This project has been such an amazing experience. I think on a daily basis about this project and our mission to end homelessness in the upstate and at times it overwhelms me. Our class has done only a small part to aid in this endeavor but I feel like we have made a difference. The documentary for me was the capstone of this experience, seeing first hand who we are helping. In this case seeing really is believing. I could go on and on about this experience and how it has changed me. I have included my synthesis essay below, but for the most part only one this is important. I have changed because of this class. I have changed because I took my blinders off and really looked at the world for a moment, clear visioned. I worked in Greenville twice a week for this semester and never saw all that the documentary showed or the hours of video footage that is not edited in to the film. People do such a good job of “covering up” the problem that it is imperitive to look deeper to see the real issues of the world. It is easy to glide by on the surface, but to really make change you must first see. That is what this project has taught me… how to see.
The “One Away” Campaign- Synthesis Paper
When I initially thought of a senior capstone class, I must admit I envisioned the dreaded literature review encompassing four years of college experience into one paper, too long/boring for anyone, besides the professor, to want to read. I cannot tell you how thankful I am that this senior capstone experience has been anything but. This class was challenging, thoughtful, and an experience that has truly brought all of my studies at Clemson University together ten fold. And the best part, it gained a lot of interest!
I was fortunate to find myself as a member of the social media team, incorporating varying media from blogs, to Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and website design. This experience fit perfectly as a capstone to my coursework thus far. My emphasis area in the communication major is public relations, which has strong roots in social media. In fact, every interview that I have attended has had many questions about my social media experience and use of the devices listed above.
In Dr. Vorvorenaus class we were asked, also known as kindly forced, to blog on a daily basis. We had to learn to follow others blogs, comment, and join in on the conversation taking place in the “blogosphere.” This class prepared me to take on the “One Away” blog, which I managed for the Upstate Homeless Coalition. Without the skills from Dr. V’s class I would not have felt comfortable representing a business in the blogging world.
This senior seminar also forced me to face some of my fears. The fear of being forced to see something that is not happy, appealing, or “sexy” as Mike recalled. However, I did have a little help stretching out into this unknown. Advanced Organizational Communication and the readings of Leiner, Ehrenriech, and Ciulla did begin to open my eyes to truths and injustices about the world that are anything but glamorous. For instance, a video about living on minimum wage was the first time I had ever been forced to realize how impossible it is to create a successful life living on such poor wages. It forced me to examine our health care system and rethink many of my ignorant thoughts about people who do not have housing. The readings showed me much about the catch 22’s of life and the uphill battles many have to face to find a home. I was not unprepared for the “One Away” project because of the discussions, videos, and readings from the organizational class. However, to say I was completely prepared would not, under any circumstances, be an honest statement.
The things that I have been exposed to because of this class are not things that fall lightly on the heart. Instead, it invokes in me a deep feeling of sadness, but more importantly a motivation for change. I felt that where I could contribute the most was through my writings and blogging on behalf of the UHCSC. IT was there that I was able to take my learning from classes like Feature Writing, Communication Theory, Persuasion, and my methods courses to create a professional writing style, with a voice that could pull in any audience. The long papers, constant monotonous research, and hours of critical thinking played a large part in developing my skills to prepare me for this type of project.
I am a true believer that if you can master the foundation basics of writing, then you can write for anything anywhere. This writing in particular though was even simpler; because it revolved around a topic I grew to feel passionately about. When it came time to write and connect with an online world, I felt prepared for my foundations were secure.
I am grateful to this project for allowing me to reach beyond the boundaries of a paper to demonstrate all that I have learned while at Clemson. Each paper, video project, test, speech, etc. have contributed to my senior thesis experience. Not only did I learn from the small part that I led, but from my group members, instructor, and class as a whole. Most importantly I got to see first hand how projects and goals could be achieved. I was privileged to get to see a project from start to finish and see the amazing result of teamwork and drive.
Our class accomplished a lot, for lack of a better word, in a short period of time. We came up with a campaign, mission statement, and created an organization that would run and operate like a machine with many individual pieces. That is what I have learned at Clemson, how to achieve a goal individually and as a part of a larger team, a skill that will make me a valuable employee post graduation. Classes like Team Communication taught me the basics of teamwork from a textbook, but this senior capstone experience has taught me teamwork from a first hand perspective. This class has changed me as a person and the way that I view the world. What an accomplishment for a semester-long course.
I leave Clemson with confidence in this project, the communication department, my peers and most importantly myself. The “One Away” campaign is an excellent staple of my work at Clemson and is a project I will be proud of for a lifetime.
