On Friday October 28 members of the Association for Women and Men in Communications arrived in Baltimore for their tours of several major communications facilities. Students were looking forward to a day of fun and learning in one of the major cities for communications on the East Coast. After arriving in the city, students were given the option of touring either the Orioles Stadium at Camden Yards or ABC-2 television station. The tour of Camden Yards included a behind the scenes look at how this famous stadium operates so successfully. The communications studio, the press box, the club level and even the stands were some of the destinations on this informative tour. Afterwards, students met with Julie Wagner, marketing director for the Orioles, who gave an explanation of her job and its responsibilities. She explained the importance of community outreach for the Orioles team, and she said it serves two purposes. First, it is morally a good thing to do and second, it also attracts good media attention.
The tour of ABC-2 studios was just as enjoyable. Students were given an in-depth look at how a news station works and exactly how much effort goes into every newscast. Students even got to meet some of the members of the news team and watch them do their segments. Vinnie DeFedetto, a student on this tour, said, “It was phenomenal how skilled the weatherman was. All I can say is it’s gonna rain.” This tour was especially useful for anyone interested in broadcast media or a future career in news.
Lunch was a buffet at ESPNZone where students dined on everything from pasta and cheeseburgers to salad, cookies and brownies. After this it was time to split again to tour two separate public relations firms, TCB Public Relations and IMRE Public Relations. Both firms do public relations for major companies such as Target and the American Red Cross. Students were presented with not only information about the companies and their goals but actual case studies as well. Questions were answered about finding jobs, writing resumes and career planning. The leader of IMRE gave students helpful hints when looking for that first job. He said, “Remember that you are accepting a potential career, not just a 9 to 5 job. You have to like where you’re working because you will spend a lot of your time there.” He also noted the importance of writing thank-you notes to those who interviewed you and making them memorable.
After these events students were allowed to spend the evening enjoying the city of Baltimore. Many people had dinner at one of the many restaurants in Inner Harbor or took a stroll through several of the shopping areas. Other students took advantage of the exciting nightlife in the city.
Everyone was ready to relax after a long day of listening and learning. Nikki Kilroy, a senior communications major, said, “I love Baltimore and Baltimore loves me.” Saturday morning marked the end of the trip as students left their hotel and headed back to West Chester after a very successful experience.
The Association for Women and Men in Communications holds an event like this almost every year, and the Baltimore trip was another great accomplishment to add to their history.
Communications students are encouraged to get actively involved in learning more about potential careers in this major, and these trips are an excellent way to do just that.