By Ryan Libby |Staff Writer
There really is meaning to the phrase “CSUSB, come here, go anywhere.”
Attending the Spring Into Media: Pros and Conversation Symposium on May 23 opened my eyes even more to what going to college is all about.
This event was put together by the communications department and the Digital Media Communications Club, as a way to recognize students and staff for their achievements and allow students to hear from groups of panels within public relations, human communication and mass media.
“When you showcase your achievements it’s not as effective if you’re just showing it to each other,” said Michael Salvador chairman of CSUSB’s communication department, “so we wanted to shift the event so that everybody in the university could see our great accomplishments.”
It seemed as if everybody had heard of the event, but did not know what the event would consist of.
I was one of those students that almost brushed this event aside, and in the end I was presently surprised.
As students, we need to realize that we are attending a great university that offers many opportunities for us.
Spring Into Media offered a panelist of speakers whom all attended CSUSB before going into their various careers.
They shared their journeys from being students and their struggles of balancing school, work, internships and life.
The list included, Paul Dudley the Promotions Director for KOLA Radio, Katelyn Eaton a Dodger vision Production Crew for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kico Velarde the Supervising Producer and Editor of Jay Leno’s Garage and many others.
The panelists gave students tips on how to get the most out of your time spent at CSUSB with the various programs and practicums offered.
When Velarde was asked why he chose to show up as one of the speakers he said, “Because I’ve been there. I’ve been on the other side and I want to let other [students] know that there are other coyotes out there.”
It was also mentioned that CSUSB students are not afraid to get their hands dirty in the industry as opposed to other students in the industry.
We are taught in a hands on learning style where we, the students, are allowed to actually use the equipment and resources provided so that when we enter the field we are ready to show the world what we’ve got.
Eaton mentioned one of her internships, saying that she would have to go shop for groceries, run errands and get her hands dirty while other students within that same internship, that attended big name schools like USC, wanted nothing to do with it.
It is because of the more “well known,” “big time” universities that we are willing to work harder to prove that we, as former and current CSUSB students have what it takes to survive in cut throat businesses.
Events like this offer a great tool for networking.
You get to meet and shake hands with people who are already established within the business that you want to get involved with.
Velvarde brought up a great point, “You don’t really need a degree to get into editing.”
He later went on to say that networking is a big deal and it is all about who you know.
“That’s really a long term goal of our department,” said Salvador, “we really want to develop that networking between our current students and our graduates.”
In the end, attending the Spring Into Media event was a useful networking tool for me and many other students as I saw some dancing out of the rooms with business cards and big smiles.
How did they get that opportunity on the spot? They took time out of their day to see what this great university has to offer.
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