Life & everything in between

Everything is prettier with a little sparkle...

2011-05-05T20:23:00.001-07:00

Ombre hair, hints of neon, tribal print, pastel high waisted shorts, men's style oxford flats, etc. These are just a few of the trends I have noticed this spring. Another trend I'm personally excited about is a new focus on nails. Specifically, muted pastels such as robin egg blue and purple. Another big trend in nails: sparkles and print designs. While I have been itching to try Katy Perry's OPI line, I haven't been able to get my hands on it. In the mean time, I made a brief trip to Forever 21 to pick up a few nail polishes to try out some of the new trends. I picked up a pastel teal and rose gold with sparkles (photo). I immediately tried out the rose gold polish to glam up my nails. Instant reaction? I feel like I am 5 years old again, playing dress up and begging my mom to add more sparkles to my hot pink nail polish. I love it. The youthful, playful polish adds spice to any outfit. While pink may not be for everyone, I urge you to try out other sparkle induced polishes such as a simple black or gold. Moral of the story: be creative and have fun with your nails! Whether it is sparkles, a muted pastel, or a print design, a nail polish is a great accessory this spring.

Hats off to you, Ben Gibbard

2011-04-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

One of my all time favorite bands, Death Cab for Cutie, is releasing a new album May 31. The album "Codes and Keys" will be the 16th album release by the band with frontman Ben Gibbard. While the sight of Ben Gibbard may make many teen girls heart throb with his deeply emotional lyrics and charm, the band has managed to constantly renovate and reinvent their image with the progression of each album.

To mark the release of Death Cab's newest single from "Codes and Keys" the band decided to do something I have never heard of before: create a one-take music video streaming live to the public. I unfortunately was unable to watch the live stream and creation of the video. For fans in a simliar predicament as myself, the band posted the footage via "youareatourist.com." Within the 15 minute clip fans got an inside look at what happens when creating a music video.

The video for You Are A Tourist adheres to exactly what every die hard Death Cab fan expects. Creativity, Ben Gibbard close ups, and overall simplicity to match the eloquent lyrics. Gibbard and bandmates wear electrified embellished suits while showgirl-esque dancers snap Polaroid photos as Gibbard sings, "when there's a burning in your heart, and you feel yourself a tourist in the city you were born then it's time to go."

Overall, I would give the video and new single an "A." I applaud the band's efforts to continuously engage fans, especially during an intimate experience usually off limits to the public. As for the rest of "Codes and Keys," we will have to wait and see.

Growing up

2011-03-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow begins my last quarter of college. This means I only have 10 weeks left of school. A little over two months before I graduate and step into the "real world." To say that I am terrified is an understatement.

I am 22 years old. I am still young, yet recently I feel old. When you are a kid, or at least when I was, you picture yourself in the future. The job you will have, what you will look like, etc. When I was 18 applying for college, 22 sounded like 30. Where did the past four years go? They went by in a blink of an eye. Sure, I've grown since 18. I've matured greatly, learned a lot, and enhanced my writing. However, there is still part of me that feels so young and lost. I'm an adult? When did this happen? Which brings the question, do you ever really feel like a "grown up"? Is there a magical age when I can look around and feel completely grown up?

Many of my friends and classmates are ecstatic to graduate. I can't understand how that is possible. I've been in a serious relationship with school for nearly 20 years. I'm not good at break ups. Major changes in my life tend to have an overwhelming, fearful effect on me. This shift in my life has been causing me anxiety since my senior year began in September.

Until recently, I thought graduating college terrified me because it meant growing up and leaving something I've known all my life behind, school. Today, I realized it's much deeper than that. I'm terrified of failing. I always have been. Since I was a child I've been wired to believe failure is not an option, getting a "C" is not acceptable. Mind you, a "C" is not even failing, it is average. I've been wired to strive for the best and to succeed. Now, you may say this isn't necessarily a bad way to go through life. However, as I ponder my future after graduation I realize this way of living life nearly the past 20 years is causing my anxiety.

What if I don't get a job right away? What if I must move back home? Or, the unthinkable, what if I have to go back to a part time retail job?

I realize these things don't necessarily mean I've failed. Within time I know my life will fall into place. I know because I am determined, I will get where I want to go. However, there is still a part of me so fearful of becoming one of the college graduate horror stories. You know the story, the recent graduate who has yet to find any work months, years after graduating.

As I begin to uncover why I am so fearful of my impending graduation date, I realize it's up to me to write my future. I guess I will just have to wait and see what is in store.

To Pay or Not to Pay?

2010-05-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

Should news content from legacy sites remain free of charge? Looking at this question from a business perspective, one would assume the answer is simple, but it is far more complicated. Charging for news content that has always been free and accessible to the public could very well lower unique visitors for a news site and possibly decrease revenue in doing so. In my opinion, the way individuals read news is changing and print newspapers are dying as news sites thrive. I feel it would be possible to successfully charge for news content that was once free, if it is done in a manner that is not overwhelming for the current readers. This means only charging for content that readers would be willing to pay for, a low fee per month, a free trial for a limited amount of time, and no fee if the reader already subscribes to the print newspaper.

In order to make this pay model work, readers cannot be bombarded with the idea of paying for content that was once free; instead it must be eased into. Financial Times is a good example of this. FT.com users are allowed to read a few articles per month before asked to register on the site, once registered they are allowed to read 10 articles before asked to subscribe.[1] FT.com has 1.9 million registered users and 121,000 paying users, which is valuable information for advertisers. Similar to this Honolulu Civil Beat offers a 15-day trial for 99 cents, unless a user sends a link.[2]

The fee per month needs to be low. Users will not pay nearly $20 per month to simply read news they can get from TV or the print newspaper. I believe the fee per month should be around $5.00 to $6.00. Creating a low fee per month such as this would give the news site the opportunity to gain more visitors than a site that charges far more per month. Arkansas Online charges $5.95 per month and has 3,500 online subscribers, while newsday.com charges $20 per month and has only 35 online subscribers.[3]

In order to willingly pay for online content, 71 percent say the content will need to be considerably better and 78 percent say that if they already pay for a newspaper the online content should be free.[4] Starting in January 2011 NYTimes.com will charge for content on its Web site, but subscribers to the print paper will receive full access without additional charge.[5] This model will have little effect on occasional viewers of the site but focuses on cashing in from devoted readers. However, I believe some news content should remain free such as breaking news on a local, national, and international level while investigative news stories, columns, features, and sports should be paid for.

Obviously this is not the perfect pay model, there may be no such thing. Whether news content online remains free or not, there will always be issues for both arguments regarding unique visitors and revenue. Newspaper Web sites will need to take risks in order to see what works best for their individual company and audience.

[1] Mitchell, Bill. "Metering Paid Content So It Protects-Even Grows- Online Ad Revenues." Poynter Online. 18 Feb. 2010. Web.

[2] Kramer, Staci. “Honolulu Civil Beat Launches With PayPal As The Great Link, Lower Trial Fee.” PaidContent.org. 4 May 2010. Web.

[3] Tartakoff, Joseph. "Local And Metro Newspapers With Paywalls." PaidContent.org. 9 Apr. 2010. Web.

[4] Lin, Erina. "Nielson: Will Consumers Pay for Online Content? Maybe." Web log post. Sfnblog.com. 16 Feb. 2010. Web.

[5] Perez-Pena, Richard. "The Times to Charge for Frequent Access to Its Web Site." 20 Jan. 2010. Web.

If Only...

2010-05-11T19:55:00.001-07:00

Despite the crummy, cold, rainy weather in Chicago today, I have the urge to shop for summer. I've come to the realization that the combination of limited funds due to being a college student and being a shopaholic, do not mix. Instead of braving the harsh weather, I've decided to shop online in the comfort of my warm and dry apartment. This is dangerous. I've already created a "wish list" on UrbanOutfitters.com for 14 items. Oh how I wish I had endless disposable money to build my spring/summer wardrobe.

Here are some adorable and reasonably priced items I'm craving:

Lucca Couture Strapless Floral Lace Dress $68 (UrbanOutfitters.com)

Kimchi Blue Chantilly Dress $98 (UrbanOutfitters.com)

Paul & Joe Silk Tiered Top Dress $88 (UrbanOutfitters.com)

Kimchi Blue Printed Sundress $58 (UrbanOutfitters.com)

Making my comeback

2010-04-22T16:33:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, I've been slacking and this is my attempt to get back into blogging. Baseball season has arrived, and the weather for the Cubs home opener last week was gorgeous. If only they had swept the Brewers...

Grassroots Volunteers: Who are the people on the street?

2009-11-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

Jedd Bittles, 19, is a Field Manager for Grassroots here in Chicago. Previously working at Dialog Direct for Children International, he has much experience in campaigning for causes. I met with him and his team on a Tuesday afternoon to follow them through their day.

Often we hear people campaigning on the street in the Loop or near a college, but how often do we stop to listen to what it is they are saying? Standing outside daily for six hours through the Chicago heat in summer, and the freezing, windy winters Grassroots Volunteers are working hard for something they believe in.

Q:What do you (and your team) do on a daily basis? How many people are in a team?

A: I work Monday through Thursday usually from around 8:30a.m. to 6p.m. or 7p.m. At 8:30a.m. we all meet for training at the office. We refresh our skills, go over numbers from the past day and recognize those who did well the previous day. Around 10:30a.m. we go to our assigned campus for the day with our team. Teams usually range from 2-4 people. From then on we walk around the location and talk to everyone about the cause we are trying to fund. Around 4p.m. we head back to the office to do paperwork, call and thank individuals who signed up, and debrief.

Q: What cause are you currently trying to fund?

A: Right now we are helping to fund ASPCA (The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). It's a cause I really believe in. I have a dog myself that was a stray found roaming around Mississippi. He's a great dog, and I love all animals. I hate animal cruelty. It disgusts me.

Q: What are some locations teams usually go to?

A: There's a lot of places all over the city. We always go to college campuses: DePaul, University of Chicago, Art Institute, Loyola, and University of Illinois at Chicago. We also have campaigned in Evanston, Wicker Park, Boys Town and State Street.

Q: Are the majority of the people you sign up college students because of the locations you tend to work at?

A: No not necessarily; there is a wide variety of people. The age range is probably 18-40 years old, both male and female.

Q: Do you ever get frustrated when people walk by and completely ignore you?

A: No not really, unless I am having a bad day. You get used to it. It happens often and is part of the job.

Q:How do you usually pitch to someone?

A: It really changes with every person, you have to adapt. I tend to say "Hey!" or "Hello there" or "C'mon over here and help me stop animal cruelty!" I just have fun with it.

Q: What are some of the common excuses people use to turn away from you when campaigning?

A: There is a few trends that I've noticed. Usually people say something along the lines of they don't have enough money right now to help fund, or they don't have a credit card on them. Sometimes people just say they are in a rush to go to class or an appointment. With the economy right now it's easy to understand that money is tight, but if they stopped to listen about the cause they may change their mind. For ASPCA an individual only donates $1.00 per day, or less.

Q: Why did you work for Grassroots?

A: Well, I used to work at Dialog Direct for about 10 months. I was helping fun Children International, which I felt strongly about. Saving and supporting starving and abandoned children around the world. Dialog Direct was mostly about numbers and working for a paycheck though. I was approached by someone I used to work with at Dialog Direct and he told me about Grassroots. He said it felt like family, and he was right. Grassroots is more about the cause and raising awareness. The campaigns we work on need funding and I believe in them. The current organization we are helping to fund, ASPCA, I really feel like I am helping to make a difference.

Q: What is the main goal of campaigning?

A: I would say educating the public, raising awareness about a cause, helping fund organizations, and paying it forward.

Grassroots Campaigning Locations in Chicago

Interview: Alecia Dantico of Garrett Popcorn

2009-11-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

Alecia Dantico, Director of Social Media at Garrett Popcorn, describes herself as “half writer, half technologist”. She is currently working on her PhD at University of Illinois at Chicago in communications with an emphasis in building brand identity through online communication.

Alecia has a wide background of knowledge ranging from Gender Studies, French, Comparative Literature and English. Originally from Chicago, Alecia grew up on Garrett’s Popcorn.

Q: What does title Director of Social Media entail?

A: Social media, a marketing communication strategy, is not a 9a.m. to 5p.m. job; it is constantly going on 24/7. Director of Social Media is not just my job but who I am as a person. Whether it is YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook I constantly have a web browser open.

Q: How did you land your social media job with Garrett Popcorn? With your background mainly in liberal arts how do you feel your job relates?

A: Technology is always changing. In social media we connect with people through languages in different platforms. It is not just about the actual message; it’s about forming relationships in order to drive product purchase. The most important skill to have is the ability to write.

Q: How many times a day do you tweet?

A: It is hard to say, it changes all the time. If you would have asked me six months ago I would have told you about 10 tweets per day, now I am up to 94.5 tweets per day. Friday is a big day, Sunday I try not to tweet too much. It really all depends on what the customers are saying.

Q: How do you think the use of social media is helping to shape old and new companies?

A: Social media allows us as a brand to connect with consumers about a product and learn what they want. We connect with consumers and build relationships and from there we can work on product development. If I hear from consumers that they would love a Caramel Crisp Cereal I will run that idea to Garrett and we can put the cereal through a test kitchen. This way through the use of social media the consumer becomes part of the product development cycle.

Q: How do you use social media such as Twitter and Facebook to increase sales for Garrett? Are sales the main goal behind the social networking?

A: No one wants to hear about where popcorn is grown. When I tweet I talk about normal topics. About 90 percent of the time I tweet about life and other stuff like running because I’m a runner, normal things everyone can discuss. The other 10 percent of the time I promote Garrett. Using real conversation with consumers makes them more apt to stick with the brand.

If someone goes to Navy Pier and takes pictures I put them on Garrett’s Facebook, it’s a cool medium and creates brand affinity. The day our new Garrett store opened on Michigan Ave. I over tweeted and was kicked off Twitter. I didn’t even know that was possible! I went on my personal Twitter and asked my friends to help get me back on. I had an army of 35 Twitter friends that helped me out of the crisis. It’s all about building relationships and being social.

Q: Is there any company other than Garrett Popcorn that you would be thrilled to work for using your skills in social media?

A: I love my job, so right now I would have to say no. I do hope to stay in the field though. I love marketing, technology and writing. I hope to grow with the company. If I could do one thing in the future it would be to teach. In social media we are all learning together.

Q: Are there any companies you admire for their use in social media?

A: I would say first off Zappos, the way they were the first to really come out and use social media really well to reach consumers. I also really admire what Southwest Airlines and Jet Blue is doing. They understand the conversation part of social media. These are all fun brands that are not traditional and know how to share and relate to consumers. Garrett has been around for 60 years but we have fun with it.

Q: What advice would you give to upcoming graduates interested in careers in social media, journalism, or PR?

A: The best bet is to get an internship. Shadow someone who is in the field for a month or so and get an idea of the field. You need to get yourself out there and find your voice. Make sure you are Google-able. When I first applied for a job that is something that hurt me. Now I have multiple Twitters. I have a personal Twitter, a Garrett Twitter, a Twitter for my house I’m trying to sell, a Twitter for school, and a Twitter with a false identity as a gender study experiment.

Q: Any ideas of what the future may hold for media?

A: I think tools will change. Most importantly though conversations with brands, 24/7, both through digital and mobile will be more engaged and nonstop. As we all know print is slowly fading and we have many platforms. I think in the future the platforms will be condensed. There are no rules, we are all learning as we go.

Garrett Popcorn Chicago locations

Ashley Boll

2009-10-14T09:40:00.001-07:00

My first video using Utterli. I have a cold so I sound slightly funny, my apologies.

Mobile post sent by ashleyboll using Utterli. Replies.

What's really in a mashup?

2009-09-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

The term "mashup" may sound messy and complicated, however mashup Web sites and databases are just the opposite of that. They are simple and useful. Web sites such as Politifact.com were created through journalism outlets such as the St. Petersburg Times, and other sites such as Statemaster.com were created independently using a Creative Commons license.

Everyblock.com, a popular Web site mashup informs residents about local areas crime rates and recent incidents. In the Lincoln Park area 20 crimes were listed from today. This is a great tool for DePaul students to become aware of criminal activity near campus.

One of my favorite mashup's I have visited is ThisWeKnow.com, which is a Web site created using U.S. government data to empower local public about facts. I was shocked to discover the statistics from Chicago. Nearly 5,927,650 pounds of 106 different pollutants were released into the air within a 15 mile radius of the city! Curious about which companies are to blame for these pollutants being released? Simply click on pollutants and you are given a list of facilities, chemicals and the amount and way in which these pollutants were released.

Trendsmap.com is another interesting Web site that uses a geographical map to help viewers read what are popular topics on Twitter around the world. In Chicago, one of the hot topics on Twitter currently is obviously the Olympics. As the Olympic Committee makes their final decision this Friday, October 2, Chicagoans are anxiously awaiting.

While not all of these Web sites are produced by journalists, the mashups can collectively help journalists when looking for an idea for a story to write. Whether it be about a current trend on Twitter or local stunning facts from a particular city, these mashup Web sites are bursting with easy to use information on a wide range of topics.

On Trendsmap.com I found a topic called "doll" for Chicago and clicked it after becoming curious. As it turns out the American Girl Doll Company has created a new doll called "Gwen Thompson" who is a homeless. Apparently this has caused quite the controversy because the $95 doll is part of the American Girl Doll historical collection which teaches young girls history while reading their doll's story.

The debate of whether homeless "Gwen" is an appropriate way to teach young girls about homeless people is debated on countless Twitters and blogs, which could lead to an interesting story for a journalist. You really never know what interesting news you will find on a mashup.

Recent attacks in Lincoln Park close to home for DePaul students

2009-09-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

Over the summer several attacks have occurred in Lincoln Park just blocks away from the DePaul campus, leaving students urged to take precautionary measures.

Seven attacks total have taken place all leaving all victims robbed and beaten. All victims were male in their mid-20s and walking alone and confronted from behind by at least four male attackers also in their 20s.

Victims were beaten in the head and face, leaving two hospitalized. The victim of the North Cleveland Avenue attack identified an arrestee in a lineup, but the suspect was later released due to lack of evidence.

FLYPmedia, a vision of our media future?

2009-09-17T16:16:00.000-07:00

While some believe that print media is diminishing, that does not necessarily mean journalism as a whole will be lost forever. A Web site called FLYPmedia is an cross-platform magazine that goes beyond what any average magazine could possibly dream of by using multimedia interactively. The Web site draws viewers in with their unique storytelling through combination of text, video, audio and animation.

The site is easy to use and soothing to the eyes with a simple and clean homepage in shades of gray, black and white that make colorful images more vivid and inviting. Viewers are given the option to search by topics, blogs, archive, podcasts or by simply clicking one of the images focused on current articles. For those who don't feel like reading through a lengthy blog there are videos about various topics to watch to become informed about current issues.

FLYPmedia does not limit themselves like other magazines who simply post images and articles for viewers. With a click of the mouse viewers can "flip a page" giving the comfort of a real, print magazine brought to viewers for free and online.

Which led me to the question could this be where print magazines are heading? Will this interactive website be the start of something to change how we view media entirely? Other Web sites are engaging in this multimedia trend including mashable.com, a social media guide to everything from twitter, facebook, music and travel. Nytimes.com also has recently added a multimedia aspect to their Web site.

New season of It's Always Sunny starts tonight

2009-09-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is a television show on FX that is gaining a wider audience as it begins it's fifth season tonight. I saw 3 men dressed up in the Green Man costume (a character from this show) at the Fullerton CTA station today, it just reminded me how much I love this television show. If you haven't heard of It's Always Sunny, here is a clip to show you just how hilarious and ridiculous this show is.

Brand New to release Daisy cd

2009-09-11T16:23:00.000-07:00

The ever evolving band, Brand New, is anticipating a release of a new cd entitled "Daisy". Although this cd is expected to be released to public by the end of September, many Brand New fans have been able to sneak a copy of the cd for themselves offline.