ASU Alumni: Dave Hargis
Sometimes, you gotta hit the PAUSE button. Take a breath! Stop for coffee. You know the drill. Most people think stopping is the tricky part, but it’s really not. Stopping is easy. The tricky part is getting going again. Getting things back together. Picking up the pieces. Jumping back on that horse! Okay … too many cliches … I get it. Here’s the thing.
The Paw Print is back with a new website, new writers (mostly), and a new attitude! It’s bringing new energy and new opportunities for students, faculty, and staff, to join in and create a positive voice for our campus community and beyond. They’ve got the tools, the technology, the vision, and the drive to succeed. They just need one more thing.
For that to happen, the Paw Print needs … Engaged Readers. They need YOU! They need to know what’s on your mind. What you like, and what you don’t. What questions you have and what kind of answers you’re looking for. For that to happen, we need to communicate. It’s essential. Every community you find yourself in, personally and professionally, will develop ways to communicate, typically, newspapers, radio stations, blogs, vlogs, newsletters, podcasts, or other media. For these communication channels to be meaningful, they have to be engaging, and they have to include YOU!
Now, I can feel the eye-rolls from here, and I know many readers might think there’s no value in this for them. Let me prove you wrong. Many of you are already engaging on social media. Some with likes, follows, maybe some comments. That’s not bad, but it’s only one level of communication. Basic social interaction. To create a thriving community, at work or home, you need to learn how to interact on a deeper level. You need to find sources of information in your community and understand what they mean (aka read the paper, online or off, by subscription or at the library). Then you need to respond with intentionality, either directly or indirectly. Letters to the Editor. Changing buying habits. Joining the PTA or a local Board of Directors. Become a part of your community, not a bystander.
Every class you’re taking, every project you research, and every presentation you give is ultimately teaching you how to obtain, process, and redirect information. The newspaper, radio station, and all those other media choices are part of the same mix. Teaching you other ways to engage with people and organizations within your community in order to create a more positive, thriving culture. There are things you need to know. Things you should be sharing. Media is the way we do it, and while social media is okay, in some respects, it doesn’t reach everyone and seldom has the scope needed to effectively communicate deeper concepts.
There are reasons professionals publish in journals, write books, and create bylines. In depth articles and reporting really don’t Tweet well or fit nicely into a TikTok video. Join Us, so we can learn, engage, and grow together.
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