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

Real-Time Chapters 10-12

The things that stood out most to me in these chapters were the ways companies reached out to their customers throughout their transactions. Having a personalized hotel visit adds a sense of luxury and makes you feel as if you are a valued customer. Receiving benefits for participating with a hashtag or other form of media branding peaks interest and raises awareness of the company. Companies need to realize that every person they come across has the potential to be a customer or has been a customer in the past, meaning that they should treat them with the utmost respect and consideration. This sort of treatment will stand out to people and make them remember you as a pleasant experience.

At the local independent coffee shop that I used to work at, we were instructed to greet everyone upon arrival and to thank them as they left. Believe it or not, even these small gestures stood out as something that made our store more likeable compared to the other two locations in our area. Our emphasis on customer service and providing a pleasant experience earned us die-hard loyalty and raised company morale. To this day, I brag about how much I love that job, even though no one in Ada knows what River Road Coffeehouse is. At home, everyone I meet seems to have a story about how nice the employees at River Road are. Even as a small family-owned business, the way we take care of our customers sets us apart from anyone else in the region.

I will always love Del Monte for this funny tweet to my boyfriend!

Social media is one of the best ways to reach out to potential/past customers even when they are not physically with you. Having a well-maintained and responsive social media presence ensures that people will recognize and remember you, for better or for worse. Nowadays, experience sells more than a product does, so it is important to take initiative and begin your experience early.

Until next time!

Kathryn

I Am Not a Dancer

For the second time this school year, I volunteered to understudy for a guest artist dance show. A week ago today (so on Jan. 23), three members of Ballets with a Twist arrived on campus. They auditioned campus dancers in the morning, announced the cast around noon, and immediately began rehearsing. Over the course of four days, thirteen Ohio Northern University dancers learned a nine minute long professional dance piece to be performed on Jan. 30 and Jan. 31.

ONU dancers performed a piece called Champagne in the cocktail-themed show.

I came to ONU with only a few months of formal dance training under my belt. However, I fought to become a dance minor so that I could have priority for class scheduling and try to catch up to my peers, many of whom have been dancing for several years. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, the theatre arts department here is very good about bringing in guest artists to train with. In this particular case, Ballets with a Twist came in to set a piece using a combination of their company members and ONU dancers, then performed an entire show from their repertoire.

Though I was not cast at the initial auditions, I volunteered to understudy for the performance, meaning that I would be a part of the entire rehearsal process and be prepared to take the place of another dancer if circumstances required me to. Luckily, the artistic director and choreographer of the company, Marilyn Klaus, was so impressed with my eagerness to learn that she added me to the piece. I did the exact same thing for the fall semester of 2015 when the Taylor 2 dance company made a similar visit.

From these experiences, I have learned an incredible amount about myself and the world of dance. The visiting company members that helped to set the piece were incredibly kind and helpful, praising my strengths and helping me improve upon my weaknesses. Every day before rehearsal, we would have a 90-minute warmup based entirely on technique. The fresh perspective worked wonders for me; I began to feel things in a completely different way than I ever had before and benefited from it. One of the company members, Aengus Ortiz, told me that I was "dancing with a whole new body."

Though I am far from considering myself a dancer, I love the experience of working with professionals and having the opportunity to suck up as much information from them as I can. Of course, I also benefit from it as a resume builder and a networking opportunity. The company is based out of New York City, an artistic hub. I befriended several of the dancers, including one who actually offered to help me find an internship at the PR firm that she works for when she is not touring.

Despite the late nights of rehearsal and my aching feet, working with the Ballets with a Twist company has been an incredible experience. I think it might be within my best interest to volunteer to understudy for every dance show that comes through Ada until I am skilled enough to finally be cast the first time around.

Until next time!

Kathryn

Social Justice and the Media

Wednesday, it was announced that Ferguson, Missouri reached an agreement with the Department of Justice concerning the city's police force. This story follows up on the riots that took place in late summer 2014 after the death of Mike Brown. His death began a social media revolution concerning police brutality and its relationship with racial discrimination. After images of Brown's body lying in the streets went viral, Ferguson residents began protesting. The city's police force reacted violently with riot gear and tear gas, causing uprisings that lasted over two weeks. Since then, several other cases of unwarranted police brutality against people of colour have been brought to media attention, sparking social justice reactions such as the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Protesters in Ferguson

The recent social media attention on police and blacks is a great example of the way that technology has changed the way we think. Personally, I find it terrifying to think that police brutality has been going on for decades with little to no attention. Without social media spreading news like wildfire, we may never have been made aware of such a daunting issue in our society. Social media changes the way that we think- whenever something is happening, people jump to take a picture or video and post it to whatever platforms they prefer. This means that there are numerous first-hand accounts being shared with the world in mere moments. Suddenly, people can not get away with the same things that they did before. Like Kasy said in her recent blog post, Big Brother is watching.

It blows my mind how social media has been turned into such an influential tool for news and grassroots movements. The United States are still reeling from Brown's death and more examples show up every day, all thanks to the immediate access to information. Issues that have been hidden for years are very suddenly being brought to light. The world is changing as quickly as technology is, with new ways to communicate discovered every day.

Until next time!

Kathryn

Additional information regarding Ferguson's agreement with DOJ: NBC New York Times USA Today

Real-Time Chapters 6-7

The power of social media is undeniable. Nowadays, we think in hashtags and memes rather than headlines. Reading these chapters, it was fascinating to evaluate the shift in technology for the marketing and PR world over the past decade. Even this book, which was published in 2010, has become outdated in its commentary on social media platforms. For the author, Twitter was just beginning to take hold as a real-time tool. Nowadays, Twitter is the be-all-end-all for immediate information. One of the interesting examples the book used was President Obama's real-time response to a different politician's statements. Nowadays, presidential candidates live tweet debates, responding to statements within mere moments.

Twitter and other social media are also powerful tools for crisis management. When tempers run high and gossip is in the air, people can use social media to make immediate responses, often alleviating the situation almost immediately. Recently, music stars Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj got into an argument on Twitter; Minaj posted that she was upset with the way that the Video Music Awards were going, Swift replied thinking that it was about her, Minaj assured her that it was not, and Swift swiftly apologized. At the end of the day, because of the real-time problem-solving, it became a non-event.

Remember to apologize; it's the nice thing to do!

Businesses should take a lesson from Swift and Minaj, quickly dispelling any harsh feelings or negative energy in a real-time fashion.

Until next time!

Kathryn