Addy's Corner

Spring break  In Chapter 5, Marketing with Instagram, the book has a section about Instagram's response to COVID-19. I found this particularly interesting because I clearly remember my life during that time period. I was walking through the halls with my boyfriend at the time when we heard over the announcements that spring break would be extended to two weeks. I was so happy — I was struggling with school at this time and really needed a break to get my head straight. So, three weeks off sounded just like what I needed, little did I know that we weren't coming back the rest of the year. Ultimately, I had a pretty positive experience throughout COVID; I learned a lot about myself and ended with a 4.0. However, I do remember what a huge part of my life social media played. Social media, including Instagram, was the only way to connect with my friends and stay up to date. I resisted downloading TikTok until late in COVID; the first week I had it, I spent over 11 hours on the app ...

This week, I am hosting my first event for Alpha Xi, and I am beyond excited. This Saturday is "Ladies We Love Day," an event for all the sisters and their mothers or significant female role models to visit Northern. This event is always super fun with my friend group. Before the Alpha Xi event, all our moms will join us at Tavern 101. Afterward, we plan to visit a senior's house off-campus to hang out. Bonding with my mom during this new phase of my life is incredibly rewarding. My mom and I are extremely close—I cannot imagine life without her. She is an alumna of Northern and always has hilarious stories from her time on campus. I personally believe that Mom’s Day, Dad’s Day, Homecoming, and Founders Day are critical events that showcase to alumni and parents the value of their support and financial contributions. Ironically, these events receive the smallest budget—brutal, indeed. However, I am determined to make this year's event memorable and unique for all the ...

This last week, I decided it was time. I was finally going to rearrange my room. When I moved in, I naively decided to put both of my desks underneath my bed, meaning that to get them out, I would have to take apart at least one of my beds. I have been working without a desk for the entire year up until this Saturday. This became increasingly difficult to work and focus as I would have my computer on my lap for hours on end, designing. My computer would overheat, burn my legs and cause huge implications for my work. This Saturday, having nothing to do, I called Polina. She and I had just got back from the gym, luckily it was a leg day, and we started getting to work. Lifting the heavy pieces of my bed, futon, dresser and ottoman was a workout in itself — not to mention the solid block of wood we have for desks. We started the process at noon and miraculously were able to take apart the bed and get the desk out within an hour. After the bed was put back together, I told Polina I could h...

Chapter 4 covers Facebook, oh, Facebook. I struggle with Facebook because it's set up so differently from Instagram, which I find much easier to use. Additionally, I feel Instagram targets a younger audience, making me more accustomed to its interface. However, as mentioned in Chapter 4, the Meta Business Suite acquired Instagram for $1 billion and WhatsApp for $19 billion. This confused me. I've never used WhatsApp. It seems like a platform with little conversation around it. I even had to ask my friends what WhatsApp was used for. I thought it was some sort of purchasing site — I was very wrong. But what I find confusing is that I'm always talking or hearing about what my friends post on Instagram and the latest scoop. So from my perspective, Instagram is more popular because my generation is so active on the interface. So why is WhatsApp valued so much more? Even the graph in the book shows Instagram and WhatsApp have the same number of active monthly users. Did Instagra...

              AIGA, the American Institute of Graphic Artists, has a chapter at Ohio Northern University. This is the only professional organization on campus for graphic designers. Despite graphic design seeming like a small major on campus, it boasts over thirty students. Joining this club is crucial for all graphic design majors because it provides an opportunity to attend the national conference, which is pivotal for networking within our community. This networking can lead to easier access to internships and credible field experiences. I'm writing this week not just as a member but as the president of this organization. My term has been less than stellar so far. I've neglected AIGA during the chaotic first weeks of the semester. Historically, AIGA has maintained strong member retention among majors. However, the club was inactive for five years and was only reinstated last year. The previous president revived the organization but treated it more a...

In Chapter Three, the book delves in-depth into creating personas. These personas help marketers visualize whether their media will be beneficial depending on the type of person. In user interface design, we created websites based on personas similar to those the book discusses. For example, I developed a new MacBook interface — 'interface' refers to the usability of a service, such as website design. My persona for this project was a stay-at-home wife. I conceptualized the stereotypical 'soccer mom' and redesigned a MacBook for her. My product, named iWife, featured a neutral aesthetic. Major changes included iconography, such as 'husband' replacing the Finder and 'nanny' substituting for Safari. These metaphorical changes resonate more with a stay-at-home wife than their actual names. I thoroughly enjoyed this project and I loved my concept. As I began my Simternship, I kept personas in mind. I started by reviewing all the audits and research available...

In high school, I always aspired to be in the field of STEM. I excelled in science from a young age and took a keen interest in biology in high school. Freshman year, I even won Biology Student of the Year. I went on to take AP Biology without a hitch. So, why did I decide to completely change my future career in my junior year of high school? JEP — Junior English Project — that's why. This was a yearlong project that would change my entire life. The assignment's premise was to create an entire dissertation on a topic of our choosing. This was the first time in school I was allowed to study something I was interested in. So, to say I was nervous is an understatement — what if I chose a topic there was not enough research on? Or what if I got bored with my topic? What would I do then? Luckily, I didn't have any of these issues. However, I was nervous about the sensitivity of my topic — nature versus nurture. Specifically, looking at the most publicized serial killers such as...

Media with Maddy and Addy Podcast With the hot topic of social media, Maddy and I talked about our personal experiences in the field. Maddy currently runs the PRSSA, Women in Business, and Alpha Xi Delta social media pages. I have a similar experience as I ran the Alpha Xi Delta social media pages last year. In addition, I currently run the Ottawa Hills girls' basketball and  AIGA ONU pages. I also run socials across all platforms for a podcast called “My Doctor Said What?” The goal of this podcast is to remove jargon your doctor may use and give everyday health tips to the general public.  With our experience, we both had difficulties coming up with ideas. Especially with the sorority page. Managing the sorority page is very different from that of a normal page. In Alpha Xi, there is only one person in charge of the social media pages whereas in other sororities on campus, there is a committee dedicated to them. This not only puts the workload on one person but makes it more ...