Happy Friday / end of the course; we made it guys! I hope you are having a good day! Today I am having a cookout with my best friend and we are celebrating me being done with my fourth and final class of the summer! A topic that I would like to discuss today is internships.

An internship is when you decide to work for a company / organization that is related to your college major and apply what knowledge you have gained from school into working for that company. Often times internships are 10-12 weeks long typically in the summertime at the company, but they can also be completely virtual and any time a company chooses to offer.

Some common obstacles with internships include finding the right one for you, having the time for one and the supply and demand of internships within your geographic location.

Looking at solutions to all of the obstacles related to internships, it is important to do your proper research before committing to an internship. You should ask yourself if the company matches your values / what you believe in, where is it located in proximity to your college / hometown, if it is paid / unpaid and if your college is okay with you participating in that internship. Next you should ask yourself if you have enough time for an internship. Many people have busy summer schedules and you have to see which summer within your college career is best for completing your internship because eventually it will need to happen as it is required to graduate in most cases. Supply and demand of internships within your geographic location is another big thing to consider because often times there aren’t a lot of internships in a location for the number of students just like you that want to work in the same location. I have considered interning in State College, which is a smaller area, but there wasn’t nearly the amount of opportunities such as a big city like Pittsburgh.

Considering all of the following points are important when trying to determine what internship is right for you. But as long as you stay determined and have a plan, you can land an internship that will work for you and that you are genuinely interested in.

Have you had any troubles finding an internship? Would you prefer an in-person or virtual internship? Let me know, I would love to know!

Have a great day and rest of the summer!

-Hunter

Hey guys, I hope you are having a great day today! I was hanging out with my best friend all day and running some errands. Today a topic that I would like to discuss is career goals for a communications media student.

When a person decides they want to attend college, you figure out what major you would like to pursue, complete your undergraduate degree and then you are ready to pursue a career in the field of your choice; I am a Communications Media Studies major. After college, I would like to work for a communications firm, or a non-profit organization related to communications.

Common obstacles related to careers in communications media include deciding the area of communications, thinking you are stuck to one kind of career and that your major / track defines only what you are capable of doing for a career.

Communications is very broad; many other disciplines and careers overlap communications including marketing, journalism, public relations and many more. Often when you look at job listings online, jobs will hire you if you have one of these degrees, not just specifically a communications degree. You can pursue a career strictly within communications working at the corporate level, film / radio / production, academia, marketing and many other areas of interest. The one main reason that I chose to be a communications major other than the fact that I enjoy the major is the versatility of the degree; you always have options and you are never stuck in one-said aspect of communications. I am a media studies major meaning that I do not have one-said track, but I collectively take courses that interest me personally and essentially “make” my own degree. I like having the freedom of this because I do not know exactly what / where my career will take me, but with being exposed to many subjects has allowed me to gain knowledge that can be potentially helpful to a career in my future.

What career do you want to pursue with your communications degree? Let me know, I would love to hear what you have to say!

Hope you have a good night,

-Hunter

Happy Tuesday, I hope you are all having a great day! There was a lot of rain today, so I stayed at home for most of the day. Today a topic that I would like to discuss is marketing.

Marketing is essentially when you are trying to get someone interested in your company / product by doing things to get noticed and garner a following. Marketing can be tricky to understand but once you figure it out, you will see just how helpful it can be.

Some common obstacles when it comes to marketing includes, understanding the market in your area, the competition and not knowing if your strategies are successful.

Looking at solutions to these problems, it is important to do your research on your local market and determine what trends and relationships are already present. Simply figuring out what is currently happening will allow you to understand the way things work and also get a sense of the current competition that you are up against as well. It can be tricky trying to promote something in a world where everyone seems to have a version of your project / vision. It is important to look at the competition and see what they have to offer and do something that makes you stand apart from them. All of this combined with a good marketing strategy will have you set up for success.

Although I do not have much experience with marketing in general, understanding the basics has allowed me to have a good skill that I can use in my potential future career.

What are your thoughts on marketing? Let me know I would love to hear what you have to say!

Hope you have a great night,

-Hunter

Hey guys, hope you are having a great Monday! Today was a very long day of fully cleaning and detailing my Jeep. I can’t believe it is the last week of this class, can you? A topic that I would like to discuss today is blogging (how ironic haha).

Blogging is an online activity when people write / post various forms of media in a diary format with daily, weekly and even monthly posts. The concept has been around since the 1990’s and has only grown in popularity thanks to the continual growth of the internet and technology. Blogs have many different purposes from lifestyle, food, wellness, travel, educational and so many more interesting topics. Only requiring an internet connection and a small fee sometimes for a website, anyone can blog making it a great way to spread information with the world!

Some common obstacles faced when it comes to blogging include having trouble coming up with content to write / post, not being technologically inclined enough for blogging and thinking that no one is interested in what you have to say.

Looking at solutions to these obstacles, first and foremost it is important to realize that blogging is something that anyone can do and does not require a lot of technological background. Having a basic understanding of how to browse the internet and write blog posts is for the most part what you need to know in the beginning. But often times turning to helpful websites or YouTube videos are great ways to acquire additional information needed enabled to understand any questions you may have about blogging. Blogging can be tough at times, but it is important to stay focused and keep your vision / goal of your blog in sight at all times. If your blog is about the best pizza around the US, and if you can’t think of content to post, it is important to assess what you have posted before and think of ways to create content that will compliment your already successful posts which in this case reflects pizza! There are a lot of people in this world, meaning that there are people that will be interested in the content that you post, although it is just thinking of a way to make them notice your blog post. Have a blog that includes a welcoming homepage will make people want to look further into your site.

I will admit when I started this class, I was very intimidated by blogging and these obstacles I just presented are the main ones that I had to face. But through the power of perseverance, I am now confident in my blogging abilities and feel that it will be an activity that I will continue to do post-graduation.

What are your thoughts on blogging, do you have anything that you find troubling? Let me know, I would love to hear from you!

Have a great night,

Hunter

My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB-KrSO5A2G841Tq9QrwwIw

Happy Friday guys, we made it! It has been hot all-day today so I have been inside, but I just got invited to go swimming later tonight so that will be nice. A topic that I would like to discuss today is summer classes.

Summer classes are college courses offered to students during the summertime. They are generally all web-based but there are sometimes classes that take place on campus in the traditional classroom. There are a vast number of courses offered for a variety of majors and they are offered during different sessions of the summer. Taking classes during the summer is a great way to stay on track to graduate on time, to add a minor to your degree and to take extra courses that simply interest you!

Some common obstacles that people face include not knowing if summer classes are right for you, the cost of them and trying to make time for them during your fun-filled summer.

Looking at solutions to each of these obstacles, summer classes can be a great thing if you have the free time for them. The past two summers I was working out of state at Cedar Point working super long hours so trying to incorporate summer classes into my busy schedule was not happening. But if you are free or have a job that is less stressful, I say go for it. Taking classes online is still a great option because you can do it from the comfort of your own home. The cost of summer classes is also generally the same as courses during the school year. If money is a problem, often times you can enroll in a payment plan through the university or apply for financial aid.

This summer I have taken a total of four summer classes (including this course) and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I sprawled my classes over the many sessions offered so it allowed me to still have a super fun summer while at the same time staying on track to graduate this upcoming year! My best advice is to do some personal research and think if summer courses are right for you!

Would you take a summer class? If so, what would you take? Let me know!

Have a great weekend,

Hunter

Hello, how is everyone’s Thursday going? Today I went to my best friend’s mom who is a massage therapist and got my first ever massage; all I can say is it’s definitely worth it! A topic that I would like to discuss today is organization and what it can do for a college student.

College can be one of the best times of your life; from making friends, making memories, taking classes, internships, clubs / organizations and so many other amazing times! With all of the activities that we endure during college, it can be very stressful to balance the busy schedule that most of us have. The best thing that a college student can do is to be organized and know what exactly they need to do, when assignments are due, when exams are and what time meetings are held.

The problem that college students face is not knowing how to be organized to where it works in their benefit. Once you are organized, your life will become a lot less stressful and you can learn to use your time more wisely and not waste it.

There are many solutions that can help better organize yourself. My favorite ones include getting a small planner, using a reminder app on your phone, having a wall calendar and having a binder with all of your folders / notebooks in one location. Once you gather all of these materials, it is good to write all of your information such as due dates and daily goals across all of these mediums, so you are sure to always be on top of everything!

Once you take the initiative to be better organized, you will never not want to be organized! Becoming organized in college is the best time to learn because after graduation, your employer will want to hire someone who is organized and can handle anything (within reason)!

How organized would you consider yourself to be now? How much do you think you would personally benefit from organization? Comment down below, I would love to hear what you have to say!

Hope you have a good night,

-Hunter

Hope you are all having a great day! Today has been a fun day, I went swimming and hiking which is always a lot of fun. A topic I would like to discuss today is how capable our smartphones are.

When looking at cell phones, they originally were designed to make calls on the go rather than having to use a traditional landline. As the years have progressed, phones have become smaller in size and now include a myriad of cool functions other than just calling. Once features such as texting, internet connectivity and cameras became a feature, phones began to evolve even more into what they are known as today; the smartphone.

An issue that I often times see is that people simply do not realize what their smartphones are capable of. If you grew up with a cell phone for most of your life like I have, often times my generation is the most knowledgeable. But for people that are over 50, they often times know how to use the basic functions of their phones, but they don’t maximize their potential. Most modern smartphones today are capable of: phone calls, texting, internet browsing, watching movies, taking hi-resolution photographs, 4K video, video / photo editing, gaming and so many other amazing features.

A solution for anyone to know just how capable your phone is to start doing some research. Look and see what the internet has to say about your phone such as the manufacturers website or going to YouTube and watching a tech review video on your exact phone. I personally recommend YouTube as there are a ton of videos ranging from how to take a slow-motion video or how to turn your device into a mobile hot-spot to have internet connectivity to your laptop.

As smartphones continue to advance each and every day, I only wonder what they will be capable of in the future. Each and every day that goes by I also appreciate just how lucky we are to have the technology we have today. The iPhone 11 is pretty awesome, but I wonder just what the iPhone 20 will bring!

When was the first time you got a smartphone? What is your favorite feature? Let me know!

Hope you have a good night,

-Hunter

Good evening hope you are all having a wonderful day! Today I had a relaxing day at home and made some vegan chili which turned out amazing! A topic that I would like to discuss today is Global Media and Communications.

Global media / communications are having an understanding of how the world works in terms of media and communication outside of the United States. Many countries have different cultures, values and ways they distribute and view their media. It can be quite a culture shock when you compare the way things operate here in the US than how they operate in a place such as Iceland. I was first exposed to learning about global media and culture through a class at IUP called “Global Media and Culture,” which was instructed by Dr. Muchtar. It was a very eye-opening class as it exposed me to how the world works in so many other ways than what I thought to be possible. This class allowed me to see the other perspectives that so many individuals in life have.

The main theme / obstacle when it comes to Global Media and communications is understanding that outside of the US, things can be very different from what we are used to here. Many places receive / view media in different ways, have tighter control on their internet and censorship and have a completely different culture. For example, China, Cuba and Vietnam are countries that govern control over what people are allowed to have access to and view but places such as the US or Canada are more lenient with these policies. I was surprised to find also how many countries are lacking in forms of media, communication and technology especially in many 3^rd world countries. Many of these 3^rd world countries do not have the type of accessible technology like we have in the US; often times living in small villages where the inhabitants sadly suffer from famine, disease and poverty.

The main solution to understanding global communication and different cultures is the concept of globalization; which is understanding the way that other countries operate in ways including media, communications, culture, economics politics and many other components at the same time trying to connect with / have a relationship with other countries other than your own. Globalization is not a new concept and has been around for quite some time, it is the idea of the world being one connected place essentially. Without the advancements made to technology / media in the past few centuries, our world would be extremely divided compared to how it is in 2020. Having a basic understanding of global media, communications and globalization as a whole can be extremely beneficial in many ways to help you be inclusive of others and the world they live in, your career and just to be better educated on what is going on outside of your country.

Why do you think it is important to have an understanding of global media and communications? Do you think globalization will help us be an even more connected / understanding world 20 years from now? Please let me know your opinions, I would love to hear what you have to say!

Have a great rest of your night,

-Hunter

Hello, hope you all had a great weekend! This past weekend was very jam-packed for me with lots of fun activities with family and friends. Today was a very hot day and I do not have air-conditioning, so I definitely suffered in the heat. An interesting topic that I would like to discuss today is creating YouTube videos.

YouTube is a video sharing platform that was created in 2005 as a way for regular people to be able to share content that they create to anyone in the world as long as they have an internet connection. With the rising development of technology in present day, more and more people have access to computers, cameras and editing software which makes creating videos a breeze!

Billions of people watch YouTube videos every day, but not nearly as many people actually create videos that they post to a channel of their own. There are many obstacles often associated with creating YouTube videos and ones that have always stuck out to me include: poor production, length of the video being longer than it needs to be, and not being clear with the intent / purpose of your video.

Now it is time to address some of the solutions to the obstacles listed above. Poor production is something that can turn your video into something that no one wants to watch. It is important to pay attention to the quality of your video footage, the quality of your audio and that you have tastefully edited all elements into one awesome viewing experience. Along with making sure your production quality is amazing, another thing to consider is the length of your video; you do not want to have a video that is 10 minutes long when you could have gotten your point across in four minutes. With that being said, it is important to go into your YouTube video making process with a clear plan of everything you want to achieve and at the same time never straying away from your original vision unless it benefits your video. If your video is about reviewing the best coffee shops in Pittsburgh, then you shouldn’t have a tangent about going to a rock concert. When I create videos, I like to have a script and a plan of what I want to achieve. Although this is sometimes thought as technical and “taking the fun” out of creating a video, it is a must if you want to have something that is of substance.

I have had to use YouTube in my college career many times from creating projects for class to documenting a hiking trip for fun. There are a large variety of genres from people reviewing things, aerial shots of cities, how to bake a pie, music videos from all your favorite artists and so many other amazing topics. YouTube videos can be challenging to create I will admit, but as long as you are persistent and keep your vision in mind it will all work out.

Hope you all have a good night and be safe in the heat,

-Hunter

Hello everyone, hope you are having a great Friday! Today I am going to a local farmers market and getting some produce and some baked goods. Later on, I am going to a family friends house and having a cookout and going swimming. A topic I would like to discuss today is Mass Communications.

You may be asking yourself, what exactly is Mass Communications and why is it important? Well, I am here to tell you that it is essentially the different methods used to convey information on a large scale through different forms of media such as TV, radio, social media and also forms of print media such as newspaper and magazine. Being a Communications Media major, it is important to have an understanding of mass communications because it is a vital part of your major.

Some common obstacles that people have when it comes to mass communications are understanding what the different theories associated with mass communications include the Cultivation Theory, Uses and Gratifications Theory, Agenda Setting Theory and The Two-Step Flow Theory. The Cultivation Theory is associated with understanding the effects of television over the course of a length of time. It is used to understand how the viewer’s perception of reality is compared to television. The Uses and Gratification Theory is used to see why certain demographics of people seek out different types of media that satisfies their needs. The Agenda Setting Theory is about the press and media and how it shapes our society and decisions and also the perceptions to issues that matter more within a person’s life. The last theory is the Two-Step Flow theory involves individuals that lead in opinions to the masses and are people that are a great influence on many. It can be used in politics and also business and corporations.

Something that I had trouble with was understanding communications on the mass scale especially when I first was introduced to the major. It has taken a few years of classes, reading text books, watching documentaries / YouTube videos and many other forms of media to have a grasp of these concepts; but as time goes on, I have grown to understand more about the theories of mass communication.

What are your thoughts on mass communication? How do you think mass communications will come into play with your major? Let me know, I would love to hear your feedback.

Have a good night!

-Hunter

Hello everyone, hope you are having a great Thursday! Today I am seeing an old high school friend I haven’t saw in over 6 years so that will be nice to rendezvous with her! A topic I would like to discuss today is storyboarding.

Storyboarding is the process of taking multiple scenes of a show, film or video and sketching what the camera will capture and at the same time including the camera angle and any dialogue. It is essentially a shot by shot take on what is going to happen.

Some obstacles that many people face when it comes to storyboarding is thinking you aren’t artistically-inclined enough, not completing a storyboard correctly and when the right time to complete a storyboard is.

I had to storyboard for Dr. Lenze’s COMM 150 class. We were required to make a short film and had to treat it like a real production (it really was). We were assigned to a group and we had to recreate an Aesop fable and my group had to do The Man and the Lion. We brainstormed as a group and had to recreate the story but tell it in a new manner. This can be challenging to try and create a new way of telling a story, but with the right amount of creativity, anything is possible. Once we write a script, the next step is to turn the words into a vision and the way we do that is through storyboarding. You have to look at each scene of your production and imagine it through the lens of a camera. Each scene requires a new storyboard and when you create one for each scene, you eventually use these during your shooting.

The important thing to recognize with storyboarding is that it is something that takes a lot of work and requires a lot of attention to detail. I remember the first time I attempted storyboarding, it was definitely intimidating at first, but once I got a hang for it everything was okay!

What was your first experience with storyboarding? Do you think it is challenging or do you think it was a breeze? Let me know, I would love to hear!

Hope you have a great day!

-Hunter

Happy Wednesday hope you are all having an awesome day! The highlight of my day was going out for some Pad Thai, one of my favorite dishes. An area of communications media that I would like to discuss today is Television Production.

TV production is a course offered at IUP that is essentially a crash course on the innerworkings of a TV studio. Despite being a person that isn’t too interested in production courses, I ended up enjoying what this class had to offer and it was honestly one of my favorite classes last semester!

TV production is a course that is held at IUP’s tv studio. A highlight of what you learn throughout this course includes: Defining all roles of production, having an understanding of TV / film culture, knowledge of camera / audio equipment, roles of personnel in the industry and many other interesting areas. Throughout the course, you get to do some pretty cool assignments such as a montage, an interview and then a news segment. This course in my opinion sheds equal light on all of these areas and is pretty well-rounded.

Some common obstacles faced with TV production include not understanding how to properly operate equipment, understanding how responsible / careful you have to be and underestimating your abilities as a student.

Taking a look at solutions to these obstacles; there are many. In the studio, there is a lot of expensive equipment including cameras, audio boards, the switcher, TelePrompTer and many other pieces of equipment. The cost of many of these items are thousands of dollars, so it is important to use extreme caution when in the studio following all rules and especially not eating or drinking. A lot of the equipment in the studio comes with a slight learning curve and will take supervised practice until you are comfortable to use it on your own.

Something that I found helpful during this class was to always pay close attention to detail and always stay positive. Learning about TV production can be challenging but is rewarding in the end because it exposes you to a potential career and is a practical skill to know. This class is a great way to build your skillset in the field of communications media and is a course that I highly suggest to anyone.

If you had to take a production course would it be TV production? Why or why not? Would you want to pursue a career in production? Let me know I would love to hear your thoughts!

Hope you have a good night,

-Hunter

Happy Tuesday hope you are all having a great day! It has been pretty hot, so I have been staying inside most of the day. I did go out earlier for a double shot of espresso from my local coffee shop, that always helps boost productivity around the house! Today a skill I would like to discuss is photography. Photography is a field that has interested me for a number of years and is something that I have not specifically learned from the field of communications, but I do intend on taking a photography class before I graduate as it will be a furthering continuation of my all ready known knowledge.

Photography is the art of capturing a moment in time in the form of an image, rather than a moving motion picture. Photography in the early days was once completely analog and required film but now the most common form is digital and the use of memory cards / hard-drives capable of holding thousands of images. Photography has a lot of different purposes including art, capturing a moment in time and a way for people to express themselves along with so many other reasons.

Some common obstacles one faces with photography include the quality of the image, what type of equipment to use for a specific task, the message you are trying to convey with your image and so many others. It can be frustrating to know what is right and what is wrong when it comes to photography or any other discipline for that matter.

I was recently commissioned by my best friend to get some college graduation photos of her around her university, with family / friends and with her girlfriend. I have a mirrorless Canon camera with an assortment of lenses and other related equipment. I went into this whole process with a plan which already factored in what equipment I need, the location / weather and how long this whole process was going to take. Although I am not a professional by any means, I was honored that I was able to put in a lot of hard work and effort into something as meaningful as this. I can say that through this task, I learned a lot about myself and the areas I need to improve upon.

When looking at solutions to these common obstacles, it is important to look at each of these areas one step at a time. Quality of your image is determined by many factors including resolution / the number of megapixels, the type of lens you use on your camera, if you are using zoom or if you are physically getting closer to your subject and many other factors. When it comes down to it, you need to assess what type of photography you are doing whether it is the basic use of a polaroid camera to take silly pictures with your friends or using a full-frame DSLR to capture an image that will be used for a company’s new advertising campaign. You need to assess the situation and have a plan of what you are trying to accomplish with your photography on that very day; whether it is knowing what camera / lenses to bring, factoring in the weather and the location, or even just knowing what all you want to capture. Another major thing to remember with photography especially the digital medium is that you can edit the content you captured in post-production, which is after you have captured your footage for the day and moving onto the next step in the process. A lot of the photography you see in life has had some sort of editing / enhancement done to it to compliment the original version. It is important to always keep the original goal in mind while editing to stay determined and focused throughout the whole project.

All in all, photography can be a fun hobby, a career or something you do on the side for the heck of it! The important thing to remember is that everyone starts somewhere and to not be afraid to make mistakes. I am still learning, and I have been interested in photography for years.

What is your favorite aspect of photography? When did you learn about photography? Would you ever consider a career in photography? Let me know, I would love to hear your feedback!

Have a great night,

-Hunter

Hey guys, happy Monday! I went hiking in Upstate NY at the Finger Lakes, it was a really great time; hope you all had a great weekend! Something that I would like to talk about today is research writing and how it is a valuable skill to be good at.

What is research writing you are probably asking yourself? Research writing is the act of seeking out a particular topic and reporting back your findings in a well-documented / organized paper that also at the same time gives credit to the original sources of the research. For many college students, a research paper assignment first arises during sophomore English. Many colleges require a certain number of pages to be written as part of the curriculum; I know the first time I was pegged with writing a 15 page plus paper, I was extremely overwhelmed because it was unlike anything I had ever done before. Research writing in general will be used a lot during your college career in many of your assignments and the more writing you do, the better you are at it!

An obstacle that you will more than likely find during research writing is trying to find reliable sources to incorporate into your paper. We live in a digital age where we can find millions of results to a simple Google search. It is important to do your own research into what sources are credible and what are garbage. Often times, having “.org or .gov” at the end of a website can mean that the information presented is more reliable. Another thing that is important is to look at the authors of the publication and look further into them as well. Something also to take into consideration is how old your sources are; the older the source, the more room for further development on your topic of research.

Another major obstacle many face is they do not realize just how time-consuming creating a research paper can be. If you think creating a 15 page research paper in one day is attainable, then you are sorely mistaken. Research papers require meticulous planning and research. The more time you put into your research allows you to find the perfect things to put into your paper. At the end of the day, you will be much happier with the end result if you put a lot of effort into the process.

All in all, research writing can be a very beneficial skill to have. Although challenging, if you put in the time and effort, you can have a great paper. It is important to closely examine all of the information you are researching and truly study everything in addition to writing the paper; the more knowledgeable you are about the subject will clearly show in your work. The beauty of learning the basic skills of research writing is that it is a very transparent skill to have that will be required at multiple junctures of your college career.

How do you feel about research writing? What classes / subjects have proven to have the most research writing? Let me know please, I would love to hear!

Hope you have a great day!

-Hunter

Hey guys, we made it to Friday! I am looking forward to this weekend because I am taking a trip with my family to the Finger Lakes in upstate NY for some hiking and wine tasting. Today I would like to talk about a skill that I recently learned more about through a class offered at IUP called Making Presentations with Media. What I would like to discuss is how utilizing media and other forms of technology while presenting can be extremely beneficial to the quality of presentation you give and allow your audience to visualize the content you are presenting in a better way.

When looking at presentations, there are a myriad of reasons why someone would need to present something. The sole purpose is for you to be able to relay information that you know and share it with others that want to learn about your topic. For example, I have been exposed to presenting information from a young age in many different ways including middle school science projects, my high school senior project, a creative writing poetry book and many other ways. Looking at my college career, I have had to present similar projects to my instructors and classmates. The main difference between K-12 and higher education is that there is more to be expected of you. A lot of planning and preparation is involved to enable you to give a great presentation!

The issue with presentations in general is that many people do not plan enough for them. I recommend having a written plan that goes over everything that you would like to discuss. The next major focus is how you plan on presenting the information. If it is an in person presentation, you will most likely be talking and having some form of a visual aid in the form of a PowerPoint presentation or a video that is utilized to help your audience understand what it is you are trying to convey to them. A huge takeaway that I learned from the making presentations with media class is to not let the visual aid / media be the star of the show, rather you are the main focus. With that being said, your visual aid is there to simply compliment your work and have your idea be presented in one amazing package!

My advice when it comes to giving presentations is to really know what you are presenting about, have a well thought out plan with a form of media to help enhance your presentation and practice a lot. It helps when you present in front of a friend or whenever you are able to video record your presentation and play it back to see what you did great and what still needs improved upon. With taking all of these things into consideration, you will eventually master the skill of presentation and look at it as something you can do with confidence, not fear!

What are your thoughts when it comes to presenting? Do you like presenting or do you think it is challenging? Do you think using media / visual aids are beneficial or do you think they are distracting? Feel free to comment down below and share your thoughts!

Have a great weekend,

-Hunter

Hey guys, hope you are having a great Thursday! Today something that I would like to discuss is Graphic Design which is skill that I have used here and there throughout my time at IUP, but I personally have not taken a class directly associated with graphic design.

You may be wondering, what exactly is graphic design? Graphic design in a modern sense is the use of technology to create visual content but it also is creating content using traditional mediums that do not require technology. Some of the common problems people face when it comes to graphic design are thinking they are not artistic, creative and not being technologically inclined enough to be able to create the type of content they dream about.

When looking at graphic design, the most common application I have had to use it for is creating logos. I have had to create a few logos in my college career and also, I had to create one that was freelance work for my best friend’s mom who owns a Hawaiian massage business. It can be daunting when thinking about creating a logo especially if you aren’t that artistic of a person and trust me, I am not artistic by any means. What I recommend is completing a basic sketch on paper with your ideas and then working from there. There are many programs that can assist you with graphic design which include Photoshop, Inkscape, and Illustrator being for the more advanced user. If you are a beginner though you can utilize applications on your phone that take a lot of the hard work out of the equation and make it a lot easier on yourself. Also, there are a lot of tutorials online that have step by step instruction that show you how to be able to create awesome content, but you have to be willing to learn, go outside your comfort zone and be patient!

What I have learned from personal experience is to just have fun with it and to not worry a lot about your content being good enough. It is okay to make mistakes when you are new at something but as time goes on, we naturally get better at what we do the more exposed we are to something. Graphic design can be very challenging, but also can be rewarding and a valuable skill to have for personal use or a future job!

What do you guys think about graphic design? When were you first introduced to the topic? If you had to create a new logo for one of your favorite companies what would it look like and why? Comment below, I am always interested in hearing what others would do!

Have a great day,

-Hunter

Hello everyone, it has been a very long day today! I conquered Cedar Point, visited old coworkers and went to one of my favorite sushi places right near Cedar Point. Today I would like to talk about public speaking and how I think it is one of the best skills that anyone can learn, even though it is something that can be scary at first.

In life, we communicate in many forms including written, vocal and digital mediums. Each and every one of these forms come with their own benefits but often the one that garners the most fear is public speaking; which involves talking in front of a group of people in a mostly formal manner varying from a single person to a large group of people. It can be very intimidating when having to talk in front of a group of people that you don’t know, but from personal experience I can say that practicing public speaking earlier in life will have you more prepared for your life post-college.

I have always thought of public speaking as a daunting task that was top of my list for personal fears. Growing up I was always a shy person that did not interact a lot with people to begin with and the thought of speaking in front of people was just plain scary to me. Senior year of high school I was advised by my English teacher to take her public speaking class my last semester of school and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. We would write speeches and then end up presenting them in the auditorium in front of the rest of our class. This allowed me to become comfortable with public speaking and was one of the classes from high school that meant the most to me. Fast-forward five years later I took two of Dr. Ortiz’s classes one being “Making Presentations with Media” and “Teamwork and Communication Skills.” Both of these classes built upon my public speaking class from high school and incorporated the use of group public speaking and technology use. With the skills I have gained from all of these classes combined have made me very comfortable with public speaking and something that I honestly look forward to!

My best advice to you is to take a class that has a focus on public speaking, the instructor is there to help you and your fellow classmates are probably just as nervous as you are! But by the end of the course you all interact without hesitation which creates a very supportive environment. On top of taking a course, I also recommend looking at videos on YouTube related to public speaking as there are a ton of them that are very helpful!

Are you guys afraid of public speaking? Feel free to drop a comment and tell me if you are or aren’t, what you like / dislike about it and how you think it would be a beneficial skill to have. If you have any questions with my experience with it also feel free to reach out. It has been a long day, ready to get some sleep and make the 5 hour drive back to Pennsylvania bright and early tomorrow, but not without some coffee first!

Have a great day,

-Hunter

 

Hello, welcome to my first ever blog post! I hope you are all having a good day! Today has been a very busy day for me, I drove 5 hours all the way to Cedar Point amusement park which is actually a place that I worked summers at for two years! It was a long day but looking forward to riding some rollercoasters tomorrow!

The topic I would like to discuss in my first blog post is video editing and to be more specific iMovie. You are able to capture video with a cell phone, camera, computer and many other devices whereas 20 years ago you had to strictly use a bulky video camera. The ease of being able to capture life’s moments in a blink of a second are now possible, but how do you bring all that footage together into a clean and concise package? That my friends is where video editing comes into play.

The problem that many people face when it comes to video editing is the technological hurdle that comes with it. Many people I ask think that the concept of editing footage is complex and requires a lot of training, but I am here to tell you that it is not that bad!

My first encounter with video editing was in Dr. Lenze’s COMM 150 class. We had to make a short film based on an Aesop fable that required us to shoot the video and then edit it to make it flow seamlessly into one smooth final video.

When becoming familiar with video editing software, something one should do is become familiar with the interface; click buttons, mess around and just get a feel for what the software is capable of. Something that has helped me immensely is going on YouTube and watching tutorials about iMovie. There are thousands of videos that can assist you in practically everything from turning iMovie on to figuring out how you add sound effects to your projects. It all depends on what you know and what you need to complete.

At the end of the day, someone’s video editing needs comes down to what they specifically need at the time of use. When I first started, I needed to do basic tasks but as time went on, I was tasked with doing more complex projects in iMovie.

If you have videos or random footage, would you want to edit them into one smooth video? Comment below what you would do! I hope you all have a good day tomorrow, I am looking forward to riding my favorite rollercoaster, Millennium Force!

Have a great day,

-Hunter