favorite hikes because it was one that I had not had the opportunity to complete up until recently. My friends Alisha, Etta, and I recently made the trip down from Laramie to hike up Horsetooth rock and it was a perfect day. The sun was shining and we had a perfect view of the front range throughout the duration of the hike. “I loved hiking Horsetooth because it was not too challenging, but had the most beautiful view from the top. I really had the opportunity to appreciate Colorado’s beauty once we made it to the top.” Alisha stated. We started our hike at 10:00am and made it to the top just an hour later, where we got a perfect view of both Fort Collins, and the Rocky Mountains. Because this hike is not as challenging, we were able to truly enjoy the view that much more and take the long way down. On our way down we took a detour to Horsetooth Falls, for a total of 6.5 miles, and completely worth it. For these reasons, Horsetooth Reservoir is my fifth favorite hike in Colorado.

4) The Incline- Manitou Springs, Colorado

The Incline is located in Manitou Springs, Colorado and is known throughout the hiking community as being one of the most challenging climbs in Colorado. Climbing over 2,000ft in elevation, the view from the top is worth every step. I completed the Incline in March of 2016, and it was such a fun experience. We ran into so many people on our way up who had conquered the climb multiple times before and who were regulars to the incline. We were able to stop and talk to many of the locals who had completed the hike multiple times already, which was hard for me to imagine because I had a hard time making it up the first time. One fun fact that we learned from a local who was completing the climb alongside us, was that gaining 2,000ft in elevation is equivalent to climbing the stairs up to the top of the Empire State building, twice! What a cool perspective! For these reasons, the Incline is my fourth favorite hike in Colorado.

3) Button Rock- Lyons, Colorado

The Button Rock Trailhead is located in Lyons, Colorado off of Highway 36 on your way to Estes Park. There are so many reasons why this hike is in my top five, but my favorite has to be the view from the top, and it is not a view of the land below, but rather a body of water. Once you reach the top of the dam, you are exposed to a beautiful reservoir that is nestled away in the Rocky Mountains. Unless you decide to conquer this 5 mile hike will you see just how beautiful the end goal really is, and trust me it is truly breath taking. I often like to take this hike alone, or with my dog, because there is nothing like sitting next to the lake with good book or a journal. Aside from the lake, there are mountains as far as the eye can see and they truly help me appreciate how blessed I am to be born into such a magnificent state. For all of these reasons, Button Rock is my third favorite hike in Colorado.

2) Hallett Peak- Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

In June, 2016I had the pleasure, well I’m not sure if that is the right word, of hiking over 5,000ft to the top of Hallett Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. This was by far one of the most challenging hikes I have ever completed, but the view was easily one of the best. My sister (Seymone), her friend Alexis and I, began our hike around 7:30am and finished around 3:00pm. This hike was 11 miles in total with a gain in over 5,000ft in elevation, but once we reached the top we were at over 13,500ft in elevation. “Hallett Peak was by far one of the most challenging hikes I have ever completed, but that view from the top of the front range, mountains as far as I could see, and a view of Longs Peak from the backside, made all of the obstacles worth overcoming.” Seymone states. On our way to the top we encountered wildlife of all sorts, glaciers that we had to scale up, streams we had to jump across, and rocks we had to crawl on, but we indeed made it to the top successfully. This was one of my favorite hikes because it both challenged me, but allowed me to see what I am capable of conquering. Since, I have a deeper appreciation for 14ers, mountains that are 14,000ft in elevation or higher, and completing this hike only made me want to see which 14er I can conquer next. For these reasons, Hallett Peak is my second favorite hike in Colorado.

1) Hanging Lake- Glenwood Canyon, Colorado

Photo Courtesy of visitglenwood.com

Hanging Lake, located in Glenwood Canyon should be a hike that is on everyones bucket list. This short, yet steep hike, is tucked deep in the Glenwood Canyon, running perpendicular to the Colorado River. If you can find parking, you begin your hike at the Hanging Lake trailhead and make your way along a creek, clear as glass, up to the top of the canyon. When you begin to get close to the top you will know it because the air will begin to grow more crisp due to the rushing waterfall that feeds into Hanging Lake. Once you get to the top of the canyon you will hike a little further and emerge onto a wooden pathway that leads you toward, and eventually around, the lake. Hanging lake is like something out of a dream, with waters that could pass for being apart of the Caribbean, a lovely waterfall and more green vegetation than you thought possible, hanging lake is one of my all-time favorite spots in Colorado. My sister Seymone and I hiked Hanging Lake last march and she stated, “Our hike to Hanging Lake was one of my favorite memories of us, I think my favorite part of the hike was when we took a detour to the the top of the lake to see what feeds into it, and we found the most amazing waterfall, what an added bonus that was!!” Seymone stated. As I said before, Hanging Lake is something that everyone should experience for themselves. For the reasons listed above, and so many more, Hanging Lake is my number one recommended hike in Colorado.

My sister and I on our most recent hike to Hanging Lake

Audio Interview- Adventures in Finland

1. My overall interview experience was surprisingly positive.  When we were first assigned this project, I was not looking forward to the audio editing what so ever because I am not tech savvy.  But I had a ton of fun recording and editing this audio clip.  I was not expecting it to be as simple as it was and having the opportunity to talk with Shawna about her experience in Finland was so cool.  The audio recorder was awkward and I think that it made Shawna nervous, we ended up having to start over a few times, but overall it was such a fun experience and I feel like I have more knowledge on audio and more importantly, editing, after finishing this assignment.
2. As I mentioned above I was not looking forward to the editing of the audio clip, but it turned out to be easier than I thought.  It was definitely a tedious process and it took a bit of time, but I feel like I was successful.  I think that the hardest part for me was trying to decide what was worth keeping and what wasn’t.  Trimming an already short interview of five minutes, down even shorter was a challenge.  But I think that I was able to keep the most important information.
3. Something that surprised me with this assignment was that I was able to, so easily, figure out how to edit and export the clips.  I usually am not good about exporting and uploading correctly, especially with audio, so I had fun figuring it out and learning those skills for the future when I might have to deal with audio.
4. Honestly, there is not anything that I would change about this audio interview.  It was super simple to conduct the interview and exporting and uploading was easy for the most part.  Overall, the interview went smoothly and the editing was something that I really enjoyed learning how to do.
5. I might use audio in my future career because I think that it would be fun to go into the radio or sports broadcasting field.  Both of those jobs involve audio and video clips.  Although it is not my goal to be an editor, but rather be the talent in front of the camera or behind the microphone, there may still be times when I need to edit.  I think that knowing these skills will help me in my future career, even if I am not primarily using them, they will look good on a resume and will help me have a more broad understanding of what editing entails.

Digital Photography Portfolio

Saturday, Feb. 24, CFD Park, Photo #1

This past week I had the opportunity to go to Cheyenne and tour around Frontier Park, home of the world famous Cheyenne Frontier Days.  This water tower is actually not a water tower at all but rather a shell with a cellular antenna tower, hidden within. Each year millions of country music and rodeo fans travel from all over the world to attend Cheyenne Frontier Days and it was decided a few years ago that it needs to be easier for fans up upload and share their CFD experience with the world. The main creative device that is used in this photo is framing.  Using the iconic bucking horse to frame the most significant event that takes place in Wyoming.  Wyoming has pride that runs deep for the University of Wyoming and Cheyenne Frontier Days, both are captured in this photo.  As you can see there is some glaring from the windshield in the photo so I learned that it is difficult to capture photos through windows and perhaps next time I need to get better at blocking those glares and angling the camera so there is less of a glare.

Tom and Margret, Friend Date, McDonalds, Saturday, Feb. 24 2018, Photo #2

For photo #2, I was able to take a photojournalism feature photograph of Tom and Margret in mid conversation at a local McDonalds.  After this photo was taken I was able to talk to them and they told me that they have met up with their friends in this McDonalds every Saturday morning for the past few years.  I thought this was rare and reminds me why I love living in a state where loving your friends and taking time to live in community is important.  I was not looking forward to approaching them and interrupting their conversation, but I did and I really enjoyed having the chance to learn more about them and why they decide to meet up every Saturday.  They explained why they think that friendship is so important and that good friends are hard to find, so it is important to enjoy their company while we can.  There are a lot of similar colors in this photo so I think that the subjects stick out and draw the audience’s attention to their conversation.  What I learned from this photo is that there are so many people that surround us daily, who we often pay no attention too, who have awesome stories to tell.  Simply going up and making conversation with people like the two above, is uncomfortable but I loved learning more about what their friendship means to them and it makes me value friendship that much more.

10:30am service, Snowy Range Evangelical Free Church, Sunday Feb. 25, Photo #3

10:30am service, Snowy Range Evangelical Free Church, Sunday Feb. 25, Photo #4

For photos 3 and 4, I decided to focus on the different environments/ moods that occur in a church, as a photojournalism feature story.  On Sunday’s I attend Snowy Range Evangelical Free Church and love the atmosphere that it creates for the people who call this church home.  Both photo 3 and 4 are taken in the same room, but at different angles and at different times during there service.  Photo 3 is taken during the beginning part of the worship portion of the 10:30am service on Sunday morning. The environment that worship brings is comforting to many people who attend this church, worship welcomes a very ‘serious’ environment, allowing people to focus on their personal relationship with God.  In photo 4, it is a very different environment, yet in the same room and same people.  Photo 4 was taken after the service had already ended and a very welcoming, community based environment was appreciated. Opposite from the environment in photo 3, photo 4 welcomes conversation and a more lighthearted environment, one that is not as serious.  I have never had the opportunity to take photos during church in the past and I learned that when you stop and take a look around it is cool to see what those around you are experiencing.

Final Paragraph

This assignment was a ton of fun and I really appreciated being pushed outside of my comfort zone and being forced to talk to new people and photograph their lives.  There is so much beauty that surrounds us everyday and until we are forced to take a minute or be more attentive to it we my never see it.  One thing I may have done differently during this assignment was to take advantage of campus more and the photo opportunities that it has.  I do not consider myself a photographer and I think that this assignment forced me to step outside my comfort zone and keep an eye out for photo opportunities everywhere.

 

What doesn’t kill you…

photo courtesy of UW Athletic Department

               According to psychologicalscience.org, it is true that although pain and hard work has a tendency to be ‘unpleasant’, it actually has the power to bring a group of people together.  This is especially true in competitive sports.

After interviews with Brooklyn Chambers, a senior who had a career ending injury after she broke her ankle in 2015 playing for the cowgirl soccer team, Isaac Leppke, a redshirt freshman who tore his meniscus in 2017 playing for the cowboy football team and Ryan Pinson, the Director of Sports Medicine for University of Wyoming athletics, we are able to get a better idea of just how injury affects players relationships with their teammates.

When Isaac Leppke, a wide receiver, redshirt freshman, tore his meniscus in November of 2017 he thought it would be a career ending injury.  After winning the Idaho Potato Bowl in December of 2017, Leppke underwent surgery to begin the healing process.  After sitting down with him it was clear that his injury not only made the bond with his teammates stronger, but allowed for teammates who had also been injured in the past to help him with his recovery process.  When asked ‘How has your injury affected your relationship with your teammates? Do they treat you differently?’, Leppke answered, “My injury has brought me closer to my teammates actually.  They have shown me love and have cared for me on a deeper level than before my injury, and I find that pretty awesome.” Isaac seemed to have a deeper connection and appreciation for his teammates because of his injury, rather than allowing it to hold him back or get in the way of growing friendships with his teammates.

photo courtesy of Isaac Leppke Twitter (During 2017 UW football game)

When Brooklyn Chambers, now a second-year senior, broke and tore the ligaments in her ankle during a scrimmage in the middle of her 2015 soccer season, she was devastated.  When asked how she was mentally affected by her injury she answered, “I felt as though I was separated from the team. I began to question my role on the team and wonder what my position was. I know that my teammates didn’t see me any differently, but I felt weaker in their eyes.”  Brooklyn thought that her teammates saw her differently after her career ending injury but after talking to her more it was obvious that her injury actually brought her teammates closer.  When Chambers was asked “How did your life/your relationship with your teammates change after your injury?” she humbly answered “Other than no longer being a part of the Wyoming soccer team, my life actually didn’t change much.  Of course, I no longer went to workouts, but my teammates were nothing but supportive and loving.  I didn’t look at my injury as something that ruined me, instead I saw it as a blessing and something that taught me lessons I didn’t know I needed to learn.” Chambers didn’t allow her injury to define who she was as a person, instead she allowed it to grow her.  In fact, she later mentioned that she still has a close relationship with her teammates to this day.

photo courtesy of sweetwaternow.com (Chambers during a UW soccer game vs CO School of Mines)

As mentioned above, both Leppke and Chambers suffered from injuries in their sport, one career ending and one not.  Regardless of how bad their individual injuries were, they were both shown nothing but love and support by their teammates.  Ryan Pinson, the Director of Sports Medicine for the University of Wyoming’s’ athletic department, agrees that a strong teams dont allow injury to affect them.  Pinson stated the following “I always make sure to tell athletes that their sport is a part of them and it is not what defines them as a human being.” Pinson really stressed that when one of his athletes gets injured, he makes sure to express to them that this is just a part of who they are and that regardless of whether the injury is career ending or not, they are going to recover. In addition, when Pinson was asked “How do you think that injury affects players’ relationships with their teammates?” he answered, “You may be in a different role when you are injured…as the injured player you take on the role of supporter and all of your teammates have to deal with it in different ways. Teammates can be great teammates by supporting each other.  Even as an outsider I love to see great teams because they build on each other, they thrive, and they are competitive.”

Being a part of a team is something that not many people get the chance to experience, but after talking to Leppke, Chambers and Pinson, it is obvious that nothing can break the bond between them and their teammates, not even injury, in fact it actually has the power to bring them closer.

photo courtesy of UW Athletics Department (War Memorial Stadium)

Multimedia Production- Blog Post #1

As someone who does not have an extensive background in technology I am excited about this course.  With the way the world is headed and turning into such a technologically advanced society, it is becoming a requirement to know how to effectively navigate the web and keep relevant information posted on social media sites.  Blogs are an excellent way to post thoughts, data and build a professional portfolio.

I have high expectations for this course because I am eager to learn more about what it takes to not only keep, but also maintain professional media sites.  I also love learning new skills and I think that this course, based off of the syllabus and others’ blogs, will help teach students how to incorporate multiple outlets of technology and social media sites.  Along with that, I am eager to learn more about what it means, technology wise, to be in a large corporation and what they will expect after graduation. I am also looking forward to taking photos, videos, audio, conducting interviews and learning how to properly edit them and make them professional enough to present to customers and fellow employees.  Learning how to talk to people and conduct professional interviews is crucial, especially in my field (Communication).  I have had experience in the past with this, but the more I practice, the more comfortable I will feel when I am in a professional work environment.

There is a lot going on in the world right now that are key issues that need to be reported on.  I think that an issue I would be interested in covering this semester is the sports industry.  There are so many layers to the sports industry between coaches getting away with unacceptable behavior to the way that injured players are affected and affect the team dynamic, whether that be at a collegiate or professional level.  As I mentioned in the “About Kendra” page, one of the possible career paths I would love to invest my life toward is sports broadcasting.  Being a good sports broadcaster would require me to me invested in the ‘behind the scenes’ of the sporting industry and these are some issues that need more attention.

Attatched are some links that might be helpful while I am conducting research on the topic above: here and here