Final Day of Classes!

Today is the final day of classes of my college career! And to make things even better, I made the cover of the cover of the Communication Studies Newsletter for my work in Web Design! Check it out to see what other majors and fellow graduates have been up to this year:

• Spotlight on Alumnus Mike Max P.2
• Professor Gaetano’s NCUR Experience P.3
• Persuasive Cases & Campaigns P.4
• Political Communication in 2012: Twitterific or is it? P.5
• The Team Teaching Experience P.6
• Palmerton’s Year Ahead P.6
• Thoughts from Senior Erik Burgess P.7
• Upcoming Courses P.7

This newsletter is run by Comm Majors and is a great way to keep track of your friends and their achievements. One of the greatest things about Hamline is that you really get to know the people in your field of study and build friendships based on common interests and stories of professors.

Jenna Scattarelli ‘12:

“Don’t give up when taking Western Rhetorical Theory or Senior Seminar! There are Communication Gods guiding you to the finish line!”

Congrats to all of the Communication Studies Graduates and I will see you for our celebratory dinner with the professors next week!

Graduating Seniors in Communication Studies:

December 2011

• Nick Madryga
• Stephanie Poirer
• Lynn Robohm

May 2012

• Erik Burgess
• Brenna Coyle
• Trevor Davis
• Joel Eaton
• Samuel Eccles
• Alicia Franck
• Nancy Huynh
• Connor Moore
• Lucy Nguyen
• Jenna Scattarelli
• Jeffrey Sonntag
• Casey Willmarth

Career Obtained!

Career

YES! After months of diligently scouting for a full time position, I have gotten an offer! It feels so amazing after weeks of hectic scheduling, exhausting contacts, and interview preparation. I have connected with Hamline faculty and staff outside of classroom and work study settings to expand my network and I am so happy to tell them that it has paid off! Feeling their sense of pride in my success really shows the strong community Hamline can be if you open yourself up to it.

- Tips -

1. Do NOT negotiate salary and benefits until you are officially offered the position – This is when you are most powerful during the job hunt. You have gotten them to admit that they want you and they are therefore willing to work with your needs to some extent. Hamline’s Career Development Center has TONS of tips and tricks for performing this little dance with prospective employers.
2. Network with EVERYONE you know on campus – Hamline faculty and staff know practically everyone, especially in the Twin Cities. If you need an “in” they are eager to help you!
3. Informational Interviews – Even if a place you like isn’t hiring for a position you want, ask a contact at that organization for coffee or a quick bite to eat. They will take your resume and bring it back to their organization to keep on file. It looks great that you took such initiative when they do find something in your field. Dress professionally, be personable, and go to somewhere near them so that it isn’t a time consuming obligation – they are doing YOU a favor!

Housing

With my career falling into place and therefore my income secured, I was able to apply for an apartment in Golden Valley! I am excited to start my adult life and be on my own (with a short 15 min. drive from mom and dad for when I want a little extra comfort). Negotiating a lease or apartment application can be intimidating. Know what you want and be critical!

- Tips -

1. Again, BE CRITICAL!!!! Notice every little detail. Flip on every light and faucet – how long does it take to warm up? Notice the water pressure. Ask about average bills for heat and electric. The attendant will know this information and you get a sense of what you will ACTUALLY be paying. Can you paint? Hang things? Cable in more rooms than one? Response to maintenance requests? Will you have a pet? Is there a pet deposit, separate rent, both? Parking fees? Guest parking? Snow plowing? Find out as much as you can and notice how they respond over email – if you can, get all the information in writing (email) so you can look back, and also it is there if they give you a different answer once you move in.
2. Lease negotiation – get EVERYTHING in writing! Who is responsible for which payments? Can they visit/show the apartment without you there? Cross every T and dot every I, if not, you may regret it.
   1. A little FYI – Waste Management for the Hamline area wants landlords to handle that expense – don’t sign a lease saying it is your obligation or you will face a hefty fine and payment battle with your landlord. You may even have to attend a court hearing over the matter like we did last spring.
3. Notice the area – where is the nearest grocery shopping? Restaurants? Your commute to work? Also note that you may have another monthly parking fee if you plan to work in the cities. Are you in a business area? Busy shops and nightlife? Residential? Your neighbors may care!
4. Do your best to tour the actual unit you would be renting. Some places have model units they do for tours which are obviously going to be kept in the most pristine conditions. This way you know exactly what you are getting in to.
   1. Most places require current tenants to notify the complex 2 months before they terminate their lease and therefore establish the vacant/rent-able units for you. EX- If you are looking to rent in August, the complex will not know their official availability until June. (You can still look at the place, but you likely wont see the exact unit you would rent).

• There is a fee to apply – my application was about $35 which I am told is “not too bad at all.” The application usually asks about your previous renting history, if they can contact your previous landlords, current employment and pay rate. They also do a standard criminal background check (which is mostly what the application fee goes towards) and they verify your salary to make sure you will be able to make the monthly payments. Some places just ask you make enough to cover the expected fees each month and other places ask that you make about 2-2.5 times the monthly rent expense. Just things to keep in mind when you tour places you like!

Graduation

With my career path underway and my housing falling into place, I am on a steadfast path to graduation! Tomorrow night is the Class of 2012 Senior Reception where we will gather as a class to remissness about our time at Hamline. Faculty nominated by our class will give brief speeches to the students and toast to our success. Plus, free food!I am counting down the days (25!!!!!!) until commencement and can’t wait wrap this success under my belt. I am so excited to be done with classes, however I am not ready to leave the connections I have established throughout campus. Most missed will be my work study position here in Marketing Communications. I was hired on my freshman year and started with filing and administrative duties. Then I learned how to manage the online campus Events Calendar and help with marketing photo shoots. As we redesigned the website in 2010, I evolved to an esteemed web editor in the higher education industry. This is something I hope to meet up with again as I build my career. I do not want to leave my team so don’t be shocked if you see me around campus still!Also, student organizations have become an important part to my Hamline experience. I used to think they are for the “over-achievers” and such but after joining HUSC to help my friend out in a time of need, I haven’t been able to step away. My advice – just try it. Start off in a student organization and if you don’t like it, leave!!! They are easy to get out of and you can choose how involved or not involved you want to be, but if you really like it you can THRIVE and it looks great to prospective employers.

As you may know, my parents – Rita Younger ’81 and George Willmarth ’80 – also attended Hamline and have been extremely proud of how I have made this educational experience my own. Below are a few photos of them at Hamline, and a couple of my mom at her commencement.

My parents married the next day.

Busy Week!

Holy Buckets! This is an epic week and today is the most crazy!

Here’s how it goes:

8:00 a.m. Work here in Marketing Communications on campus

10:15 a.m. Management Class- My group and I have a 45 min. group presentation – I think this is my last one EVER!!!!

11:30 a.m. Lunch!

1:00 p.m. Interview at KARE 11! Thanks to my Hamline connections, I will be meeting with the Sales and Advertising Director at KARE today which would be an amazing job since I plan to move out to Golden Valley this summer!

2:30 p.m. Work at MSP Magazine – I have another interview with MSP Custom Content which is the network that produces MSP Magazine, Twin Cities Business, MSP Weddings, Sky/ Delta, IBM Systems, and so much more! But this position would be moving up full-time and working with other clients!

6:00 p.m. Women, Wisdom and Wine – A women in business networking event.

I have a full day ahead of me and I hope I will see results! Then tomorrow, I will finish collecting data for my Senior Project, have a second viewing at the apartment I want most, and attend the Hamline Class of 2012 Happy Hour! Such a big week!!!!!

“All Good Things Come to an End”

Graduation is quickly approaching and aside from fighting off a major case of Senior-idous, there is soo much to do to!!! Between finishing school work and setting myself up for the next phase of life, I am in a whirlwind of task lists!

Here is all I have to do before May 19th (aside from the day-to-day assignments, working two jobs, and enjoying whats left of college life)

• Group presentation – In my Management class, groups of about 5 students are assigned to a textbook chapter and must research the subject in-depth and and present what they have learned to the class taking up the whole class period while keeping the information entertaining and maintaining a professional presentation.
• Paper – “Myself as a Manager.” Also for my Management course, this paper will be on examining myself as a leader based on what I have learned from course material and discussions.
• FIND HOUSING – The apartment search begins! I have looked at five places now and have a front-runner but still need to send in an application and look in other areas. Not to mention saving up for rent and furnishing my own place. Speaking of income…
• Find a full-time job – I have applied to sooooo many places, using resources within and outside the Hamline community, yet no solid leads yet. I have had a couple interviews, but have not heard back from positions I really desire and think I would thrive in. #HireMe!
• Exam – I will have my last exam EVER in May for my Art History class. We memorize facts and meaning behind terms, images, films, models, and so on and then have to identify and explain all of the information. Did I mention there is also an essay section?
• Final Research Project – I am just about to start gathering data for my senior project and then I have to analyze, come to a conclusion based on my research question, and present my findings to my fellow seniors.

Maybe six things doesn’t seem like a lot to you but when you consider all of the other steps in between, and what it takes to actually accomplish these goals, it is a lot! Plus, attending all of my classes, working 30 hours a week between two jobs, and trying to enjoy my final days at Hamline celebrating with fellow seniors, there is just not enough time in the day!

How are you handling all there is to do before the end of the year? I could use a few tips and tricks
Casey

Student Worker Appreciation Week

Happy Student Worker Appreciation Week Hamline!

This morning I came in and was welcomed with a breakfast of champions! Each year, Hamline student workers are honored by their department throughout this week by coming up with fun, festive tokens of gratitude. In the past, departments have shown their gratitude towards student workers by wearing name badges that state “We appreciate our students”, displaying pictures of student workers in/outside the office with a quote about them, designing a trivia games/quizzes pertaining to their office, serving cake or cupcakes, decorating the office or bulleting board expressing appreciation, having a pizza party or ice cream party, taking the students to lunch, having a gift or badge for the worst job, best dressed, perfect attendance, above and beyond in the office, and having everyone in the office bring in some “home made treats.” I am excited to see what is to come this week!

Also, I am thrilled and honored to be nominated for the Outstanding Student Employee Award! Hamline has several ways in which to honor students for their work and dedication, but this award in particular focuses on students that meet the following criteria:

* Is in good academic standing;
* Is a dedicated member of the Hamline community;
* Goes above and beyond the job expectations;
* Models outstanding work habits;
* Is a creative problem solver;
* Acts as a role model for others;
* Demonstrates increased development and responsibility in position.

I started working in Marketing Communications in February of my Freshman year at Hamline. After over three years here, I have learned so much and have had an incredible experience. I hope to continue my career in web editing and online marketing after graduation and this student worker employment has given me an extremely strong background in the field, including a major website redesign of www.hamline.edu in May 2010. On Wednesday, I will attend a dinner and award ceremony with other nominated student from varied departments. No matter who accepts the award, it will be a good time and I am so humbled to just be recognized for my work and dedication with recognition from a staff I greatly respect.

Interested in becoming a Hamline Student Worker? I HIGHLY recommend it! You get paid to learn something you are interested in aside from academics and it’s just a short walk to work! Take a look at some of the current student worker positions at Hamline!

48 Days Until Graduation!

How am I keeping it together this semester?

Short answer is that I’m not… with only 48 days between me and that diploma, my life is a whirlwind! Between looking for a full-time job, housing, and spending as much time doing things with my friends before they leave, I am sooo happy with my course load. Two of my classes are intro-level which makes it pretty easy to do what is less than expected of college seniors while still doing well in the class. And for Senior Seminar – I am REALLY interested in my project and have a fairly simple methodology lined up. Now I just have to go into a few classes to collect data and write what I found

May 19th can’t come soon enough!

Wrongology

http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf

Watched this video in Management class today. Really cool talk about “Wrongology”. Here are some quick notes:

• People can accept that humans in general are wrong, but that perspective is lost in the present tense and individual feeling.
  • Humans are stuck in the feeling of being right.
• Error Blindness – That moment before we realize we are wrong.
  • The moment after Wile E. Coyote runs off the cliff, but before he looks down and realizes he is about to fall.
• When someone disagrees with us, we perceive them in 3 phases.

1. The are ignorant - They just don’t have all of the information.
2. They are an idiot - They have the right information, but are not capable of coming to the same conclusions as you.
3. They are evil - They know the right answer and are just causing trouble.

• Humans (unlike any other animals) are obsessed with finding out whats going on in the world around us.
• When it comes to our stories, we love being wrong.
  • We love making back in amusement of mistakes – like plot twists in our films.
  • Though, when it comes to our own lives, not so much…
• Humans should step outside of “rightness” and rediscover wonder.
  • It’s okay to think “Wow! I don’t know… maybe I am wrong”.

I found it really interesting. Let me know what you think!