Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone,

Merry Christmas! In a time of such volatility, rush and hostility may your Christmas season be capped with memories and time with family and friends. From me, the Ambassadors, RA's and the rest of the Mercyhurst family, again, Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading,
Joe

The IAAPA Report

Hello everyone,

I've hyped it for weeks and now it's finally here, the IAAPA Report. To give you some back story, as a communication major Mercyhurst prepares us with some many tools and skills, but it leaves you free to apply those tools and skills to what ever subject or interest you want. There are thousands of communication majors who graduate ever year, but how many of them have a concentration in amusement parks? That's what I was thinking too.

IAAPA is the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions and acts as the trade organization that pulls all aspects of amusement parks, theme parks, waterparks, family entertainment centers, zoos, aquariums, casinos and museums together. Every year the association holds three expos, the Asian Attractions Expo, the European Attractions Expo and the Attractions Expo held in the U.S. This is the largest expo with 25,000 attendees, nine miles of show floor aisles and more than $47 million in economic stimulus to the Orlando area. It is the largest convention held in Orlando, which has one of the largest convention centers in the world.

I have had the pleasure for the last two years of attending the Attractions Expo in Orlando, Fl. as a Show Ambassador. The job of the Show Ambassadors is to assist in the execution of the show. Of the 2,000 applicant, only 25 were selected. For eight days the ambassadors volunteer more than 100 hours of service and have the time of their life, which completely doesn't make sense.

This year I had the tremendous opportunity to assist in the public relations execution of the show, particularly in the form of social media. My buddy Samantha and I spent the week covering the expo on twitter by sending hundreds of tweets and gaining more than 700 followers in that one week alone. I got to see almost every aspect of the show and interacted with media from Orlando and around the world as they rushed to get all the excitement of another IAAPA Attractions Expo. 

IAAPA is a very sentimental and emotional thing for me. People ask me about IAAPA and immediately I am filled with a sense of emotion. The people, the subject matter and the learning that occurs is simply overpowering. I encourage you all to look for a passion and stick with it. Because of my lack of ability to fully express my feels for IAAPA, I leave you now with my picture showcase.

Amusement park visits:

 The show floor:

 The Show Ambassadors:

Another year of learning, fun and exhaustion in the books. It was an amazing experience and I am bless to have had it.

Thanks for reading,
Joe

The Sprint

Hello everyone,

I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving festivities and are well on your way to enjoying the holidays. This is an extremely busy time of year for all of us at Mercyhurst becuase not only are we just starting a new term, but we are also celebrating the holidays with events such as Breakfast with Santa, Chrisgiving and parties alike. However, next year will be a little different as students will be just about to have finals as we are switching from trimesters to semesters, but we're excited to see how the changes work out. There is always something going on around here!

I'm sorry that I have been so distant in the last couple weeks, but I assure you that I have many great updates coming soon, including a great trip report on my adventures in Florida at the IAAPA Attractions Expo. Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading,
Joe

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving! There is so much to be thankful for in 2012 and much to look forward to in 2013. Much has been learned and experienced and I would be remiss if I didn't take time to acknowledge these things on such a day.

First, my experiences at Six Flags Great America with Katy Enrique, Lisa Scheuring and the gang were absolutely spectacular and were made a reality by Cassie and Brent Bertke who taught me so

much generosity and opened their home to me in ways I could have never imagined.

I have had the pleasure to foster friendships that will never be forgotten and while there are many people to name, my heart falls towards the unwavering support of Andrew Felice, Alexandra Kleckner and Katie Jeffries.

I am so grateful for the decision to go to Mercyhurst and even watch it transform into a university. There are many school people who have helped me along the way, but none more so than my Mercyhurst Professor Meghan Corbin. Thank you for continuing to push me and make me a better student and person.

I have had the opportunity of witnessing the addition of three new cousins to the fold, Lauren Winarski, Danielle Sculley and Robyn Drake Reynolds, and there is no greater family to join, though I may be biased.

I am also so very grateful for my IAAPA family. While this may be one of the newest experiences in my arsenal, IAAPA and the Show Ambassadors mean so much to me and my future. To Linda Gerson, Sarai Henning, Matt Heller, Shaun McKeogh and my fellow ambassadors, thank you. It has been a pleasure meeting and re-meeting you all, particularly the relationships of Sam Dawson, Laura Shackleton and Jordan Barner.

To my immediate family: Dad, Mom, Julie, Dan and BreAnne... thank you for another spectacular year.

And last but not least, Alaina, I feel like "Ain't no mountain wide enough" doesn't even begin to explain our perseverance, but I know we are doing what is right and that June will be here sooner than we can imagine. Thank you for your faith in me and in us.

I hope you all have a splendid Thanksgiving. 

Thanks for reading, 

Joe

The End is Here

Hello everyone,

Happy November! You probably don't find November to be as welcoming as I, but chin up, there is lots of turkey in your future. As for me, I am four days away from finishing fall classes (for the last time ever), going to IAAPA and leaving my long time job at the Barber Center. Geesh, hold on. I'm getting to details. :-)

Fall Classes

Four days right? Yep! I have been working hard all term to be ready to finish my classes early. Due to my exciting trip to IAAPA and the awesome learning experiences it affords, my professors have been working with me to schedule all of my assignments early. By Friday I will have turned in three papers and completed two exams. I love my classes, but all good things must come to an end. There is no journey without the footprints in the ground behind you.

IAAPA

So, you must be board of IAAPA by now, but I'm sorry I wouldn't be me if I didn't remind you, again, that I will be in Orlando in FOUR days! Ahhhhh, so excited. Rides, games, food, friends, networking, guest service, social media and much much more! This is why I'm a communication major. They give you the tools and you can take a passion, say amusement parks, run with it and be successful. The only thing that stands between you and your dreams is you.

Barber Center

As my bio says, I have been working for Barber Center throughout my college career, but this week that all comes to an end. I am sad to leave such an organization, however it is time to move on. I have done many great things and met many great people, and now I'm off to start all over again. My exciting news is that I was hired as an intern at the Erie County Convention Center Authority.  The authority runs the arena (Erie Insurance Group Arena), ball park (Jerry Uht Park), historic theater (Warner Theater) and convention center (Erie Country Convention Center), including their more than 800 events a year. These are the four largest venues in Erie and I will have the opportunity to work, learn and contribute to all of them. I begin work here after Thanksgiving. 

Overall, life is amazing and I don't know where time goes, but I don't regret a second of my time here. This will be my last post of the term and I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving. Relax and enjoy your family. Don't dwell on the negatives, rather fill yourself with turkey and appreciate everything there is to enjoy about life. We all too often get consumed in the negative. Until then, anticipate a large update from IAAPA.

Thanks for reading,
Joe

All in one week!

Hello everyone,

This post leaves me with two weeks left of the term. I am excited to report that this also means I only have two weeks left until IAAPA. I am SO excited and that's nearly an understatement.

This week we hit an amazing milestone in our campaign to host the 2013 Frozen Putt-A-Thon. I present to you www.frozenputt.com, the official website of the Frozen Putt-A-Thon. This will be the central link to all of our advertising and promotions. This will truly legitimize the event and allow us to pull in a much larger audience.

This week I am excited to report that I have an interview with the Erie County Convention Center Authority (ECCCA). I am interested in gaining some additional event facility management experience, so I am trying to get an internship that may turn into a job.

Finally, this week is also a networking event for the Northwest PA Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. I'm not sure if I told you, however as the president of the Mercyhurst PRSSA chapter, I have been asked to sit on the local PRSA board and represent my chapter and bring a young perspective. On Thursday, PRSA is hosting a networking event for professionals at the U Pick Six Taphouse downtown in Erie. I'm very excited to do some networking in my local community.

Have a great week! Have a great Halloween!

Thanks for reading,
Joe 

Beyond the classroom

Hello everyone,

I hope you've had a good week. As always, time flies when you're having fun and it's unbelievable that we are already the majority of the way through October. Senior year has mixed emotions. I am in a place that I love dearly, living in this safe community, all the while longing for the next step and the real world. I can not deny that I enjoy being a student and having the opportunity to learn, but at some point you just want to put your knowledge to work and prove you can be successful.

Over my years at Mercyhurst, there may be nothing I am more obsessed and dedicated to than my extracurricular activities. My involvement as a student ambassador, resident assistant, presidency of both National Broadcasting Society and Public Relations Student Society of America, among being a lector and Eucharistic minister, have really solidified this place as my home. However, beyond being a place of comfort, these things have allowed me to grow as a person and a professional.

Thus far this year, my baby or pet project is the Mercyhurst Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). We are a relatively young organization, just beginning our fourth year, but a larger issue is that we don't have any traditions. Being so young, we haven't stuck to any projects and every year is like re-inventing the wheel, which is what I'm working on this year. We decided for forgo the national conference in San Francisco, a difficult thing to do, but it has made a much larger focus on creating a community here and building that much need foundation.

This year, PRSSA is heavily focusing on the Frozen Putt-A-Thon, a winter fest like event that transforms a summer attraction into a winter haven. We have partnered with Harbor View Miniature Golf where we will dig out the course from snow and completely makeover the place. This is not only a fundraiser for the organization, but a wonderful opportunity to take on that practical learning experience. I know that I have told you all of this before, however now we are deeply inside the planning process and I will have many things to present to you in the upcoming weeks about this unique event and everything we are doing to prepare of it. In the meantime, save January 26, 2013 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. to come to the event. You can plan a 10 a.m. campus tour by calling 814-824-2000 and then come on down to the event.

Have a great week!
Joe

November's Coming

Hello everyone,

If you've been following me for a while, you probably remember me mentioning IAAPA. IAAPA stands for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. So you ask yourself, why would Joe be excited for this IAAPA thing? Well, because in November I get to travel to Orlando for the 2012 IAAPA Attractions Expo. This is the business expo for everyone who is involved in the amusement park industry and I am proud to once again represent IAAPA as a show ambassador as I continue to learn and network in this industry. 

Working in the amusement park industry is a dream to me and IAAPA represents that dream coming true. There is a large sense of accomplishment that accompanies being accepted into this program, particularly even for the second time. Out of hundreds of applicants, my risks have paid off and have gotten me noticed. Spending my last two summers in Williamsburg and Chicago respectively, were two of the most difficult decisions that I have ever had to make, but by not taking the easy way I feel like I have been rewarded. 

The IAAPA Attractions Expo provides me the opportunity to learn amongst industry professionals, attend education sessions on various industry topics and most of all the opportunity to gain event execution experience. This year the IAAPA ambassador team has asked me to take part in regulating and providing content to the IAAPA social media sites, including both Facebook and Twitter pages. This is just an additional opportunity for me to take more out of this experience. 

Everything in life here at Mercyhurst continues to point toward my career, and my education here, combined with the guidance provided by my professors, gives me a real advantage. I am proud of my education and where I have come from. Now November 9 just can't come soon enough. 

Thanks for reading, 

Joe

We Make Our Success

Hello everyone,

Today is officially the last day of Fall Break here at Mercyhurst University. We have enjoyed an incredible long weekend, getting off Thursday, Friday and Monday in honor of our very last mid-term fall break as we move to semesters next year. This break would have been much nicer and more productive if I hadn't gotten Walking Pneumonia. It doesn't exactly make for the most fun of times, but better than amidst a busy week I guess.

Stacy and I talk with Matthew Cummings, Director of Communication for the School District of the City of Erie.

Prior to both break and sickness, my long awaited "Speed Networking" event took place on Wednesday afternoon. You may remember, after weeks of planning we had to change the date and rescheduled it to Wednesday. The reality of life it seems is that we (students) learn best by making mistakes. It seems that everything that could go wrong did, but not for lack of good reason and without a fairly decent outcome. Again, things to learn from.

Jenna and Charlie talk with Boo Hagerty, VP of UPMC Health Plan

The event ended up being a huge success. We welcomed seven area professionals from numerous backgrounds and concentration, and provided the networking opportunity to 15 students. More than that is how this event is a stepping point for my organization. It is really important to not continuously be planning and to occasionally execute a plan. This is one of those cases and now a basis to improve.

A special thank you to Lauren Smith, PRSSA VP of Professional Relations, for owning this event and making it a reality.  

Thanks for reading,
Joe

Stacy listens to Mike Smiley, VP of PAPA Advertising

Leann talks with Laura Schaff, Assistant Mayor City of Erie

Define fun?

Hello everyone,

Happy October! It turns out that falls is here. The cool breeze has rapidly entered Erie, PA, but that's not for a lack of excitement on campus. Now I enjoy a night out, game of frisbee or a trip to an amusement park just as much as the next guy (or perhaps more), however these are not the only things that I define as fun.

Fun has an interesting new meaning to me. It is fun to determine who you want to be in college. Three years ago, I decided that I was going to dedicate myself to my major. Communication has been a gift and a half for me and it only keeps on giving. I had the opportunity to join the rowing team and continue what I had started in high school, but my decision has brought me irreplaceable practical knowledge and experience.

Last week as the Comm. Dept intern I began what we are calling the "COMMunity Bulletin." This is a weekly newsletter that informs the department of all of its happenings and presents students with future opportunities. To see the newsletter, click the link here. 

This week, as I have told you in the past, PRSSA is hosting our first large networking event entitled, "Speed Networking." Say tuned until next week when I tell you what happened, present pictures and tell you if we'll ever try this again.

Thanks for reading.
Joe

School Year 2012-13

Hello everyone,

I wanted to take a second and explain why I do this whole blogging thing. I have been writing this blog for more than two years. It has been an incredible experience for me to be able to tell you about what life is like around these parts. Ultimately, I don't want to convince you to come to this school, even though I love it, I would rather re-affirm your feelings about Mercyhurst and help ensure that you are making the right choice. Therefore, I encourage all of you to please contact me if you have any questions and to read our other student blogger pages, which can be found here.

As for life, it's only September, but it feels like November! I am so excited to be the President for the Mercyhurst Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. We have about 15 active members, most in club history, and are off to a great and productive start.

Already, we have the plans in place to host a Speed Networking event, which is the equivalent to speed dating, but with professionals. We have nine committed professionals from advertising, marketing, public relations, journalism and broadcasting. I'll post pictures after we host the event, but I am REALLY excited!

You may remember from last year, but we are also again working on the "Frozen Putt-A-Thon." This is where we dig out a miniature golf course in the middle of winter and create a winter fest like event. We started planning this past week, so I'm already really excited for January.

That's all I got for now.

Thanks for reading!
Joe

Welcome back!

Hello everyone!

I know you have been waiting on edge, so I am so sorry to have kept you waiting! Another year is off and running at Mercyhurst University, and I have wasted no time getting right back into it (cough cough... busy).

This year we have welcomed in the Class of 2016, one of the largest classes in school history, along with the introduction of the new Center for Academic Engagement and a completely renovated Student Union.

As for me, I am currently working very hard as the president of the Mercyhurst Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America and the Mercyhurst Chapter of the National Broadcasting Society. Both completely different organizations, but very near and dear to my heart.

If you are still following me from last year, hopefully you are now at Mercyhurst or are a year out and still excited to come to Mercyhurst. For anyone new, welcome to my blog. I try my best to give you a piece of what Mercyhurst University is like from a student prospective, but more specifically, as a Communication student. Keep checking back for more details!

Thanks for reading!
Joe

Six Flags Great America

Welcome to SIX FLAGS Great America! Almost didn't recognize me, huh? DON'T WORRY! It's still me.

Hello everyone,

I hope your summer has been awesome! I am getting settled in here in Northeastern Illinois as the Marketing Intern at Six Flags Great America. The summer has already been an awesome ride and it has only been two and a half weeks.

Essentially, it is my job to help ensure that the public knows and is enticed to come to the park. I have had the opportunity to work with newspapers, television and radio stations, to get our message out about all the great things in the park. We also deal with a significant amount of in park promotions, which includes the majority of the signage.

This summer is just beginning, but I can only foresee great things in the future.

Please enjoy some of the pictures of the park and the POV of our new roller coaster, X-FLIGHT, that I have posted below.

Have a SIX FLAGS DAY!

Thanks for reading,
Joe

 

Final Junior Post

Hello everyone,

I fell into my old hole of not posting. This term has been very work-heavy at the end of the term, meaning everything has been due in the last week or so. There have been SO many wonderful things going on around campus during the last few weeks. Everything from our Relay for Life, which raised $25,000, Spring Fest, which welcomed Sean Kingston, and we are currently in Comm. Week in the Communication Department.

 As I'm sure you've realized if you have been following me, roller coasters and amusement parks are obviously my thing, so my buddy and I skipped off campus last weekend to travel to New Jersey to Six Flags Great Adventure, and stopped at Knoebels on our way home in central Pennsylvania. It was enjoyable to stop at a big corporate park and then relax in the atmosphere of the traditional family park of Knoebels. Enjoy some pictures of the roller coasters below.

(keep reading below)

Kingda Ka & El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure

Superman: Ultimate Flight & Green Lantern (Chang) at Six Flags Great Adventure

Twister at Knoebels

Phoenix at Knoebels

This has been an amazing year for me. I have learned a lot and had so many incredible experiences here at the Hurst. I honestly cannot believe it's time to post this message already. It is a pleasure to maintain this blog and document my story here. While this is my last post from school, check-in periodically throughout the summer and I will be posting about my adventures at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL.

Good luck with all of your decisions and final exams!

God bless,
Joe

LakerTV - Electronic Media Production

Hello everyone,

I am very excited to present the extra footage on LakerTV from the Major Day video. This footage is from the Electronic Media Production class, taught by Assistant Professor Dennis Lebec. The students were working in groups to create product commercials. Enjoy!

More videos to come.

Thanks for reading,
Joe

TOMS - One Day Without Shoes

Hello everyone,

I mentioned a week ago that Mercyhurst participated in the annual TOMS "One Day Without Shoes." During that day, we did a Freeze Mob, organizing over 40 people to freeze in place for 10 minutes. I froze during that time, but recorded my view for the entire 10 minutes. Below I have embedded the video that I took, along with a brief interview from TOMS President, Adrianne LaGruth.

Thanks for reading,
Joe

Andy Grammer, Jack's Mannequin & The Fray

Hello everyone,

What do all these bands have in common? They all played in Erie LAST NIGHT! What an awesome concert! I think every year Erie gets more and more musical talent. It's just exciting!

This week are remembering a 21 year old Gannon student who fell out of a window over the weekend and passed away. The Fray made a touching dedication, moment of silence and tribute to him at the concert last night.While in poor quality, I've embedded the video below.

These pictures are of Andy Grammer, Jack's Mannequin and The Fray, in that order.

Thanks for reading,
Joe

Erie Zoo Project

Hello everyone,

My strategic communication group is conducting research of the Erie Zoological Society. If you have a moment, please take our survey, which can be found here.

For strategic communication, each group is given a client. We are doing research to understand the who, what, when, where and why's of consumer's buying habits of memberships. This will lead to a larger campaign, which the zoo can take and actually implement. 

Thank you for your help,
Joe

Happy Easter!

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to relay my belated Easter wishes. I hope everyone enjoyed some good family time with great food. As my Easter present, I now present to you the Comm. Department video that was presented during Major Day two weeks ago. I have started putting together the spare footage, but that may take me some time. I'll get it to you soon. In the meantime, here is the video!

Thanks for reading,
Joe

Mercyhurst Celebrates Autism Awareness Day

Hello everyone,

Yesterday was Autism Awareness Day and Mercyhurst celebrated in it's own way. See the full explanation here.

Thanks for reading,
Joe

End of Mercy Month / Major Day Weekend

Hello everyone,

This weekend was many things, the end of Mercy Month AND Major Day weekend, the accumulation of both leaves a great sigh of relief.

Mercy Month celebrates the heritage of the Sisters of Mercy, our founding order, and everything that they still do today. During March, I had an opportunity to visit the sisters at the motherhouse, located on the South side of campus, and hear all of their stories and see their traditions. Below is a picture of our Ambassador group that went and visited and the three sisters that gave us the wonderful tour. It's nice to return to your origins, it makes you appreciate the present.

Also this weekend was Major Day and the Laker Live-In. If you were able to make it, GREAT! I hope everything went well. If you have any additional questions, please let me know. If you didn't make, no problem. You still have time, in fact I have a tour in an hour.

I personally spent a lot of time in the last week preparing for this event, which was presented during the Walker School of Business presentation with the Communication Department video. If you didn't make it, stop back in a few days and I'll get it posted up here once it goes up on YouTube. Also, as promised, I will be throwing up all of my additional footage for your viewing pleasure.

Have a great week!

Thanks for reading,
Joe 

Comm. Students Making Waves

Hello everyone,

Communication students have been making tons of headlines this week. First, Matt Teleha for his national award from the National Broadcasting Society, which can be read here and the video seen below, as well as Alicia Cagle who was named a Newman Civic Fellow for her dedication to service, which can be seen here.

Congrats to both Matt and Alicia on a job well done!

Thanks for reading,
Joe

New York, NY

Hello everyone,

I am back at Mercyhurst and now hustling to get caught up with all of my classes, but who can complain after a week in New York City. While I have attached plenty of pictures below, I just want to explain the convention and give you a bit of play-by-play.

Essentially, this past weekend we took eight people to New York City for the 70th annual National Broadcasting Society Convention. This is a four day event that includes speakers, networking, site seeing and slew of other things. Wednesday night was the keynote speaker, which included two speakers, one which worked for MTV / Viacom and the other is an anchor on the MLB channel. Thursday and Friday were left open for facility tours and site seeing.

On Thursday, we got to go to the World Trade Center Memorial, Chinatown, Little Italy, the Strand Bookstore, Central Park and Time Square. We had dinner at Tony's right off of Time Square, enjoyed Toys R Us and did the Cupid Shuffle in the M&M store, though luckily, I don't think anyone got a picture of that. Friday included the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, along with a bakery called, "Babycakes" (Don't ask, just Google it).

Throughout the week I attended business meetings, which included the organizational business of maintaining a non-profit organization. Saturday morning we voted on the new board members and attended sessions on positioning, social media, young professionals and leadership. Every year I go to these things and I always take some resounding message back from them, which this year is the theme of video. While I've made the promise of videos in the past, I've let things get in the way of that, but not anymore. It is all of your jobs to keep me working on that. :-)

Please check out the pictures below, and thanks for reading!

Joe