Writing for New Media

All of this has been fun. I can legitimately say that I learned a lot and that now I’m more interested in taking Communications classes. I’ve learned useful things about basic technology and internet manipulation (of which I was quite the novice at. I still am, but not to quite so bad a degree). I actually feel more prepared to enter the professional writing community.

• Twitter. I actually thought I would hate this site, but I was apparently a bit too judgemental. I still think it’s silly to update everyone about the daily goings of my life (who cares?), but it’s an incredible tool in advertising events and organizations.
• Facebook. I really don’t feel like I have to say anything about this, other than that the constant updates and changes to the site are annoying.
• Linkedin. I’m really happy about this site. My facebook is not professional and having a second, more appropriate profile for future employers to peruse will be greatly advantageous to their opinion of me. I have a lot of work to do with it though. The annoying “% complete” bar on the right made me realize how inadequate my experience is.
• Viral marketing. For this project I made a facebook group for CRA, a campus organization that I’ve recently become more interested in. I wanted to get a little more involvement with the group because it does do a lot for the residences but is very under appreciated. Twitter was also useful in helping to advertise the organization, but I feel like viral marketing is not my forte.
• Social networking. It’s important. See the above bulleted sections. It keeps you connected. Makes it easier to reach people you’d otherwise never communicate with. Oh, I did end up creating another social networking site for myself, Flickr, in order to help present some of my photography on my final website project. I don’t think I’ll use this site as “social” networking but it is a type of networking that will be useful to my future career.
• My final website. I absolutely loved this project and feel really impressed with myself. I know it’s not the greatest site, but it’s at least presentable, especially compared to my last version created in Microsoft Word. Yeah. I’m pretty sure Helb just cringed. But once again, this assignment has provided me with a professional piece to display to my future employers. I feel like this assignment is something I can take with me beyond my time at Etown. It’s a solid foundation for my future on the interweb.

Mostly I thought this class was practical and interesting. I enjoyed it. Going to miss some of the weirdest conversations shouted from behind computer screens, but I’m sure I’ll be reading some awkward tweets from everyone long after this class has ended.

By the way, everyone take my COLLEGE PROWLER SURVEY. Please. It is basically a catalog of student reviews, so it’ll help give you a more accurate picture. You might even use it to find some good scholarships or to look into some grad schools. You do need to register, but it won’t spam you. If you’d like, forget about it after doing it and delete your account July 1st. I don’ care. Just help me with my internship!!!

I am a part of Etown’s CRA organization. And I’m betting that 90% of Etown students have no idea what that means. CRA is the Campus Residence Association, which serves as a liaison between the campus administration and the residential student body. Basically, RAs will come to us for funding. We also plan a few of our own events including Poker Night and Pumpkin Carving. Since facebook rules the world, I decided to create a facebook group, Elizabethtown College CRA, to increase awareness.

The group will be an ongoing project. It’s not just for now, it’s also for later. Once I’m graduating, or even before then, I’ll hand off the “administrator” responsibilities to the next publicity manager. Hopefully, it will continue for as long as it is useful on facebook. I used my Twitter to try and help publicize the event, but I feel like that wasn’t very successful (being as I am still somewhat new to it). In the future, I may create a Twitter just for CRA, and hopefully that too will begin to gain a decent following at Elizabethtown.

My only real network option is the Elizabethtown College network. My organization doesn’t really involve the community, so it wouldn’t make sense to market it towards the surrounding area. It’s mainly for the students and the RAs. For now, I was just hoping to get a small but solid base of 50 members. I’m expecting that following to increase throughout the years, as new freshman arrive and express interest in the organization. I’m a little short of this goal, but I still have yet to receive a list of RAs who would be interested in joining the group. I’m hoping to rope in a few of them after I receive the list and send out the invitations.

http://users.etown.edu/k/klaskij

Dreamweaver is definitely a lot more complicated than microsoft word but the final product is beyond comparison. I’m more than happy with the progress of my site. I’m a newbie with the Dreamweaver program, and with Mac computers for that matter, but things are moving along quite nicely. Special thanks to Rachel who has given me quite a few tips whenever I was confused or not paying attention (because I was working) during some of Helb’s tutorials. I love learning how to create my own site and really hope to become much more proficient at it. Although I do not have the time to take Com as a minor, I will try to squeeze in a few more classes just for the betterment of my technological knowledge. I’d like to learn how to manipulate some of the fundamentals of websites, just so that I could alter a font or add an extra link.

Although far from finished, I do have a few completed pages. My resume page is completely finished, as well as the final design for my header. My bio page is written. However, I would like to add a professional photograph when I find one (sadly I have none, not even on facebook). My samples page is mostly done as I jsut need to tweak a few things, maybe reword some descriptions. I started my social networking page but I’ve got a lot to go on that. I’m trying to find icons that both look good alone and sort of complement each other in color and basic design. I have no idea what to do for the links page. Absolutely no idea.

I want to have a page that will sample a few of my photography pieces, and to have it link to the rest of my collection. I still have to get a yahoo email and then set up a flickr account, but that’s for later. I made my art work album on facebook a public thing where everyone can see it, but I feel like that’s not quite professional. I’m also in the process of making a basic linked in account so that I can have that on my social networking page.

It’s usually the stuff that’s good for you that’s the most difficult to stick with. Certain vegetables, certain exercises, whatever it is, it’s a pain in the ass. Twitter is just one of those things for me.

On the pro side, Twitter is a very useful tool. It’s great for advertising events and current news-   I myself have even used it for this purpose. I can get news that is short and to the point and I’m updated almost instantly. I can connect with those people that I would normally rarely see or hear from. Another great thing is that I can learn about my favorite shows and actors. Although I only follow a very limited number of them (mostly the fantastic Nathan Fillion), I enjoy seeing the more human and realistic side to their daily lives.

Personally, I’m more of a conversation person and so I’m addicted to facebook. Plus, I love pictures and videos. Facebook just does all of the things I want in a nice little package. Twitter just seems like a useless addendum to that package. Just yet another 5 minutes I need to spend on checking up with my webpages. I’d rather use that time to nap. Or even do homework.

Mostly I’m going to stick with it, as much as it annoys me to do so, just because it’s good for the future. As a English major with a concentration in professional writing, it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’m going to need Twitter. And so I’ll use it know to learn the basics so that I’m not left completely behind in my competitive field.

Julie Klaski is a sophomore English major and creative writing minor at Elizabethtown College. Her concentration lies in professional writing. After graduation in 2012, she expects to pursue her career as a photojournalist for National Geographic or a similar publication. Klaski also aspires to become an author for young adults.

 Julie works as a Team Leader, or a student manager, for Elizabethtown College’s Dining Services. She also guest writes for the Etownian, the college-run newspaper. Klaski is also a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, a freshman honors society. As a member of CRA, the college’s Campus Residence Association, she helps plan events for the dorms and appropriate funds for campus events. Julie frequently fundraises for Relay for Life and participates in Elizabethtown College’s annual service project, Into the Streets. She has traveled extensively throughout the United States, and in the summer of 2010, will complete her tour of all 50 states. In the fall of 2010 Julie will spend a semester abroad at the University of Canberra in Australia.

Julie was born in 1989 to Michael and Ann Klaski. She lives in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, with her parents, two older brothers, and her dog Sammi. Julie graduated from North Penn High School in 2008. In her spare time she enjoys photography, listening to music, reading, writing, and landscaping.  

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Julie Klaski is a sophomore English major, with a concentration in professional writing, and creative writing minor at Elizabethtown College. After college she hopes to work for National Geographic and to travel the world exploring new cultures. Julie was born in 1989 near Philadelphia and lives with her family and pet dog Sammi. She enjoys traveling, writing and photography.

I don’t really consider any place my hometown. I have a few favorite places that mean quite a lot to me. My first home in Lansdale, Pa, then my second in the not-at-all-distant Hatfield, Pa. I also loved my time spent in Arizona- I would live there in a heartbeat (it really is a dry heat, they aren’t kidding). Each of these places is special to me, but I don’t really consider them my hometown. At this point in my life, I’m not quite that rooted to any one location. I guess, for now, my “hometown” is generally where my family lives, Hatfield.

I live with my parents, Mike and Ann, and my two brothers, Mike and Dan. Mike is 22, Dan is 21, and I’m 20. My parents are awesome like that. We have a mutt named Sammi, who’s part golden retriever, part german shepherd. She’s a grouchy old lady of a pup. She’s not really a puppy, but is 11 years old as of January 2010. One of her favorite things is to run in cirlces around our house and to dig up moles. Our house is on the corner, so we have extra sidewalk to shovel in the winter. My brothers and I went to the North Penn School District, and, while my family was still somewhat religious, we all went through the same CCD (Catholic) program at Saint Maria Goretti church.

I live in Hatfield Borough, which just means we get less say in the township meetings but better plowing in the winter. It’s a pretty developed suburb. We’ve got Ralph’s corner and Snyder’s Square, which are little shopping areas in opposite directions from my house. It usually only takes me 25 minutes to walk to Ralph’s, where I host lots of lunch and dinner parties for my friends at the Applebees there. I think they even know my name at that place. We’ve got Rosenberger’s dairy, which sells the best ice cream and cheapest milk. They even have a little sub shop attached- and their sandwiches are delicious. It’s a Hoagie lover heaven. Rosie’s is only 2 minutes from my middle school, which is 5 minutes from my house, so I’ve spent a goodly amount of time hanging at those places. I’ve walked a lot in my childhood. The only somewhat bad part of where I live is Hatfield Meats. I’m sure you’ve all smelled those kinds of days here at Etown. If it’s not Chocolate day, then it’s cow day. Cow day happens a lot around my house.

Settled on a 1/2 acre, my house is an old junker from the 60s. The previous owner designed it himself and, trust me, he was no architect. It’s been an ongoing project fixing up our place since we moved in over 10 years ago. Most of the houses in our area are older. Go two minutes north or west though, and you’ll find newer developments. There used to be some beautiful scenery near my house, but Hatfield sold out to Lowe’s and a few of their fields were plowed over for the new store. We also used to have lots of tall and beautiful trees on my property. Three died because of some fungus in the ground. One died because of carpenter ants. 2 we cut down because they bloomed for a month then stayed dead for the rest of the year. And one, and this was one of my favorite nights ever, was hit with a bolt of lightning. My brother Dan and I were home, and he got the crazy notion of running around in the rain during a thunderstorm- it was dumb to do this during a storm, but running in the rain is just plain fun. We were standing in the doorway- he had just completed a lap around the house- when not 30 feet from us there was a huge explosion and everything went white- duh, it’s lightning and it’s very bright. After that I wouldn’t let him run around outside anymore. We had to wait to see what happened exaclt until the next day. In the morning, you could see the bark ripped off in a jagged line all the way down the tree, and broken limbs and pieces of bark all over the yard. Even the ground was ripped up about the roots. The lightning had severed the tree  in half and it was a miracle the thing was still standing. (video isn’t of my tree, but that’s basically what happened)

One of my favorite, most recent memories is when we saved a baby squirrel, whom I call Roxanne. Poor little girl fell out of the nest too early, and once they leave the nest, the mother turns her back on them. She was crying for hours before we realized it was a baby squirrel running back and forth across our back yard. She was too young to be afraid of people yet, so she would crawl over our feet and into our hands. We didn’t know how to care for her, so we took her to an animal shelter near Lake Galena (about 30 minutes from my house) that helps to rehabilitate animals into the wild.