A Senior Communicator

Graduation is approaching, and that means an assortment of family members will be getting together to celebrate my achieving a college education. However, there are some things to note about my family that will likely cause this “reunion” to be interesting to say the least.

My parents divorced when I was 9 years old, and it was a fairly rocky situation. However, this is not meant to be a pity party for the Senior Communicator. As a matter of fact, this situation is likely going to yield some humorous outcomes. The current state of my mother and father’s relationship is fine. They are both remarried and have children with their current spouses, but my other family members will likely pose some interesting situations.

In an attempt to show some form of decency, I will not specifically name any family member or who he/she is related to (mother or father). With that said, let’s get started with the first victim.

A loudmouth who loves a drink or two will be attending my graduation, and it is safe to assume that this individual does not choose words wisely. Moreover, this individual’s ability to cause conflict and discomfort is astounding, and I’m assuming these characteristics will be in full bloom this Saturday. On the other hand, this individual’s ability to cause discomfort and conflict is likely going to cause lots of internal laughter because my family, for the most part, has matured significantly over the years.

One thing I would like to point out is that my family is somewhat “hee-haw,” and I remember times when I was extremely embarrassed while out in public with this bunch of “hee-haws.” However, times have changed. I have learned to accept that my “hee-haw” family adds to my character, and I honestly find it entertaining. I actually look forward to introducing my family members to my friends from GSU, mostly so my friends can understand where I’m coming from. I probably shouldn’t get carried away–I love my family, and they are all great people. I just can’t help but picture the Grizwold family Christmas whenever we have family gatherings.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about my family coming to graduation is the fact that we are all getting together for a post-graduation lunch. In all honestly, I cannot wait for this. It has been years since members of both sides of my family have come together for a meal, and I am anticipating an initial awkward silence followed abruptly by a sudden outburst from the family loudmouth. Well, maybe not an “outburst” per se’, but there will definitely be some off-the-wall comments made. It’s going to be a fun experience. Forgive me, but I am looking forward to many laughs at my family’s expense.

So I can end on a good note, I want to say how much I love my family and how much I appreciate everything they have done for me. I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for their efforts.

Image one source
Image two source

Writer’s block has to be the most problematic thing when attempting to complete written assignments. Writer’s block is something that I have fortunately been able to avoid for the most part, but I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t experience it every once in a while. With that said, my ultimate cure for writer’s block is music.

Nothing gets my creative juices flowing more than listening to good music. However, it can’t be just any type of music. Many who know me likely doubt that I am in to classical music, but I have a couple of Beethoven and Mozart tracks on my play list. These classical tunes seem to jump start my brain, thus relieving me of the dreaded writer’s block. In addition to the few classical tunes that appeal to me, Perpetual Groove tunes tend to increase my creative sense. An instrumental like Teakwood Betz initially relaxes me, and it seems as though my creative juices begin to flow once I’m in a relaxed state.

Instrumentals are the best way to go, in my opinion, because songs with lyrics tend to cloud my brain with ideas for melodies and lyrics of my own. This would be beneficial if I were writing a song or poem, but music with lyrics seem to be detrimental to my progress when writing a 30 page APA style research study. Jamming out to an instrumental, whether it’s classical or psychedelic-infused rock-n-roll, has proven to be an almost immediate cure of writer’s block (at least for me).

The next time writer’s block becomes a problem that is limiting your creative abilities, I highly recommend listening to some good instrumentals. Obviously everyone is different, and I understand that some need complete silence when writing a research paper or news article. However, I challenge you to try out my method of curing writer’s block. Your initial reaction may be “No way,” but like the old saying goes, “Don’t knock it until you try it.”

Image 1 Source
Image 2 Source

Concerts are a great way to cut loose and temporarily forget about all of your problems, but it is hard to explain the feeling of seeing the Dave Matthews Band ten feet in front of me and tens of thousands of people behind me. Sure, I’m a fan of DMB, but I would much rather be at a Perpetual Groove show. However, there isn’t much that compares to the feeling that came over me when I looked at the sea of people behind me and screamed, “Hey! Ya’ll are wayyy back there, and we’re wayyy up here!”

This particular concert took place at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, GA, and I seriously doubted I would have a good time when I first arrived. The park was packed, and I never thought we would make it even remotely close to the stage. I’ve never been a fan of obnoxious drunks, but one of those actually proved to be beneficial. My group agreed to let someone tag along with us because her friends sold their tickets, and I knew going into the whole experience that we would end up having to babysit this lush. Low and behold, our obnoxious drunk is about 50 yards away from us annoying a group of hippies. 50 yards doesn’t seem that far, but when there are at least 10,000 people sitting on quilts between us and the lush, problems tend to arise.

We basically had to make a choice–leave her on her own or throw away all regard for people’s space and muscle our way towards her. Obviously we weren’t going to leave her alone, so we proceeded to walk through the crowd. If I had a nickel for every time someone said “Hey! Watch it, man,” I’d be a millionaire. Stunningly, this idiot lush continues to walk away from us as we are trying to get to her. Eventually she sits on a quilt with a group of hippies, and we finally made it to their quilt. It had become blatantly obvious that these hippies wanted this lush as far away from them as possible, so I helped her up and proceeded to walk. To my surprise, we were actually close to the front! I thanked our drunken lush of a friend for her idiocy, and proceeded to muscle my way through the crowd until I was at the front right-hand corner of the stage. Looking back at the entrance and seeing how far up we moved (considering the size of the crowd) was truly an amazing site.

It’s always good to have an appreciation of all kinds of music, but I feel a sudden urge to focus on my three favorite musical groups. All three groups may be classified as rock-n-roll bands, but their styles are very different. In no particular order, my three favorite musical groups are Mötley Crüe, Blind Melon, and Perpetual Groove.

Many people crack a lot of jokes about the cheesy 1980s hair-metal bands, but one thing to consider is that many of those rock-n-roll posers (Poison and Warrant, for example) were doing nothing more than trying to be Mötley Crüe. Mötley Crüe formed in Los Angeles in the early 1980s, and they were one of the first bands to wear spandex, make-up, and ridiculous amounts of hair spray. They were not the innovators of this look, however, as they adopted this image from another rock-n-roll band at that time, Hanoi Rocks. However, Mötley Crüe became notorious for this image, as well as living up to the band name.

The thing about Mötley Crüe is that the group’s appearance changed with each album. They started off with spandex and glam-style make-up, and progressed to war paint (akin to Kiss), dog collars and spiked shoulder pads (akin to Judas Priest lead singer, Rob Halford). With the release of Girls Girls Girls in 1986, Mötley Crüe’s attire consisted of predominantly biker’esque material. One thing about Mötley Crüe is that the band was indeed a motley crue. Excessive drug and alcohol abuse plagued the band for years, and it wasn’t until bass player Nikki Sixx’s heroin overdose (he was legally dead for two minutes) that the band members decided to admit they had no control over there addictions and to seek help. Sobriety turned Mötley Crüe into a fine-tuned machine. Dr. Feel Good was released in 1989, and it remains one of the top selling rock-n-roll albums today. Mötley Crüe is still performing, and drummer Tommy Lee recently stated that Crue Fest 3 will not take place this summer because the band is working on new material for a new album. Crue Fest 3 is set to take place in the Summer of 2011.

Blind Melon is, in my opinion, one of the greatest bands to ever grace the music industry. This band was ahead of its time, and the untimely death of lead singer Shannon Hoon was a shock to Blind Melon fans around the world. Blind Melon peaked in 1994 with the hit single, “No Rain.” To my surprise, the singles before “No Rain” did not seem to appeal much to music fans. Sure, “No Rain” is a corky, up-beat tune, but it is probably my least favorite song on the band’s self-titled album. The album is full of singles in my opinion, and I feel that Shannon Hoon’s voice is second to none. Not only that, but his song writing ability is exceptional. It pains me to think about how the media treated Blind Melon after Hoon’s untimely death due to a cocaine overdose. Radio stations stopped playing Blind Melon’s music, and many media outlets portrayed the band as a bunch of drug using freaks. Unfortunately, Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon are considered just another rock-n-roll tragedy among the many that have occurred over time.

How can I explain Perpetual Groove? I think the band name speaks for itself. The men of Perpetual Groove are oozing with talent, and I have never seen another band who has better improvisation on stage. Brock Butler, lead guitarist and vocalist for Perpetual Groove, qualifies as a “Guitar God” in my opinion. Some may call me crazy, but his name should be mentioned among other great guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jeff Beck, and Eddie Van Halen (just to name a few). With a retina-burning light show and seamless transitions from song to song and genre to genre, this band has the total package. It’s rare to find a musical group that moves me spiritually and emotionally, but Perpetual Groove does just that. What’s amazing is the following Perpetual Groove has generated without having the music played on many, if any radio stations. I feel that it is only a matter of time before the fickle music fans wake up and realize just how truly awesome this band is.

Looking back on my college career at Georgia Southern University, I have to say that I have made significant progress in the fields of public relations and journalism. Moreover, I feel that I have undergone a significant amount of growth. When I reflect on my freshman year, all I can really do is shake my head and laugh. I came to college thinking I wanted to be a physical therapist, despite having a lack of interest in virtually anything involving science. Little did I know, my freshman year would end up being wasted.

Surprisingly, my grades weren’t that much of a factor. In an attempt to keep this reflection simple, I basically did not understand how the system worked. Perhaps I deserve a little slack. Neither of my parents graduated from college. My mother earned her associate’s degree and dropped out of college to marry my father. I can’t help but think that she still regrets that to this day. I’m not saying she regrets marrying my father, but I’m confident that she regrets dropping out of school after only two years. My father never attended college, but he managed to establish himself financially after years of back-breaking hard labor. Take all of this into consideration–I did not understand the concept of taking a certain number of credit hours to progress. This is my fault because I didn’t have a care in the world that year and made no attempts to stay on track or declare a major. I signed up for the required core classes and ended up dropping four courses: two in the Fall and two in the Spring. This set me back drastically, and it wasn’t until I finally got my head on straight that I realized the significance of this setback.

I began my college career at East Georgia College on the Georgia Southern University campus. Ideally, students should take 15 hours each semester. If I would have acquired 30 hours my first year, I would have been able to transfer to GSU after one year at EGC. Unfortunately, this was not the case. I ended up spending two full years at EGC before i got my head together. The time had come to declare a major, so I began researching different programs to see what was most appealing to me.

People have encouraged me to pursue writing or journalism since I was a child, so I decided to look into those fields. I love the field of journalism, but unfortunately there’s not much money in journalism unless you work for a prominent newspaper, magazine, etc. I proceeded to research the field of public relations, and I immediately knew that this was going to be my major. Public relations professionals are required to be strong writers, but I also loved the concepts of advocating for a brand/organization and managing crises.

It was brought to my attention in my Intro to Public Relations course that many journalism majors are taking public relations jobs because they are better writers, so I figured picking up a minor in journalism would work to my benefit. I genuinely feel that it has, but it did present some problems. Public relations and journalism are in the same department at GSU, so courses required for both my major and minor do not count both ways, or as my adviser told me, “You cannot double-dip.” Despite the aggravation this issue caused me, I feel that it immensely contributed to my professional development. My Intro to Journalism and News Reporting and Writing courses counted towards my major instead of my minor, and my Law and Ethics of Mass Communication course counted as one of my theory law courses instead of counting for one of my minor requirements, so I had to enroll in journalism electives to make up for those missing hours in my minor.

The electives I chose were Broadcast News, Online Journalism and Opinion Journalism, and I am grateful that I enrolled in those courses. Broadcast News helped broaden my intellectual capabilities in the field of communications by showing me how to write in broadcast format, as well as how speak on the radio and television. Online Journalism was a very valuable course because I learned the fundamentals of HTML, and the class was similar to a legitimate news room. Opinion Journalism gave me a chance to express my thoughts and opinions regarding various subjects, and I feel that the required weekly presentations helped improve my public speaking abilities.

In short, I feel that I have come a long way since my freshman year. Although my freshman year was wasted as far as academics are concerned, I learned exactly what not to do in college. It is pleasing to see how much of a turn-around I made over the last couple of years, and I have attained so much valuable knowledge that I will take with me into the professional world. I will miss GSU more than words can explain, and I will always bleed blue, white, and gold.

Over the course of my college career, I have taken an assortment of communication courses ranging from Philosophy of Communication to Law and Ethics of Mass Communication. With that said, Communication and Gender was by far the most interesting. Perhaps it was the passion for the subject exhibited by the professor, or maybe it was the open-discussion environment. It’s hard to think of one single aspect of the course that was most appealing to me, but I genuinely feel the Gender and Communication course contributed significantly to broadening my intellectual capabilities.

“Gender communication is communication about and between men and women” (Ivy & Backland, 2008, p. 25). This subject is fresh in my mind because I have spent countless hours studying for the final exam that will begin at 12:30 p.m. today, but the interesting thing is that studying for this exam was not a complete and total drag like most of the final exam study sessions are. Reading through the text book is somewhat gratifying because the book is well written in my opinion. It is conversational to a certain extent, and the book never left me drowsy like some of my previous textbooks.

Women and men are virtually the same biologically aside from a different chromosome. However, women and men are much more different than I ever could have imagined. For instance, men strive for independence through communication while women strive for intimacy (Tannen, 1991). Men tend to view the world in a hierarchical social order in which they are in either “one-up” or “one-down” positions, and women view the world through a network of connections (Tannen, 1991). Conversations for women are negotiations for closeness in which people attempt to seek and give confirmation and support to reach consensus; contrastingly, conversations for men are focused on establishing status (Tannen, 1991).

An interesting point is that men, for the most part, engage in report talk. Women, for the most part, tend to engage in rapport talk (Tannen, 1991). According to Debroah Tannen’s book You Just Don’t Understand, womens’ conversations emphasize similar and matching experiences, while men’s conversations focus on preserving independence and exhibiting skill by holding center stage (Tannen, 1991). Another interesting subject is how men and women view conflict. Women view conflict as a threat to connection, and they are more likely to avoid conflict and to consult a third person instead of confronting the one person directly (Tannen, 1991). Men, on the other hand, do not shy away from conflict; moreover, it can sometimes be the start of a friendship.

Communication and Gender is a course that I would recommend for any student interested in communications. I genuinely feel this course has helped me to better understand the differences between females and males, and I will take everything I have learned and apply it in the professional world. Taking this course was truly a pleasure, and I am thankful for my passionate and thoughtful professor.

Image 1 source
Image 2 source

One thing I have been looking forward to for months is the rematch between UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto “the Dragon” Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua that takes place this Saturday night on pay per view.

Machida’s karate style has presented a number of problems for many fighters. His unorthodox striking style is extremely difficult to match up with, and he has great wrestling and a good jiu jitsu game to boot. However, many feel Rua laid out the blue print to defeating Machida in their last match at UFC 104, and a large majority of fans felt Rua was robbed of the victory.

Rua is a highly regarded mixed martial artist with devastating muay thai skills and an incredible ground game, and he displayed his muay thai skills as he landed brutal leg kicks on Machida throughout the match. It was blatantly obvious that Rua did the most damage throughout the fight, and I personally felt like he landed more shots over the course of five rounds. However, the judges saw things differently, scoring the bout a unanimous decision for Machida.

Something I am greatly interested in is what the betting odds will be for this fight. Machida was heavily favored in the first fight, but I highly doubt the odds will reflect that this time around. I wouldn’t even be surprised to see Machida as the underdog in this fight. I am a huge fan of both fighters, but I honestly feel like Rua was robbed of the victory after the last match. I hope to see Rua get his revenge via ko/tko or submission, but I could also see Machida winning another plodding decision. I am officially counting down the days until Saturday night.

Photos from Sherdog

One thing I wish I had a better understanding of that I feel would benefit me greatly is video editing. Sure, I have played around with a few things on Windows Movie Maker, but that is not to say that I produced any quality material.

Be that as it may, I must say that I am proud of the most recent video I put together. I had initially planned on writing a print story on a band’s performance, and I was going to add a 30 second clip of people voicing their opinions. However, I decided to take a different approach.

Considering the fact that I need a decent grade on my video story, I decided to put together a video news package. The film picture quality is sub-par at best, and the audio definitely could have been better. I was pleased with the end product, however, considering that I am seriously lacking in video editing skills.

One thing I need to work on is overdubbing sound over sound. Perhaps I should explain this further–you will notice in my video that my narration interrupts the music. I know there is a way to add my voice over the music so they both play simultaneously, and I know that would have significantly improved the quality of the video. Another major limitation I have is my camera. It shoots poor quality videos, but that is something I will have to work around until I am able to purchase a better camera.

All things considered, I am happy with my work. I am going to share it here, but remember that I am no James Cameron.

My intellectual capabilities have undoubtedly been broadened throughout the course of my time in the Communication Arts Department at Georgia Southern, but I have to say my most valuable intellectual gain is the ability to write in proper AP style.

Writing is perhaps the most important aspect of public relations and definitely journalism. If you cannot adhere to the AP style, then you do not belong in either field. I have been told countless times how important writing is in the field of communications, and it is not that hard to believe that writing will consume many of my days in the professional world. That is honestly something I look forward to.

Writing has always been something that came naturally to me. You have those who are great with arithmetic, and I feel that I have always been fairly decent with grammar and writing in general. I grew up writing prose, songs, and poems. I was always intrigued by stream of consciousness writing, and this allowed me to tap into my creative sense.

Creative writing ability is beneficial, but it was somewhat difficult for me to grasp the AP style. Initially I found it boring and disheartening, but through constant practice and drilling I was able to add my creative sense to the AP style of writing. That’s the main thing that needs to be stressed in the Communication Arts Department at Georgia Southern–PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.

If you want to be a successful journalist or public relations writer, you must hone your AP style skills. Write a press release or feature article on something your roommate is involved in, whether it’s an event or something as insignificant as his or her parents visiting. These are simple ways to grasp the fundamentals of AP style writing, and it will undoubtedly benefit you in your progression as a public relations/journalism writer.

If I had to choose a weak point in my capabilities regarding the field of communications, I would have to say that weak point falls into the public speaking category.

It’s somewhat strange to me. I grew up performing in front of crowds, whether it be playing the drums or acting in school plays, but my palms still get sweaty when I have to give a formal presentation. It’s hard to put the feelings into words. I feel my heart pounding, my palms sweating, and my can hear my voice jumping as I’m trying to present my material.

This is a problem that I am looking forward to solving this summer. I am flying out to North Carolina the Tuesday after graduation for my sales training for University Directories, and I have been told that by the end of my training, public speaking will no longer be an issue.

I must say that that is music to my ears. I am confident in my intellectual capabilities in the various fields of communications, and improving my public speaking skills will undoubtedly make me a better public relations and journalism practitioner. This will also aid in my ability to establish a rapport with local business owners this summer, as I am not only trying to sell advertisements for University Directories, but also make my team the best it can possibly be.

Once my public speaking skills are where I want them to be, I honestly feel that I will have the potential to be an exceptional professional in the various fields of communications.

Photo from MBD2.COM