MARIST TWEETUP GRABS THE ATTENTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA GURUS

Contact: COM370 Public Relations

Lowell Thomas Building

Marist College

3399 North Road

Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Contact: Marissa DeAngelis, Public Relations Consultant

E-mail: marissa.deangelis1@marist.edu

April 28, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Community awareness of Marist's superior social media efforts is expanding, as Marist's first TweetUp event appears in multiple online news publications this week.  The TweetUp, which took place on Tuesday, April 19, generated a nearly three hour lively discussion of social media's strong impact on today's society.

The TweetUp has been featured in USA Today Campus Coverage, The Examiner (Westchester, NY), Marist College headlines, The Circle (Marist's student-run newspaper), and Oliver Schmid's TweetUp News.  These publications recognize the innovative methods in which Marist College community members are strengthening their online media presence.

Feature on TweetUp News Site

Though a discussion led by event speakers Tim Massie, Mark Van Dyke, Kent Rinehart, Alyssa Bronander, Luke Shane, and event coordinator Marissa DeAngelis, the nearly three dozen attendees actively contributed their social media knowledge, ideas, and concerns.  The success of the event, and the passionate nature of social media savvy students and staff was recognized by attendee Chris Cornell, Social Media Columnist at The Examiner. 

"To say I was impressed would be a huge understatement," Cornell writes.  "That’s the kind of thinking that is going to insure that Marist will reap big rewards from its [social media] efforts."

Plans are underway for a second TweetUp event to occur in the Fall 2011 semester.  Invitations will be extend to the surrounding Hudson Valley community and Marist Alumni Network.

Marist College Twitter Feed



Suggested Tags: Marist, Twitter, Social Media, TweetUp

Abroad Withdrawals

As strange as it is, yesterday I took the biggest hit of abroad withdrawals that I've felt since I've been back.  I'm not sure what actually triggered it, but the next thing I knew I was drowning in my own tears.

What took me so long?

I know that I've missed it.  I miss it everytime I stare at the walls in my bedroom at Marist that are covered with pictures of every place I laid my eyes upon in Europe.  I miss it everytime I log onto Facebook and look back at my tagged pictures.  I miss it everytime I eat pizza in the U.S. and think about how much I'd rather be eating a pizza from La Grotta di Leo, on Via della Scala 48 (Google Street View), where a portion of my heart will always reside.

But for some reason, it took me four months of living in America again to come to hysterics over it.  I thought I was lucky, as my abroad friends seemed to struggle with adjusting back to their lifestyle in Poughkeepsie more than me.  But now I realize that I'm having just as hard of a time adjusting (re-entry shock they call it); it just took me a little longer to feel the heartache.

And I have a feeling it's going to keep happening.

In my Intercultural Communication class with Cochece Davis, there are a slew of us who went abroad that are constantly able to talk about how much we loved our experiences in a judgment-free zone. 

If you've been abroad, you know what I mean when I say, "judgement-free zone."  Studying abroad is such a unique experience. Those of us who have been find ourselves constantly reminiscing about times of exploration, intruding into others' conversations if they are discussing travel, and throwing out comments that usually start with something like, "well in Italy..." for months and month following your safe arrival home.  And although friends, family, and classmates may be giving you the "stink eye" because they are just plain SICK of you babbling about the most amazing four months of your life, the habit forms and the words continue to flow out of your mouth. So I love being a part of that class, where we collectively work through our withdrawal feelings together.  I couldn't help but smile and laugh when my friend and classmate Katie described how she felt like she was holding play money when she held a $20 bill for the first time in four months.  I knew EXACTLY how she felt.  Who knew I would need a support system for an addiction like traveling or exploring. 

The crying began in a long car ride as I started to picture myself back in Florence, like a movie reel playing over and over again.  The funny thing is, it was the littlest, and even sometimes most annoying things about my Florentine lifestyle that made me blubber even more.  I pictured myself walking up the stairs to my apartment and using that funny-looking key to open my narrow door.  I began to trace my steps to my classes, block by block on the beautiful cobblestone streets.

 I saw myself standing at the counter, sipping on an espresso that I had just paid for with a 1 euro coin, while listening to the Italians order an espresso and chat about their day (or at least I tried to catch on).  I pictured myself in Florence in the sun and in the rain, during the day and at night, in the churches and museums, running, walking, or sitting.

I wished I were back in my room with my roommate Milena, sipping our morning coffee, eating clementines, and trying to stream our favorite American TV show as we'd scream, "CHE COSA FAI!?!?"

I pictured my housemates and I, sitting around our dining room table, a few bottles of wine and a whole lot of laughs deep.

Heck, I even pictured myself in my tiny Italian shower and reaching into the tiny Italian fridge to grab my favorite kind of cheese from the little Italian market, and spreading it on the most delicious bread in the world.  I won't even discuss the movie reel that my mind then created with pictures of various European weekend travels.

Tears were coming down my face at a steady pace when I decided to take a mental stroll around the city.  I was extremely comforted as I realized I still most certainly still know my way around Florence.  I expressed to my family when they came to visit the most beautiful city in the world that my biggest fear is that I would forget the city.  I overcame this fear, as my mind settled at the last picture of my boyfriend and I standing in the middle of the Ponte Vecchio, overlooking the Arno on a beautiful, rainy, perfect night.

And then I started to cry even more at the thought of how ridiculously lucky I am to have had this amazing opportunity.  Most people don't see the things I saw or felt the way I felt in an entire lifetime.  

Tears came to a stop as I realized this is only the beginning; I'll be back in this beautiful place someday. 

Social Media Movement at Marist: TweetUp

After much coordination with many wonderful offices at Marist, a date, time and place have been determined for Marist's very first TweetUp, and it's fast approaching!  It will be on Tuesday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the Student Center Room 349.  I'd like to thank Tim Massie, Jim Urso, Dr. Mark Van Dyke, the Office of Undergraduate Admission, and the School of Communication and the Arts for their help and support over the past few weeks on this unique event.  I encourage all members of the Marist College community to attend join us for an informative, yet casual night of pure social media bliss.  Whether you are at the preliminary stages of social media/Twitter exploration, or you are a "Tweeting/blogging/foursquaring" guru, this event will surely stimulate your excitement about the blooming world of social media.  

So what in the world is a TweetUp?

A TweetUp is a new type of networking event that emerged with the increasing popularity and use of Twitter.  The event provides an opportunity for face-to-face interaction between those who follow similar organizations and discuss alike trends on Twitter.  


As I began to discuss this event through tweets to fellow "Marist tweeters," I was stunned by their interest and enthusiasm towards this project that will cause more Marist students, faculty, and staff to increase their social media use, and therefore experience the benefits of a strong online presence. 

For students like Jim Urso and Abbey Scalia, the networking event triggered them to dig deep.  Abbey wrote a wonderful article about the upcoming event on the MaristMy575 online publication.  This same article was also featured on the FRONT PAGE of our college newspaper, The Circle. As I sat down with her for an interview to discuss the event, I was astonished to hear that after conducting some online research, Abbey told me that she thinks this type of event is "revolutionary" on college campuses; she did not find much news about TweetUps taking place elsewhere in the United States.

COOL! I had no idea I was THAT creative! 


Jim Urso gave me some GREAT ideas on ways to publicize the event, and believes that this may be newsworthy material not only for Marist's The Circle, but also for online college publications like USA Today College, College Media Network, or The Chronicle of Higher Education.  This could go big!  He said that he really liked the programming of the event, because it involves networking between Marist Tweeters while also incorporating an information session with student and professional guest speakers. Jim also thought that the creation of a videoblog post on Marist Office Hours would further enhance my social media message to the Marist online community.  Earlier in the week I sat down with him to shoot a videoblog post! (Coming soon!)

Here's the news release I wrote up for the event.  It's also featured on the School of Communication and the Arts homepage! Check it out!

 Coordinating, hosting, and publicizing for this event are allowing me to put my public relations skills to the test.  The project has shaped me into a social media advocate, and demonstrated the amazing community of students, faculty, and staff that are here at Marist.  I am overwhelmed by the encouragement and support I am receiving from classmates and online Twitter followers.  Thanks!

Part 2: How Social Media Has Changed A Typical Day at Marist

As my first semester involved in social media, this spring is by far the busiest semester I've ever had at Marist.

Yes, I'm now a college junior, and my course load is getting pretty heavy as I take more upper-level courses, but I'm constantly overloaded with thoughts and standing on my toes due to my new involvement in social media.

Most college students think they are stressed out ENOUGH.  Why get involved in something else that's going to take any spare moment that I have relax?  The answer for me is pretty simple: not only have I found myself passionate about further exploring the tools each day, but I have found that social media has also enhanced my education, both in and out of class.

Let me explain by telling you what I realized during a busy day of work, classes, and homework.

I arrived at the Marist Card Services Office at 9:00 a.m. to work the morning shift.  After fulfilling my morning duties, I logged on to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to check for updates.  While on Twitter, I found a couple of interesting articles tweeted by those I follow, and felt excited to learn more about the relationship between public relations and social media.  Advice, news, or humor articles that I come across while following @MarkRaganCEO, @todaysocial, @mashable, @CommPRHelp, etc. further enhance my PR and SM knowledge, as well as give me the confidence to say that I truly am headed down the perfect career path for me!

Then, I headed to my public relations class with Dr. Mark Van Dyke, where we spend at least 30 minutes of each class exploring and discussing social media tools such as Wiki, RSS Feeds, Twitter, podcasts etc.  Dr. Van Dyke demonstrates the importance of social media competence in today's public relations field, and prompts us to make connections to how social media is changing our society.  

Next, I was off to Professor Jennie Donohue's public opinion class, where the topic of the day was social media and how it is influencing the way in which we measure public opinion.  She demonstrated this through a class lecture that provided many facts and figures about the growing phenomenon. Professor Donohue also told us about some interesting social media gurus to follow, like @briansolis who wrote, "Putting the Public Back into PR." Halfway through the class, I started to think to myself, Wow! This would be great material for a new blog post!  Since I was able to create a connection between the lecture and my blog, I attentively listened and contributed throughout the remainder of the intriguing class.  In this way, my social media interest enhanced my academic interest.  

In my Tuesday night Ethics class, I was happy to find that my professor decided to take a different approach to our normal routine.  In order to determine some of our own ethical values, he prompted us to write out a couple of different topics.  He asked us to make up our own personal "ten commandments."  Again, I thought to myself immediately, this is a great blog post theme!  The creation of my blog helps me to identify the significance in many school assignments, and validates that I should try to take the opportunity to expand on things I learn in class as often as possible.

I came home that night to a Global Studies Seminar assignment that prompted us to read and write a response on articles that discuss today's information overload, and how our society is able to sort through or condense large abundance of information that circulates through various industries daily.  I came across a couple of interesting quotes about the information age that I liked and again thought, great for the blog!  These quotes ask us to find a balance between the wealth of information and the comprehension of important information: 

"What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention, and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it." - Herbert Simon
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?” - T.S. Eliot

This interesting article fro NPR really made me think (Check it out!):

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/15/134531653/we-are-just-not-digging-the-whole-anymore


I cannot wait to incorporate more of the material I learn in class, and on online/social media tools, into my blog.  The value of social media has further engaged my value in academics.

Part 1: How College (slowly but surely) Changed My Outlook on Academics

I have always considered myself a good, hard-working student.  My high work ethic and desire to exceed expectations became visible to others at a very young age.  In my elementary school, I devoted all of my recesses to coordinating and working at the "School Store" that sold school supplies to younger students.  In middle school, I was placed in the upper-level classes and was chosen to represent my school as a guest speaker at a conference of 500+ middle school teachers (a 13-year-old's worst nightmare!)  In high school, I achieved in many honors courses and was inducted into the National Honor Society of Secondary Schools.  I even did well enough to be accepted by the prestigious Marist College!


Although I always did well academically because of my diligent personality, I never particularly felt "enjoyment" or "fulfillment" or "enlightenment" out of the knowledge I was acquiring each day from 8:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.  I concentrated on friends, family, and school activities to satisfy me, and saw school as a secondary part of my life that I had to exceed in to get into college.  


Even as a underclassmen college student I still struggled to be fulfilled by this education my parents were now emptying their wallets for.  When I attended my sister's graduation from Alfred University in New York last May, a sense of jealousy came over me as I witnessed her strong relationships with professors and her true love for academics.  Her strong intellect and eagerness to further educate herself each day has shaped her into the amazing person she is today.  She still has trouble describing in words how fulfilled she is because of the amazing college education she received.    

Alicia on graduation day!

I began to think, I'm in college, why aren't I feeling this amazing enlightenment?  What's missing from my education? Sometimes, why do I feel like I'm not being challenged  or taught anything new in class?  And how could anyone, in their right mind, love this so much that they would decide to pursue an academic career rather than working in the field they've spent so much time studying?  My parents encouraged me, saying that I just need to wait; those upper-level classes will change my outlook on education for sure. 



As always, Mom and Dad were right.

I dipped my feet into the pool of educated exploration during my time in Claire Keith's Global Studies class.  In this class, Claire allows the students to discuss their global experiences and learn from each other.  There are so many peculiar things to learn about in this world, and sometimes I felt silly sitting in this class amongst people who had so much global knowledge, and had experienced or learned about the world to a much fuller extent than myself.  It was during my time in this class that I first recognized the power of learning through experience: it can establish an appetite for academics.

My first dive into academia fever came to me while studying abroad in Florence.  Yes, being abroad in another country definitely brought about many new feelings of wonder, but it also gave me that extra push I needed to be intrigued by academics.  While those naturally inclined to "dig deeper" and educate themselves on a daily basis don't need an adventure  like learning in a foreign country to initiate their desire, others never experience the thirst for knowledge at all.  I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to go abroad and begin flourishing academically, professionally, and socially.


There wasn't one class that I walked out of while attending Lorenzo de'Medici that I didn't learn something new, leaving me fascinated and eager to know more.  Although the assignments and grading scale were not particularly difficult, I made sure to attend the classes and complete all of the schoolwork to my best ability.  Was I actually enjoying these academics and engaging my new knowledge even though I definitely did not need to do so to earn a good grades?  Was I actually embracing this stuff?  In Italy, I realized how much new information out there will intrigue and entertain me as I encounter it.  My art history, Medici family history, Italian language & cooking, and wine & culture classes helped me to develop new interests and mold me into the knowledge-seeking individual I am today.  Now, I find myself constantly on a quest to feel enlightened again, to grasp onto the same feeling I got while roaming the Florentine streets. 

Thats me! Chiavari, Liguria, Italia

(P.S. GO ABROAD!) 


As an enlightened student returned home from Florence, I can't help but blurt out new knowledge I gained from my academic and travel experiences in Europe on a regular basis.  I continue my quest for knowledge in my classes at Marist, and feel fulfilled now more than ever each time I walk out of a classroom (even if it is the LT basement).  My time in the classroom is sacred, and that sometimes reflects in my eager participation.  My time in Europe, as well as the great curriculum in my upper-level classes have forever changed my outlook on being a student: it's not just a job, its a life-long profession that I will always strive to achieve in.


Overall, I have never been as certain about myself as a person as I am today.  Now, I recognize that my appetite for continuous, growing knowledge will always be with me.  


A special thanks to my parents, family, professors, and angels of guidance who led me to this realization.

My First Social Media Outbreak

PR and social media professionals usually describe social media as "viral."

When I first heard the term, I thought they meant that it would bring a virus into my computer.  However, I discovered the true meaning of the word yesterday while I was on Twitter.

Apparently what they mean by viral is that once something exciting, fun, and interesting is posted on a blog, Twitter, Facebook, or other media tool, it spreads quickly, drawing more attention to the post.

Chris Dessi discussed this in his talk with Marist students almost three weeks ago that inspired me to step up my social media game.  He encouraged us to put something interesting out there, because once your follower sees it and likes it, their followers will become interested, and so on.  This perfect networking situation is how students can encourage employers to ask YOU for your resume.  Is there a bigger compliment than that? =]

For my public relations course at Marist with Dr. Mark Van Dyke, we were assigned to create a strategic plan for an event, campaign, or social media project that we'd like to execute.  A few ideas came to mind, but my best ideas always come to me in the shower (does that happen to anyone else?)  I remembered hearing about something called a "TweetUp" at my internship last summer at the Providence-Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau.  I began researching about this type of event that is becoming very popular among organizations across the company.  The networking event allows people who connect on Twitter through trends and and mentions interact face-to-face.  Marist has created its own sort of online community, and holding a TweetUp would allow all members of the Marist community to learn more about social media and share their positive experiences with multiple tools.  

I completed my strategic plan, and with permission from my professor, I emailed my plan to Timmian Massie, the chief public affairs officer at Marist.  After I sent the plan, I tweeted Tim to let him know that it should be in his inbox.

THEN, the @marist college admissions office saw my tweet to @tcmassie about a #TweetUp and Dean of Admission Kent Rinehart asked me to send him a copy of the plan as well, because the admissions office would be interested in contributing to the event.  THEN Associate Director of Admission Brian Apfel (@apfelicus) asked me to send him the strategic plan too! Woah! Virus!  I was so excited that word of the event was spreading so quickly!

After all the encouragement, I decided to post my strategic plan to all who follow me by creating a GoogleDoc and posting the URL in a tweet.  I tweeted a couple of Twitter-crazed Marist students who I'd like to contribute to the event as well (@lshane262, @ARBro, @removethe1, @CuteCakesNY ) to send them the URL.  Others who follow these students saw my tweet, and the virus spread even more.  Within 3 hours of first tweeting Tim, I received 10 mentions, some from tweeters I don't even know!  Everyone is so enthusiastic about the event, and gave me the confidence boost I needed yesterday.

Each day I use it, I further recognize my growing passion for this social media stuff.  Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and this blog give me a voice in my academic and professional lives.  This is powerful stuff, and I'm so happy to soon share the passion with others at Marist College's first TweetUp event. Can you believe it?  Campus organizations are listening to ME, one of the 4,000 undergrad fish in the sea.  I've started a social media movement on campus! 

Watch out world, a new social media fanatic is on the loose!  

I Love Museums.

Another self-discovery that was made in college that continues to amaze me.

If I went back in time and told my 16-year-old self that I would be eager to enter the Philadelphia Museum of Art and explore paintings and other creations from Early European to Modern American art, I would laugh at you.  But today an intense feelings of fascination and satisfaction flow through my body as I entered this building of history, innovation, and culture with my boyfriend last week.

Many people become bored at the idea of walking around and observing this of the past while annoying, "older folks" take their time in reading and comprehending every single word on the wall plaques that describe the object displayed next to them.

I'm one of those annoying people.
Seriously, what a WONDERFUL opportunity to expand your knowledge and fulfill unanswered questions about the things that occurred before your time.  New information is there waiting for you on a silver platter.

On an afternoon in NYC free of any plans, you may expect a girly college student such as myself to spend her time shopping or site-seeing.  Instead, I eagerly entered the Museum of Modern Art, where I remained for 3 1/2 hours, curiously observing every piece I could get close to.

There is just something so satisfying to me about spending the day discovering new facts.  In high school, facts were spit out to me on a daily basis.  In college, I'm on the hunt for the hidden treasure.  I'm not afraid to say it: Hi, my name is Marissa, and I'm a museumaholic.

The first signs of this addiction came fairly early in life, although I would have never admitted at the time that I actually enjoyed the time I spent exploring the Smithsonians in D.C. on a family vacation when I was 14 (I was way too cool for it all - sadly I fed into the secondary school anti-literature, anti-intellectualism culture.)  However, the addiction came into full-bloom during my time living in the magical city of Florence.

The city itself is like a giant museum, displaying the frescos, sculptures, and architectural masterpieces of the Renaissance period.  I jaw dropped time and time again as I viewed new, breathtaking pieces on a weekly basis in my Art History and Medici Family History courses.

I felt as though I hit a gold mine within the first couple of weeks of attending these two classes.  Not only was I going on a field trip to a museum or church that featured drop-dead gorgeous and famous artwork, but I had my own personal tour guide to tell me the hidden meanings behind each piece.  My professors were encyclopedias of Italian history and culture, and I'm not ashamed to say that most classes, I was the one asking all the questions.

I think my favorite spot in Florence is Palazzo Vecchio.  Throughout all my time in Florence, nothing took my breath away like the frescoes created by Vasari in the Sala di Cinquecento.  I had trouble fathoming all of the detail in color and texture incorporated in the large room.  The rest of the palace was amazing as well.  Each room held a different purpose and had its own unique design, typically according to the specific requests of members of the Medici family.  I loved hearing about all of the transformations the palace had undergone through Medici reign, and how the artwork inside is preserved today.

Outside of Palazzo Vecchio (I took this one myself!

Although Italian culture and history holds a special place in my art, bring me into any building where I will be able to soak up some new knowledge and I'll feel in my element all over again.