Entry No. 38 | April 16, 2013

Two weeks ago, we held our spring recruitment sessions for the Dean's Office Internship Program. The turnout greatly exceeded our expectations. One of our interns, Becky, arrived late to the info session so our boss thought everyone in the room should greet her when she arrived. Becky is always saying crazy things like "mmmmmmhey everyone" or "mmmmhey there."

If you didn't get a chance to come learn what we're about, and let's face it we're all about being fabulous, don't fret. Just check out CAS.usf.edu or find us on Facebook to download the application or get more information before you apply. We encourage you to take the chance, but we also want you to be happy with your decision.

Don't take too long now, applications are due by April 19 at 5 p.m. to CPR 107.

We hope you decide to apply to our program. You will find that while we work hard, we always find time to have a little fun, right Becky?

As always, stay cool Bull Nation,
Gennelle

 

Entry No. 37 | April 11, 2013

The making of the Real Interns was a great and entertaining experience. As you will see in the video, we had many outtakes that were worth putting in a video for you all to see. One thing you will find in the video and as you follow our blog is that we are a vibrant bunch of interns. There is never a dull moment in the Closet, and we always try to find ways to market this internship because it is such a great experience.

Because the Real Housewives is a popular show, our boss thought it would be a great idea to parody the Housewives and make a Real Interns intro video, so we started brainstorming voice over intros we could use for everyone. We based the quotations on what the interns do in the office and what their job position entails.

For Example:
Carrie Murawski (Social Media Intern): “They call me C$ because I got the beats and the tweets.”  (She also raps in her spare time on various projects we have.)

Ilana Marshall (Advertising Intern): “For some people Photoshop just comes easily.” (She designs most of our logos and graphics for the College of Arts and Sciences.)

After we got all the voice intros down, we thought of some B-roll we could use along with everyone’s intro and then began shooting everything. First, we recorded all the voiceovers then we shot everyone’s B-roll. The difficult part of this video project was arranging everyone’s schedule to film the ending and their professional shots. Everyone’s schedule was all over place but we managed to shoot everyone’s professional shot within two days and shot the ending right before our intern meeting/seminar. After editing and packaging we got our first Real Interns video. It was quite time-consuming and took some commitment but we managed to put it all together. CAS out!

-Becky

 

Entry No. 36 | April 3, 2013

Interning at the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office has made me grow so much as a person professionally and artistically. Our boss, Michele Dye, has given us the opportunity to take on any projects we want and learn various skills that we can use in the future.

One of the many things I like about interning at CAS is that I am able to enhance my weak skills and excel in my strong ones. I enjoy making videos and my boss is always willing to give me video projects, so I can work on my video production skills and add new material to my portfolio.

It is a constant learning experience at CAS. I never get bored working in the office because there is always something that needs to be done and if I may not have any assignments one week, there are always other interns with assignments that I can assist.

One of the great perks of being a CAS intern is being able to work closely with the Dean. I have had some projects where I needed the Dean for something, and he is more than willing to assist me.

Honestly, applying to this internship was one of the smartest decisions of my life. There is no other place I could have possibly gained the experience I have in the course of my time here and I am proud to say that I am a CAS Intern.

-Becky

 

Entry No. 35 | April 2, 2013

Last night we introduced our "Real Interns of the Dean's Office" video, and I hope you enjoy it. I pitched this idea to our interns at a staff meeting in January, and it's so cool to see the finished product. We had a fun time making this, and I think it will give you an idea about what it's like to be a Dean's Office Intern.

Check back soon and one of our interns will be sharing how this video was made. We also have some pretty funny bloopers that we'll be posting on this blog--you don't want to miss that.

 

Entry No. 34 | April 1, 2013

The best part about this whole experience has been that, even as a broadcast intern, I’m challenged to be creative with a variety of media; and when I struggle with something, at least one of my 13 fellow interns is bound to be an expert on whatever media platform is causing me trouble.

Recently, I was tasked to pin content onto our new CAS interns Pinterest page but, like most men in America, I had never used the website. Fortunately, Keather Kardashian took the time to show me how to create my own profile and now that I have some familiarity with the website, so far I’ve been able to post things related to “Food,” “Baby Animals” and “Wedding Dreams.” Yay!

Applying for this internship was the best thing I could've done to diversify my skill set as a communicator. Although our titles might imply that we’re confined to one specific role (e.g. I am a broadcast intern), we’re encouraged to come up with our own ideas for projects and see them to completion – even when that means venturing out of our comfort zones. We're given both the creative freedom and the personal guidance we need to grow as professionals.

-Dom

 

Entry No. 33 | March 29, 2013

Are you a poet and you know it? Perfect timing! Our College of Arts and Sciences’ Twitterrific Haiku Contest is almost here!

The rules are as followed:
1) The poem must be related to USF (spirit, college experience, etc.).
2) The contest begins April 1.
3) Your poem must be tweeted by 11:59 p.m. on April 19, 2013.
4) Tweet us using @USF_College and #HaikuContest.
5) The poem must be a haiku.

A haiku is a poem consisting of 17 syllables. There are five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and
five in the third line.

Here is a Haiku I wrote for you:
Submit in April
A poem ‘bout USF
And win a sweet prize

Yes, I’m very talented. It’s no C$ rap, but it’s the next best thing.

Each year the Humanities Institute throws a series of events for poetry month. Keep an eye out for awesome CAS events and updates on our poetry contest via our social media pages.

Keep Calm and Go Bulls!
Carrie

 

Entry No. 32 | March 28, 2013

It's almost been one whole year since I started interning, and I can't believe how much I've learned. When I went in for my interview, I was so nervous that I didn't have any skills. But, I made it clear that I really wanted to learn anything and everything the internship had to offer. I applied for the photography portion of the internship, but it was clear within the first two weeks I would be doing so much than that. My first summer I went from not knowing what Adobe Creative Suite was and not knowing how to write a proper news story to "cropping it like it's hot on any computer" and writing feature stories for the College. Those are just two examples. There are no words to describe or even explain what I've learned from then to now.

Michele teaches her interns in ways no class could compare. She is incredibly patient with us, but also pushes us to our full potential. She is always trying to find new ways to prepare us for the world after graduation by teaching seminars and workshops, like on résumés and portfolios for example. She brings in guest speakers and takes us on field trips whenever she can. She is a teacher, mentor and boss all put together in her Lilly Pulitzer dresses -- but don't let the pearls fool you, she can spit a few lines from Kanye West.

This internship is undoubtedly the best thing I've done since I started my freshman year at USF in 2010. I've made great friends and connections that will last forever, and the skills I've obtained have prepared me for what's to come.

-Ella

 

Entry No. 31 | March 28, 2013

My favorite thing about the internship is the VIP seminars only the CAS interns can attend, specifically, the résumé workshop. The workshops are helpful for the assignments we are currently working on and bettering our skills for the “real world.”

My second favorite thing about the Dean’s Office internship is the creativity I am permitted to use. The lovely group of interns spitball idea after idea. Some of them are great, some are…not, but they are most likely interesting. These ideas are the start to the awesome work we produce.

If you have a love for learning, a creative mind, and at least 10 hours a week to dedicate, then you should apply for the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office Communications and Marketing Internship.

Keep Calm and Go Bulls!
Carrie

 

Entry No. 30 | March 28, 2013

I am four months into my first full internship. At times it’s been stressful and has even bordered on overwhelming. Some days I wanted to quit, cry, kick and scream. But I’ve stuck with it. I have been motivated mainly by the camaraderie I’ve found in The Closet.

We’ve got a great boss who finds time to laugh with and, at times, at us. We are 14 ambitious, hard working, life-loving students. We pull the best out of one another and still find time to have a good time.

I’ve held down a few jobs in my day, but I have never worked one where I genuinely hate to leave. If I could spend my entire day in The Closet I would definitely try. We even have opportunities to bring work home through events such as our Grammy and Oscar parties, although it never truly feels like work.

Through this internship, I am learning the value of hard work and the benefit of being able to trust and lean on my co-workers.

That’s what I love about working with the Dean’s Office Internship Program. Seeing my press releases on the front page of the USF website is just a bonus.

I encourage you--challenge you even--to come find out what you could love about this program at one of our info sessions: Tuesday, April 2 at 5 p.m. or Wednesday, April 3 at noon in ISA 5020. Plus there’s free food--who doesn’t love that?

As always, stay cool Bull Nation,
Gennelle

 

Entry No. 29 | March 26, 2013

It's that time of year again--time to recruit new interns for the summer and fall semesters!

We're holding two information sessions next week: April 2 at 5 p.m. and April 3 at noon. Both sessions take place in ISA 5020. This will be your chance to learn more about this internship and how to apply. Current interns will be there to share their experiences and answer any questions you may have. You only need to attend one session. We'll also have some food for you as well.

Applications will be available at the session, and we'll also have them up online shortly.

Hope to see you there!

-Michele

 

 

Entry No. 28 | March 24, 2013

Is your bracket busted? Did your championship pick get ousted by a Gulf Coast Eagle? How about a Harvard Crimson? Well, CAS has some good news! We are giving all you bracketeers another shot at glory.

Last week we launched our CAS Insta-Madness photo contest. Students, faculty, staff and alumni have the opportunity to submit photos to us via Instagram (@USFCollege) in any or all of our contest categories: #USFDucks, #USFSquirrels, #USFSunsets and #USFPride.

Our next task is to narrow down our favorite submissions to 32 contenders and enter them in our own interactive brackets. As always there’s lots of “Keep Calm” swag to be won.

There’s still time to submit photos, so snap away. Here’s your chance to hoist your own championship trophy, or at least a gift basket. But you’ve got to be in it to win it!

Stay cool Bull Nation,
Gennelle

 

Entry No. 27 | March 21, 2013

We just wanted to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to our girl, Johora, who got married! We love you!

-Michele, Ella, Becky, Carrie, Dom, Marc, Jordan, Gennelle, Liz, Alexandra, Abbey, Ilana, Sami and Keather

 

Entry No. 26 | March 20, 2013

He’s on Facebook, tumblr, and now he’s on the cover of the Tampa Bay Times. That’s right, I’m talking about our very own Dean Eisenberg! If you haven’t had time to pick up a newspaper (or you’re living under a rock) here is the link to the article.

The World’s Most Interesting Dean, our homeboy and now The Dean of Pop. Dean Eric Eisenberg’s popularity and creative memes have caught the attention of many, including the Tampa Bay Times. Yesterday, I was walking to class, and during my journey, I saw Dean Eisenberg’s face on the cover of the TBT through the newspaper dispenser. I immediately grabbed five copies.

All of the interns were very excited. Our effort to make Dean Eisenberg known to the students and College of Arts and Sciences community had finally paid off, and big. The buzz was stirring about our Dean. I was thrilled to see our work in the article. They mentioned two of my favorite memes that I created, the Kim Kardashian and Honey Boo Boo “Texts from the Dean” memes. At the very end of the article, the reporter, Stephanie Hayes quoted me. Of course, it was talking about our Fresh Interns Rap Video. (Somehow, through this internship and other means, I have become known for my spontaneous rapping and alter ego, C$.)

I love this article about him, because it shows he is not just this professional, higher up official that we do not see. He is personable and approachable. The dean is trendy, current and friendly. This can be seen on his Dean Eisenberg at USF Facebook and the article.

Follow his page for more great memes. You never know what kind of status the Dean of Pop will come up with next!

-Carrie a.k.a C$

 

Entry No. 25 | March 5, 2013

It was really exciting being able to film "Campus Cribs" for the freshman website we are developing. I met Jennifer and Tierra through a contest USF's Housing and Residential Education office put on called, "Show Us Your Space." Jennifer and Tierra entered the contest and when I saw the pictures of their dorm, I knew I had to take a look.

I, as an upperclassman student, was able to really see housing through new lenses. I enjoyed seeing the creativity these two freshman girls put into their room to really make it look like home. Also, editing the footage I received allowed me to do new things I hadn't gotten to do in my Broadcast News coursework.

-Johora

 

Entry No. 24 | March 4, 2013

We are in constant need of gorgeous photos of campus. Just recently we rolled out our annual Campus Photo Contest. The contest challenged USF students, faculty and staff to take photos of their favorite places on campus.

Even though it was just our second year doing it, we had a large number of students participate. Of all the photos submitted, we had to narrow it down to the top 10. Once those 10 pictures were selected, we stuck them in an album and let our Facebook fans take control. But even with two weeks of open voting, it was clear within the first day which contestant was going to win the Fan's Choice Award. The selection committee also picked a winner, and they were given the Judge's Choice Award.

However, these two amazing pictures weren't the only winners -- we had another goal in mind. One of our current projects is to design and create content for a website geared toward our incoming freshmen. So for this website, we are going to use the submitted photos from the contest.

Check out our 10 finalists on Facebook!

-Ella

 

Entry No. 23 | Feb. 25, 2013

Dean Eisenberg is my homeboy. This is the idea that was afloat during an intern meeting one day that I was given the task to bring to life. The idea was to take those famed “Jesus is my Homeboy” T-shirts that everyone remembers from the last decade. At the time, I thought this was a silly yet fun idea that I did not think too much of, but I soon came to realize that this idea was going to be a big deal.

As I rendered the Dean through my Wacom Bamboo tablet, my fellow interns took notice of the design. Everyone was excited to see what was resulting. When it was finally done, it immediately hit the printers and was made into a poster. It then spread like wildfire.

I kept seeing the image everywhere. It was shared across Facebook many times. It was everywhere I turned in the Communications (CIS) building. And one day, I was sitting in my Advertising Portfolio Building class to see my professor, Coby O'Brien, bring the poster and tape it to the center of the whiteboard. At this point, I was a bit nervous of what he was going to say about it. When he began the class, he asked the class how everyone felt about the Dean being portrayed as “The Homeboy.” Many in the class mentioned that it made the Dean more approachable and more well known as many in the class did not even know who the Dean was until the poster. Professor O'Brien then continued to talk about how interesting this concept was. To portray the Dean, someone traditionally portrayed as strictly professional, into the students' “homeboy.” 

It was then that I realized that this poster was revolutionary. It brought Dean Eisenberg into a new, fun light. This was a light that students recognized and identified with. The Tampa Bay Times spotlighted this quality of the Dean through a recent front page article. Combined with our social media efforts, us interns have brought the Dean into a fun, approachable view in the eyes of USF students and I am proud to be a part of it.

-Ilana

 

Entry No. 22 | Feb. 22, 2013

Yesterday, the College of Arts and Sciences hosted Helen Fisher, Ph.D., at the MSC Oval Theater for a lecture titled, “Gender Differences in the Brain.” This event was free and open to the public. Fisher, a biological anthropologist, human behavior researcher, and match.com’s chief science advisor, answered any and all questions the audience had about love and relationships.

And yes, she does believe in love at first sight! The audience was able to submit questions online, and write down questions at the table outside the theater prior to the event, or tweet a question during the event to @USF_College using the hashtag: #AskDrFisherUSF. Fisher was able to provide evidence and research based on her years of studies to explain each answer.

-Abbey

 

 

Entry No. 21 | Feb. 20, 2013

Ever wonder what it takes to be a College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office Intern…well look no further than at our upcoming “Real Interns” video. That will give you an insight on the Intern’s “closet” life.

An idea that started as a joke suddenly became a project where we decided to spoof the show “Real Housewives” and call it “Real Interns.” The idea of the video is to show students and future interested interns what the Dean’s Office Interns really do every day. 

The video begins introducing all the interns and video clips of them at work. With 14 interns on the “Closet Team,” it took some time organizing everyone’s schedule to film some segments of the video. After some trial and error we managed to film our intro with some assistance from Kristin Arnold, a mass communications faculty member. She taught us how to use a green screen so we could drop in our own graphics. We had no idea how complex and time consuming it would be to shoot in front of a green screen but we pulled through it together with patience.

As interns, we are always working on different projects, planning events and updating the students with constant information about the college. It is an important job to be a CAS intern because not only do the students rely on us but also our director Michele Dye and Dean Eisenberg.

If you can’t tell, we have a lot of fun being CAS interns and that is why we made this video--to introduce who we are, what we do and why is it worth your while to join our team.

CAS out!
Becky

 

Entry No. 20 | Feb. 18, 2013

My internship with the College of Arts and Sciences has proven to be more than I expected thus far. In the past month, I was assigned to work on something called "90 Seconds Around the College" where I would not only record a voiceover but also do an on-camera report about esteemed faculty around the CAS.

I was seldom on camera before, but forget about feeling comfortable. I was nervous but the other interns helped me ease into it by doing small sound checks and recording me beforehand to make sure everything was set up correctly.

Our location to shoot was outside during a windy but sunny day in front of the Interdisciplinary Science Building (ISA). I took the cue cards and stepped aside to read over my lines just so I wouldn’t slip-up or make mistakes. I read them over and over again until I memorized the first page of the cue cards and felt like I didn’t have to read them anymore.

Where we were filming, however, was a bit too dark so we moved around ISA a bit and had some type of lighting tool to help reflect the light onto my face. Talk about taking the spotlight. Now I felt like I forgot anything I learned from my cue cards, but luckily the interns and I found a way to hold them up against the wind so that I could read it but they wouldn’t fly away. After a few takes, I started becoming comfortable, unveiling a part of me that thought that this was fun despite how nervous I had been.

Once we shot what we needed, we headed back to the office where I recorded my voiceover. That took even more takes than me on camera ironically, but afterwards, another intern took my footage and recordings and edited it into a video with pictures of the faculty along with a CAS intro and some music to go along with it. It was one of the best experiences that I’ve had in my internship, and who knows, maybe one day I’ll look back and be the one as a TV regular saying, “Well, that wasn’t so bad after all.”

-Alexandra

 

Entry No. 19 | Feb. 15, 2013

The old folks say hind-sight is always 20/20. This is never truer than in the midst of the college experience.

Recently, Jordan and I headed out to learn what students wish they had known as freshmen.

With camera wiz Sami and our impromptu production assistant Keather in tow, we gathered answers that ranged from the inspiring to the bizarre.

We interviewed international students, athletes, over-achievers and self-proclaimed “slackers,” all preaching involvement and educational commitment. We also had a few laughs along the way as our bloopers will attest.

We learned about secret study spots, transportation tips and a few academic pointers that will help steer the newest class to success on their incredi-Bull journey.

Stay tuned for more advice videos as the new freshman website comes together.

 Stay cool Bull nation,
 Gennelle

 

Entry No. 18 | Feb. 13, 2013

When you think of the #Grammys, you probably think of elegant dresses, great musical performances, and the best artists/bands of the year. However, I think of goofy interns, taco bell, and tweeting for a cat.

This past Sunday, the interns held the CAS Intern Inaugural Award Show Party. The party started at 6:30 p.m. or maybe 7 (…ish). Five of my fellow interns came over to the apartment to celebrate, tweet, and–-most importantly—have a good time. There were tacos, chips, pretzels, and our favorite beverages (including Dr. Pepper)!

The red carpet began, and we tweeted for Rafters the Botanical Garden cat, only because she was way too tired. @Rafters9 is such a diva! We critiqued fashion on the red carpet and debated on which of our favorite stars would win. We were Rafters’ eyes for the #FashionPawlice. There were only a few #FashionFauxPAWs.

The intern’s final review of the show: @TaylorSwift13’s performance was voted most shocking! The interns thought @MiguelUnlimited’s performance was great! And @CarrieUnderwood’s dress was fantastic in her performance with the simultaneous light show.

We danced, laughed and celebrated! @Rafters9 was very PAWleased with our tweeting. The interns are planning our next red carpet party, The Oscars! Follow us on twitter for more information, @USF_College, and follow @Rafters9 for her latest celebrity dirt and fashion criticism. 

Tweet ya later and Go Bulls!
Carrie

 

Entry No. 17 | Feb. 8, 2013

It was a sensation that conquered the world. A sensation that started with four men wearing various costumes such as morphsuits, a power ranger, and a mask, dancing inside a room.

It's a sensation that generated many YouTube videos of people recreating a dance. It's called the Harlem Shake.

Originally a dance from the 1980s, the "Harlem Shake" is a 30 second video, which uses a song called "Harlem Shake" by Baauer, a New York DJ, that starts with one person, wearing a helmet or hat, dancing as everyone else in the video is doing something for 15 seconds.

Once "Do the Harlem Shake" drops, everyone is dancing on top of tables or shaking on the ground for the last 15 seconds.

I came across the video when I saw Original Skateboards YouTube channel, my longboard's manufacturer, had posted a video. Thinking it would be another skate session, I clicked on it. As I began to watch the video, I noticed that the setting was inside a warehouse and not on the streets. A up-tempo song plays and I became hooked. I started to look for the song and artist, which led me to the original "Harlem Shake" video.

I quickly found the song and began to look it up on Amazon to buy it. As I'm playing the sample, Rebecca Torriani walks into the office and starts dancing. Dominique Benjamin follows and questions what i'm watching. I told him it's the called the "Harlem Shake" and showed him the office version, which led to the idea of doing our own version.

After 20 minutes of planning out the angle of the camera and Becky's idea of tossing paper plates and jumping out of a box, we were ready to shoot our version. The idea was to have Dom dancing alone as Becky and I were on the computer for the first 15 seconds. Then, Becky would jump out of a box as I dance looking at the wall.

Check out our video below!

-Marc

 

 

Entry No. 16 | Feb. 7, 2013

 Rebecca Torriani has been a broadcast intern with the College of Arts and Sciences since May 2012. A jack-of-all-trades, Torriani assists in social media promotion of the College, films and edits lectures, produces CAS videos and takes a turn at script writing.

Torriani also has been interning with the USF Athletics Department since January 2012. There she is responsible for filming sporting events and post-game interviews as well as acting as a production assistant.

A double major in mass communications and political science, Torriani has yet to decide on a career path but hopes to be successful in whatever she decides to do.

A native of Miami, Fla., Torriani graduated from New World School of the Arts in 2010. She is the second of three children and also has two stepsiblings.

Her hobbies include dancing, eating, filming viral videos and award show party planning. She insists that she is NOT a rapper.

 

Entry No. 15 | Feb. 6, 2013

Genelle Chatman is weird. Don't worry, that is how the hilariously sarcastic 21-year-old describes herself.

Her hobbies include: "gym-ing," "basketball-ing," regular "balling" (with her Financial Aid net check), reading, writing, eating and watching movies and lots of television.

Chatman, a public relations major and professional and technical writing minor, thinks of the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Office Internship as a starting point for her résumé so that she may hopefully obtain a larger internship in the future.

A native of Miami but raised in Central Florida, Chatman's favorite colors are lime green and purple, which is why, she said, that "Donatello is her favorite Ninja Turtle."

Chatman hopes to attend law school one day--that is, if her dream of doing voiceovers for adult cartoons does not pan out.

 

Entry No. 14 | Feb. 5, 2013

Marc Seide is a senior at the University of South Florida majoring in mass communications with a concentration in news-editorial. Seide was born in New Jersey, but moved to Florida at age six. Seide started out at a community college before transferring to USF where he enrolled in its journalism program.

“My biggest inspiration is my family,” Seide said. “I'm the oldest and there is some type of pressure, but I want to earn my degree for my family. My mom went to college, but didn't get her degree and my dad never went to college.”

Seide hopes to graduate after the spring 2013 semester and move back to the Northeast or the West Coast. His dream job is to be a sports reporter for the Los Angeles Times or the Orange County Register, covering the Los Angeles Lakers. If he doesn’t land a reporting job he’d like to go back to school and become a teacher.

“In my free time I love to listen to music and watch funny YouTube videos as well as hang out with friends and play basketball,” Seide said. “I also like to review scripture from the Bible.” He is involved with the Navigators, a Christian campus ministry.

 

Entry No. 13 | Feb. 4, 2013

Jordan Waters is an accounting sophomore at the University of South Florida. His job in the College of Arts and Sciences Office of Development makes him the Dean’s “unofficial intern.”
 
Waters involvement in Edgewater High School in Orlando kept him busy, both physically and academically. He played basketball for two years, and ran both cross-country and track his junior and senior years, assisting both of these teams to the state meets. His fastest mile was just over 5 minutes. Academically he excelled, winning the MLK Humanitarian Award and the Devry Excellence Award.

He spent his first year at USF at the St. Pete campus, where he was Historian for the Entrepreneurship Club. Currently, he’s a member of the Running Club, the Accounting Society and participates in Toastmasters.

He is a self-proclaimed nerd, and loves to get ahead on homework in his free time. When he’s not hitting the books, he’s chillax-ing with his friends, long boarding, or watching his favorite shows, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Southland.” He also really loves cats and shopping around on Ebay.

Waters will be graduating in Spring 2015; this summer he hopes to land an internship at Nike or Price Waterhouse. He believes, “everything happens for a reason.”

 

Entry No. 12 | Feb. 1, 2013

"Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

This is a quote that first semester intern Abbey Hafer seeks inspiration from. Hafer is a senior that will be graduating this current semester with a B.A. in English. 

Prior to joining the Dean’s Office Internship Program, Hafer was an avid runner for USF's cross country team during her freshman year. She has a strong passion for teaching and working with children. She spends a great portion of her time working at the Seal Swim School as an instructor for babies where she is currently being trained to become a Deck Manager. This year she worked as an intern for Ruth Eckerd Hall’s marketing department. She also worked as a nanny for a year and has previous volunteer experience at Metropolitan Ministries where she participated in Toys for Tots in addition to registering families for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

Hafer is originally from Fort Myers and travels home often on weekends to visit her family in Cape Coral. Hafer is the eldest of three children. Her younger sister Rachel is 16 and her younger brother, Dan, is 19 who is also a student here at USF. Some of the things Hafer enjoys doing include spending time with her golden retriever (whom she admits she has a mild obsession with), catching up on the latest “Teen Mom” episodes, fueling her eBay addiction, and hanging out with her "fransss."

In the future, Abbey plans on working with children. She is interested in areas such as adoption and working directly with the family unit. Hafer also plans on going to law school to study family law with a focus on adoption. In the fall, she hopes to work at the Children's Home Society for underprivileged children to help make a difference in their lives. 

 

Entry No. 11 | Jan. 30, 2013

Senior Johora Ramotar is a 23-year-old double major in elementary education and mass communications at the University of South Florida. This is her second semester as a Broadcast Intern at the College of Arts and Sciences. Although she is unsure what her future holds with her two majors, she plans to go to grad school and get her master’s in higher education or student affairs. She is proud that she will be the first in her family to graduate with a degree.

Warren is a determined and hard-working individual--she has managed to maintain three jobs with a full class schedule. She can be found roaming around campus near the Holly Apartments as an R.A., working at the Rec Center or volunteering with the NAACP USF Chapter. One thing that people may not know about her is that she is double-jointed. When she was younger she would stretch her arms behind her back and scare her mom, not knowing that not everyone could do that. She is also half Guyanese Indian which explains her love for West Indian food, like chicken curry and rice.

While interning for the College of Arts and Sciences, Warren has learned a lot about time management and branding herself, as well as for CAS.
“I have learned so much about filming, editing, and technical writing,” she said. She hopes to become more versatile in those skills.
In her spare time, Warren enjoys reading, acting and watching movies and plays.

 

Entry No. 10 | Jan. 29, 2013

When it comes to food, Ella Farnsworth is not your typical female.

The 21-year-old senior at USF, majoring in mass communications, is in her third semester interning at the College of Arts and Sciences. Her favorite foods are cheeseburgers, steaks, mash potatoes, bacon, eggs and sweet potatoes.

Her favorite restaurant is the Cheesecake Factory, but she doesn’t like cheesecakes.

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Farnsworth, the youngest of two, comes from a family where her father was a chef, working for Rockresorts. After living in Hawaii for six weeks, Farnsworth's family moved to Washington, Conn., where she lived until she was three years old before moving to Florida.

While in high school, Farnsworth became interested in advertising through student government, where she enjoyed the interaction and deliberation between people and wanted to work in that environment.

When she wasn’t in meetings for student government, she was playing sports such as lacrosse and tennis. 

Her interest came into fruition in college when she took Advertising Media, Advertising Management, Advertising Research and Advertising Creativity.

Farnsworth is expected to graduate in Fall 2013 with her bachelor’s degree and wants to go to Miami Ad School in Miami, Fla., where she’ll go through a six-week boot camp to become an account planner.

 

 

Entry No. 9 | Jan. 28, 2013

Senior Dominique Benjamin is double majoring in Africana studies and mass communications with a focus in broadcast production. He has been interning for the College of Arts and Sciences as a broadcast intern since August 2012 and has worked on various projects that included filming and editing for student profiles and Frontier Forum lectures.  He created the new CAS introduction title for videos which he said was challenging because he never used any special effects software before. Not only did he create pieces for his portfolio, he also added skills to his résumé such as being proficient in Adobe programs. 

One of his favorite parts about interning in the College of Arts and Sciences is the creative freedom that is given to create and complete projects. 

“As our internship director, Michele continually provides the creative freedom, professional knowledge and, along the way, personal guidance we need to be successful,” Benjamin said.  “As a result of the internship experience she created, I believe that I am growing more as a professional than I could anywhere else.”

During the 2012 summer, Benjamin previously interned as the production intern at WLRN Public Television in Miami, Fla. His assignments included operating cameras for live broadcasts of Miami-Dade County Public School Board meetings and studio products of the station’s weekly Spanish-language programming, brainstormed ideas for future projects and arranged interviews.
He also worked as a runner for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer during the Republication National Convention where he helped to make sure production ran smoothly and learned more about the production side of broadcast.

Benjamin will be graduating in Fall 2013 and hopes to have a career in media where he can be creative and have a positive impact on society. He currently hopes to get an internship at an advertising agency where he can use his broadcast skills in a creative way.

 

Entry No. 8 | Jan. 25, 2013

Ilana Marshall is double majoring in advertising and studio art. This is her fourth year at the University of South Florida. Marshall hopes to pursue a career in creating advertisements.

She embraced her love for art her freshman year of high school after taking an art class. It was at this time that she realized her specialty was painting portraitures.

She comes from a small family, which is half Caucasian and half Japanese. While Marshall does not fluently speak Japanese, she is trying to embrace her culture in every way she can.

In addition to her College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office internship, she works for Sushi Tsu. Her past employers include Sweetbay Supermarket and Busch Gardens.

When Marshall is not doing academic-related things, she likes to craft, drink tea, and collect mugs, teapots and decorative ceramics.

 

Entry No. 7 | Jan. 24, 2013

Carrie Murawski is a student at the University of South Florida studying communication and sociology where she is a social media intern at the College of Arts and Sciences. After she graduates in the fall of 2013, her career goal is to obtain her Ph.D. in communication studies where she wants to do research on popular culture and media studies while teaching at a research university.

Her interest in social media goes beyond her internship or simple wonder. She finds social media fascinating and loves the theory behind it. She wants to research what it is doing in society and how it is an important source of communication between people since it is so widespread and used on a daily basis. Murawski is applying for the Department of Communication undergraduate honors program at USF where she will be well on her way to her Ph.D.

Murawski, a native of St. Petersburg, Florida, likes the USF Tampa campus because it is close to her family, which includes her parents, two older sisters, and her two baby nieces. When Murawski  is not in school or interning, she likes to dance and choreograph, listen to Kanye West, experience new things and spend time with her family.

 

 

Entry No. 6 | Jan. 23, 2013

Sami Merthe is a senior majoring in mass communications with a focus on telecommunication production. She has been an intern with the College of Arts and Sciences since August 2012, and has returned for a second semester as a broadcast intern.

Through watching her uncle edit promo commercials for Disney Channel, Merthe found an interest in broadcasting and the entertainment industry, and aspires to follow in her uncle’s footsteps. Post-graduation, Merthe hopes to get a local job at a news or television station, and work her way up to becoming a producer, director or editing films.

When she’s not busy working in the intern office, Merthe spends her free time hanging out with friends, exploring and traveling. She also is working in the marketing department for a modeling and acting school on weekends, which fills her weekends with travel.

 

 

Entry No. 5 | Jan. 22, 2013

Heather Mooren is currently serving her fourth consecutive semester as a public relations and marketing intern. A St. Petersburg native, she hopes to one day do marketing or public relations work in the tourism and hospitality field.

She is studying marketing and mass communications with a focus in public relations. She first heard about the internship opportunity when she blogged for the College’s freshman website during her freshman year. Since then, she has worked on a many different projects including: press releases, content for social media pages and the freshman website, and even throwing a birthday party for Rafters the USF Botanical Gardens cat. However, her favorite project was working on the Gardens’ wedding brochure with a fellow intern. Although it proved to be a big time investment, she said the rewarding feeling she got once it was finished made it well worth the effort.

As for her internship experience so far, she said, “I like how we do not have to be perfect at everything. We are able to use our skills we have on our assignments and learn more while we are here. There is always something to do to make sure we get the best experience while here.”

 

Entry No. 4 | Jan. 18, 2013

Liz Engasser is finishing up her first year at the University of South Florida. At only 18 years old, she is already considered to be a junior in her degree track because of dual enrollment in high school. She is studying magazine journalism in hopes of becoming a writer for a newspaper, magazine or an online publication. She believes the media is necessary to hold people accountable and to inform the public about what is going on around them, and she wishes to be a part of that.

Engasser has always been interested in magazine journalism ever since high school. She was part of the yearbook staff and became editor-in-chief her senior year. 

Engasser, a Provost’s Scholar, chose to attend USF because of the diversity and the amount of programs that are available to its students. She said the university tries to accommodate students and help them achieve their goals. She is already very involved on campus. When she arrived at USF, she started writing for the Oracle as a correspondent, where she would write stories about guest lecturers on campus, political watch parties and Election Day. She was then promoted to assistant news editor. Engasser is also a writing intern for the College of Arts and Sciences. While interning, she hopes to broaden her journalistic abilities and learn more about social media, video production and communication.

When she’s not at school, Engasser spends her free time with her friends. She enjoys going shopping, seeing movies and traveling. She loves to relax and take things day by day. A quote that she lives by on difficult days is “You have three options: 1. Give in, 2. Give up, 3. Give it all you’ve got.” This quote inspires her during the tough times she sometimes faces with such a busy schedule.

 

 

Entry No. 3 | Jan. 17, 2013

Alexandra Velasco is a junior at the University of South Florida. She is a double major, studying creative writing and mass communications with a focus in production. She was born in the beautiful city of Kihei, Maui, Hawaii.
        
Velasco decided to attend USF because it was one of her top schools and located not too far from her large, loving family. At USF, Velasco is a member of Phi Sigma Pi, a national co-ed honor fraternity. She is currently a member of the Judicial Board and former Social Chair. She works with the social committee to plan fun events for the Chapter, like holiday parties and formals. Velasco is also a current marketing and communications intern in the Dean's Office for the College of Arts and Sciences. From this internship she is hoping to gain a better understanding of TV production and gain insight from her fellow interns.

Velasco's overall goals are to move to New York and work for a large television production company. She hopes to pursue her interests in writing, production, producing, directing and maybe even acting. She is inspired by Tina Fey. However, her biggest inspirations are her parents.

"I want to be able to do well enough to give back to them,” Velasco said. “They have sacrificed so much for me to be able to go to college and study abroad, and I don't want them to work ever again so long as I'm living out my career."

 

Entry No. 2 | Jan. 16, 2013

During the next several days, you'll get to meet our fabulous interns. The interns were paired up and assigned to write a short biography on each other. This process allowed them to get to know each other better, and work on their interview and writing skills.

-Michele

 

 

 

 

Entry No. 1 | Jan. 15, 2013

Welcome to the Dean's Office Interns' Blog! We hope this will give you a behind-the-scenes look at what all goes on in the College of Arts and Sciences.

I started this internship program two years ago, and it is a great opportunity for our students to gain hands-on experience in public relations, writing, social media, marketing, broadcast journalism and communications. We work in a very collaborative environment and have a lot of fun!

This spring we have 14 talented interns from a variety of majors -- mass communications (PR, broadcast and advertising), communication, accounting, studio art and English. This blog will be a chance for you to get to know them and see all of the great assignments they are working on.

If you're on Instagram please follow us @USFCollege. We will be launching a really cool Instagram contest at the end of February that you won't want to miss!

Michele
Communications and Marketing Director
USF College of Arts and Sciences

P.S. -- We'll be recruiting interns later this semester for Summer and Fall 2013. Be sure to like our Facebook page to find out when we're recruiting new team members.