By Lauren Gooch, Contributing Writer
“Community Connections” is a Susquehanna University broadcasting program which seeks to serve the local community by providing news stories on positive, community events.
By reporting on sports, art, music, charity events, local businesses and more, we are here to use our communications talents to serve others, acting as a link between the campus and the surrounding communities.
Senior Lauren Gooch has decided to take on this mission as part of her Senior Departmental Honors Project for the Communications Department.
This program is very similar to the online digital multi-media broadcasting company in her hometown that she has worked for over the past four years, called The Home Page Network
(www.thehomepagenetwork.com).
“After working here for the past four years, I have realized the incredible opportunity it has provided me with to advance my skills in the communications field, while also serving the community I call home,” Gooch said. “I want to give other students the opportunity to have an entire portfolio of professional, hands-on work by the time they graduate college… I want the community to have a free advertising service, a way to tell their stories and a way to bring people together – both within the community and within the university.”
Gooch spent the fall semester speaking with local business owners and community members to discover how strong they feel the current relationship between the campus and community is. From those to whom she has spoken, there seems to be a common theme of desiring a closer relationship between the campus and the community.
This project will help to connect the campus community while also giving students the opportunity to expand their skills, develop their resume and serve the community. This project is an example of what it truly means to achieve, lead and serve. Students will gain experience in interviewing local business owners, coaches, teachers and other members of the community to report on positive, local events.
Correspondents will improve skills such as public speaking, teamwork, listening, decision-making and writing.
Those working behind the camera will gain experience with filming, photography, video editing and publishing.
Once completed, each of these stories will eventually be posted on a website for members of the community to view for free at any time.
Since this program is focused on building relationships, Community Connections will be offered as a part of the organization PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America).
Students of all majors and class years are welcome. Training will be provided and no experience is necessary. Students will be able to have their first story completed and ready to include in their resume by the end of this semester. Interested students should contact Lauren Gooch at gooch@susqu.edu.
The editorials of The Quill reflect the views of individual members of the editorial board. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the entire editorial board or of the university. The content of the Forum page is the responsibility of the editor in chief and the Forum editor