An Overview

What a year it has been. I often feel we as humans have a tendency to get stuck in the moment, stressed about what is going on and what needs to be done. This semester has been undeniably difficult for me but I have to keep reminding myself of how far I have come. I am not typically the type of person to share what I am going through, but I would like to give a recap of this academic year, to take the time to recognize the lows and to remind myself of the highs.

In somewhat chronological order:

• I served as an Orientation Leader for the first time with an incredible group that stuck with me throughout the entire weekend (and some of which still talk to me).
• I was hired at the Freed Center scene shop.
• My family had to move out of my beloved childhood home.
• I became a charter member of both Sigma Alpha Iota and Polar Cares.
• I understudied with the world-renowned dance company, Taylor 2.
• I started cutting again, after nearly 3 years of being clean.
• Jessica killed herself.
• I spent four and a half days in New York City with my best friend. We saw four Tony Award-winning musicals and met some of my heroes, including Wayne Brady and Lin Manuel-Miranda.
• I completed 22 credit hours over the course of the first semester.
• I learned how to fly.
• I understudied with NYC-based dance company, Ballets With A Twist.
• I served as Master Electrician for Picnic.
• I was cast in the student directed one-act, Chamber Music.
• I overdosed and ended up in the hospital.
• I saw one of my favourite rappers, Kyle, and met/befriended a few talented local artists.
• I had a mental breakdown and went home for two weeks.
• I ended a two-year abusive relationship.
• I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
• I had to report my ex for stalking and harassment. 
• I was nominated for Best Supporting Actor within the department for my role in Chamber Music.
• I quit my sorority.
• I will audition for the fall season tomorrow.
• I will be initiated into the Theatre Honorary, Theta Alpha Phi, on Sunday.
• By the end of the semester, I will have completed 25 credit hours.

These are just a few of the things that happened that have profoundly impacted me. It has undoubtedly been an eventful year, and it is not over yet. This will be my last blog for this class, but I value the lessons that I have learned and the opportunity I have had to share with my peers.

Be kind, be happy, and keep fighting the good fight.

Kathryn

Lemonade

Beyoncé recently took the Internet by storm by releasing a teaser trailer for her newest project, "Lemonade." It is set to debut on HBO this Saturday, April 23. No one is entirely sure what this project may be, though there has been plenty of speculation. Some say that it is Beyoncé announcing a new clothing line, others think that it is the introduction of a line of lemonade stands run by Blue Ivy. The most promising guess, however, comes from Beyoncé's online fan base, the BeyHive.

Bee-hiv-ay???

As we all know, Beyoncé does not require much PR to earn her hype. Everything she does becomes a hit, whether it is announced, teased, or released without warning (I remember being online in 2013 at the exact moment "Beyoncé" dropped). The teaser trailer is obviously a great tactic to get fans excited, but I am convinced Beyoncé could do anything and people would instantly buy it.

Until next time!

Kathryn

25 Years of Freed

Saturday evening, the Freed Center for the Performing Arts celebrated its 25th anniversary. We had the performing group, Broadway Boys, in house to sing arrangements of several well-known Broadway tunes. As an arts administration student, I volunteered as a hospitality manager, meaning that I spent five hours handing out free cake and water bottles to patrons.

Most of the people that came to the show had no idea what the cake was for, so I had the pleasure of sharing with them the happy occasion. Throughout the night I talked to people who had been coming to Freed since it opened and they told me some of their favourite memories throughout the years. It always shocks me to remember that the Freed Center has been operating for a quarter of a century because of how well it is kept- we have a beautiful art gallery in the front, a working scene shop and electrics shop, a dance studio, a costume shop, and a broadcasting center, as well as the two performing centers.

Freed is truly my home away from home. I have eaten, slept, cried, laughed, and bled in the building. I have been in the tunnels under it and looked over campus from the roof. When Jessica died, the entire theatre department met in 114 (the dance room) to mourn together, without any sort of message sent out- we all understood that Freed is our safe place and where our family could gather. Freed was the first place I ever visited on campus; I walked in and somehow knew I was home. The building itself is older than I am and I am sure it will still stand long after I am gone, but for these four years, it feels like mine.

To those of you that have not spent much time in Freed, I encourage you to. There are work opportunities as an usher, meaning you get paid to watch shows and hand out programs, you can be a voice of WONB, the costume shop gives you the opportunity to learn how to fix your own clothes and give you a competitive edge for Halloween, and the scene shop is a great place to work with your hands, especially if you are studying engineering or manufacturing. It is one of the most beautiful buildings on campus and has so much more to offer than meets the eye.

Do you have a favorite building on campus? What is it and why?

Until next time!

Kathryn

Measure What Matters: Chapter 11

Contrary to what Joan Jett would have you believe, reputation is something you absolutely should care about. That being said, you have to be able to come up with a way to make that reputation work for you and your product. A boy band like One Direction may strive to have a goody-two-shoes reputation whereas a deathcore band like Winds of Plague may strive to look tough and anarchistic. Though the latter is not what someone may view as a traditionally positive reputation, it aligns with their image.

In order to gain and maintain a reputation, you have to pay attention to what people are saying about you and respond to it accordingly. If you want your audience to see you in a certain way, you have to do what they like- or at least convince them to like what you are doing by backing it up. That is why stars can get away with so much that the average person could not. An athlete may break the law, but they are respected for their talent. Of course, I would suggest abiding by the law at all times, but being reliable with the quality of your output can sometimes say more about you than your individual actions.

Until next time!

Kathryn

Puppy Fever

I promise she's as excited as I am.

As a child, I was not much of an animal person, much to the dismay of my mother. She had worked for a veterinarian throughout high school and college and had kept pets consistently ever since. Even though I always had dogs growing up (as well as hermit crabs, a cat, guinea pigs, a rabbit, a hedgehog, and countless goldfish...) I never formed a close connection with them. Though I was fond of them, they were just bodies around the house.

One of the changes I have gone through this year is realizing how much I took my dogs for granted. The more I see 4-Paws therapy dogs around campus, the more I miss my own pup. Over spring break, Easter, and my sickness, my dog has sat loyally by my side and offered me unprecedented comfort. Deeka is a pure bred mutt, with no discernable features from any particular breed. She is extremely gentle and loves affection. Her hobbies include but are not limited to: sleeping, lying in the sunlight, getting her belly rubbed, and chasing groundhogs. She is the smallest dog I have ever had, weighing in at a meager 45 lbs, but thinks she is big enough to get in fights with her late sister, a Rottweiler twice her size. I firmly believe that, if I were a dog, I would be just like her.

Nowadays when I'm feeling down, I seek out the therapy dogs on campus (Babs is my favorite but please do not tell Primrose). When that does not work out, I look up pictures of puppies or other cute animals to help cheer myself up. I have not quite pinpointed what it is that changed my attitude towards animals, but I am certainly not complaining.

Do you all have pets? What are they? What are their names? I want to hear all about them!

Until next time!

Kathryn

Kanye: Genius or Mad Man?

Um... if you say so, Yeezy.

A little over a week ago, Kanye West released his newest album, The Life of Pablo, on several platforms, including Spotify, Google Play Music, and Apple Music. Previously, it was only available on Tidal, an exclusive high fidelity streaming platform. This move was surprising because West had previously sworn against releasing the music anywhere else.

Even with the limited streaming source, TLOP soared on the charts, reaching 250 million streams in the first 10 days of its release. In addition, it was downloaded illegally an estimated 500,000 times the day after its release. The last week of March, Kanye released a single (controversial!) track, Famous, on Spotify, Google Play Music, and Apple Music. This release sparked a new wave of new listeners and downloads. Suddenly, on April Fool's Day, TLOP is released for sale and full streaming. As of this week, TLOP has reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Chart, Kanye's seventh consecutive album to do so. However, it is the first album to reach this spot primarily through streaming. 

So what made TLOP so famous? In fact, what makes Kanye himself so famous? Kanye West is the embodiment of "bad publicity is still publicity." Between his hatred for paparazzi and his crazy antics, he is constantly in the news. Ever since 2009, when Kanye butted in on Taylor Swift's VMA acceptance speech, he has been in the spotlight, usually doing something crazy and controversial. He sparked the shutter shade revolution and various other trends. His clothing line is arguably out of left field, as well as his Yeezy shoes, but continue to sell. Kanye also changed the album title several times within the few weeks preceding its release. However, the quality of his music and production is undeniable. Above all, Kanye is now a household name.

Though Kanye does not have the best reputation, he at least has a reputation. His PR is a nightmare, but as a brand, he stands strong. Is it truly that he is out of his mind or has he created a persona that will continue to earn him followers and a place in the news? We may never know. Regardless, Kanye West is here to stay, and I am sure he will continue to keep us all on our feet.

Until next time!

Kathryn

Measure What Matters: Chapter 8

One of the most important goals of using social media as a PR tactic is reaching opinion leaders and key influencers. Rather than trying to reach everyone in your key audience, you simply have to reach those that will share your ideas; let them do the work for you. In order to do this, you have to find the people that others are looking to for advice, whether it be an enthusiast blogger or the working professionals.

Retitle as "How to Build a Relationship With Your
Key Influencers" and you're good to go!

Paine suggests making a list of these top influencers in your market and reaching out to them in order to create and maintain a healthy relationship. Much like building friendships or romances, it is all about being available to them and their needs, so that they will do the same for you.

You also have to be able to measure the benefits of these relationships to make sure that they are maintaining the image that you want to share. You then have to know exactly who it is that you want to reach and see if they are following you influencers.

Until next time!

Kathryn