Pocket Full of Sunshine

           It's hard to put into words how great this last week has been but also how much I didn't want it to end. We set off on Wednesday morning at 4:00 am to Shreveport. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, barely being able to sleep, because I was so excited. It had finally hit me: A year of hard work was about to come into action at the 2012 NSAC 10the District Competition.
         When we arrived in Shreveport, all of us were exhausted but so excited to be there. We had orientation where we got our first look at other teams. I think that is when it all hit us that we were about to compete against some of the biggest schools in our district. To name a few: Texas State, TCU, OU, OSU, Texas Tech, UCO, Texas A&M and many other schools. I know the jitters of being there for the first time was a lot for all of us. That night, we had watched the first three competitors go, two of which were so-so and one which was really good. This kind of put into perspective that no matter how hard we worked, other schools probably had worked that hard as well. The presentation team spent the rest of that evening practicing our lines and our blocking.
        The next morning came way to soon. Oddly enough, I was confident and just a tad nervous. We got ready, all got in our suits and made our way to the practice room. Our advisers were there the whole way, still tweaking little things, the morning of the presentation. As we made our way over to the convention center, I was so excited.
        Our set up time was 9:50 am leaving us 30 min to set up before we had to present. Needless to say, we got everything set up quick and at that time it all became real. There we were, standing on stage, about to present our campaign to judges and other students. The doors opened and people quickly filed in. This is when it really hit. I looked out to see my mom, a few other parents, our teachers and classmates, and a few local AAF supporters and then a whole bunch of people from other schools. The next 20 minutes flew by. We delivered our pitch confidently, hardly any mess ups (which never happens with us), and smiled the whole time we did it. I think at that moment, I realized that I had made the right choice in my career path. That presentation made our whole almost year long of work, come together and made it all rewarding. We had a 10 minute Q&A with the judges which seemed to fly by as well.
      We played the waiting game the rest of the afternoon. At the awards banquet that night, they announced the special judges awards and then it was time to hear our fate. As they announced Texas State as the 3rd place winner, we all cringed. Texas State was a good competitor and we had a feeling we might be top two, hoping for first since it was flawless. When second place was called, and West Texas came out of judges mouth, we went up for our trophies. It was disappointing, there were some tears, but there was also a great sense of pride. We were sandwiched in between two of the biggest schools in the state of Texas. Texas A&M went on to win first and we were eagerly waiting to see their performance the next morning since we had missed it.
      The next morning, we saw the judges score sheet and the comments made. Our presentation was 1 point under the winning teams and our plans book was about 7. We had a ton of great comments from the judges and one even wrote, "Good Luck at Nationals" hoping we would have won. Overall, the learning experience was amazing. NSAC has taught me more than any other class has probably taught me. I was talking to a teammate last night and he said "I miss it already" and I had to agree. The experiences we had, and the way we presented all amount to so much. It's hard to not feel sad and happy at the same time. Something so big in our lives ended but we all gained so much from it. I am very blessed to have been a part of something so great. I hope to keep this legacy up for Buffalo Advertising and keep the name going as one of the top schools in the district. We still have a chance to make wildcard for nationals. Fingers Crossed!

     
       

  

NSA....Who?

Background Analysis : NSAC

1.     This blog will advance NSAC’s communication efforts by getting the word out that West Texas A&M actually has a competitive advertising team.

2.     The challenges with this blog would be the grace period in between the actual campaign and the research.

3.     The primary for this blog is to gain awareness around the Mass Communication department and the rest of West Texas A&M for the NSAC team.

4.     Our primary audience is students in college and teachers.

5.     The ideas for this blog would include weekly blogs from certain members of the team. It would also include an instructor’s point of view and update every few weeks along with some of the progress and struggles the team is having.

6.     To measure the blogs success we could see how many viewers it is having. Another way to measure the success would be to see how many people interact with the blog via commenting or sharing/retweeting

4/10/12

A year ago, if you had asked me what NSAC was, I would have looked at you with a blank stare. Now when you ask me, a sense of pride comes over me and I will tell you just about every detail of my life for the past year.

NSAC is known as the National Student Advertising Competition. Schools all over the country get one client. They research this client, make up a multi-platform campaign and present it in front of judges at the end of the semester.

West Texas A  & M has had a NSAC program for a number of years now. The last three years have really been break out years for the program. Last year, the client was JCPenny. They ended up getting runner up in the competition and a prize for best promotion. Since the team did so well last year, this years team has had a lot of weight on our shoulders.

Our client this year was Nissan. Most of the people on the team have been working in research since fall semester. We have worked hours and hours on end. From staying up all night working on plans book, to working every free moment on memorizing lines, we have come such a long way.

Now that we are almost at presentation time, I look back to where a lot of us were a year ago. I, myself, was a beginner Ad/PR student in the Advertising Principles class. The presentation team came in to present to our class, and right after that, I knew this is where I had wanted to be.

In two days, my goal is a bout to come true. The amount of pride I have for this program, I can’t even put into words. Of course, we wouldn’t be anywhere without our advisors and all the help they have provided us as students.  I know I don’t just speak for myself when I say, the NSAC team this year is proud of all that has been accomplished. 

What a Ride

                I feel like this last month has flown by. So many things have been happening, it's hard to remember to slow down sometimes. This last month has been such a whirlwind of events. From NSAC, school, extra-curricular activities to my internship with the Bulls ending, it has been a ride.
                I have also learned a lot about myself and other people in the last month. I have learned that being tough isn't just on the outside and that your choices do affect your life in some big ways. I have some things to look forward to in this next month or two and I couldn't be more excited.
            NSAC otherwise known as National Student Advertising Competition, is just around the corner. I have been dreaming of this day since I started my first advertising class, a year and a half ago. I remember seeing last years team perform and I wanted to be one of them.
           For NSAC, you are presented with a client, this years client was Nissan. You essentially, make a multi-platform campaign including print, TV, radio, Public Relations and media. There are three teams: Creative, Public Relations, and media that made up our campaign as well as the research class. Most of the team has been researching since last semester and this semester we started the actual campaign. I was part of the creative team which was responsible for "The Big Idea" which fuels the campaign ( no pun intended). I can't reveal much but we are all really excited. I have never seen a group of 14 students work so hard, sometimes until 4 or 5 in the morning. A huge shout out to our professors who have sat with us through it all.
           We just received our final plans book today, which I had a big part in helping design, a long with a few other students who designed and a few who did copy writing. It was such a huge hurdle in the race for us to finish that book. We are now working on the presentation. 5 students out of the 14 in the class get chosen. I am so grateful to be one of them. In the next two days alone, we have a script to memorize and production to finish.
          All of these experiences are leading us to the next step in our professional lives. Within the next two months, we will have completed a full advertising campaign, finished one of the toughest semesters and hopefully feel a sense of great accomplishment.
          Not to mention, ACL recovery is coming a long slowly but surely. I am waiting for the day I am allowed back on the soccer field. Recovering this time around is a ton harder because of the extent of the injury. As for now, I am focusing on rehab, NSAC, school and finishing out this semester.
         I am looking forward to moving onto a new job or jobs( because we all know one is too little for me). Oh and fun tip of the day: I finally moved up in the world, I got an Iphone. That is all.

These are last years team awards. They received first runner up for their JCPenny campaign. Hope to follow in their footsteps.

Compassion, Excellence and One Compelling Story

       
            In the midst of crazy communication week in our department we have all been blessed with a little bit of grace. Every year WT hosts a distinguished lecture series. This year, as many would agree, is one of the best we have had. Liz Murray is the author of “Breaking Night” and the story behind the Lifetime movie, “From Homeless to Harvard.” Murray grew up in a home with drug addicted parents and wound up homeless; That didn’t stop her however, from dreaming big and graduating from Harvard. Her story is one that many would be honored to hear and we were granted that honor at WT.
         I must say, public speaking has only become one of the things I do while being a Mass Communications Major. When I took on the role to present Liz Murray, I was excited but so nervous. As you could imagine, I ran over my lines a whole day before the presentation ( procrastination at it’s finest). As I met Murray before the speech, I was overwhelmed with her kindness and willingness to learn about us as students. I knew at that moment what a great honor I had been given. With shaky hands and a room full of people staring at me, I gave the speech and was successful at introducing her. The story that would come next touched not only me, but every person in the room.
           Liz told her story of overcoming adversity but really catered to the room full of bright eyed college students ( me being one of them). I was inspired by her success after so much hardship and took so many lessons from her talk. The way she loved other people and the way she talked about her home life despite everything was overwhelmingly humbling.
         People can’t give you what they don’t have was one of the first things she talked about. I thought this was a great message because we often expect so much of others but we don’t stop to realize or think if they don’t have it. 
          Murray also talked about experiences  : how they affect you, how they change you and how meeting certain people can change you. I think we all have had a moment where we know that a certain experience in our lives changed the course of action. She also talked about the one person in your lives who has made you want to do better. Hers, Perry, was a mentor to her and was the one who held her to a higher standard than she believed was achievable. She also said, “Someone who loves you will hold you to a higher standard and will always tell you the truth.” I think these two things go hand in hand.
        I think the biggest thing that stuck out to me ( as if they all didn’t) was her story about “What ifs”. I think we all have then. What if I went to graduate school? What if I moved away? What if I could do this? To Murray and part of her message, if you always think “what if”, what if becomes that lifestyle for you. Don’t go make the difference, be the difference. How many times have we though we could do something and then never did it. What if we did? Murray also stated, “ No one knows what’s possible until they are already doing it.” These two things absolutely go hand in hand.
    The last and probably the most important to Murray and to the audience tonight was to never forget to tell the people in your life that you love them. Murray struggled with losing both of her parents to disease and she still was able to love them whole heartedly. I’m guilty of losing sight of calling someone who has helped me or just saying a simple thank you to people in my life and it’s easy to get caught up but a simple thank you or a phone call could change someone’s life.
           One of the best moments of the night for me was not only being able to present such and amazing lady but to have her look at me in the beginning of her speech and thank me for doing a wonderful job and for not looking down on her story but raising it up. I am honored to have met and been a part of that. I only hope that I and the people around me can have her outlook on life of just going day by day and not to get down with all the crazy things that happen. In her words, “ If you always to have something to complain about, you will never run out of things to talk about. Count your blessings. Think: I’m alright. Stop counting things you don’t have, be grateful for what you do. Don’t lose perspective of everything that is out there. Gratefulness = resourceful.”  I think today will leave a lasting impression on not only me, but to the people who were there tonight. I am going to turn my “What ifs?” into “I did.”

A Weekend of Change

       

                                               The views right behind our cabin. Gorgeous
        

            If you had asked me a week ago why I was going on the FCA college advance retreat I would have said because our FCA leader Pat Ford pushed it on us, and I’m not lying, he did. Now that I have gone and come back, I realize it was for good reason. It truly was a life-changing experience not just for me but for many of the athletes that went on that trip.
         The day I left I was so caught up in my morning workout and school work and dealing with a lot of other things that I didn’t even really realize what I was about to get into. The 7 hour bus ride didn’t help much either. When we got there it was already time for the first praise and worship and chapel experience. By the end of that night, I realized why I had gone on that retreat and why God had put me in that position.
         We often times lose sight of what is really important. We get caught up in school, sports, jobs, friends, family and so much more that we don’t realize sometimes we just need a break. The first few seconds of the trip I was worried about where the phone charging outlets would be and why I only got two bars and not all four. This quickly changed when I realized that I wasn’t there so I could text my friends or call people, I was there to not only grow in my relationship with God but also to get away and realize what is important.
          If I wrote about this whole trip, it would take up pages but what I really realized is that we can’t really control what is going to happen. It may seem like we can, but there is a “game plan” for us. There are so many lessons I learned from this weekend. Scott Crenshaw was the speaker and he was absolutely perfect for college students. He knew how to make us laugh and feel something but he also knew how to get our minds working and really to think about where we stand in our faith.
         The main things that I got out of the trip were defining my relationships with God and with other people. We often try to control every little detail even though that is all mapped out for us.Second,  I learned that not just in the morning or at night but all throughout the day we must give thanks. A life given will never amount to our 10 minutes of daily prayer, it has to be more than that. Third, I learned that challenges were put in our life to make us and to shake us. This was one of my favorite things Scott had said. We all deal with challenges in life and sometimes we might think it’s a little too much, but really, it’s just enough to get us on track and realize what’s important.

Looking Forward

            You know they always say that once something is taken away from you, you want that thing so much more. This statement has proven to be true for most things I've come across in life. Last year after my surgery I wanted nothing more to play. Getting back on the field was great but like most athletes there were days I would take my talents and abilities to play soccer for granted. 
          This year after my surgery, I doubted the doctor when he said I’d be walking within a week. For the first few days I was in so much pain that I didn’t sleep. Low and behold, a week later I was walking. Walking with a limp but walking none the less. It’s crazy what people take for granted. I didn’t think i’d ever not be able to walk.
          I am about three months out of surgery now and have just started running, jumping, lunging and doing side to side motions.  The feeling I get when I run makes me so happy to think that in three more months I can step back on the field.  It’s crazy what your body can go through. By May, my body will have been through two knee surgeries in the past year and a half.
         My patience has been running a little low lately. I look through soccer pictures from last season and I remember how much I love the game. I have one season left. One season. I’m almost in denial that my soccer career can end after 17 years. I know this season I will not take anything for granted. I am already ready and there are still 6 months until the fall season. God has given me the ability to play soccer and I’m so thankful to have a second, second chance to play again.

Whew, Another one down.

          Well, a few days ago we had another Amarillo Bulls elimination. I've been interning with them since June 2011. It seems like so long, but it also seems like it has gone so fast. Most of the tasks that I do as an intern are graphic design, another intern and I, Tyler, help run the social media, we work game operations and customer relations at the games and we run the occasional errand ( typical intern work).
          The way the internship is run is like the TV show "The Apprentice." As the months come and go, so do more interns. This last elimination was the most intense by far. Our bosses called us into the board room one by one and evaluated us (scary). Then it was time for deliberation as we all sat out there nervous. They called us back into the board room and told us who was eliminated. Sigh of relief. I can go on for another month.
         Most internships just last a few months and then they are done which might not give full potential to interns. By putting a competitive edge on it, all of us have to step up our game in some way or another. We are in the busiest time of our season and want to create the best atmosphere for our fans. I am excited to see what is in store for the rest of the internship and ready to work hard to achieve the Ultimate Sports Intern goal.
        On top of that, our NSAC team has been getting ready. With holiday homework and always searching for advertisements or something that can make our campaign the best. I'm on the road to recovery with soccer ( hopefully being able to run here soon) and this semester is going to prove to be my busiest but maybe my most fulfilling one to date ( if I make it out alive). I'm ready for the challenges that are head of me. As the song goes, "Ain't no stopping us now." That's all