Putting the Pieces Together

Hello IMC World!  I hope everyone’s having a good week so far. The snow finally started melting in Morgantown this week, but it looks like we’re going to get some more just in time for the weekend. Oh well. Maybe the snow will fill in some of the potholes on the roads.

This week I started working on a PR plan for my “client” for this semester. Since most of my professional experience has been in PR, I feel a little bit better about this assignment than I have about some of the others. A few weeks ago I had to create a media plan, and I haven’t done anything like that since my undergraduate classes a few years ago—OK, several years ago. It was a little scary! But I got through it just fine, and all the pieces of my IMC campaign are starting to come together—which is exciting!

One of my favorite things about this class is the diversity of the people in it. My classmates are of all different ages, come from across the country, and are from all sorts of professional backgrounds. If I’m struggling with a particular topic, I can look to them for help. Some of the younger students in my class have a lot of knowledge about new technology and are comfortable with emerging media. Honestly, I thought I was pretty technology-savvy, but some of my classmates talk about things I’ve never even heard of! I also have several classmates who have been in the industry a long time, and they offer real-life, practical examples of some of the weekly topics we discuss.

When I tell people that I’m taking all of my IMC courses online, one of the questions I’m often asked is if I feel disconnected from my classmates or my instructor because I’m not in a traditional classroom setting. My answer to that is no—never.  In fact, for me the opposite is true. Believe it or not, I was the painfully shy kid—the one who never spoke up in class unless participation was part of my grade. My co-workers nicknamed me “Bernie”—the dead guy from the ’80s movie “Weekend at Bernie’s”—because I never spoke up.

Don’t ask me how I ever ended up in PR. I think it’s because I was really bad at math. Anyway, the IMC virtual classroom setting is great for everyone–even shy weirdos like me. I’m sure most of my classmates would agree with me (classmates, feel free to chime in anytime here …). Instead of getting to know just a few people I’d sit beside in a traditional classroom, I feel like I’ve gotten to know every single person in my class this semester.

Before I sign off here, I want to share with you a new product my classmate Megan wrote about in her discussion post this week. It’s called “Puppy Tweets” and it will be released this fall.  According to a CNN article, now your dog will now be able to tweet with you throughout the day with a special dog tag device. I don’t know about you, but I think this is pretty hilarious. I’m thinking Christmas presents for a few of my friends with furry children. You’ve been warned. Thanks, Megan!

Snowplowing through the Early Spring Semester

Hello, IMC World!  I hope everyone has been staying nice and warm these last few weeks. I’m convinced that Old Man Winter is a sadist. Seriously, it’s been weeks since I’ve seen the ground at my house. Enough with the snow already!

The first snowstorm in February was kind of fun. It was pretty. We went sledding. I enjoyed watching the neighbor kids skiing in my backyard. But, now our roof is starting to leak, and the icicles hanging from our house could take someone out.  I’m ready for springtime. At least with the IMC courses being online I can stay warm and toasty in my house and never have to leave for a class. All I have to do is open my laptop and my class comes to me. Brilliant! Except now I’m starting to feel like a hermit.

The Early Spring semester is well underway now, and after a few weeks of panic attacks I’m finally starting to settle into a routine for my 610 Intro to IMC class. School is definitely different for me this time around, though.  With a 2-year-old at home, my time isn’t really my own anymore, and it’s been a challenge for me to figure out how to juggle homework in between Disney movies and Dora episodes, and now the Olympics. I told myself that I wasn’t going to get into the Olympics this year because of everything else going on, but Winter Olympics are just too fun. I love watching those crazy athletes do their stunts. It makes me wish I could ski better. I’m just now to a point in my skiing where the nice ski people don’t have to stop the lift to let me on and off. I’m definitely a green-dot girl, but maybe next year I’ll graduate to a blue square. For now, I’ll stick to snow angels …

Speaking of Olympics, have any of you guys been watching the commericals during the Olympics?  I find myself watching more TV commercials during these Winter Games than I have in a long time (thank you, DVR). I really like the Visa Go World commericals narrated by Morgan Freeman. The commercials that I just don’t get are the McDonald’s ones. Not that I don’t understand why they’d want to sponsor/advertise during the Olympics. I’m sure it’s great exposure, and I know McDonald’s been sponsoring the Olympics for a long time now.  But having ads featuring the athletes cramming McDonald’s into their mouths? Come on. Am I really supposed to believe that Big Macs and fries are what the athletes are “fueling up” on?  Who knows … maybe they do. Maybe if I start eating Big Macs everyday I’ll be able to ski like Lindsey Vonn next year. Hmm. I might have to try that. What about you guys? What are your favorite Olympics commercials?

Another thing that has been a topic in my Introduction to IMC class is how social media have changed the Olympics this year.  This really became apparent to me when I watched gold medalist Shaun White texting on his iPhone minutes after completing a snowboard run. How are you watching the Olympics this year? Do you get updates on your moblie phone? Watch events on the Internet? Chat about it on Facebook? Don’t worry, if you haven’t already thought about these things, NBC is thinking about it for you.

IMC Version 2.0.1.0.

Hi everyone! Welcome to the IMC blog, Version 2.0.1.0. My name is Stacy Wise, and you’ve just won a VIP ticket to hop aboard the IMC train with me, so here we go!

I’ve just started the IMC program (Early Spring 2010), and I’m currently taking IMC 610 with Professor Stacey Creely. I will be your resident blogger for the entire time I’m in the program, so I’ll be with you for a while. Lucky you!

A little bit about me.  West Virginia has always been home to me. I grew up in Fairmont, WV, which is about 20 minutes south of Morgantown. As you can probably guess, I’ve always been a Mountaineer, and I earned my undergraduate degree in advertising from our very own P.I. Reed School of Journalism.

My husband Mark and I have been together for seven years, married for four. Mark is a computer geek, and I mean that in a most affectionate way (ha ha). He is a co-founder of Threewide Corporation—a technology company that helps brokers and agents market properties. We have a 2-year-old daughter, Hailey, who is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. She is especially fond of Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu. I have had no influence on this matter whatsoever. Honest.

The Wises

Steeler fans

My first job post-college was as a copy editor for Morgantown’s local newspaper, The Dominion Post. It was a really fun job, and I learned a lot. But, let’s be honest. Working afternoon shift and weekends doesn’t exactly do wonders for your social life …

So, after working in the newsroom for a year I took a job as a writer/editor in the planning and marketing department at WVU Hospitals. I worked there doing internal communications and public relations until Hailey arrived in 2007. At that time, I quit working full-time to be a stay-at-home Mom for a few years, and did some freelance work on the side. Which brings us to today. I am excited to be back in school, and confident that an IMC degree will help me find a great job when that time comes.

The majority of you current and prospective IMC students live out of state, and I’ll bet that many of you have probably never been to West Virginia. So, here are a few fun facts that I’ve gathered for you current and prospective Mountaineers (I promise this is NOT a history lesson!).

• Mother’s Day was first observed at Andrews Church in Grafton, WV, on May 10, 1908.

First Mother's Day, Grafton, WV.

• West Virginia University was established on February 7, 1867, under the name of “Agricultural College of West Virginia.”

Early photo of Martin Hall, WVU. 1872.

Martin Hall today (Home of the WVU P. I. Reed School of Journalism).

• Outdoor advertising originated in Wheeling, WV, around 1908 when the Block Brothers Tobacco Company painted bridges and barns with the wording: “Treat Yourself to the Best, Chew Mail Pouch.”

Mail Pouch tobacco sign

• The longest steel arch bridge (1,700 feet) in the world is the New River Gorge Bridge in WV. Every year a Bridge Day is held here, where people BASE jump off the bridge. (Jumping off a bridge isn’t my cup of tea, and I’ve never personally attended a Bridge Day, but I’ve heard it’s a lot of fun to watch).

New River Gorge, WV

• Pepperoni rolls originated at the Country Club Bakery in my hometown of Fairmont, WV. (If you don’t know what a pepperoni roll is, you should really learn .)

The pepperoni roll -- a West Virginia must.

Well, I really didn’t mean to write you a novel, so let’s wrap this up and call it a day. My wish for this blog is for it to be as interactive as possible, so I want to hear back from you! Some of you I’ve already “met” in class, and I will be twisting your virtual arms to participate—you know who you are. Tell me (and everyone else) about yourself, where you live, and why you joined (or want to join) the IMC program. If you are a prospective student reading this blog ask me questions!

Until we blog again…

Stacy