BUIES CREEK – Eight eager Communication Studies prospects joined experienced an in-depth look at what it’s like to major in the subject at Campbell on Oct. 29.
The high school students first learned how to use the equipment in the program’s new television studio and worked both behind the scenes and in front of the camera.
They then participated in an advertising challenge along with their parents and Communications Studies graduates Shelley Hobbs and Renee Green. Each group was given a different snack and instructed to create an advertising campaign for it. After researching the product, brainstorming adjectives and designing a new character to represent the product, teams shared their campaign with the other groups.
The ad campaigns included a Texas cactus with a Frito tumbleweed, an orange car with pretzel wheel tires and a French onion that fell in love with the sun (thus, creating a Sunchip).
Students then set out on their way to Baldwin, hoping to find a good news story along the way.
Three current Campbell students became the story as an athlete “fell” and became “injured” in front of the orange golf cart of watchful prospective students. The students then used various resources to report the news – including a notepad, camera and video camera.
After taking notes on the story, they went to the Campbell Times office in Baldwin to write the story and report it.
Lastly, the students went back to the television studio where they were met with a health Ccommunication crisis. A hurricane had hit their town and as PR representatives for the local hospital, they were presented with quite a challenge.
The students discussed the best way to represent the situation and then held a press conference, where the “media” (faculty and staff) hounded them with questions.
“The students had a great time getting to know one another and learning more about their future at Campbell University,” said Greene, admissions coordinator for the College of Arts & Sciences. “Both students and parents left excited about Communication Studies at Campbell University.”