What I'm Becoming As I Grow Up

Forewarning: this is going to be a warm fuzzies post.

This weekend, I had what I would like to refer to as a "College Moment." No, I am not talking about any crazy parties or wild adventures. Sunday I met with a group Sunday to work on a project for my Topics in Drama class. My classmates are undoubtedly taking the course as a general education credit or tag requirement rather than any real interest in drama. Me being the resident college theatre dork, it is incredibly interesting to see how they approach the text. It gives me the opportunity to see how far I have come as a student over the course of my collegiate career.

Filed under: Capstone Ideas

So far, I have taken Play Analysis, World Theatre History I and II, and Acting I and II, among other major-specific courses. All of these include critical thinking of dramatic literature, research based on the play, playwright, and the world in which the play takes place, and what it takes to be able to give a believable performance. I spent last semester engrossed in the world of Molly, a sassy anarchist that is the imaginary lover of a homebody named Beane (Love Song by John Kolvenbach) as a part of my scene study intensive. Before that, I researched the history of Greek tragedies and analyzed Euripides' Medea and its relationship with modern feminism. I learned the acting traditions from around the world, including Sanskrit theatre and Japanese Kabuki. Of course, I have also had my fair share of challenging language, from Shakespeare to doggerel prose from the Middle Ages.

Sitting with three classmates from different majors in an otherwise empty classroom, it hit me just how much I have learned. Looking at Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, a play written in 1592, seemed completely natural. I understood the language, was familiar with the societal context and allusions, and was able to suggest solid acting tactics to my friends without seeming too pretentious. I concede that none of this would have been true, or even possible, a year ago. Reflecting further, I have realized that I also identify every lighting unit that I see on television or at events, can do simple programming from learning to operate a lighting board, and am respectably savvy when it comes to basic electrical work and carpentry thanks to my work in the Freed Center scene shop.

I always said that I wanted to work in theatre when I grew up. Though I am still very young, "real" adulthood is looming closer every day. It was nice to be able to reflect and see I am actually realizing my dreams. All of my tuition money and late nights studying are paying off! As Sophomore Slump hits hard and my schedule becomes even more overwhelming, this College Moment came at the perfect time. I am extremely proud of the work I am doing and I know it is preparing me for a future in which I can successfully do what I love. As everyone else is going through hard times as well, consider this a reminder that you chose this path for a reason and you are smarter and stronger for it. I am proud of you, and you should be too.

Until next time!

Kathryn

Time Is (Soon To Be) Irrelevant

Twitter has recently announced that they are leaning towards changing their interface to an algorithm-based timeline rather than the traditional reverse chronology. Facebook fans are familiar with this setup; the dashboard is set up in such a way that posts are displayed in order of relevance based on an algorithm. Twitter, on the other hand, is set up so that users read status updates as they are posted, starting at the bottom and scrolling up for the most recent posts.

Twitter has been making several changes as of late, including changing "favorites" to "likes," displaying popular posts whether or not the user is following that person and allowing longer direct messages. However, these changes have met a variety of reactions, few of which are positive. 

One of the milder reactions to recent changes...

Personally, I am not a fan of the algorithm option. On Facebook, I find it confusing and, frankly, annoying. I have always been a fan of the way that I could follow an event as it was happening on Twitter and the idea of that changing is quite upsetting. To me, it seems like Twitter is sacrificing efficiency for the sake of boasting that it is "high tech" or "innovative" with relatively no input from their users. I am sure that, if Twitter had reached out and asked whether or not users prefered the chronology versus an algorithmic interface, fans would have preferred them to stick to what they already had.

At the end of the day, if something is not broken, there is no reason to fix it.

Until next time!

Kathryn

For more information: The Verge Buzzfeed Heavy

Real-Time Chapters 13-14

There is no "I" in "team" unless you risk making the team look bad.

My favourite thing about these chapters was the concept that companies had to trust their individual employees to have good judgment when it comes to social media and real-time communication. To me, it seems obvious that a company should allow its employees to use social media because of the real-time demands of our ever-changing market. Given a clear set of guidelines, employees should be trusted to be responsible enough to engage with customers without stepping out of line. I think that this would add to company morale and ensure customers that there were real, caring people working for them, rather than something automated or mechanical. 

Specialists in social media analytics are essential for the growth of any modern company. Huge numbers of complaints and praises are shared every day through Twitter and Facebook. With analytics tools, it is easy to see what people are saying and respond accordingly in a timely manner. This gives businesses a competitive edge against their less savvy competitors. There is no room for being old-fashioned in today's expanding industries. If companies want to be fresh and cutting edge, they must be willing to take risks and explore new tactics. Honestly, I think this discussion is another example of this book becoming dated- it is hardly a question anymore whether or not a social media presence is essential to businesses. Those who resisted change have been left behind.

Until next time!

Kathryn