My Independent Study was about the beginning stages of a campaign and how to form the campaign's message. I remember hating the project. I somehow got talked into another IS that didn't really like, but a year and half later I see the significance of it. I see that I made the right decision in finishing it even if it didn't produce the outcome I expected.
I learned how to interview people and how to collect opinions on important issues. I learned how to create a survey, how to create a webpage, and how to be assertive. I learned how to interact with important people and how to negotiate with organizations. This all has proven to help me in this process. My communication background is finally coming into play, and I can now take that sigh of relief knowing that I made the right decision picking comm. as my major.
Trust me, I wished numerous times since graduating that I picked something less broad, like biology or psych or even photography. But now I see the importance of my choice. I not only do I see it in this project, but also in my life and the career I wish to choose. I am finally grateful for the education I received. Sounds ridiculous I know, but after so long without a stable job you begin to wonder, "why in the world is a college degree necessary?". It's moments like these when you realize the answer. I am grateful for every minute of those classes I took and wish with all my heart that some of them weren't spent sleeping. I Ccn't take that back now, but at least I have the knowledge I need for this project.
I am taking what I learned from my IS, and implementing it to this campaign. I still have a ton of research to do and some friends have already helped me find information I am looking for, which is amazing. (Thanks Christine!) But for now, as I write letters, I have come to realize that I need a better understanding of what the public's feelings towards this issue. I have this great paper my friend found (the link is found on the right side bar of this blog), which has given me a lot of insight on how American's might react to this idea. However, my proposal is slightly different from what the author stated in her study. Please read it if you have time!
To get those opinions I need I have to create a survey. I am excited to do this because it will be so much better than the one I made for my IS. I know what I am doing now, and I will ask my fellow comm. majors for their input. I am excited and ready to go! I am ready to disseminate these surveys and they haven't even been produced!
I was also reminded at this open house of how important visual aids are. So I will be making informational videos. I will go out on the streets and ask people to contribute what they think of this issue. I will put a face to this issue. After I get these opinions I will finally be able to create a message to share with the audiences I am targeting. I suppose I need to figure out who that audience is too. WOW....this really is my IS. It truly amazes me!
This is such a huge project and I hope at some point it won't just be me writing these blog posts. I envision so much for this project. I see informational meetings, Q&A sessions, and much more. I just need to create a following, which will take a while. But even if it takes months and months or years and years this will have those those meetings, and Q&A sessions. And maybe just maybe we can all be seen on TV!! haha. I am getting ahead of myself, but its possible!
More to come!
Inform the masses!
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