MTSU advertising students provide a Nashville beverage company with a shot of creativity

by Kourtney L. Hanna

One local energy drink company is giving MTSU students a buzz, or rather; the students are giving it one. One of Dr. Tricia Farwell’s recent “Advertising Campaigns” class was given the task of creating ad campaigns for Nashville-based Lotus Energy Drink in order to reach its targeted demographic of, well, college students.

Lotus was formed by three Nashville siblings, Li Jackson and her brothers Jay and Thomas Umboh. Their idea was bold: enter the premium energy drink space – a place dominated by Red Bull and Monster. A 2010 article written by the Nashville Scene about the company stated that the siblings spent 14 months sampling formulations, finally settling on a flavor profile based around fruits acai and mangosteen – along with a touch of lotus flower extract.

Farwell split her class in to two agencies to work on the Lotus campaign. One was led by “account executive” Chris Shepard. Shepard acted as a liaison between his creative agency and Lotus to pull together all of their efforts for a campaign presentation, which each agency gave at the end of the semester.

“That’s the kind of position I want to play in the future, so I volunteered,” Shepard says. “My whole goal was to kind of keep everything on schedule.”

Elaina McFarlin, a student member of the “other” agency, focused on creating print ads and organizing the budget given to them by Lotus. Like Shepard, McFarlin kept her group focused on the project and on treating it for what it was — a real world business venture.

“I always made sure we were on track because we had a real client,” McFarlin said. “That’s the way the real world is. You have deadlines and you have to make them. And you want to do your best. I think I definitely brought that to my team and tried to keep everything structured.”

Both teams suggested that Lotus focus heavily on bringing in student consumers through social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Shepard’s agency proposed livening up Lotus’ existing Twitter account by holding hashtag competitions to get Lotus “out there” in Web conversation. Shepard recounts his excitement over his group’s results.

“One of the coolest things, I think, about the project was, a few days after our presentations, we gave them a copy of our campaigns book, and a few days later they were already implementing some of the ideas that we had suggested at our presentation. So you know, seeing it happen the way we talked about it was just really cool,” he says.

“You can see that all the information you retained over the years, everything that you’ve learned in advertising… see it all come together for that class, [and] it was pretty incredible,” recalls McFarlin. “You’re like “oh I didn’t realize, I’m actually pretty good at this.’”

It is only fitting that Lotus called on MTSU Mass Communication seniors to promote their beverage, as one of three siblings who started Lotus (Jay, ’96, Aerospace) is a Blue Raider graduate. A young company starting to reach their dreams of success, Lotus is also giving MTSU students the experience they need to one day chase their own.

[Editor’s Note: The Lotus collaboration isn’t the only class project recently forged between a MTSU student group and a major brand. As described in an article published in the recording industry magazine Pro Sound Network, another MTSU class created a video for car brand Chrysler featuring the compact car Fiat. The results of this campaign created by a class comprised of RIM and Electronic Media Communications students have led to more opportunities with Chrysler, including working with their SRT line of automobiles. From professional connections to an outstanding media package that included a music video, Professor Dick Williams successfully opened the door for MTSU to construct a class with the goal of getting Chrysler fresh advertising material and giving students real world experience.]

The story behind MTSU’s new ceramic mural wall
By Kayla Bates

What many saw as a pedestrian traffic barrier, art professor John Donovan saw as an opportunity. Donovan and his students are the artists behind the new ceramic wall mural recently installed between the KUC and Todd Hall. As the art project took shape, it became a hot topic among students and faculty alike on the campus of MTSU.

“The wall was really an eyesore,” says Donovan. “And I just thought of it as a canvas. It presented itself very strikingly in a predominant spot, as far as people always being around it.”

To Donovan’s thinking, the wall presented the perfect opportunity to engage students in his 3D Design course, not only as a hands-on learning experience, but also as a chance for students to really invest pride in their final product given it would be so prominently displayed.

“People would get through the class in the past and their pieces would end up in the dumpster,” Donovan says. “It was just heartbreaking. I felt like there had to be a way to get more of a sense of ownership or value to the work.”

Since his idea required the purchase of more materials for grouting, installing and sealing than could be covered by student lab fees, Donovan applied for an instructional development grant. The grant, which he secured, is designed to help the faculty to enhance their teaching, whether it is in the experience students have in the classroom or how students are evaluated in their performances.

It’s not the first time Donovan has transformed a non-descript brick wall using ceramics. Before Donovan became a teacher, he worked at Stonehaus Architectural Ceramics in Pensacola, Florida. While there, he began working with clay on a grand, architectural scale.

“You typically think of clay as a functional medium – things we hold, or more intimate pieces. But there’s a really rich history of clay being used on a large, architectural scale,” he says. “I’d never really connected what I’d done in Florida, as far as architecturally, to a classroom. This was the first time that’s happened, so it’s been a real treat…It’s been a really nice chance to take something I have prior experience with and inject it into the classroom.”

Donovan’s guidelines for the class project were simple. Students were to design a 12×12 tile based on an indigenous plant, animal, insect or other icon, as long as it connected to the Middle Tennessee region. Each tile needed to have a distinct foreground, middle ground and background, encouraging the students to explore and manipulate depth. From start to finish – including the process of researching, designing and sculpting their tile — students invested anywhere from 15 to 30 hours in their individual tile of artwork. One of the final steps in completing the tiles involved covering the entire surface of each tile with a stain and then wiping it out, a process designed to create higher contrast value and show more texture detail. Donovan explains this challenged students to “work reductively and deal with the whole rather than pieces of the whole.”

“They use that technique in drawing classes a lot. Instead of drawing something on the corner of the page, it forces students to work with the whole piece of paper. We did something similar here, and it really calls attention to textures. You can even find fingerprints in a lot of them. You can literally find the signature of the person who made it, which you never would have seen unless the tiles had been stained and wiped out.”

As a foundations level course, the class isn’t restricted solely to art students. “There are a lot of hands in it,” says Donovan. “It’s not just two or three art majors who have worked on this mural.”

Consequently, he says the art wall serves as a good representation of the campus community. “For some kids, this might be the only piece of art they make. They might go into a field that is more technical, or more structured. But were they to come back for an alumni event in 20 years, they can find that one tile and point it out.”

The tiles are now installed and the project completed after nearly three semesters of investment and commitment from Donovan and his students. Pleased with the final product, Donovan hopes it encourages similar assignments in the future. There are plenty of other walls on campus, after all.

Dan O’Shannon shared experiences from his 25-plus years as a writer of television comdy and drama April 11 at MTSU as part of the College of Mass Communication’s Tom T. Hall Writer’s Series. O’Shannon is one of the minds behind the smash ABC comedy “Modern Family.” Along the way, he won Emmys for “Cheers” and “Frasier” and wrote the classic—and literally show-stopping—finale for “Newhart.” Read more about his visit at http://mtsunews.com/modern-family-dan-oshannon.

MTSU’s College of Mass Communication formally unveiled its new almost-$700,000 Center for Innovation in Media inside the Bragg Mass Communication Building on April 12 as part of the University’s Alumni Spring Weekend celebration. It combines the newsrooms for Sidelines, the student newspaper; WMTS-FM, the student-run radio station; MT Records, the student-run record label; MT10, the student-operated cable television station; and WMOT-FM, the 100,000-watt public radio station at MTSU. To read more about it, visit http://mtsunews.com/new-media-center.

Two MTSU student entrepreneurs have life after graduation all figured out. They’ll hire themselves full-time.

by Kourtney Hanna

A recent Washington Post article explored a new trend on college campuses: amid tough economic times, entrepreneurship is on the rise among college students who now view traditional employment to be just as risky as starting a new business.

Is that the case here at MTSU? We set out to find and profile a few Blue Raiders with an entrepreneurial streak. Meet Eldridge Alexander and Mary Ann Kaylor.

Eldridge Alexander

Senior Mass Communications student Eldridge Alexander is ending his college career with a job he began long before he started MTSU in 2008. A Buchanan Fellows scholar, Alexander is the owner of his own Web services company and also works on the side producing live television productions.

Back in high school, Alexander began video editing for Riverdale High’s theater department and also repairing his friends’ computers for free. Over time, though, through freelance work producing wedding videos or repairing technology, Alexander started charging for his time. It led to the creation of his own business, EZap Technology.

Alexander now spends his time setting up Web services for small businesses, dabbling in web design, and creating online classroom networks for MTSU’s grant programs.

“One of the coolest parts of owning my own business is that as my interests and skills branch out, so can what my business can do,” Alexander says. “I’m just sitting at home teaching myself stuff that’s fun, but it’s contributing to how much I can do with my business.”

Among his many achievements, Alexander is also director of the Electronic Media Communications Department’s live television productions of MTSU’s football and basketball games, which are featured on ESPN 3. He has also served in many aspects of media production at North Boulevard Church, MTSU’s MT10HD, and currently is the student-intern coordinator for RFD-TV’s The Marty Stuart Show in Nashville.

Alexander says that education has made all the difference in pursuing his goals in business and television production.

“One of the reasons I love working in the TV field at MTSU is that I get a degree, but, more important than that, I think, is I get experience in real world environments whether it’s at an MTSU-sponsored event or because of connections from MTSU,” he says.

As such, once Alexander graduates in May of 2012 with a Mass Communications degree specializing in Electronic Media Production, he plans to continue to pursue his love of technology and television with his own business. For Alexander, it’s not work. It’s more like inspired action that pays the bills.

Mary Ann Kaylor

As a junior Recording Industry student studying in the area of Music Business with a minor in Entrepreneurship, Mary Ann Kaylor has already made a name for herself in her chosen industry. Along with her two sisters — avid concert goers who love to check out new talent on the weekends — Kaylor began Kaylor Girl Promotions in 2008.

“We provide a professional level street team for artists currently but not limited to the country and rock genres. We also specialize in Merchandise Sales and promoting events,” Kaylor says. “We have been over the talent portion of festivals — booking, set up, sound, everything.”

As regulars on the music scene in Auburn, Alabama, the girls built connections in the local music industry and began to get hired to help rev up crowds during shows – usually by choreographing dance moves to fit the songs that bands were playing and to get fans to join in.

“I went to as many shows as possible and got my friends to attend. I started to build relationships with bar owners, radio station owners, bands, and loyal fans. I got their feedback and started to help out.”

Friends of the sisters have now joined the group, and their services keep expanding. As CEO of Kaylor Girl Productions, Kaylor is excited about the growth of her family business.

“We keep an up to date website of events throughout the Southeast, artist profiles, places to book, CD reviews, and blogs,” Kaylor says. “We have 12 girls currently, all featured on our website, and located in Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. We are always looking to expand.”

Kaylor credits part of her success in the music industry to her experience with MTSU’s Recording Industry program.

“I think that my college education over the years has helped in the correct development of Kaylor Girl Promotions. I do feel that MTSU has provided the greatest opportunities for us with the Recording Industry and business program.”

Kaylor plans to continue improving her education, and keeping Kaylor Girl Productions successfully thriving in the music industry.

“I think this business will always be a big part of my life. I hope that it continues to grow and help artists obtain their dreams while giving fans a great experience at shows.”

Former Major League pitcher Tommy John, who saved his career and revolutionized his sport by undergoing a groundbreaking operation was the luncheon speaker at MTSU’s 2012 Baseball in “Literature and Culture Conference,” Friday, March 30.

John had amassed a 13-3 record for the Los Angeles Dodgers by July 1974 when a ligament in his pitching elbow ruptured. In a three-hour operation in September 1974, Dodgers team surgeon Dr. Frank Jobe replaced the ligament in John’s left elbow with one taken from a tendon in the pitcher’s right wrist. The surgery had been performed previously on wrists and hands, but never on an elbow.

In a 26-season career with six different franchises, John posted 288 wins, 164 of them post-surgery, placing him seventh all-time among Major League southpaws. However, he is best known for what is now called “Tommy John surgery,” a procedure that has extended literally hundreds of athletes’ careers.

Anti-Genocide activist and humanitarian Carl Wilkens, a Rwanda Civil War Survivor, urged MTSU students to enter a world ‘Outside My Shoes.’ Wilkens, the only American who chose to stay in Rwanda when the country’s civil war erupted in April 1994, address the MTSU audience, March 28, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building.

Wilkens is the founder of Spokane-based “World Outside My Shoes,” which is “a nonprofit educational and professional development organization committed to inspiring and equipping people to enter the world of ‘the other,’” according to its website, www.worldoutsidemyshoes.org .

The former head of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International, Wilkens has received the Dignitas Humana Award from Saint John’s School of Theology Seminary and a 2005 Medal of Valor from the Simon Wiesenthal Center for his work.

He has been interviewed for “The Few Who Stayed: Defying Genocide,” an American Radio Works documentary that aired on National Public Radio; “Ghosts of Rwanda,” a “Frontline” documentary that aired on PBS television; “BBC Newshour;” “The Windsor Star;” and “The New York Times,” among others.

This event was sponsored by the MTSU College of Liberal Arts, the Distinguished Lecture Fund, the MTSU Department of Political Science, the Student Government Association and ROTARACT.

Five Actors from the London Stage share their backstage insights into performing Shakespeare’s comedy “Twelfth Night” at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre.

The visiting quintet of spring 2012 Actors from the London Stage (AFTLS) troupe included Richard Daniel Stacey, Katherine Heath, Michael Palmer, Dan Winter and Jennifer Higham.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 80% of African-American women are overweight. Former Blue Raiders Toni Carey (’05) and Ashley Hicks (’05) are trying to do something to improve those frightening statistics.

In 2009, Carey (pictured at left) and Hicks (right) created Black Girls RUN! (www.blackgirlsrun.com). Their mission is to encourage African-American women to make fitness and healthy living a priority, thereby lowering the number of women with chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease associated with an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle.

The two co-founders of BGR! are past roommates and AKA sorority sisters at MTSU. Hicks was
chapter president while Carey was treasurer – meaning the pair worked on many projects together during their college years. That synergy was revived when Hicks – a former PBS documentary maker, recent Columbia University graduate and current nonprofit marketing manager based in Atlanta, formed BGR! with Carey, currently a publicist based in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Hicks says after graduation from MTSU, her own lifestyle became more sedentary – a common problem in today’s workforce. Before long, the former MTSU soccer player had gained weight. “I’d always been athletic and an athlete, but that changed after college,” she says. “So I started running. That’s my personal story.”

GBR!, which started as a blog filled with information about running, nutrition and health, is now a coalition of almost 60 running groups across the U.S. representing an incredible 25,000 women (see http://www.blackgirlsrun.com/running-groups/). Many of those members have started running in half or full marathons, or starting with 5K races. “It makes us feel good about what we’re doing,” Hicks says.

One particularly feel-good moment for Hicks occurred at a recent marathon in New Orleans where 130 BGR! members from across America traveled to that city to run with Carey and Hicks.

“It was an incredible experience,” Hicks says. “Just to meet and greet all these women who got involved.”

What lies ahead? Hicks says she hopes to grow BGR!’s membership base to 50,000 by this time next year. Together with Carey, the two social entreprenuers have also launched a nonprofit branded merchandise line (www.blackgirlsrun.bigcartel.com) that they hope will enable BGR! to keep running as a completely free enterprise (most such running groups across the nation charge fees.)

Other goals are to expand the program to teenage girls, as well as to cultivate running groups in the so-called “Stroke Belt” – the deep South – where obesity in African American female populations is particularly acute and where BGR! running groups haven’t yet proliferated.

“We’re really hoping to get into those areas and get people running,” Hicks says.

It all adds up to an impressive startup for a grassroots operation with its roots at MTSU.

MTSU student Mitchell Woltring has written a paper, “Weighing the Real Moneyball Question: When is college the better choice for MLB-drafted high school baseball players,” which appeared in the January 2012 issue of CollegeSportsBusinessNews.com. Woltring is currently in his final semester in Sports Management and plans to pursue his Ph.D. in Human Performance.

MTSU radio station WMOT, 89.5 FM airs “On the Record” with Gina Logue Monday’s at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday’s at 8 a.m. The interview with Woltring will air Monday April 2nd and Sunday April 8th or anytime at WMOT.org and MTSUNews.com at Audio Clips.