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.

Hey Clemson Dancers, 

My senior thesis class is putting on a fundraising
week to raise money for the Upstate Homeless Coalition of South Carolina. It is a
really great cause and I want to pass along the list of events for the week to you
all. If you eat at any of the places below just mention the "One Away" campaign and
part of their proceeds will go directly to the Upstate Homeless Coalition. We also
have a great documentary coming out Wednesday and a Battle of the Bands tomorrow
night at 356! 

Hope you all have a fabulous week and can come out to support this wonderful cause! 

Happy Dancing!

Beckman  

Schedule of Participating Restaurants:

Monday, April 19
*Chick-Fil- A
5-9p.m.
15-20%
*McDonald’s
5-8p.m.

Tuesday, April 20
*Subway
12-3p.m.
*356
4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Dinner
*Battle of the Bands
356
10p.m.
*Geezer Pops
10 p.m.-3 a.m.

Wednesday April, 21
*Beef O Brady’s
4-11p.m.
*Spill the Beans
dessert
7-10p.m.
10%
** Documentary Showing

Thursday, April 22
*Jersey Mikes
college night (5-9pm)
10%

Also, exciting news i got to discuss this project in a job interview today in Greenville. The guys I interviewed with found it very interesting and also impressive that I got to manage social media for a company in Greenville. This class is really paying off in many ways. I truly feel that I have gained great experience from this class and have a new appreciation of all of the wonderful aspects of my life.

Today is beautiful, im in a great mood, and cannot wait to eat chic-fil-a tonight for dinner!

A Scary Reminder

April 7, 2010 by uhcsc

Posted in The One Away Campaign | No Comments Yet

Interestingly enough, every employee in Jersey Mikes new him by name, and all came out from breaks to shake his hand and say good afternoon. Then without even saying a word one of the employees made him a sandwhich, passed it to him and continued talking without one mention of payment.

I did not wish to pry and find out exactly what had occured, especially since I was already running late with my deliveries, but it deed make me stop and think, “I just witnessed a good deed.”

We talked a lot last night in our chapter about paying it forward. I truly believe that if everyone paid it forward this world would be a better place. Even the smallest actions can show that you care. A smile with eye contact to someone who is used to being ignored can make a world of difference.

I challenge you, look people in the eye, smile at them, give a sub to someone who needs it. Show people you care…pay it forward!

Restaurant Week

April 8, 2010 by uhcsc

Blogging How-To Manual:

1. Create an Account in WordPress.com by clicking “sign up now” (This is completely free)
   1. Follow the instructions to create a username and password. Then you will be asked to provide an e-mail address so that WordPress.com can send you a confirmation e-mail. You confirm by clicking the link provided in the message.
   2. Congratulations you now have a created a blog!
   3. Personalize your blog:
      1. Click on “My Dashboard” on the top of the screen at your blogs homepage.
      2. Click on “Appearance” on the bottom right
         1. i.     Before choosing a theme think about what your blog is going to be about and then chose a theme that matches both the subject for which you are blogging and your own personality.
         2. ii.     There are many choices- however look to the ones that say “customize header” to be able to add your own image at the top of your blog.
         3. iii.     When examining the different layouts ask yourself the following questions (cited from http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2005/08/21/choosing-a-wordpress-theme/):

• Is the single post view different from the multi-post view?
• Is the sidebar viewed across all views or just certain views? Which?
• Do you see the number of comments on all of the multi-post views of the posts, or just some?
• Does the header change on any of the views?
• Does the width of the content area change on any of the views?
• If there is a sidebar on all the views, do the items on the sidebar change depending upon the view?

• How is the navigation? Can you find the different parts and pieces to move around the site?
• Is everything easy to read and find?
• Do you like the colors?
• Do you like the width of the parts and pieces or do you wish they were wider or narrower?
• Test the links – they change when hovered over. Do you like the results?
• Are the links easy to see and separate from the text without being distracting?
• Are the colors complementary?
• Are their icons, symbols, and small graphics on the site that enhance or distract from the overall look?

1. iv.     Once you are satisfied with a theme, select “apply” at the bottom of the page
2. What are Widgets?
   1. i.     Widgets are items that you can use to enhance your blog page. For example you can add to your side bar items like a blog roll (where you can link to other blogs and websites), A list of categories (where you can organize all of your posts based on subject), or add many other fun features.
   2. ii.     My best advice when it comes to adding widgets, is to start off simple first. Add a couple links to sites you find interesting or to display your categories for the reader’s convenience. Then, once you become more comfortable with WordPress start exploring!
   3. iii.     One more tidbit: When you don’t know Google it! Most all questions about blogging can be answered via Google, so type it in, follow the instructions, and you’ll be a pro with widgets in no time.
   4. Start Writing:
      1. When you begin your blog it is important to have goals set. Some examples include: how many times you wish to post a week, what the subject matter will focus on, how formal you wish to write, is this blog intended to be more personal or intended for the public
         1. i.     All of these questions are extremely important when defining your voice via blog. So make sure to plan before you write!
3. You create a new post by clicking “new post” at the top of your blog’s homepage. It will allow you to create a title and then fill in the body of your post with unlimited word space. WordPress even gives you spell check!
4. Once you are ready to publish your work take a couple minutes to proof read it and then add some finishing touches:
   1. i.     Categorize your work:
      1. You can add as many different categories, as you like at the bottom of the page. Just click “add new category”
      2. Then select the category that best fits your new work and it will automatically post that work there once you select “publish” in the top right corner.
      3. ii.     Add images, videos, and links
         1. In order to grab readers attention use tricks like images and video to draw in an audience.
         2. Do this by using the “upload/insert” keys directly above the body of your post. You can either insert links to photos/videos on the web or you can upload your own documents from your computer.
         3. Once you have uploaded you will be allowed to select the size of the document and where you would like in to be located within the text.
         4. Click update and your post should now appear with your media included.
         5. Links:
            1. To add a link to your WordPress document highlight the word or website in your text and click the link button (It looks like two chains linked together in the toolbar).
            2. Once there, copy and past the link of the website into the box that appears.
            3. Click save, and your link should appear in your post.
            4. Make sure to always complete your links like this to keep your document from looking messy to readers.