Rachael’s Blog

I love technology.

Since I have my first research paper of the semester due in a few weeks, I’ve spent quite a bit of time on the computer lately. This has given me a renewed appreciation for computers and for the Internet. To think that people used to have to actually *go* to the library. Ha.

In my research on the Internet, I’ve encountered several invaluable book resources with their full-text online. The most exciting discovery yet is a compilation of many of John Donne’s prose and poetry works at The Literature Network. Even better is that all the texts can be searched simultaneously.

In all honesty, I have visited the library on several occasions throughout the course of this paper. And I have found half a dozen wonderful books that pertain to my paper topic but that cannot be found online. Still, I wonder if we’ll ever stop printing books in favor of distributing them through the Internet instead.

That’s a dismal thought to me, and I hope it doesn’t happen. There’s no substitute for having a real, tangible book to carry in one’s purse. Or to take outdoors on warm, summer days. Or to have while on the couch as a storm rages outdoors. I can’t imagine reading a brightly lit computer screen in bed before falling asleep for the night. It just wouldn’t be the same.

Three months after my initial entry, I finally resurface. Sorry, Rick; I suppose I fail at blogging.

Classes, work, and clubs are all going well, for the most part. The one class that necessitates the addition of a proviso is Capstone Seminar. It claims to be the “culmination of the soon-graduating students’ education in communication,” but it provides more confusion than anything else. I have several problems with Capstone, but I won’t allow myself to rant about them all. Currently, the most infuriating aspect of the class is having to present a creative pitch.

For those who are unaware, a creative pitch works something like this:
Sally’s Fruit Stand decides they want to develop a new advertising campaign. They ask several different advertising agencies to present a creative pitch. So, each advertising agency spends time and creative energy coming up with ideas of how to market Sally’s Fruit Stand. Each agency presents their ideas (i.e., their creative pitch) to the executives of Sally’s Fruit Stand who then choose one agency to work with. Sally’s Fruit Stand is happy with their choice ad agency, and the chosen ad agency is delighted that they gained a new client.

But, what about the ad agencies that weren’t chosen? They worked hard on a campaign, and they weren’t paid for their time and efforts. They get nothing.

This is the situation in which I find myself. In Capstone, the professor dived us students into four groups. Each group is required to come up with a creative pitch for our one client, but only one group’s campaign will be chosen. I hate spending so much time creating a logo, slogan, design, PSA, billboard, etc for a company that might not even choose my work. If my group’s idea isn’t chosen, then I used all that time for nothing.

Well, not necessarily for nothing. In the land of college, I still get a grade on the work that I completed even if my ideas aren’t chosen. Move this to the real world, though, and I’m out of luck. I put in a lot of work and get nothing.

I researched different opinions about creative pitches, and I find that many agencies agree with me. It stinks for us (the ad agencies), but it works very well for Sally’s Fruit Stand.

I found two interesting articles that explain my side of the creative pitch:
“Life’s a pitch . . . and then you don’t even get the contract” and“Why no one wins creative pitches”

Now, I would write more on this subject, but I need to study for midterms . . . and to finish working on my group’s creative pitch.

Yay, I have a blog! Thanks, Rick.

Well, I’m Rachael. I’ve been an intern at ARC Design since May, and it’s been swell. I share a cube with Amanda, who is teaching me about copywriting. I’ve also had the opportunity to do some video work, which I absolutely love (editing is my favorite!).

How did I get to be an intern? Well, if we rewind back to January of this year, we find Amanda and myself in Digital Video Production class together. After class one day, I professed my hunger and Amanda invited me over to her apartment to eat. While I was still there, Jessica came in; she and Amanda started talking about work, and that’s when I was made aware of ARC Design. Fast forward a little to May, and I’m sitting at my house baking cookies for my mom’s friend. Amanda calls and says, “Hey, want to be an intern for ARC?” I jumped at the chance and started working there the next day.

I’m usually only at ARC two days a week because I have another job. I also work at Campbell University as a sort of secretarial assistant. I’m currently a student at Campbell working on a double major in English and in Mass Communication. This is my final year of college (a fact that both excites and intimidates me). I’m very much looking forward to the next school year, though. In addition to continuing in my classes and continuing to work at ARC Design, I will be working as Editor of the Lyricist (Campbell’s literary magazine) and Secretary/Treasurer for Circle K (a community service club), as well as working on “Up the Creek” (Campbell’s student-run news show). It looks to be a busy year!

On a more current note, I’m going to see Harry Potter tonight and am absolutely stoked . . . !