So, on Saturday there was an open house for the Grad Program at Lynn. It was kind of odd going to it, as I work in admissions as a tour guide. For the first time (well actually second, as I once was a prospective student on a campus tour) I found myself on the other side of the table, asking the questions and feeling nervous.

I arrived at about midday, and dragged poor Thomas along (my boyfriend who absolutely detests anything like this and shopping). He was immediately calmed when he saw that there was a large table boating coffee, drinks, and most importantly on his list, FOOD. Well, I suppose you can guess where he headed to first. (what is it with men, they eat and eat and never put on a pound…I glanced in the direction of the food table and instantly gained two pounds). So, I was given a name tag, but felt rather ridiculous putting it on, as I work with most of the admissions staff as it is! I have already applied to the grad program. I am going to be doing the Master of Science in Communications.

I had had no idea on what I wanted to do after I graduated (as I graduate a semester early in DEC). And after much contemplation I realized, who am I kidding? I’m not ready to leave Lynn! So, I filled out the application form, and applied for a grad assistantship. I had initially considered doing the Grad Assistantship in the Communications Department or in admissions, but after much thought, I decided I wanted to invest my time and efforts into an area which would benefit me in the long run. I remembered my friend Jena had been working in the marketing department, and her job sounded interesting and stimulating. I know that in order for me to work best, I need to work under pressure, I thrive under pressure. I just felt that the Grad. position in admissions and the position in Communications wouldn’t give me that. Not that there is anything wrong with either position, I just felt that the Marketing Grad. Assistantship would be a better fit for me. Additionally, Jena and I had worked closely in the past (as she was my producer) and I knew that if she enjoyed it, I surely would too. So, I have applied and am just waiting on my MAT Test (which is on Saturday!!!!YIKES – Wish me luck!).

So, Back to the open house… I firstly sat down with Dr. Fabj. If you haven’t met her yet, it’s a shame. She is a fantastic teacher! Once again, as I said, I thrive under pressure, and although her classes aren’t too stressful, she makes you work. It’s interesting work though, and you truly learn a lot from her classes. I truly dislike taking classes that at the end of the day I feel as though I haven’t worked for those credits. What’s the point of getting an A if you didn’t work for it and didn’t learn anything at the end of the day? Dr. Fabj is very organized, and I need organization! So she’s a great teacher and I truly encourage you take her communication theories class. So, Dr. Fabj explained the masters program to me. I will have classes twice a week (you do two classes each 8 week semester and each class in roughly from 6pm-10pm). I am very exited and can’t wait to get started!

Afterwards, I met with Chenelle and Ioulia, graduate counsellors within the admissions dept. I paid the fee for the MAT exam which I have to take for admission to the masters program. The Miller Analogies Test is on Saturday!!! I am very very very nervous and truly do not do well in test environments, specifically multiple choice as I over analyze everything!!!

Overall, the open house was a wonderful experience…I think the food table was a great idea to get the men there…and the coffee was definitely a pulling point for me!

Well, today is one of those lazy sundays. Its roughly 3 o clock in the afternoon and I still haven’t gotten up! I feel terribly guilty but this weekend has been so busy, I needed a break.
Living off campus is an expensive affair! Don’t get me wrong, I love having my own place and eating whenever I want and whatever I want; however don’t be fooled when you decide to take the plunge! One tends to consider only the cost of rent and the main utilities and bills… not the food, the mission of finding furniture, kitchen ware, etc etc etc the list goes on! ALOT!

Well, I have been living off campus for nearly a year. I absolutely love it and am happy I took the plunge… but it has its good side and its bad. Don’t be fooled, utilities are expensive. I share a two bedroom with my boyfriend (previously we also shared with a friend of ours, but she fell pregnant and moved out…long story, for another day). Anyhow, so, when you sign a lease with someone…make sure you have some sort of security.
So, between my boyfriend and I, we spend roughly about $80 electricity, $70 for cable and internet, $60 for water, and about $400 on food.

Obviously thats for two people, but it should give you an idea. Furniture is another thing no one thinks about! A mattress is ridiculously expensive, let alone all the little things you don’t budget for, but need! And then there’s cleaning supplies and things that break, and all the little extras that you absolutely have to have along the way!
But thats life, and I suppose its worth it. However, I recommend you wait until your Junior year before moving off campus. I feel so disconnected from everything that happens on campus, I miss the sense of community and seeing my friends. But living off campus, I like the quiet, the independence, and the stability.

So, keep in mind if you are planning on moving off campus… SAVE SAVE SAVE!!! it’s an expensive affair!

So, have you seen the Ipulse’s makeover?I think it’s fantastic; what a difference. It does look so professional.

I am one of the student writers for the Ipulse. We have to write three stories of roughly 200 words a week. My beat is generally about the environment, international coverage, and also local things to do. I think its great to be involved in something like a school newspaper. And I feel so proud to pick up the Ipulse and see my story. I’ve learnt quite a bit about what being a journalist is all about, and slowly but surely I’ll become better at writing my stories.

What a difference a fold can make

So, where was I?

Oh yes, uploading videos…
Well, for my TV Prac. class I did quite a lot of filming. These pieces I really enjoyed. I chose to focus on things to do and places to see in our area. It was mainly nightlife and restaurants. My Mizner Park piece came out pretty well (apart from the fact I had to duck and dive from Mizner security in order to get my footage)

Talking about Mizner, I’ll be there tonight. They have the Collective Soul/ Live (yes, they’ll be live, but the band ‘LIVE’ will also be there) playing tonight. I’m not actually going to the concert as I don’t like crowds, but I’ll be listening to the music from a comfy, spacious seat at my favorite outside cocktail bar, Gigi’s. For those of you who haven’t been, it’s well worth a visit and they have happy hour from 5 – 7 (2 for 1 cocktails). It’s a great place for ‘Girl’s Night Out’ and their amaretto sours are fantastic.

Let me get back on track….

If you haven’t noticed yet, I have a terrible habit of waffling or getting off topic. It’s just that when I start writing a post for my blog, I’ll start with one topic and then remember another I wanted to write about… and look at this, I’m doing it again!

Seriously, back on track…

Another place I covered was Ellie’s 50’s Diner. This place was amazing, a true blast from the past and the best milkshakes ever!

If you’re an international student, or would just like to experience another culture, The Blue Anchor, is great fun. They have fish and chips, on tap imports (not that I’ve ever tried it), and a great band – Mad Cow. And a ghost…seriously!

In the past year at Lynn, I had the opportunity to work not only in front of the camera, but also behind the camera producing a few of my own segments. For one of my classes last semester, I had to produce several short pieces illustrating my command of camera techniques, and also editing techniques. I invested in a Macbook and also purchased Final Cut Pro, something I advise everyone else to do. It is costly, but it’s well worth it. For those of you who have spent those endless hours during crunch time (end of semester when your final projects are due) in the editing room (either waiting for someone to get off ‘your’ computer or figuring out where exactly you saved your project), you’ll truly appreciate how easy it is to edit on your own laptop. Things get done alot faster, and you learn so much more about editing. Actually final cut is rather addictive when you start playing around with it.

My first task was to produce some sort of piece that would show a POV (point of view) shot. I chose the infamous Requiem for a Dream soundtrack and really just let the music dictate the piece. I then booked out a camera from Bob and Andy (the two best guys in the communication dept. who are always there to lend a helping hand), and I convinced my poor boyfriend that he would be a fantastic actor (much to his misery) and then invited his mates around for a friendly poker evening. But much to their shock and horror, they were to be the extras in my segment (okay, so i had to bribe them with popcorn and drinks… but I got them to stay and partake).

The camera work wasn’t too hard, but i really had to think about how I was going to edit the piece before I shot it. Not all of it worked out as planned, so I had to improvise. So far, I have enjoyed editing this piece the most, I suppose it’s the most artistic piece I have done so far.

Thanks to Youtube, most of my work is posted on the internet:

The second piece i did wasn’t as impressive, but it was very cute. I had to choose a nursery rhymne and put video to it. I found this one more challenging… however, I came up with ‘Happy Birthday’(very original). I basically made it into a bit of a music video. I told the story of a guy (once again my poor boyfriend who gets dragged into all the tedious boring horrible tasks – he’ll kill me for posting all of these videos of him on my blog!) who thinks everyone has forgotten his birthday. He watches the time go by, then thinks he hears a knock at the door. He runs to the door only to see bubbles (he thinks he’s just seeing things). He closes the door and sulks back into his position, when…SURPRISE… no one forgot his birthday after all. As you’ll notice there are not that many extra’s in this piece. In fact, i had to double as camera man, producer, director and extra (I suppose you’d call that quadrooppling). I tried the same ploy as last time with my mates…but the friendly pocker evening was not that convincing this time.

Any how, you can view this video at:

I am going to be late for class if I don’t end this now… so, I’ll continue this in Part Two of ‘Lights…camera…action’.

Now that the blog is up and running, my photo is up, and you can put a face to the person behind these blogs; I thought I should give you an idea of who exactly I am (the 411 so to say).

Well, My name is Ashlea and I am twenty-two years old. I have no siblings, but am very close to my mom and dad (see photo attached). I have been attending Lynn since my freshman year. Prior to that I lived in South Africa. I had lived in Cape Town all my life, and still consider it home. I get many questions about my life in South Africa, so let me give you an idea of what it is truly like.

South Africa is the most beautiful country I have seen to date. Cape Town is a coastal city surrounding a huge mountain with a flat top, conveniently named ‘Table Mountain’.

Cape Town has a population of roughly 3 million and the climate is Mediterranean. Cape Town and the surrounding area is famous for beautiful vineyards and manufacturing world class wine. We do not have animals roaming wild and free, however there is a national park in the Northern part of South Africa, where animals do live in the wild. During the summer I went home to South Africa and visited the Kruger National Park. I have been there on many occasions and it is one of my favorite places. You will see some photos I took on my trip.

My high school started off very small. When I arrived there were only 30 other people in the entire school and it took place in a house less than a block away from mine. I grew up in a horse riding community and I rode competitively from the age of five onwards. My main discipline was Showing, and Show jumping and I was part of the South African Team. I also love scuba diving. I have done a lot of diving in South Africa, however the water temperature in Cape Town requires 7 mm thick wet-suits!

I’ve known that I have wanted to be a journalist since I was a child. I had always loved reading and writing, but my interest grew when I realized how through words, one can help open the eyes of others. I wanted to make a difference, to give back to my country in some way. I came to the United States for Lynn University. I had looked at many other universities, in South Africa, Canada, and the USA. Lynn stood out from the rest. The International community, the broadcasting program, and the location are a few things that caught my attention.

I will be graduating in December, a semester earlier than expected. I have applied to Lynn’s graduate program (MSc communication) and have also signed up to a graduate assistantship. I suppose I wasn’t quite ready to leave Lynn just yet!

It’s that time of year again: A new academic year, a new semester. It is my favorite time of year, I feel as though I’m at the starting line of a race. I have no idea what opportunities lie ahead of me, or what I may have achieved at the end of it; but I am excited to get on my jogging shoes and start running.

As most of you may know, the first week of classes are basically just going over the syllabus and learning the foundation of what your classes may entail. Some of my classes include Communication Law, Acting, Print, Senior Seminar, and German. So far, so good. My law class seems like a lot of work, and I do feel as though it is slightly daunting. As an International student, I have no prior knowledge of the US legal system, nor the constitution. I can tell you one thing, the execution of the legal system in South Africa is most definitely not a good comparison.

Anyhow, as this is my first post, I wanted it to mainly be an introductory piece for the semester. If there is one thing I can leave you with, it’s that time flies! I cannot believe that I am already a SENIOR! I feel extremely old and it doesn’t help that my birthday was last week! If I look at myself three years ago, I was just a shy little freshman, in a new world… a university slightly more advanced than my school of less than one hundred students in Africa! It took a little bit of adjusting to, but it was well worth the effort. As Winston Aarons said at our Honors Convocation last year,

‘we are all masterpieces in progress.’