Sandy

Holy crap. I haven't written in a month.  Mostly grad school ate my life, then a little lady named Sandy came along and wiped out Long Island. I spent most of last week thrown into helping out at a quickly established shelter for those in need after Superstorm Sandy. About 2 months ago, a student worker in my office asked me to be the club advisor for a club she wanted to start. It was the American Red Cross Club and my reaction was "Sure, if we can get tshirts!" I was 80% kidding, but she got the club approved with shockingly speed and then she started planning things for the semester.

When I accepted the job as moderator, I thought it would mostly be about fundraising and handing out first aid kits. Maybe a blood drive, every once and a while. Then this crazy huge storm came through, devastating homes and changing the landscape of many areas of NYC and LI. So I donated money to the Red Cross and thought I did what I could. Then my college became a temporary shelter and the club president called and asked if I could come down and help them hand things out to people who needed them. This ended being most of my week last week, and we hit a lot more bumps than I expected.

As good as it was to help those in need, we almost had to fight and get constant approval to do it every day. And the kids who were there to help out were frustrated and demoralized. I found myself in a serious adult position. For the first time I had people, less than 10 years younger than me, truly looking to me for answers, guidance, and support. I really hope I helped them and that they don't get discouraged from helping in the future, but I felt that I was making it up as I went along, which I guess is what every adult does. I think we will get more people interested in the club when the other students have seen first hand that natural disasters happen at home, not just in far away places. And if this winter is as bad as they say it is, I think more of these kids should be prepared for little hiccups to big disasters. I think there is a lot of red tape when working with an organization as big as the Red Cross, but much of it is there for a reason. I have seen a lot of good work that these volunteers do and had people thank us for our generosity. I hope that I learn to be a little less selfish from this and maybe figure out how to be an adult that helps some of these kids stay on this course of good deeds and helping their fellow man.

Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Social Media and me!

Today was a special day for me. It was one of those rare moments in my professional life where my heart and head swelled up just because some people think I am good at what I do. The other day I was approached by my boss about the new Journalism and New Media major we will be starting Fall 2013. I am the department liaison with English and close with the current department chair, so she wanted me to learn more about the program to share with the counselors. Then she mentioned that JP (the chair of the department) was singing my praises and was interested in having me teach a Social Media class. She said she was ok with the idea and wanted to let me know before I met with her. I got somewhat excited, but didn't let my hopes get too high until I talked to her.

So this afternoon, I went to talk to JP. We talked about the major and the classes she has in mind for it. Then she also mentioned me teaching a class on Social Media. I admitted that I had given it some thought because my boss had mentioned it and decided that it could be covered 3 different ways in relation to Journalism and New Media: Social Media and Writing (how journalists are using it to get their ideas out, find out new ideas, connect with each other, and market themselves), Social Media and Marketing (using SM as a marketing tool), and Social Media and Communication (how SM has changed the way we interact, talk, get ideas across, and think).  She said if it is possible, maybe it could be two classes (I think for my own knowledge, I would stay focused on Marketing and Writing, since those are the areas I know best). After I left, I found myself already planning activities and how would I teach this. I have been researching and utilizing Social Media for 5 years now, and to have two people I respect very highly have the confidence that I could teach a topic about it at the college level basically blows my mind. I don't think they realized what a compliment they gave me by thinking of me and approaching me with this opportunity. Even if for some reason it doesn't work out, it has been a turning point in my life where I realize that I am a professional instead of just working at a job.

I do hope this pans out, I already have some ideas (self reminder: make the midterm to create a Facebook page for a book, movie, or business and have then write a paper explaining why how they would use it and the benefits of each section). I have been saving articles for a  long time, but so much of it is related to SM and higher education. I know I can find plenty more though.

It is really exciting to think that the efforts I have put in to gaining as much knowledge as possible about this area is actually benefiting me this much. So I really hope that in Spring 2014, you can call me Professor Rowe.

My future faculty picture

I was also asked to be a club advisor earlier in September and the club was approved last week. So to add to my work, recruiting, and grad school, I'm now the advisor for the Red Cross Club @ SJC. Less than 2 weeks til our first meeting!

Now the question is, what should the name of my classes be?

GetGlue

So an application/website has finally figured out how to combine my two favorite things: points and television....

View Jacqueline Patrice's check-ins on GetGlue

Now what kind of name is GetGlue?? It's why I didn't join it for a while. The name confused me.

Readdddy... break!

2 year anniversary trip to Niagara Falls this weekend.
Coworker's wedding next weekend.
Lots of recruiting in September and October.
Comic Con October 12-14.
J.K. Rowling October 16.
8 papers due is September and October.

This is going to be a crazy fall!

Doctor Pumpkin Spice

I think I live on a diet of pumpkin spice chai and Doctor Who.

I am having so much fun accepting my nerddom and obsessing over Doctor Who... preferably while drinking pumpkin spice chai from Starbucks.

11

I think I officially have a Lost-level obsession with Doctor Who. My husband and I have been rewatching David Tennant episodes and it is so much fun. I love having new episodes and talking about it with my nerd friends (which seems to be mostly old coworkers from Borders). My favorite is laughing over the Doctor Who Tumblr or things people post on Pinterest. I am lucky enough to nerd out over this stuff with G. The problem is how much I want to distract myself with DW instead of writing papers or reading for school.

It is pretty much fall now which means a couple of things:
pumpkin everything
georgetown burritos
lots and lots of homework and papers
hoodies
christmas shopping
halloween
Comic Con

What I want to wear for Halloween/Comic Con:

11th Doctor!!

Back to the grad school hidey hole

I can already feel my job and grad school work sucking me into the black hole where free time is a laughable thing. I did have a rather nice moment where I found out one of my readings that I need to write a paper on by this weekend was much more manageable than I excepted.  It was a nice buy fleeting moment. If I am good, I will write my synopsis/reaction paper to the reading tomorrow after work... if I am good.

This past weekend was  a nice one, especially since I fit in a lot of things I won't have time to do til Christmas roles around, like breathe and see friends. I went to the beach on Friday, which was a lot of fun and just perfect weather.

Then we came home to find out our pool may not have a permit, according to the town, and somehow no one told us this when we moved in or the 2 and 1/2 years we have lived here. Not a great moment. When we called about what do we need to get a permit, they said it was only $150 but the pool needs to be 5 ft from the property line and have self latching gates around it. Well it's maybe 2 feet at best and those gates are basically for show by now. So we discussed and decided we will have to get it taken down. RIP above ground pool, I hope once you're gone, our property value is raised.

Friday night we drove to NJ to see our friend in Taming of the Shrew in a park.

It was very fun and the drive was quite enjoyable, thanks to Jim Gaffigan and his amazing standup. We are hoping this will also make the drive upstate and then to Niagara and back just as fun, but that is a much, much longer drive.

Saturday, after sleeping in, I went to high tea at the arboretum with my in-laws then walked to see the dahlias they had out for show. Aunt Diana bought each of us a bouquet and I took a couple pictures.

I definitely enjoyed the tea (mmmm strawberry tea).

Later I picked up the hubby and we went to Outback with friends and later that night to see Avengers at the movie theater. It was just as good as I remember.

Sunday I did homework then we spent a fun night with my extended family for a BBQ and to wish my cousin good luck in Afghanistan. I love that kid and will be thinking about him a lot until he is home safe and sound. I really love spending time with my aunts and cousins. It always feels like we can just hang out and joke around and feel comfortable. Plus they make some damn good food. Mmmmm ribs and cake.

Monday was homework day. I am grateful I had the time to spend doing homework and a supportive husband who gets Taco Bell with me and understands homework time, since he is also working on his Master's. He almost didn't get into classes this semester, but at the verrrrry last minute was called with wonderful news that the classes he needs to finish his degree will be offered this semester. This means we will both finish in the spring. Which means parrrrrty or baaaaaaabies, whichever. I would reaaaally like to go to England. Sigh. We even have a place to stay in both London and near Southampton. Just need a flight. Sigh, stupid expensive flights. Graduation gift anyone???