Black, White, and Read all-over

The newspaper is now conveniently crossing different media.

Sure I read the newspaper before…for the comics. Sure the newspaper was resourceful for me…for a wicked fire. The abuse those poor pages went through. Tisk tisk I was so young and so naive.

I now realize the newspaper, electronic and print, is a huge resource for me as a student. I am not talking about just The Winnipeg Free Press or just The Winnipeg Sun… I’m talking about both plus more.

The news is everywhere so grab The Winnipeg Free Press, The Winnipeg Sun, The Metro, The Uniter, and The Projector. Download The CNN, CBC, The Globe and Mail, and The New York Times apps. And if that isn’t enough, follow them all on Twitter. I hope you have an unlimited data plan cause the news is minute to minute every day.

I have now loaded up my iPhone with multiple news source apps. What is the use of having a smartphone if you don’t use it to highlight the “smart” in its name?

Keeping yourself informed about the world is not only beneficial in this program but it makes you look at the world differently. There is no downside when you educate yourself on your surroundings. Your opinions grow and you become less naive. You will see that the way you read will change; The way you write will change; The way you have conversations will change.

The news is more than just who broke up with who. It is who is about to declare war on who. Your primary news source needs to change to your primary news sources. To get a better view of the world you need to see it (or in this case read it) in different ways. Use the newspaper, electronic or print, as a routine resource that involves more than just reading the comics and starting fires.

Tip 4: Be a Keener !

In grade school being called a keener was like wearing a scarlet letter. Everyone looked at you like you had no life and the “cool crowd” maybe even made fun of you a little for taking school “too seriously”…or maybe that was just my school. Thankfully in CreComm it is a little different. These are my people.

Here everyone is a perfectionist. Everyone wants to, and needs to, hand in their best work.  If not now, at some point every CreCommer is a keener in someway.

Being a keener is an advantage because it gives you time to think your assignments through. It also helps you to not just avoid those automatic fails but it helps you avoid added stress.

—> Ps: Future students be warned automatic fails are actually a thing. <—

Deadlines become even more scary when you have stress added to them. Be a keener to stay a float in the sea of projects and assignments.

You were just given an assignment that is due in a few weeks: start it that night. My theory is chip away at that work load one day at a time. Never go a day without doing something related to school. Yes, it seems lame. Yes, you may not have the best social life. But realize, you are only in this program for 2 years. I promise your friends will be there at the finish line to greet you.

So don’t worry about the stigma of being a keener. Wear it with pride. Own the title. I know I am.

When opportunity knocks…

You know what they say, “When opportunity knocks the least you can do is answer the door.” If I haven’t made it clear enough I’ll say it again: when you are in Creative Communications a lot is thrown your way. So, I wasn’t completely surprised when in the second week of school Dan Vadeboncoeur came strolling into our last class on Friday. He explained to us that he is giving the first year CreCommers the chance to do some extracurricular volunteering. Dan is one of the radio instructors in the Creative Communications program, so it was only natural for the opportunity he held before us to be centred around the new online campus radio station.

Now before I continue I’ll give a brief background about Red River College and the history of its radio station. Before this school year, Red River College had a radio station which was called KICK FM. Everyone could turn their dials to 92.9 FM and tune into a variety of indie alternative music, as well as hear some fresh on-air talent. It was a chance to teach up-in-coming radio personality hopefuls the ropes (or more fittingly the cords) of radio. However, with the new school year came a new challenge. KICK FM turned its on-air broadcast into an online project. Now the same radio station that was over the air waves is now streaming live on radio.rrc.ca.

Fast forward to our last class on Friday…

Dan explained about thae opportunity he held before us. If we chose to accept the challenge we could be responsible either reporting news or sports to the listeners or we could have our own three hour segment. Opportunity was knocking at our door and a good handful of us welcomed it with open arms.

This is my third tip to CreCommers: accept opportunities as they come to you.

It may seem scary at first but jumping into the unknown can be a great way to experience something new. God knows I knew nothing about radio, but I saw an opportunity and I accepted the challenge. I am thankful I did because I learnt that I actually really enjoy radio. You’ll never know until you try right.

Opportunities knock once so answer the door because they are a great way to grow. When you accept an opportunity it shows initiative. Even if you are hesitant just tell yourself this, “To get somewhere you have never been you have to do something you have never done.” f that doesn’t help you can also think, “This will look great on my resume.” Whatever way works for you just remember to take embrace opportunities that come to you. If you don’t someone else will and then you will be left with the terrible case of the “woulda-coulda-shoulda’s”.

PS: Listen to me every Friday night from 7-10 on Red River Radio streaming live from radio.rrc.ca!

Dodge Dart Official Commercial: How To Change Cars Forever

Dodge Dart Official Commercial | How To Change Cars Forever from Jeffrey Thacker on Vimeo.

Making a ground breaking car sounds a lot like coming up with idea’s for crecomm assignments. This commercial also sounds a lot like crecomm life in general, “Blow off lunch. Blow off dinner. Blow off weekends. Sleep, okay that’s enough sleep”. What I am getting at here is another tip: perseverance! It is a huge deal in anything in life. Keep doing something you believe in even if you have obstacles in your way, or even if it seems impossible. Believe in yourself and believe in your abilities because like Nelson Mandela once said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done”.

Wake up call!

It’s mid-August and you suddenly realize that your breakup with Mr. Golden Sun isn’t going to be so sweet. He has yet to give you a decent tan and it doesn’t help that soon you will be neglecting him for the books. Yup, that’s right Red River College starts a week earlier than you are used to. You will find yourself scrambling to get organized because it’s your first day as a CreCommer at RRC while your friends are off spending their last week going to the beach, updating everyone on how the great their sangria tastes, and adding a few enviable Instagram pictures of the last pool party of the season.

This program is 8 till 4, Monday to Friday, rain, shine, sleet, snow, tornado (well maybe there will be an exception for that) type deal. You heard the rumours and I can vouch that CreComm will slowly take over your life. Before you know it the sun is kissing the horizon hello and goodbye. Time flies by as every minute is accounted for and you will soon find out how much you truly can do in a day before noon.

It’s a weird relationship you will have with time. It can work for or against you in a blink of an eye. One of the first things you will hear in the program is the word ‘deadlines’. Deadlines. Deadlines. Deadlines. It is going to be beaten into you before lunch even starts.

That is why my first survival tip is an alarm. So go blow off the dust from your parents clock radio, set your phone alarm, and even buy yourself a watch because you will learn that the alarm will soon be your best friend. With the amount of things you are told to keep in the back of your mind this technological godsend will keep everything in line. Remember those carefree summer days and summer nights. Soon those images will be a distant memory or a reminiscent dream as reality hits again with the beeping of the next deadline.