The Front Door

Passion for Fashion

2008-02-04T18:42:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

I will be your Entertainment blogger for the next few months. So, who am I? Well, I’m a senior at DePaul University in Chicago focusing on Public Relations and Writing. Though I’m going to be talking a lot, I want to hear from YOU! Yes, that’s right, YOU! I love comments because that tells me what you like to hear and what you want to hear more about.

Right now, I am working at a Public Relations agency in Chicago. I work in the Fashion/Hospitality Division which most students think is so glamorous and easy-to-do, but it takes a lot of work both behind the scenes and on the runway (so to speak). As students, we don’t get to see this, so we tend to make judgments about careers based on the media. I’m sure you have all seen Sex and the City in which the infamous Samantha Jones, played by actress Kim Cattrell, is a publicist in New York City.

She is rarely in the office and when her job is brought up, it is mostly done so to invite her friends to the VIP events she is coordinating. We never get to see the hard work that goes into her events or the logistics of pulling off the event that evening. Of course, the show is fictional, so it is easy to make her job look incredibly fabulous and fun.

Have you ever seen the show that aired on MTV in 2005 called PoweR Girls? It followed PR executives at Lizzie Grubman’s New York City PR firm.

I loved this show (while it was still on) because it portrayed the side of entertainment public relations that most students don’t get to see – the planning, the strategic branding, the event coordinating, etc. While working in fashion is a blast, it is tough work, just like any other account/client work in public relations. My favorite blog regarding what’s currently happening in Fashion PR is PR Couture.

The important part: Be sure to find a niche in your career path that you enjoy!!

This Just In . . .

2008-02-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

According to New York Magazine, the girls of MTV'S hit show, The Hills (Lauren and Whitney) have been spotted at a new job!! The two fashionista’s are reportedly now working for a fashion public relation’s firm called People’s Revolution. Sounds like a perfect fit!

Photo: MTV.com

This is very exciting news for those of us who ponder what it would be like to work/intern at Teen Vogue. How could you give up that job, right? If you want to read more about what it is like to work at Teen Vogue, check out their intern’s blog here. You can read all about who is working there now and what it is like to be a fashion magazine intern.

Photo: MTV.com

In the meantime, be sure to check back soon to hear about my own experience as a fashion public relations intern!

2008-02-10T22:47:00.000-08:00

The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Campaign has prominently been in the news this past week. The campaign is pushing for a movement towards awareness of the sad truth that the number one killer in women today is heart disease. I found the campaign intriguing because it is just being launched this year, which makes for an excellent case study on how well the campaign will do in comparison to other causes like the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk and Lee National Denim Day, both fundraisers for breast cancer research and awareness. I was fortunate enough to intern at the agency that handles both accounts, so I was able to see how much work is put into a cause branding project.

So far, the Go Red for Women Campaign has been seen increasing awareness of the project through the creation of National Wear Red Day on February 1 this year. It also partnered with Macy’s to promote National Wear Red day through a Public Service Announcement. The highlight of that day was the “Heart Truth” fashion show during Fashion Week in Bryant Park featuring First Lady, Laura Bush, as the guest speaker. With celebrities like Heidi Klum modeling red dresses from American designers, the fashion show received a lot of great press. What an innovative idea to raise awareness for the target audience of women through a fashion logo (red dress), fashion sponsorship (Macy’s), and an actual fashion show during New York Fashion Week! To me, this sounds like a great start for this campaign. What do you think? Should they have done anything differently?

It will be even more interesting to see what happens the rest of this year. I will keep you ‘in-the-know’. More on cause branding to come soon, too.

(Photo from American Heart Association)

Red Carpet Runway

2008-02-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

The 80th annual Academy Awards are officially less than a week away. Though the awards show ‘season’ has been cut down quite a bit this year due to the writer’s strike, the Academy Awards are ready to air this Sunday, February 24 Live at 5 PT/8 ET on ABC. Catch up on who is nominated this year at USA Today’s interactive page. The Academy Awards Web site is also very interactive this year with videos, pictures, and games.

Now, my favorite part is the Red Carpet where actors not only get to show off their personal style, but give interviews to the media. Click here to find an article predicting (and also giving away) what designers the stars will be seen wearing this year.

Award show season is not only for actors, but also for fashion designers to glow in the hype of the Red Carpet. Designers have been made, broken, and given a new reputation all from the fashion critics of the Red Carpet. This is a perfect PR time for designers to get their name mentioned by a Hollywood starlet and their latest fashions seen, not only from the Live media at the Red Carpet, but also from all the reprints of the good, the bad, and the ugly in various fashion and celebrity magazines like People, InTouch, UsWeekly, and several more.

The key to good publicity lies in the mention of the designer’s name. This is the celebrity’s responsibility and a potential PR nightmare if he/she forgets or decides not to mention the name of the designer. It also depends on the outfit the celebrity is wearing: If the critics decide they don’t like the dress or tuxedo, then it is a never-ending disaster for both the celebrity and the designer.

The trick? Making a positive impression on the media with the celebrity’s choice of designer! Here are a couple things to look out for during the Red Carpet and Awards show to see if your favorite celebrity is a good spokesperson for the designer they are wearing:

1. Is the celebrity offering interviews to the media?
2. Did the actor mention the name of the designer?
3. Is the style of the outfit/dress flattering to the celebrity?
4. How often did you see him/her during the entire Red Carpet and/or Awards Ceremony?
5. Did you see the celebrity’s outfit in print or television media after the awards show? (Examples: E! News, People, InStyle)
6. Did the fashion critics applaud or dis-like the style the celebrity was wearing?

All of these details are incredibly important for the fashion designer’s publicity before, during, and after the awards show.

Who is your favorite celebrity spokesperson? What do you admire about their interview ability and style choices?

(Photos from Getty Images)

"America's Coolest Internships"

2008-02-26T13:58:00.001-08:00

I just received some fantastic news this morning about one of my previous internships. Inc., a top business magazine, has profiled “America’s Coolest Internships” and my last internship at Barkley was picked! Barkley is an employee-owned, full-service advertising, marketing, and public relations agency that is based in Kansas City. I was lucky enough to be picked last summer as one of two public relations interns, specifically working on client accounts such as Lee Jeans, Lee National Denim Day, and SONIC Drive-In.

I am actually not at all surprised that this internship program was picked as one of the “coolest” in the country because the company blew away my expectations of what I did last summer. Not only did I work directly with the client teams, but I was able to express my ideas and input my thoughts into meetings, where interns are usually ignored. During the course of the summer, the interns also prepared our own client pitch for Boulevard Brewing Company. What more could a college student ask for to work with an alcoholic beverage client and have work to put into our portfolio that says, “We did this on our own!”

All in all, I am more than proud to have worked at Barkley. Though I am rambling a little bit here, I hope all college students have the chance to say they’ve had the opportunity to experience working or interning at a company who is really trying to help develop your knowledge of the industry you will be entering after college.

If you want to be a part of America’s Coolest Internships, be sure to check out the profiles here.

(The first picture is inside the agency. The second picture is after our pitch to Boulevard Brewing.)

Bad Job Blues

2008-03-03T11:11:00.001-08:00

Afraid of choosing the wrong job right out of college? Remember – even if you choose the wrong one, you can still learn from it! Check out this article by SavvySugar by clicking here – it details why a suffering through a bad job is sometimes an important way to learn about what you DON’T want to do.

For example, during my sophomore year of college, I worked for an event marketing company that mostly consisted of nightlife clients. I quickly learned that working in the nightlife scene wasn’t for me because the people I had to deal with during events were mostly inebriated during my time working with them and the hours were terrible! While this job could be really fun for people who love the nightlife scene and don’t mind being out until 3 a.m. in the morning, it just wasn’t for me.

Now, when I interview for new jobs I know to ask about the extra hours and weekends that I will be required to work. I also learned that even though marketing and promotion of nightclub events sounded fun, it isn’t for me, so I check out a company’s Web site to see what their client list looks like before I send my resume to that company. Although these sound like ‘duh’ realizations, sometimes you just have to experience a job before you realize you do or don’t like it. You can avoid getting stuck in a job by testing the waters first through:

Internships - A great way to figure out if you like a certain career or company because they usually only last a few months, so be sure to take advantage of them.
Job Shadowing – Ask to follow someone for one work day to see what it is like to have their job.
Research!!

Experience.com is the perfect place to start and check out different career paths. If you’re specifically looking for a career in the entertainment industry, check out this article by Emma Beaver to see the different paths you can take.
About.com has a great career tool where you can type in a job title or career you are interested in and see all kinds of statistics such as earnings, advancement, skills needed and even a typical day for that job! Here is an example for a public relations specialist.

Have you ever had a terrible job that you learned from?? Come on over and vent in the comments forum!

Advice from Christie Hefner

2008-03-31T12:04:00.000-07:00

Today, I had the pleasure of seeing Christie Hefner, CEO and Chairman of Playboy Enterprises, Inc., speak at a fundraising breakfast for Dress for Success (DFS), a non-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help underprivileged women. Chicago Kimpton Hotels is one of the clients that my firm currently represents and they support DFS through a corporate initiative, so I got to help out with the event!

She was an amazing and poignant speaker, asking to not use a podium for such an intimate setting. Without notes, Hefner offered her career advice to the professional audience. Main Point: I got to hear Christie Hefner’s advice for getting ahead and getting involved; two things that she pointed out go hand in hand. She touched on three main tips:

Be a Good Listener – Though some people think they’re good listeners, most of the time they are thinking when they should be listening. Listening allows you to really find out what the other person is looking for and the more you hear - the more you can give them exactly what they want, both in your personal and professional life.

Taking Risks – You can’t go any further if you stay in the same place. Calculated and educated risks were her main emphasis here. Don’t take a risk you don’t know the negative outcomes for, this way you will be prepared for everything (even the worst). If it pays off, even better! Hefner spoke about her risk to jump into the digital world in 1994 when she decided to put a “dot com” on the end of Playboy. She put Playboy on the map when it was the first magazine on the internet. Now, playboy.com is the fastest profit growing resource of Playboy Enterprises, Inc.

Networking – Of course! Though Hefner noted that she was able to get into Playboy Enterprises, Inc. through her father (Hugh Hefner), she stressed that networking puts you in places that resumes can only dream of going. Friends like helping friends and keep in mind that the way we asked her to speak at the event was through my boss, a networking contact!

Getting Involved: The sooner you can start helping an organization that you’re passionate about, the better so that in the future it becomes second nature to give back.

Wow! What powerful advice . . . I was absolutely floored by her! What do you guys think of Christie Hefner? Her advice?

Chic in the City

2008-04-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

If you’re looking for a hip, trendy, *chic* online magazine dedicated to female college students, look no more. University Chic is an online MUST for up and coming college fashionistas. It’s an online magazine written for and by college students like us! The site features different category blogs, advice columns, college resources, promotions, and even a place to submit your own writing to be featured on University Chic – very exciting for those of us who are trying to get our name and work out there. Check it out by clicking here. (Photo courtesy of UniversityChic.com )

On the fashion entertainment beat, who wants to talk about the soon-to-be-released Sex and the City movie??? Comments???

Its FINALLY here!!

2008-05-31T22:16:00.000-07:00

It was a "girls night out" weekend!

The long awaited premiere of every woman's favorite show was Friday and every girl between the ages of 15-50 got dressed up, grabbed their girlfriend and waited in line to see it! Sex and the City knocked Indiana Jones out of the number one spot racking in $26.9 million worth of tickets across America Friday night!

I had to work Friday night and was unable to go but I work at Ruby Tuesday and let me just say that both Friday and Saturday that restaurant was FULL of women coming in all dressed up to drink cosmos in honor of the premiere! They were coming in before and after! I was so jealous that I had to work!! I've never served more cosmos to so many women in my life!!!

For the beginning, everyone was happy and pretty ...reminiscent of the many seasons of Sex and the City. There wasn't a moment in the movie where you didn't hear some girl in the theater gasp, laugh or aww. The movie lived up to expectation, though it was predictable.

I suggest for those of you that have not seen it, DO IT! It was long, but so worth it.

Hope everyone's having a great summer!!

how was everyone elses weekend?!??!

2008-06-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

Its been an eventful weekend for people around Michigan!

I was at my favorite place of employment on a lovely Friday night when all of a sudden the power went out in the whole restaurant and a storm hit. Obviously, its a Friday night...I couldn't be happier that the power wen out!! We all got to go home. So I went home and enjoyed my Friday night for the first time in....about a month and then woke up Saturday to find that the power was out still at work and I got, yet another, weekend night off!! The power was out in places all over Michigan this whole weekend!

Could life get any better?!?! I loved being able to lay out all weekend and soak up this wonderful weather! Considering I work so much and I never get more than a day off of work, if that ...I was extremely happy. However...being that I'm not used to ever having time for myself..I had no idea what to do with myself!

So looking forward to Sunday, I go to work at Chili Peppers Tanning Salon, my second place of employment to find that its too slow and I get...YET ANOTHER day off of work! Now I really didn't know what to do with myself!!

I got everything that I needed to get done, done on Friday and Saturday thinking that I'd not have another day off anytime soon. And now...as much as I hate to say it, I am missing my jobs!! I can't wait to go back!!

Does anyone else feel this way? I mean...do you guys find that you have no time to do anything and then get overwhelmed with all the free time you have when its given to you?!?! Or am I the only one feeling this way....

Please tell me I'm not crazy!!

The Dog Days of Summer

2008-06-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Today as I was opening my front door to make a Walgreen's run, (ironically to purchase puppy shampoo), my dog ran out between my legs and took off. Does anybody out there have an escape-artist pooch? Annoying. Well, without missing a beat I hit the ground running after her. Penny--the dog-at-large--is 10 years old. But don't let her senior-status fool you; byotch can run. So there I was, chasing after her, alternately yelling threats and bribes in a futile attempt to persuade her to come to me. Now, this dog has it made; I could write a book about how spoiled she is. So why does she enjoy running away? Maybe she's got a Winona Ryder streak; the rich stealing for the thrill of it...

Looking back, I see a spooky connection between chasing my dog and all of us chasing our dreams. I love my dog, and I don't understand her desire to elude me like she did. I love to write and I don't understand why I haven't gotten a full-time job yet. Point? Sometimes we have to accept that not everything is in our control; just trust that when it's right it'll happen. Furthermore, I know when Penny runs off like that, I have to keep her in my sight; I cannot give up the chase. She could get hit by a car, or dog-napped, or worse if I slacked off. Similarly, we cannot give up chasing our dreams/goals. Even if we don't have a specific job in our sights, we must pursue, because --like a run-away dog-- dreams rarely come to stock-still wishful thinkers.

So keep truckin', people! Remember: if you want to go far in this world, you first have to GO!

And never fear; Penny is safe at home, as cute and content as ever:)

Coffee on a Sunday

2008-06-30T05:56:00.000-07:00

I've now been home from college for five months.

Top 5 things I like about being home:

5. I didn't have to buy that hot tub, nor do I pay to heat it.

4. Even when there isn't food in the pantry I know there will be tomorrow.

3. Cable television (even thought it's been only a guilty pleasure since entering college)

2. The warmth of never being alone, and catching up with old friends.

1. A big porch where I can read.

I fought with myself about coming home after school. I hated that I hadn't planned better back in November. (Professor Enrich said we should have started job searching back then... maybe he was right). I couldn't decide where I wanted to go, or how to go about going there. The place that ended up making the most sense was to come home, get my feet on the ground and then move out. I'm still here. And it's okay.

Last weekend I went out for coffee with two of my friends who I don't get to see very often, but who were friends I grew up with. None of us have changed very much. It gave me hope. Ashley is still extremely focused on school and getting ready for graduate school in the fall. Amanda, like myself, made no plans past graduation. We all talked about what that meant, why it's scary, and who has the answers. At this moment another girl we knew from high school and Ash was very close with walked up the steps and then towards us, with her girlfriend ahead of her.

"Hey, North!" she said to us. (The name of our high school)

Ash had ducked her head, saying she didn't want to say hi to Nikki, but was then forced to.

We started talking and Nikki told us that she had dropped out of college three times and the last time realized it wasn't for her. She lived with her mother for a year developing her own business. She now develops businesses from the ground up for other people. She was happy. She said she had found her passion. She was headed off to Miami this week to finalize plans for a nightclub.

That gave me hope. Find my passion. Commit to it.

Today I am making a list of all the great things about being home, and then I'm going to figure out where I want to go next. I'm excited. Anyone know any great cities that you call home? Top five things. Go.

Image by: www.lcdlove.com

Ahhhh.....America!

2008-07-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

Given that yesterday was the fourth, I feel a post celebrating this American life is appropriate. I could drone on and on about all the perks, but I think my recent visit to the ER encapsulates some of them nicely.

Preface: Tuesday night (alright, technically Wednesday morning, it was 12:30), I took a spill. Slipped on some miscellany junk on my floor, and wound up landing on my chin. Cut to me rubbing said chin, thinking all's well, only to find a handful of blood. Panic, nausea, and near-fainting ensue. The mom throws a wet wash-cloth on it to slow the gushing, the step-dad pulls up the truck, and off we go to the emergency room.

Now, I'm thinking we're over-reacting a bit. People go to the ER in the wee hours because they got shot. Not because they're clumsy fools like me. The medical professionals, however, agreed with the old folk's that my wound needed some help staying shut. Into the room I go!

Here's where the thankfulness-to-America comes in:

1. We have emergency rooms...and competent staff to boot.
2. We have treatment options; instead of black stitches resembling chin-whiskers, I was able to walk out of there with the wound glued up.
3. Tetanus shots. Sure, they cause discomfort. But compared to the alternative (lockjaw, etc.), they are definitively worth it.
4. Animal planet was on the TV. The show? About man-eating tigers in India. Literally hundreds of people get eaten alive by tigers every year. Eaten by a tiger? Cut on the chin. Perspective, people. We've got it good.
5. Related to 4; when I got home there was a tiny, sweet-as-sugar, stray cat hanging out on our front porch. One that liked to be pet and didn't bite. Much better than finding a stray tiger, no? ;)

Why do you guys love America?

Images by: www.sandiego.gov, and Mandy & Arjin

A little bit goes a long way....

2008-07-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

I've been reading the news a lot online lately which is something I used to do a lot before I was thrown into two jobs that consume every second of my life.

This past weekend I read an article that I found very interseting about college students. Being that I, like many of you, am a college student, I figured that I would share this interesting article with you!

It was an article on the top ten best jobs for two-year degrees. Many high school students beat themselves up over the decision on whether they should attend college or not. Do I go to a four year university to obtain a degree or should I just opt for a two year degree...should I not go at all? Is it even for me?

College of any kind is always a good decision and although it will be beneficial to you in the long run, four years of your life can consume an awful lot of time and money that you may not have. The point that CNN made was that very few majors can offer financial return that is going to offset the financial debt that most students (myself included) obtain over 4 years.

A two year degree, or an Associate's degree can be obtained in half the time for half the cost because in order to get an Associate's you don't need to attend a four year university. The other point that CNN made was that in having an associate's it puts you at the "halfway point" of a four year degree, should you opt to further your education later in life.

Workers with associate degrees on average earn more money than their counterparts with high school degrees. Anthony Balderrama of Careerbuilder said, "according to the U.S. Census Bureau, over a 40-year period, high school graduates will earn a total of $1.2 million, while workers with associate degrees will earn $1.6 million."

According to Anthony Balderrama and Careerbuilder, the top ten best jobs for two-year degrees are:

1. Computer specialists Median annual wage: $71,510

Current Employment: 136,000 Projected 2016 employment increase: 15 percent

2. Dental hygienists Median annual wage: $64,740

Current Employment: 167,000 Projected 2016 employment increase: 30 percent

3. Fashion designers Median annual wage: $62,810

Current Employment: 20,000 Projected 2016 employment increase: 5 percent

4. Registered nursesMedian annual wage: $60,010

Current Employment: 2,505,000 Projected 2016 employment increase: 23 percent

5. Environmental engineering technicians Median annual wage: $ 40,560

Current Employment: 21,000 Projected 2016 employment increase: 25 percent

6. Radiologic technologists and techniciansMedian annual wage: $50,260

Current Employment: 196,000 Projected 2016 employment increase: 15 percent

7. Industrial engineering techniciansMedian annual wage: $47,490

Current Employment: 75,000 Projected 2016 employment increase: 10 percent

8. Paralegals and legal assistants Median annual wage: $44,990

Current Employment: 238,000 Projected 2016 employment increase: 22 percent

9. Occupational therapist assistantsMedian annual wage: $45,050

Current Employment: 25,000 Projected 2016 employment increase: 25 percent

10. Computer support specialists Median annual wage: $42,400

Current Employment: 552,000 Projected 2016 employment increase: 13 percent

College may not be for everyone, but if you can find a great job that pays well and only have to put in half the time you would at a university, don't you think that makes it worth something? I love being at my university and I know that I have barely any money and I'm an extremely broke college student (like the majority of us) but its a decision I'm happy I made! Don't look at college as a continuation of high school, look at it as a great start to a successful future!

Even if you don't attend for four full years, you can still have better benefits than if you were to just not attend at all. Don't short yourself just because you feel like its a waste of your time. I promise you that you'll love it!!

images by www.womenslawproject.org

Luck.

2008-07-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

I just read in newspaper that my old high school friend went to the Emmy's this past June because she won the contest that they had. The contest was to write in 25 words or less why you believe you should win the trip to the Emmy's.

My friend, Anna, has always wanted to go into acting and move to LA so this was a huge privilege for her. She was able to bring a friend and shot a commercial in which she was allowed to keep 3 evening gowns, shoes and a purse! She also got to walk the red carpet in style like a star and sit backstage at the Emmys!

When she returned, I gave her a call because I read it in the newspaper and of course, good trustworthy Facebook showed me pictures of the trip! I found out that she will be moving to LA in the fall and attending a school there.

I found this interesting because my luck lately has been horrible and things have just not been going my way. But out of 3,000 contestants, my one friend from smalltown Fraser was able to attend the Emmy's and meet all her favorite stars AND shoot a commercial!! This just made me realize that you have to just be patient. Things do get better and it may take a while but its normally worth the wait.

End of Summer

2008-08-24T06:55:00.000-07:00

I would just like to say that this has been a really wonderful opportunity writing for Experience. Now that summer is coming to an end, I am able to look back on how far I have come since starting the interview process and essentially documenting my progress through blogging. I would encourage anyone looking for a job to use www.experience.com as a resource. The website is going through some exciting changes and I think it would benefit anyone looking for a job or an internship immensely to look it over.

That being said, I did not find my job via Experience, although much of the advice given on the website helped me in landing it. For anyone who is struggling with the lack of work experience read "The New Grad Catch-22." Much of what is outlined are things I wish I had known earlier. I realize this may not be completely time appropriate since May graduates have been job searching... since May, but I don't think it hurts to reinforce the tools needed in finding a job.

I thought that networking wasn't that important. I didn't like the idea of depending on another person professionally to find me work if I didn't honestly like them on a personal level. After getting the job as a Project Coordinator for NYPIRG I realized they go hand in hand. I respected and liked my boss, I did good work because of that, he encouraged me to apply, and he was a strong reference for me. It all made sense. Working for NYPIRG this summer was the hardest I've ever worked for an organization or company and it was because of how much I believed in what I was doing and now I feel rewarded because of it.

Training in New York was a lot of fun. I had only been to New York City once before and even though there wasn't a lot of time to take it all in, I think I got my fill this time. I also felt completely energized and ready to start working when training finished. It was inspiring to be around so many people like myself and also new people to the organization who were excited about the work, too.

One more thing I'd like to add about how what I'm doing and experience relate is how the website is environmentally aware and promotes green living. I feel very strongly about personal responsibility towards the environment and Experience has a lot of great tips on how to do that. I feel proud to be working with both organizations which facilitate change and environmentally sound policies. Once I start working I will have much more to say about the job but for now...

I start on Monday. Auugh!

Back to the Future

2008-08-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

School is starting all across the country. The air smells of freshly sharpened pencils, crisp notebook paper, text books, and coffee...to keep the students awake for those lovely A.M. classes...How many of you readers are adjusting to the school schedule all over again?

Personally, I'm done with college. Well, at least for now. I've earned my BFA and am on the job market. But plenty of my friends are trucking back to university, including one of my besties, Lawrell. Yesterday the two of us packed up the rest of her belongings and loaded up her car. As I write, she's probably on the highway headed to UNI. Her immediate future? Classes and grades; decisions and preparations for what she will "do" in life. My immediate future? Go to the mall to work my part-time job and sit on pins and needles while I wait to hear back from my latest career interview.

photo courtesy of kippefinger via flickr

Gotta admit; I'm a little jealous of Lawrell and the rest of you college kids. School is tough, no doubt, but it's fun, too. Your schedule is your choice, to a certain extent anyway. Your home is surrounded by friends. You might have anxiety about life after school, but really you know that for now, it's no big deal. Enjoy life!

After my buddy and I said our "see ya's!" and parted ways yesterday, I was very aware of the differences in our upcoming months. But I was also aware of the similarities; no matter where we are at in life, it always comes back to the future--we don't know where we are going tomorrow, but we all are going that way!

The Hills

2008-08-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Hills is back and better than ever!!! I couldn't believe how Audrina talked to Lo last night!! I didn't even know that she had a mean side!! Not that Lo didn't deserve it. ....

And Spidey?!?! Well....as always they are the couple I (and I'm sure many others) love to hate. I mean honestly....Heidi, you give up your great job opportunity for loser Spencer who basically just comes back to your apartment and continues to treat you like your nothing?!?! And then he's rude to your sister?!?!? Oh no, that would not fly with me.

It looks like Lauren has a new love in her life...will he last or will she go back to Brody?!?!? And will things get better for Lauren and Heidi?

OOh the possibilities!!

I don't know about all of you but I am way excited to see what's in store for this season of the hills!!

Back to Ithaca

2008-08-14T06:31:00.000-07:00

Ithaca was wonderful. Seeing Darren and Alison was great. Darren had some friends from home visiting and we grilled and went fishing at the waterfall near his apartment on Saturday night. Alison and I are bringing back the band and had our first band practice in Darrens lofted bedroom around 1 a.m. I'm not exactly sure how we sounded but we're both going to practice more and since we'll be in the same area we think we can make it work this time.

We went to look at an apartment for me in Cortland Sunday afternoon and three on Monday. I cried. Cortland is not Ithaca. I had no idea. I'm also feeling very overwhelmed and have been crying at the drop of a hat whenever something doesn't end up how I expect. Anyway, long story short, Darren is looking to get out of his apartment and we decided to move in together closer to downtown in Ithaca. I think this is going to work out the best.

The Wilco concert was exactly as I had hoped it would be. Laurie, Matt and his three friends met Alison and I there. We had lawn seats and people were pick-nicking. Matt and Laurie brought wine and we had chips and blankets. When the concert started we were all able to get a little closer. I ended up being pretty close and stayed there. I hadn't been to a big concert in such a long time, it was so great. The next morning I was sad to say goodbye to everyone again. And the car ride home was very quiet. I thought about happiness and how fleeting it is and about what my new life is going to feel like. (At that point I still thought I was going to live alone in Cortland.)

I'm finishing up canvassing this week. I'm driving to Binghamton to meet up with another Project Coordinator who will then drive to NYC for training on Sunday. Training is for a week, and then I start the job at Cortland very soon after that. I hope Darren finds an apartment quickly. I'm going to be homeless for a little bit. I am still shocked at the way things worked out this year. At the very least, five years from now, I will look back at my first year out of college knowing I did everything backwards, and laugh about it.

Interested in a career in entertainment??? Check out this great article from Experience to learn more about the industry.

Interesting

2008-08-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

Do you think its okay for teacher-student relationships outside of school? Should a student and a teacher have contact with each other when they are outside the classroom?!?!

One teacher thought that student-teacher relationships outside of school may be an interesting experiment.

Randy Turner, a 52-year-old english teacher at South Middle School in Joplin, Missouri set up a MySpace page and his students began asking to add him as a friend and sending him questions about assignments. When this started happening he realized he may be onto something. He realized that having a MySpace and allowing his students to talk to him through it may let them think he is open to communication and may make them feel more comfortable in his classroom.

Many teachers feel that sites like MySpace or Facebook give their students open doors to let them connect with their students about homework, tutoring and other school matters. Many others feel that it will breed inappropriate relationships with students.

There have been 11 teachers from Misouri in the last 2 years arrested and convicted of inappropriate behavior with students. Because of this, state legislature Jane Cunningham is sponsoring a bill in the Missouri House of Representatives that would ban elementary school teachers from having social-networking friendships with their students.

Do you feel like its a bad idea for students to be able to have open communication with their teachers outside of the classroom in ways like a social-networking website or e-mail?!?!

Rich and Buttery

2008-08-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

photo courtesy of if you dream it... via flickr

Beijing 2008. The Olympics. They are kind of a big deal, right? Whether you actually take time to watch the games or not, chances are you recognize the names of some of the key U.S. athletes. Michael Phelps, Shawn Johnson, etc. Which means that these athletes are celebrities. Which makes them fair fodder for this entertainment blog!

Shawn Johnson is particularly a big name in my area; Des Moines, IA. Yep, Johnson is a local girl, which makes her every move newsworthy around here. Now clearly I don't know the kid personally, but even if I did, the news coverage is a little much. The Olympics are the Olympics after all; they get enough publicity of their own accord. Add a hometown hero into the mix and all chaos breaks loose. Girl is everywhere.

Earlier I mentioned that celebs are "fair fodder," and Johnson makes that doubly true. Not only are the '08 Games underway, but so is the ginormously important Iowa State Fair! Trust me, people, this is like one of the hugest state fairs around. Literally. One of the annual highlights of the fair is seeing the butter sculptures. The butter cow makes an appearance every year, along with special highlights. Take a wild guess what V.I.P. was recreated out of milk's fatty portion this year...Shawn Johnson! Will wonders never cease?

photo courtesy of myershse on flickr

Over-exposure aside, Olympic athletes really are incredible and inspiring individuals. If you have some time, cheer them on from your living rooms and appreciate being American. If you have a lot of time, come to the Iowa State Fair. The best array of foods-on-a-stick, free concerts, and endless attractions await you! :)

Finally I can breathe

2008-08-09T07:11:00.000-07:00

So, I got the job. I am moving to Cortland, NY very soon after training in NYC. These past six months have been some of the most confusing times of my life and now that I finally have a job I think things will calm down. I am excited to lead and teach students about activism and the environment and to be close to Ithaca again.

I knew that the interview went well and my best advice to anyone looking for work is to stay true to yourself and things will work out. Make strong contacts and references. Josh (my boss) was probably my strongest asset in getting the job as a project coordinator. I also feel very lucky that I was interviewed by the executive director of NYPIRG, she had an extremely magnetic personality and I felt comfortable with her right away. Not in the way that I was comfortable working as a financial advisor for three weeks, but real authentic comfort with having a conversation with this person and knowing I was pursuing something that I really wanted. I didn't want to get to excited but I had a very good feeling after the interview.

I got the phone call the other morning and am waiting to hear more plans for being trained. I'm on my way to visit Ithaca today to see Alison and Darren and Alison's new house and see some apartments in Cortland. I cannot wait to have an apartment again, whether it be with a new roommate or my own space I am very excited. I am bringing my guitar and my dads record player. I just finished the biography of Woody Guthrie.

On Tuesday we're going to meet up with Matt and Laurie to see Wilco in Massachusetts. So this is my little vacation before starting work. I'll finish up next Saturday with canvassing and then head off to New York City that Monday. I'm nervous for New York City, but good nervous. Auuugh, it's all coming together :)

Commercialism?

2008-08-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

So I applied for a job, and part of the application process was filling out a template for a TV commercial on why this place should hire me. Now, I watch A LOT of television, which means I am quite familiar with commercials. (Aren't we all?) I know which ones are funny, which are touching, which are annoying--that would be most of them. Especially local commercials. Seriously, I don't care what part of the country you live in, local commercials are dreadful things.

However, now that I've spent the better part of today writing a commercial, I'm beginning to feel some sympathy for the local guy. It is not easy coming up with audio and video content for 30 seconds worth of air-time. Particularly if you have no clue what the proper terminology is! Thanks to google and plenty of surf-time, I finally found a site that is really helpful for TV and film lingo: The Grammar of TV and Film. Check it out. It's gravy.

video courtesy of x2v2

My only question now is whether I will get the job or not. Either way, designing a commercial was actually a really enjoyable experience. I definitely recommend it.

2008-08-03T16:35:00.000-07:00

I have been ridiculously busy lately getting ready to go back to school. I just recently got an apartment for school and I feel like all my money from work is gone and I'm just working for free!!!

Does anyone know of any good places for me to go that will save me money so I can save SOME money?!?!?

Ramble On

2008-08-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

So I've been getting pretty overwhelmed lately with the prospects of the future. I'll admit I'm really easily influenced by people I meet and books that I read. I tend to read a book and imagine myself living the lives of the characters.

I made a friend at work who had told me upon our introduction that he'd be leaving for Alaska soon. He's a twitchy nervous guy who previously had been traveling across the U.S. following music and hanging around. I didn't really know anything about him other than he was telling me, his boss, that he was quitting. I got a little mad, but also thought it would never happen, and let it go. People come and go pretty quickly with canvassing, I wasn't going to become jealous of this guy who I assumed was just a weird liar. The thought of Alaska has been in and out of my life since graduating. I had far too much time to read and was reading Into The Wild and living in Ithaca. I started to plan how I could get out of paying back my student loans and following my new found dream of hiking through Alaska. Later my two best friends were in a student film entitled What's In Alaska. Steve left for his trip on Saturday.

Now I'm reading Woody Guthrie: A Life by Joe Klein. I'm getting restless and stir crazy. I spent the entire day today finishing the book and learning about life in that time. I know I'm going to be life long learner. In all honesty, I miss college and structured learning. I want to get on the road. I may get this job back at Ithaca which would be nice but still would feel like a step backward. At the same time I cannot stay in Buffalo much longer. At least work is ending. I've been feeling trapped by the people I work with.

I went out to see a bluegrass band on Friday called the Erie Lackawanna Railroad band with Josh, Rob and Steve. Matt and some guys from last summer met us out later. The show was fun, but they were no Baby Seal Clubbers. I miss those guys. I've also started thinking about going to Nashville. My mom has been pressing me to look for jobs in D.C. I can't really see myself there.

Websites I've been into lately:
www.jango.com --- I just found this website today, it's a lot like pandora, but I like it more
www.ultimate-guitar.com --- for guitar tabs
www.coolworks.com --- non-traditional jobs in nature
www.allmusic.com --- resource for everything you would want to know about artists
www.careerbuilder.com --- I've been posting my resume more lately and getting phone calls, it's a relief
www.idealist.org --- job site for non-profits

I can't believe it's August already. I was supposed to have a band meeting for Supernova on Thursday which required me to rearrange my schedule within NYPIRG. No bands showed. This job, although I love it, is becoming more trouble than it's worth. It's music for the sake of music.