My Family, My Friends, and My MPTC

Nothing is a better conversation starter than when you find you have something in common with someone. Soon I will have something in common with two of my friends and a family member. We will all be students at Moraine Park Technical College.

Even though we won’t have classes together, because we’ll all be enrolled in different degrees and certificates, it’ll be nice if we have classes at the same time. There are events, such as bingo, that happen during the afternoons and evenings. It would be fun to spend time with them doing activities like that should our schedules permit. My two friends are from high school, so I feel nostalgic about hanging out with them on campus, especially in the cafeteria.

Speaking of next semester, I’m all signed up for classes. I’ll be on campus twice every week next semester. I’ve had to rearrange my schedule at work quite a bit, but my employers are supportive of my continuing education. I’ll have to go in early some days and stay late other days. No doubt, I will be busy and tired, but I’m happy that I’ll be able to do it.

Turning My Summer Goal Into My Fall Project

I like having creative freedom when it comes to assignments; however, when I’m allowed a lot of creative freedom it can be daunting. Sometimes there are just too many good ideas. Other times I feel like there’s a better idea out there, so I won’t settle for whatever comes to mind first (or second, or third). So, when we were given the freedom to choose our topic for an instructional video assignment, I spent a lot of time thinking about it.

I could make a pretty decent instructional video about a lot of things. But, when I work on projects like this for class, I keep in mind that I’m not doing it just for class. These are the kinds of things that will go into my portfolio. The project is for my career, not just for a grade.

I generated a list of ideas in my notebook. They were all reasonable ideas, but I didn’t feel motivated to pursue any of them. It wasn’t until I looked down at my shoes (my favorite pair of shoes that are black, white, green, and pink) that the idea struck me.

If you have been reading my blogs for the past few months, you would know that over the summer I started running. I wanted to run properly and work up to running a mile at a steady pace. Fortunately, I have a friend who has been involved in track for years, so she knew how to run and how to teach me the right way to run.

When I looked at my shoes I thought of all the great shots I could do to make this instructional video visually interesting. There is a lot to learn when it comes to running, so I would have plenty of content. You have to be aware of your posture, at what angle your arms are positioned, and proper shoes and clothing. It’s actually pretty significant to know these things if you’re going to take up running so you don’t injure or exhaust yourself.

So, now that I’ve got the idea, I’m off to write a script and a storyboard. What’s the most challenging part of all this? It’s November in Wisconsin and I want to film at least some of this outside. I’m motivated enough by this idea to figure it out, and that’s exactly the kind of idea I was looking for.

Product Videos, Interviewing, and Green Screens

Testing the lighting and setting the white balance

We’ve done some pretty cool things in my Video Camera and Lighting Techniques class these past weeks. Recently, we learned how to set up lighting for green screen. Our classroom has a green screen backdrop, and we were able to use that for our interview project.

I interviewed one of my classmates who has been fortunate enough to travel globally, so he talked about how that has affected him. I’ll be working on editing the video in the next few days. I plan on using one of the places he’s traveled to as a backdrop.

Product video shoot

Earlier this semester we filmed product videos. This is a really practical application for video, because businesses need to show their product to consumers. What better way to do that than video? Our instructor brought in a guest, who is also a professional, to give us some tips on shooting products. It was really helpful listening to him explain how each of our products should be lit based on what color it was, if it was translucent, or if it had any reflective properties. My “product” was the lantern I walked down the aisle with at my friend’s wedding this summer. I used a white backdrop to contrast with the black lantern.

We usually have time at the end of class to work on editing our projects, so I’m able to get some extra help from my instructor and my more-experienced classmates with that part of the assignments. I’m starting to learn the editing software better. There is a lot more tools and features than iMovie. It was the only other video editing software I’ve used before this class. I’ve been taking advantage of all the resources our instructor has provided in the webliography section of eCollege, our online class portal.

We’ve got a few more projects left to complete before this semester is over. I’m looking forward to starting those, and signing up for my spring classes. I’ll be taking Video/Sound Editing and Motion/Visual Effects. Imagine all the cool stuff I’ll have made by the end of May!

My First Commercial

It seemed so strange watching the other group’s TV commercial in my Video Camera and Lighting Techniques class. It was so similar to my group’s video except there was a completely different person in front of the camera going through the motions of entering the main entrance of MPTC, walking over to the wall of academic planers, and going through the Student Services doors.

The reason why the two commercials were so much alike is that the two groups we were split into for class were following the same storyboard. The purpose of this project was to learn how to read and follow a storyboard. We had to set up the equipment, figure out the lighting, and adjust the settings on the camera to get our shots according to what was written and sketched out on paper.

Even with following the same storyboard, there were still some variations between the two 30 second ads. The sketches give you an idea of what the shot will look like, and the directions will give you a pretty good idea what you should be doing, but it seems there’s always a little bit of room for interpretation. The lesson I learned from this is that if you are following somebody else’s storyboard and script, like one your client has created, you may need to get clarification from them to make sure you are getting the shot they want and portraying the story they wish to tell.

I think everybody did really well on this project, and I’m impressed how professional both videos looked, especially considering some of us are first-timers in video making. Check out my group’s commercial for Student Services at MPTC, created by John Lippold, Cody Repovsch, Barret Johnson, and myself!

Glow-in-the-Dark Fun at the West Bend Campus

A disc golf basket all lit up

I can’t say it was perfect weather to be outside in the dark, but there was no rain, snow, or wind, so I had no problem bundling up a bit for some glow-in-the-dark disc golfing.

The West Bend Student Senate hosted this event with proceeds going to United Way. Each of the nine baskets was lit with glow-in-the-dark lights. We had discs that glowed as well. It was my first time playing, so I was grateful to have one of the Student Senate members teach me how to play. Another participate gave me and another student some pointers on how to throw the disc in order to prevent the wind from carrying it away (especially into the forested area).

After everybody ran through the course, we went inside the building for the drawing. I won a long-sleeved t-shirt. That’s perfect since I think I’m done wearing short sleeves until March!

If you want to play on the disc golf course at the West Bend campus, stop in the library to check out some discs.

From Storyboarding to Recording

Our class stood around a long table covered in sheets of paper. We were reviewing storyboards. These were the several storyboards we created based on the same script, a commercial for Student Services. Some of the shots my classmates sketched out were similar, but some were very different. In the end, we combined shots from several of the storyboards to make one storyboard we agreed upon. This would be the storyboard we would use to shoot our commercial.

Before heading out for filming, we discussed reasons for using and following a storyboard, release forms for actors and locations, and other things that are important to know before filming anything.

In a group, we filmed outside and indoor shots based on the storyboard. The most difficult part of shooting that day was the lighting. You don’t have a lot of control over lighting conditions outside. It’s important to know how to change the settings on the camera to get the best possible shot. Even so, you sometimes have to wait for the sun to be at a certain point in the sky. I now understand why camera crews, actors, and directors have long shooting days.

Now that the shooting is complete, my group and I will piece the shots together and add a voiceover and a logo at the end. It’ll be my first time using Adobe Premiere Pro. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished project on the projector screen in class soon!

You Have Exactly 30 Seconds

Have you ever seen a commercial you really liked? Have you ever stopped to think why you liked it?  Was it funny? Did it move you? Was it so visually stunning you forgot you were watching a 30 second ad?

As part of our class discussion in my Video Camera and Lighting Techniques class, we shared links to our favorite commercials and discussed why we liked them. We replayed the commercials and analyzed the shots. We tried to figure out why things were shot a certain way to emphasize the story that was being told.

This discussion led to our next topic and our first assignment: creating a storyboard. Our task is to create a storyboard based on a TV commercial script. The storyboard is going to have several panels, which will include a rough sketch of what the shot will look like, camera directions, and dialogue. I think the biggest challenge creating a commercial is that you have exactly 30 seconds, no more, no less, to tell your story.

What’s cool about this assignment is that we’ll actually get to film it as well. I’m very interested to see how my classmates have interpreted the script, and what camera directions they decide to follow. I imagine we’ll all have different ideas even though we’re working off the same script, and we’ll learn from everyone’s creativity.

How to be a Successful Student Club or Student Organization on Campus

Being part of a student club in college can be a very memorable and rewarding experience, but it can also be a frustrating one. You want your club to be successful, you want lots of members, you want to do great things; but, you’re not sure how to recruit new members, your meetings are disorganized, and you can’t seem to accomplish anything.

I’ve been involved in lots of clubs, and I’ve even led some of them. I’ve been part of some really successful clubs, and I’ve learned what works. I’ve also learned what doesn’t work by making mistakes.

CLUB PITFALLS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM 

Here are some pitfalls many clubs fall into and how to avoid them:

Pitfall: Assuming your club is too small to do great things.

Small clubs can spend (and usually waste) a lot of time trying to figure out recruitment strategies. When you focus too much on recruitment, you don’t accomplish much of anything else. Your club has a purpose and that purpose is not to acquire more members than any other club on campus.

How to Avoid It: Value your current and active members.

Use your current and active members’ talents. Even if you have as many members as you can count on one hand, each person has special abilities and knowledge. Get to know your members well and find out what they bring to the table. Do you have a graphic designer in the group? Does one of your members know a lot about business? There are plenty of great things your club can do that don’t require a small army. Generate event ideas for your current members. If you want to plan an event that requires a lot of hands, team up with other student organizations. The Web Developer Club I’ve been a member of at MPTC has teamed up with the Graphics Club in the past so we could go to a convention in Chicago.

Pitfall: Spending lots of time planning but nothing gets done.

It’s really easy to spend an hour discussing an idea and tabling it for the next meeting to discuss further. It’s also really easy to accomplish nothing this way. Oftentimes no clear decisions are made. Nobody knows who is supposed to do what and when it’s supposed to get done.

How to Avoid It: Create tasks, set deadlines, and ask for volunteers.

First, vote on decisions so everyone is in agreement and on the same page. Break down the idea into smaller, specific tasks and attach deadlines to them. It’s very important to have these in your meeting minutes. Ask for volunteers to complete the tasks. If nobody volunteers, ask a member you feel would do a good job with the task based on his or her talents or background. Divide the tasks evenly. 

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL STUDENT CLUB

Now you know what not to do, here are some recommendations that will help your club to be a success:

Create a club identity.

Design a logo, come up with a motto, and put them on shirts. It will make members feel like they belong (and you’ll be advertising your club). I’ve seen students walk down the hall wearing something really cool or really funny and thought, hey, I’d like one of those shirts. It may even spark conversations with non-members.

Write a club mission statement.

Make your club mission statement clear enough for outsiders to understand. Determine the purpose of your club (educational, recreational, hobby, etc.) For example, the Web Developer Club has chosen the purpose of our club to be an educational, peer-taught club. We take turns each meeting presenting information we have learned outside of class. I know a lot about art, so I gave a presentation about what makes websites aesthetically pleasing.

Communicate clearly.

Explain when, where, for how long, and if people need to bring anything to a meeting or event. It seems obvious to share this information with others, but communication is a big problem in many organizations. Distribute your agenda and meeting minutes to everyone.

Designate someone to be in charge of paperwork.

Most colleges require student clubs to fill out paperwork in order to be recognized as a club. In some cases paperwork needs to be filled out at the beginning and the end of the academic year in order to receive a stipend for your club’s account. I’m not sure how they do it in other clubs, but as the secretary of the Web Developer Club, I was in charge of making sure we had all the forms we needed, that we met the requirements, and turned them in by the deadlines. Talk to your student life advisor to make sure you have everything you need.

Take advantage of field trips and conferences.

For some potential members, the notion of going to new places and doing things outside campus is enticing. I’m all grown up, but I still get excited about field trips. If your club is part of a larger regional or national organization, find out if there are conferences you can attend as a group.

Don’t forget to mix it up.

If you’re an academic-based organization, make sure you include one or two purely social activities during the year. In both the Web Club and Student Senate, we’ve gone out to a restaurant for lunch or dinner. You could have a bowling night, see a movie, go to a sports game, or do something else members like to do.

BONUS TIP: Recruitment

As I said before, don’t spend so much time recruiting that you forget your purpose as a student organization. If you follow the suggestions above, you should be drawing people into your club (as well as retaining members) naturally. But since this is something every struggling club is interested in (I’m not going to lie, I’ve Googled the topic in the past), I do have a few tips I’ve picked up on from experience:

• Ask your club advisor and class instructors to promote your club. Our Web Club advisor has done an excellent job promoting our club to other students. He makes an announcement at the beginning of each semester to his classes to let them know what we do, when and where we meet, and the benefits of joining our club. It’s a two-minute spiel and it has gotten us the exposure we needed to reach people who are most likely to be interested in joining our club.
• Be visible on campus. If other students see you doing awesome things and getting involved on campus, you'll attract attention and possibly new members. Go to Student Senate meetings. At MPTC, each club is required to send a representative to these meetings. You’ll get to share what your group is planning, and then other students at the meeting might be interested in attending your upcoming event.
• Explain specific benefits. Why would someone want to join your club? What’s in it for them? You should ask yourself these questions before speaking with perspective members. Most, if not all, clubs are great for networking and resume building. One thing that I think makes the Web Club appealing is that it is peer-led education. Members are not required to do anything more than come to the meetings and listen to other members. When I talk to someone who’s interested in our club, I explain to them it’s like taking an academic class for free.

If you have any suggestions for turning a student club or organization into a successful one, please share them in the comments!

First Day of Class, First Day of Filming

My first grade picture

I never saw a professional video camera up-close before, so when I walked up to the front of the room with my other classmates, I was surprised to see so many buttons and switches. Our instructor was explaining all the settings on the camera and was letting us take turns changing settings and putting in the battery as he explained what everything did.

Later on, we were put into groups so we could practice some camera moves. We did a tilt, pan, follow, and rack focus. My group decided to film some figurines in the graphics lab. It was even more fun when we decided to put together a storyline.

Even though it was a four-hour class, it went by really quickly. During our next class, we’ll be setting up lighting. This is something I have no experience in. When I’ve filmed things in the past, I just waited until the lighting outside was good. It’ll be nice knowing how to set up proper lighting.

Before class that day, I got to campus after work to eat my dinner in the cafeteria, and I had the opportunity to meet our new Student Involvement Specialist. I think it’s going to be a really exciting year for Student Senate. If you get the chance, come to the Student Senate meetings. It’s a great way to meet people. You can either be involved in the political side of campus, the event planning side, or both!

How was your first week of class? Did you learn anything this past week you didn’t know before?

The Summer of 2013

A Reflection of My Summer

Before I started writing this blog post, I listed everything I did this summer on a sticky note on my desk. And then I needed a second one because I ran out of space on the first sticky note. I’ve probably done more things this summer than I’ve done in the past three summers combined. It has been filled with many events, activities, and lasting memories.

Much of the things I did this summer centered around two of my friends’ weddings. We went to a Brewer’s game, the Mitchell Park Domes, the Cheesecake Factory (it was my first time there, believe it or not), and the Milwaukee Art Museum.

I did quite a few things with my family as well including, taking my niece to the zoo for the first time, my godson’s first birthday, and my sister’s baby shower. My sister is due any day now. I could literally get a call from her husband while I’m typing this!

I’ve also experienced life milestones. I graduated from Moraine Park, I celebrated another birthday, and I started a new, full-time job.

I somehow managed to squeeze in two activities that challenged me this summer. First, I took up running. I am now running longer and faster than I have ever ran in my life. Second, I participated in GISHWHES (the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt The World Has Ever Seen). It’s a weeklong contest and charity event. It encourages people to be more outgoing by completing a long list of crazy tasks as a team as well as random acts of kindness and giving back to the community. My teammates and I created a pair of “helium pants,” sewed a teabag swimsuit, gave diapers to a local charity, and donated blood. This year I helped break a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest online photo album of people hugging!

It kind of feels like things should be winding down now that we’re heading into fall. But, I think things are still going to be pretty busy. I’ll be working overtime at my job this week, and I start one of my classes for the Audio-Video Certificate at MPTC.

Good luck to everyone beginning their first semester of college, or their last year of school, or their new job, or whatever life has handed you this year. Make it amazing, make it important, and enjoy the good things in life whether they’d be big or small, a lot or a little. And when you get the chance, take the opportunity for a little catnap. It’s good for you.

Thinking About Fall Already

Month in Review: A Reflection of July

It sure doesn’t take long for the stores to switch from advertising shorts and swimsuits to advertising sales on school supplies and first-day-of-school outfits. Speaking of school supplies, I usually use my old notebooks until they are completely full before I buy new ones. Well, it looks like I’ll need to buy at least one new notebook and folder. My favorite folder has a pretty sizeable tear, and it’s seen better days. In a few weeks I’ll be buying my new laptop, then I’ll be all set to start the Audio/Video Certificate this fall.

I’ve been keeping an eye on the events section on the myMPTC portal. I’m very excited to see that Mission IMPROVable will be performing at the Welcome Back lunch. They are an improvisation group I’ve seen in the past, and they are so much fun. I highly encourage you to see them if you can! It is sure to be a memorable experience you’ll share with your friends for years to come. My friends and I still talk about their show and quote it.

At work I’ve been given more responsibility. I’ve been there for two months, and I’m starting to feel pretty comfortable with what I’m doing. The job duties test my multitasking ability, because I have lots of projects to work on simultaneously. I think college helps build those skills. When you’re taking four or five classes in a semester, you have no choice but to work on several projects all at the same time.

If you’re enrolled in classes this fall, enjoy the last few weeks of August before the semester starts. It’s right around the corner. I don’t have too much planned for the rest of the month. I think I’m just going to take it easy and enjoy the weather. What are your plans for August?

A Wonderful Wedding

Week in Review: A Reflection of July 15 – 21

I was on a short hiatus from blogging this past week because I stood up in my friends’ bridal party. They got married this past weekend. Congratulations to them! We couldn’t have asked for a better day. I had an amazing time. All of us bridesmaids were friends in grade school. I really appreciate how we’ve all stayed in contact and supported each other though all the ups and downs post-high school life has thrown at us. I’m looking forward to our next meet-up during the winter holidays when we’ll try to get the whole bridal party back together.

The wedding season, at least for me, is now over. The fair season, however, is still here. I’m going to try to go to the Washington County Fair and the Wisconsin State Fair this summer. What kinds of foods will they put on a stick this year?

I feel like this summer has been preparing me for this fall when I will be working full-time and enrolled in class at Moraine Park. I’ve been very busy with work and wedding things, but I’m still managing to pursue my goal of learning how to run. I’m not very fast, but I’m working on endurance more than speed. It turns out that the MPTC shirts I have collected over time make excellent workout clothes.

Tuition was due this week for the fall semester, but I didn’t need to worry about that since I paid for my class a few weeks ago. I’ll be buying my new laptop and software from the bookstore within a few weeks. We’ve got a little more than a month before the semester begins!

My Fourth of July Week

Week in Review: A Reflection of July 1 – 7

My old neighborhood

Happy belated Fourth of July! I spent the holiday in my old neighborhood near the park where the fireworks are held. It was nice to see old neighbors and friends. We hung out in one of their garages listening to music, chatting, and eating a big bowl of fruit. The weather was nice. Amazingly, there were hardly any mosquitoes (or maybe they don’t like me anymore, which I’m fine with). I met up with my family in the park at dusk. It was my nephew’s first time seeing the fireworks. He really enjoyed them, although he almost fell asleep before they started.

This past week was also another first. It was the first time my niece went to the zoo. Her favorite were the fish. She pressed her face against the glass and kept saying, “Cute! Cute!” Unfortunately, it was too hot to stay very long, so after we had some ice cream in the Family Farm area, we headed home. She fell asleep instantly on the way home. Thank goodness for air-conditioned cars!

My friend’s wedding, which I am standing up in, is less than two weeks away. The bridesmaids got together with the bride-to-be to work on wedding tasks. We’re going to be carrying lanterns down the isle instead of flowers. They are just beautiful.

Fourth of July fireworks

Since tuition is due soon, this past week I paid for my class I will be taking in the fall. I’m glad I was able to save up the money to pay for it in cash. If I budget my money out correctly, I should be able to pay for all my classes for the Audio/Video certificate without applying for any more student loans.

July is going to be busy, and it’s going to go by fast! Enjoy summer while it lasts.

One Month on the Job

Month in Review: A Reflection of June

I don’t think I could have crammed one more thing into June, so it’s a good thing it’s already July.

Wait, it’s already July?

That means I’ve been at my new job for one month. The work is varied so I never get bored, and I think that’s part of the reason it has gone so quickly. There are a lot of niche-specific things to learn at this company, so I’m glad I’ve got a good foundation in programs, troubleshooting technology, working with internal and external customers, and organizing information in college.

The weekends have been spent mostly with my group of friends from high school since two of them have weddings this summer. One of them, my former roommate, was married two weekends ago. It may have been the most fun I’ve ever had at a wedding. Congratulations to Susie and Adam!

Besides the costs of being involved in weddings, I’ve been saving as much money as I can. I’m putting money towards my student loans. The quicker I pay it off, the less I’ll have to pay in the long run. I’m also saving up for a laptop because I’m taking a class, Video Camera and Lighting Techniques, this fall.

I’m looking forward to some more wedding events in July. This coming weekend the other bridesmaids and I will be spending the day putting together the centerpieces for the wedding, which is later in July.

I’m off of work this Fourth of July, so my friends and I are going to a movie and to the park later for the fireworks. What are your plans this Independence Day?

My Favorite is the Old Man Cactus

Week in Review: A Reflection of June 10 – 16

I saw a sausage tree, a chocolate pudding tree, an old man cactus (it looks like it has a beard), and a soap tree on Saturday when my friends and I went to the Mitchell Park Domes. I had no idea there were so many plants with funny names. And why are so many of them named after food they don’t produce?

Somebody at The Domes told us that the Milwaukee Art Museum had free admission that day, so we headed over there to look at the paintings, photographs, and other works of art. After that, we went to the Cheesecake Factory. It was my first time there so I spent a long time looking at the menu. It was a pretty awesome day.

I was talking to a friend from high school this past week. He was asking me some questions about the Moraine Park bookstore. I found out he’s taking some summer classes there and needed to pick up a few supplies. It got me thinking about how I’ve seen so many familiar faces while on campus. I have run into people that I haven’t seen in a long time. Matter of fact, I was friends with someone who moved to Florida at the end of our eighth grade year. She came back to Wisconsin after high school and we ended up at MPTC at the same time. She has since graduated from MPTC and is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree at UWM. It’s nice that we were able to get back in touch, and I’m really happy that she’s doing so well.

My jogging challenge is going well; although, I did have to take a break for a few days while I recovered from a cold. I improve every time I run. My friend is trying to convince me to participate in some events in the fall. We’ll see how I’m doing by the end of August. Wish me luck!

My Summer Goal

Week in Review: A Reflection of June 3 – 9

My legs are sore right now, but it’ll be worth it. Since I sit for three-fourths of the time at my new job, I decided I would take up jogging. My friend was on track teams growing up and she’s also coached some teams as well. She’s teaching me how to do it the proper way so I don’t get injured or push myself too hard. It’s my goal to run a mile in a reasonable amount of time by the end of the summer.

The first couple of weeks at my new job have included a lot of hands-on training. It’s really cool to be able to take what I’ve learned in my classes and apply it on the job (and they pay me to do it!). I was able to create a newsletter, update the company’s website, create Facebook posts, write tweets, and design ads. I do some clerical work as well, entering inventory data into the database and filing invoices. I’ve set up a file structure on the computer for myself based on what I’ve learned in my Document Management class. Using Excel, I’ve made spreadsheets for myself to keep track of things such as new contacts.

I saw a tweet on Twitter encouraging people to pursue something this summer. It can be anything; pick up a guitar, take up painting, learn a sport, teach yourself how to bake something that doesn’t come out of a box, or learn something new you’ve always wanted to learn but keep putting off. Or maybe even try something you didn’t think you’d ever be able to do. By challenging yourself, you challenge the limitations you’ve put on yourself as well as your self-perception. I’ve never been what you would call an athlete, so I’m challenging myself with running. What are your summer goals?

It’s Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Summer

Week in Review: A Reflection of May 27 – June 1

These storm clouds were definitely not invited to the party

It’s technically still spring, but it’s starting to feel a lot like summer. It’s so nice to be outdoors again. I spend every chance I get outside, even taking my lunch to the picnic tables at work so I can enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.

I was officially accepted into the Audio-Video certificate program this past week, so I went to myMPTC and registered for class. I’m so looking forward to taking the Video Camera and Lighting Techniques class that I can hardly wait for August 26! I also can’t wait to get a new laptop at the end of the summer. It’ll have Windows 8, so that will be something new for me to learn.

Because the Web club is a large group and so many members are interested in seeing a movie at the theater, I set up a SurveyMonkey poll so we can choose what times and dates work best for everyone. I learned about this website, where you can create surveys, in class at MPTC. It’s a pretty helpful tool that can be used for lot of different purposes.

I celebrated my birthday a few days early on Saturday with my friends. We tried to have a fire and roast s’mores, but we didn’t get to stay outside too long. It started raining and lightning. Oh well.

When the weather gets bad, what’s your favorite indoor summer activity?

Life After Graduation

Week in Review: A Reflection of May 20 – 26

Two days before graduation I received an email from someone who saw my resume on the Wisconsin Technical College System’s job site. Three days after graduation I had a job interview with them, and the day after that I was hired to fill the position. I can’t believe how fortunate I am to be employed so soon and to be able to start working ten days after graduation.

Even though the semester is over, the Web Developer Club members are still in contact with each other. We’re planning on seeing The Internship, a comedy about two men who become interns at Google. We’re always talking about Google and what it would be like to work at a place like that. If you haven’t seen the clip from the Travel Channel about working at Google, look it up on YouTube.

As I mentioned in my earlier posts, I was seriously thinking about enrolling in the Audio-Video certificate at MPTC in the fall. Since I’m starting work right away, I’ll have enough time to save up money to take some classes next semester. I’ve already filled out an application for the certificate program and turned it in to Student Services. I contacted someone to get more information about what I’ll need for those classes. I won’t need to worry about getting my own camera since the college has ones for the students to use. I will, however, be getting a new laptop to bring to class. Using some of the techniques I learned in my Computer Essentials class, I fixed up my old laptop and gave it to my parents. They really needed it. Their desktop computer was so old it still had a floppy disk drive.

Besides all of those things, my summer will include a lot of wedding-related events. I went to a Brewers game last Saturday for a bachelorette party, and I’ve got another bachelorette party in two weeks at the Mitchell Park Domes. My godson has his first birthday in June, and my sister’s baby shower will be in July. This is going to be my busiest summer yet!

What are your plans for the summer?

The End is the Beginning

Week in Review: A Reflection of May 13 – 19

There were a lot of “lasts” this past week. I had my last class and my last Web Developer Club meeting. The club has some exciting news. It looks like we will be having a prominent individual in the mobile application development industry as a speaker on campus. I’m not sure if it’ll be in the fall, but definitely keep an eye out for this opportunity if you’re in that field.

As secretary of the club, I was in charge of getting our paperwork together. Clubs have validation forms to fill out at the end of the academic year to confirm that we are an active club. We listed the activities we were involved with on campus, our community service projects, any fundraising activities we did, and any field trips we attended.

After the meeting many of us went out to dinner at a local pizza place. I called ahead for tables to be reserved so we had enough space for everybody to sit together. A couple of us were graduating, so it was going to probably be the last time we were all together; although, some are coming back to complete other programs. Speaking of future plans, my original plan was to be finished with my education this semester; however, I came across something on Moraine Park’s website.

I was given the opportunity to film and edit my own videos for a few classes and for this blog. By doing so, I have found out that I really enjoy video editing, and I would like to pursue it further. I know the basics of creating videos, but I don’t know about lighting or sound mixing. I would really like to learn from a professional and make high quality videos.

So, while I was on MPTC’s website, I found that the college has a new Audio-Video Certificate program. This is great news because this certificate means I can learn exactly what I want to learn in a short amount of time. But first I need to see whether it is plausible for me to pursue this certificate right away or to wait a semester or two. I’ve been going on interviews lately and I think one of them will pan out soon. My last interview went very well. If I can fit them into my schedule, I will start those classes this fall.

No matter what the future brings, I know that I’m a life-long learner. Whether I earn another degree, take a few enrichment classes, attend seminars or conferences, learn on my own, or learn from others, my life and my future will always include some form of education. You are never truly done learning. The end is just the beginning.

My MPTC Graduation

Lisa and me after graduation

Step 1: Bring your cap and gown.

Step 2: Leave your house early.

Thank goodness I followed step 2, because I forgot step 1 and had to turn around half way to Fond du Lac to get my cap and gown on the morning of my graduation. Other than that, the day went on without a hitch. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect; not too hot, not too cold; just nice and sunny.

When I got into the building, I checked in at the table where I picked up my white Student Senate cord. They directed to me to my “pod,” which is another check-in table in the building. Sam and Lisa, the student life advisors from Fond du Lac and Beaver Dam campuses, greeted me there, found my name on an index card, and gave it to me. I lined up alphabetically with other graduates from my program.

We entered the gymnasium filled with family and friends. There were too many people to locate my party, but I knew they were in the crowd somewhere. The college president, Dr. Sheila Ruhland, and the commencement speaker James A. Wessing of the Kondex Corporation spoke to us before we walked across the stage.

After the ceremony there was time to socialize with family, friends, other graduates, and the instructors. I introduced my parents to some of the instructors I was fortunate enough to have during my time at Moraine Park. They were also my brother’s instructors when he attended MPTC. I hugged the friends I had made over the past couple of semesters and made tentative plans to meet up with them soon. I spotted Lee, MPTC’s Fond du Lac student blogger, and congratulated him.

Congratulations to Mary, Sarah, Tami, Paul, John, Hannah, Lee, Rochelle, Jenny, Juan, Stephanie, and all the other 2013 Moraine Park Technical College graduates!

My Last Class

Last Wednesday was my last day of class at MPTC. Since we did our presentations the week before, we were able to do a fun activity in my Team Building and Problem Solving class. My instructor used PowerPoint to create an interactive Jeopardy game board (complete with music).

There were different categories to select from all related to our class. There were team building terms, tools (such as charts), class activities, and problem solving tools. The last category was called Who’s Who, and the questions pertained to individuals in the class. These questions were derived from what we learned about each other during the many class icebreakers. My team was in third place up until Double Jeopardy where we moved up to second place.

It was a really fun way to review what we learned, and we were all pretty amused when we saw that the questions in the last category were about us. After the game, we reflected on what we would be taking away from this class. Some of class said they analyze other groups they’re in now. If they pick their own teammates, they choose people who are different from them so they have a balanced team.

What I think I will take away from the class most importantly is using critical thinking to solve problems and finding the root cause. I’m amazed that this class ended up being my favorite class of the semester, especially since it was a general required class. It is definitely a useful class that I will never forget.

Happy Mother’s Day

Week in Review: A Reflection of May 6 – 12

First of all, Happy belated Mother’s Day to all the moms, soon-to-be moms, the Mr. Moms who take on the role as both parents, and the surrogate moms who provide the same love, support, and advice to others. I spent my Mother’s Day with my extended family. Twenty of us, including the two babies in the family, went out for brunch. When did our family get so big?

I was looking through emails in my old email account I rarely use anymore, and one of them caught my attention. It was an email from one of my friends, and in the subject line it said, “It’s Last Blast here.” It jumped out at me because when I think of the words, “Last Blast,” I think about the end-of-semester parties we have at MPTC. I opened it up and sure enough, she was talking about MPTC’s Last Blast all the way back in 2006. They had free cappuccinos, caricature drawings, massages, henna tattoos, a DJ, and a grill out. It sounded like a lot of fun. She’s a graduate from MPTC, but she was a student way before I was a student here. Who knew that a few years later I’d be going to those kinds of events? I caught up with her recently and she just got an award at her work. Congratulations, Diana!

During the last week of class, we’re having a Jeopardy day in my Team Building and Problem Solving class. I’ll be going to the bookstore for the book buyback to see if I can get some cash back on books I no longer need. Our last Web Developer Club meeting is this week, and we’re going out for dinner afterword. Saturday is graduation, and then I’m officially done with my education at MPTC. How bittersweet it is to leave a place I’ve spent so much time learning, growing, meeting people, and enjoying new experiences.

Team Project Presentation Day

Throughout the semester we have learned how to work in teams and solve complex problems for my Team Building and Problem Solving class.  We’ve done lots of ice breakers and team activities; we’ve learned about ground rules and compromising; we’ve learned how to use critical thinking; and we’ve created lots and lots of different charts to analyze data, manage time, and organize thoughts. All of this semester’s work has been preparing us for our team projects. We had the opportunity to show what we’ve learned in class last Wednesday when each team presented their problem and solution.

The other groups analyzed issues such as high gas prices and roundabout intersection accidents. For my group, we chose to tackle the issue of emergency drill efficiency.

By reading books and doing lots of activities in class, we learned that the best way to solve problems is to follow a step-by-step process and never jump to conclusions. We started with a problem statement, listed our desired goals, and created flowcharts of drill procedures.

Next, we gathered real, quantifiable data. We created surveys to gather more information. We put them into tables and we made pie and bar graphs for illustration. Looking at the data, we were able to list possible causes of why emergency drill procedures weren’t 100% successful. We grouped the data into categories by using an affinity tool. From there, we were able to use other tools to identify the true root cause. Finding the root cause is important, because if you are just fixing a symptom of the root cause, you’re not solving the real problem. You’re just patching holes.

Before we started brainstorming solutions, we came up with a list of “needs” and “wants” for our solution. After all that work, we were able to come up with solutions to address the issues and improve effectiveness of emergency drills.

Our presentation to the class went really well. I think I spoke better this time than any other presentation I’ve given. I suppose since I’ve given quite a lot of presentations at MPTC, the practice is paying off. I really enjoyed this project, because I felt it was an authentic problem, and the solutions we came up with are reasonable and implementable. I’ve also gain some valuable skills in teamwork and critical thinking, which is important in the workforce and in life in general.

The Busy Life of a Last Semester College Student

Week in Review: A Reflection of April 29 – May 5

The end of the semester is always busy, but this last semester before I graduate from MPTC has certainly been the busiest. It’s not just end-of-the-semester projects, it’s preparing for graduation, looking for employment, end of semester celebrations, and taking part in my friends’ and family’s life events.

West Bend Student Senate had their last meeting at a local restaurant. We conducted business as usual, including voting on the gift we’d like to give to the campus, and enjoyed some pizza. It was the last time we were all going to see each other as a group.

I’ve been going through my resume to make sure everything is updated. I’ve been applying for jobs in the county, some of which I’ve found through TechConnect. I may stop by the career center on campus one more time so I can have someone take a second look at my resume and portfolio. My exit portfolio has one item left and that’s the Team Building and Problem Solving project that my group has just finished but has not presented yet. I need to give recommendation forms to my previous instructors really soon, too.

My nephew was in his first play at school on Friday. He played the mayor and wore a suit and hat. It was so cute. Afterwards, we went to my brother and sister-in-law’s house for cake because it was her birthday.

On Sunday I went to a bridal shower for my friend whom I’ve known since high school. I’m one of the bridesmaids. I was asked to be the photographer of the event. It was a nice day so we got a great shot of us all outside. My other friend, who is one of the other bridesmaids, is getting married this summer, too. They are both getting married almost exactly one month apart. My sister is expecting, so she’ll be having a baby shower in July.

Needless to say, I’ve got a lot on my plate right now. The calendar is my friend; it keeps me organized and let’s me know where I need to be and why. The job search is going to consume a lot time as well. So, I’m going to stay organized and optimistic, make sure I get enough sleep and eat right, and enjoy this exciting time of my life.

Preparing for Graduation and Wrapping Up Meetings

Week in Review: A Reflection of April 22 – 28

I picked up my cap and gown from the bookstore this past week, and I found out I get to wear a high honors cord to the ceremony. My parents are planning to attend the commencement ceremony to watch me walk across the stage. One of my friends is also graduating. We’re planning to have some sort of celebration afterword, but we haven’t decided what we want to do or where we want to go.

Our last official Student Senate meeting was this past week. We used one of the ideas I learned during a conference to get more students to attend senate meetings. We had half a dozen new people show up! From what I hear, they may start doing the same thing at the other campuses and will most likely be using the idea on the West Bend campus next year. I’m so glad I attended that educational session during the conference so I could pass on useful information. I’ll be meeting with the people on the West Bend Student Senate one more time when we go out to lunch.

The team project I’m working on for my Team Building and Problem Solving class is wrapping up soon. We are currently putting together our paper and presentation for May 8. We can really see how much work we’ve put into the project now that we’re assembling all the pieces together. I’m really proud of it.

There is one more meeting for the Web Developer Club before the end of the semester. It’ll be my last meeting and last day as secretary for the club. I’m going to really miss being a part of the group, but I will definitely be in contact with many of the members after I graduate. They won’t be my classmates any longer, but they will still be my colleagues.

My Final Last Blast

Door prizes including sports equipment, movies, and more

A few minutes before our end-of-the-year party began, I walked up and down the halls handing out Cracker Jacks boxes and letting people know that we were going to have entertainment, free food, and door prize drawings.

This semester’s Last Blast theme was sports, so we decorated the cafeteria with sports-related items. Many of our door prizes had to do with sports as well. People got one ticket for coming to the event and a second ticket for wearing their sports gear. To keep with the theme, we had hamburgers and brats for lunch.

Pendants to show we care

On one of the tables we set up a station to design pendants. You could make a pendant for a child in the hospital, a person in a nursing home, or for the troops. It’s a little something to give them to let them know that we are thinking about them and we care. I really liked this activity.

Our entertainment for the afternoon was a ventriloquist named James Wedgewood who pulled people from the audience up on stage to participate. Some of my friends were part of the show.

Amanda participates on stage

After the show, we had the drawing for door prizes. There was so much awesome stuff! There was sports equipment, DVD players, MP3 players, Moraine Park gear, and a large TV. I won a basketball and an MPTC t-shirt.

Bonnie taking photos

The fun wasn’t over yet. We also had our last BINGO event of the semester later that day. I actually won the last BINGO game, which was blackout! I got two Brewers tickets and a Brewers t-shirt.

Before I end this blog post I would like to take a moment to recognize Bonnie, an active West Bend Student Senate member. She is an outstanding leader who has volunteered a lot of her time to organizing and running events like this throughout the year. She does an amazing job paying attention to detail and making sure that our events are successful and fun. Thank you, Bonnie!

Getting My Portfolio Together

Week in Review: A Reflection of April 15 – 21

Creating a portfolio is a great way to show employers what you can do rather than just telling them. I spent my weekend getting my portfolio together, because I will be graduating in less than a month from MPTC. My exit assessment requires me to gather projects from my classes I took for the Office Assistant program.

I’ve chosen to make my portfolio viewable online. I’m using a CMS (content management system) to build the website. In one of my classes, we learned how to upload and embed content, such as documents, PowerPoint presentations, and video, so whoever is viewing my website doesn’t need to download the files. They don’t even have to go to a different page. It’s so convenient and efficient!

Because I did a good job of keeping my files for past classes organized, it wasn’t difficult finding previous projects to include in my portfolio. It’s interesting looking at all the things I have learned. The samples of my work really show the variety of what I can do. My sample works include Word documents, Access databases, Excel workbooks, and PowerPoint presentations, all of which are staple programs for many businesses. I’m including customer service and business records system plans. I have sample work that shows I can edit and post video, create a podcast, write a blog, and write and design an eBook.

I won’t be able to completely finish my portfolio site until I finish the team project for my Team Building and Problem Solving class. Until then, I’m going to make sure all my documents are in order and I write good descriptions of each sample. I’m looking forward to showing future interviewers what I can do for them by sharing my work.

Implementing New Ideas

Week in Review: A Reflection of April 8 – 14

Wear your sports jersey on April 23

Last week Thursday was my opportunity to share some new ideas and give my entertainment recommendations from the 2013 NACA conference to the rest of the West Bend Student Senate.

I shared three ideas I learned from the educational sessions at the conference. One of them was a student senate recruitment suggestion. The members really liked the idea. One member took that idea and altered it so we could use it this semester. I’m so happy that we don’t have to wait until next semester to start implementing new ideas.

My suggestions of possible entertainment acts to bring to campus sparked a discussion, and another good idea from one of the members emerged. Instead of spending a lot of money on one or two events, we thought we should look for local speakers and entertainment acts. MPTC is very good about working with the community, so why wouldn’t student life do the same when it comes to planning entertainment and educational events? There are plenty of great options in Southeastern Wisconsin. Is there anybody located in our area you’d like to speak or perform on campus?

The last thing I had to share with Student Senate was the college swag I brought back from the school swap.  There were a few types of items we’d like to give away in the future including a magnet with event dates. What kind of freebees, like T-shirts, would you like Student Senate to give away?

There isn’t much time left for campus activities since we have only about a month left until the end of the semester. Our Last Blast event is Tuesday, April 23, 2013. Come down to the cafeteria at 11 a.m. for a free lunch (with student ID) and watch Comedy Ventriloquist James Wedgewood. We’ll be giving away awesome door prizes. If you’re on campus later that day, play bingo at 4:30 p.m. for a chance to win more prizes. All the events for the day will be in the MPTC West Bend Cafeteria.

Don’t forget to wear your sports jersey because this Last Blast is sports themed!

NACA 2013 Part 4

Dinner with Daryl

MPTC Student Senate with Daryl 'Chill' Mitchell

On the last night of the 2013 NACA Northern Plains Regional Conference, the MPTC Student Senate members sat down to dinner with one of the showcasing speakers. His name is Daryl ‘Chill’ Mitchell. You may have seen him in movies such as 10 Things I hate About You playing Mr. Morgan or in the 1990 movie, House Party. In 2001, he was in a motorcycle accident leaving him paralyzed.  I like when the performers and speakers at conferences sit at the tables with the students, because it gives us a chance to learn a little more about them.

Early that day, I went to the two last educational sessions. The first one was about collaboration. Student Senates and other clubs on campuses sometimes work with each other to host an event that’s mutually beneficial. There are different stages of working together from networking, coordinating, cooperating, and collaborating, to integrating. It can be difficult working with others when you are sharing space, resources, and responsibilities. But, it can be a great experience as well!

The last educational session I attended was about planning and creating promotional videos for campus events. The presenters explained a timeline to follow so the video gets completed in time to advertise the event. We were then broken down into groups and given an event to promote. There wasn’t time to make an actual video, but we did brainstorm what we could do and shared it with the rest of the groups.

The CAMP crowd

Saturday was also the last day to watch showcases and visit the entertainment booths to get more information about acts we’d like to bring to MPTC. As a group, we all went together this time so we could find out which acts we all liked.

Lisa, Sam, me, Alex, Bob, Becca, Amanda and Joey

Because people had homework and other responsibilities to get back to, we left really early Sunday morning so we could be back in Wisconsin at a decent time. I had a paper to finish writing for my Computer Essentials class. I also wanted to consolidate all the notes I had taken during the conference and go through my collection of promotional items from the swap so I could share that information with the rest of the West Bend Student Senate members during the next meeting. I came back with some great ideas I was looking forward to sharing and hopefully implementing as soon as possible.

I highly recommend joining Student Senate and attending these kinds of conferences. When else in your life will you get this kind of opportunity to learn, be entertained, and bound with your schoolmates in just five days?


Incase you missed it, check out the rest of my NACA experience:
Read NACA 2013 Part 1: Crossing the Boarder
Read NACA 2013 Part 2: The Conference Kicks Off
Read NACA 2013 Part 3: The Great School Swap

NACA 2013 Part 3

The Great School Swap

Each school that participates in the school swap sets up a table with their “Swag”—things like t-shirts, cups, key chains, magnets, pins, or anything else they give away at events. On Friday, MPTC participated in the school swap at the 2013 NACA Northern Plains Regional Conference.

For the swap, a few members stand at their school’s table while others walk around carrying their school’s stuff to swap. They go to the other tables, and if they see something they like, they ask to swap some of their own stuff for the other school’s stuff. We collected a ton of items, enough for all three MPTC campuses to come back with a large bag to share. There were a few t-shirts and a magnet I really liked from other colleges’ events. I’m bringing back the items for the West Bend Student Senate to see so we can get some fresh ideas on giveaways and designs.

Throughout the day we had three showcases, one of which was a lecture showcase. There are a couple of speakers I’d like to bring to our campus. We also had a chance to speak with the acts, both the ones showcasing and ones that weren’t part of the showcases, during something they call CAMP where you can go booth to booth asking questions and getting information about booking.

I went to two back-to-back educational sessions early that morning. The first one was about retention, recruitment, and involvement on two-year campuses. I got some great suggestions from this session for Student Senate recruitment and getting Senate members to participate. The second session was about event publicity. The presenters and attendees had a wide range of advertising ideas, both online and print. They stressed the importance of being descriptive when advertising for an event. People want to know what they are going to see or they might not go to see it.

Even though I saw a lot of great acts, my favorite part of the day was the school swap. It was exciting, a little chaotic, and much more fun than I thought it would be.


Incase you missed it, check out the rest of my NACA experience:
Read NACA 2013 Part 1: Crossing the Boarder
Read NACA 2013 Part 2: The Conference Kicks Off

NACA 2013 Part 2

The Conference Kicks Off

My NACA items

I was handed a drawstring bag containing a booklet listing all the events for the weekend, a pass with my name on it, meal vouchers, and a bag of magic tricks at the conference center when the Student Senate members and I registered for the 2013 NACA Northern Plains Regional Conference on Thursday. The theme of the conference this year was magic, and they called it AbracaNACA.

The first event was the conference kick-off featuring Breaksk8. They are a group of break-dancers who perform on roller skates. You may have seen them on a previous season of America’s Got Talent. The same day we had two showcases featuring musicians, comedians, and poets.

I also went to the first of five educational sessions. The educational sessions are my favorite part of conventions like these because oftentimes you learn tips from other college students. You can learn what works well for them and relate to the difficulties they have.

MPTC magnetic clothespin

For each session you get to choose from a list of topics that may interest you. I went to one about Pinteresting on small campuses. If you didn’t know, Moraine Park Technical College has a Pinterest page, so I felt this topic was relevant. The student presenters explained how they use this social media tool to list different event ideas, team-builders, and to promote their crafting events. They showed us how to make a decorative magnetic clothespin, and we got to make one for ourselves that very day.

Each night of the conference had a special late night event. Thursday night was a live karaoke band. It’s like regular karaoke but better because you get to sing with a band and not prerecorded music. Four of us from MPTC wanted to go on stage and perform, but the event was only an hour so we didn’t get a chance to do it. We got to see some really talented amateurs, though!


Incase you missed it, check out part 1 of my NACA experience:
Read NACA 2013 Part 1: Crossing the Boarder