What's Happening Wednesday: The Perks of Being a COM Major

Hey, Mounties! This week I felt like there wasn't even an option of deciding what to feature for What's Happening Wednesday. Some students and faculty from the Department of Communication took a trip to NYC this week! I think it's fantastic that MU provides this opportunity for students studying communications and wish I was able to go with! Luckily, Sarah Ryan (model from last week's Friday Five) filled me in on what happened during their visit.

Day One:

The students and faculty left MU around 8:30 a.m. so they could make it to the city by the early afternoon. After dropping off their bags and settling into The Hotel Eddison NYC in Times Square, they took off to take a tour of CBS Studios.

(Photo credit: Prof. James Lohrey)

At CBS Studios, they toured several stations and even got to meet Mike Francesa! Mike Francesca brought in two lucky students (Sarah Ryan and Kyle Thompson) and interviewed them on his show. If you're not big into sports like I am, then you might not know who he is. But for all of the sports fans out there, you might recognize his name! While Sarah and Kyle were being interviewed, 1.5 million people were listening. Sarah and Kyle definitely got their 15 seconds (or more) of fame while they visited NYC.

(Photo credit: Kelsey Kaufmann)

After their tour of CBS Studios, the students and faculty were free to do whatever they'd like. Some went out on the town, others relaxed in the hotel room, and Sarah met up with Kelsey Kaufmann (from my first Mountie Monday post!), who is currently interning for VH1.

Day Two:

(Photo credit: Prof. James Lohrey)

For the second day in NYC, they had a pretty early start! They left their hotel around 5:45 a.m. so they could watch Good Morning America from the studio. There isn't usually an audience in the actual studio for GMA but they made sure to make room for MU.

(Photo credit: Julianna Card)

For all of the country fans out there, be jealous. The MU students and faculty got to see Dierks Bentley perform and were even seen on TV!

(Photo credit: Prof. James Lohrey)

After their exciting morning at GMA, they took a tour of ABC studios thanks to MU alum, Rob Weigand (and recent alum, Tony Fannick.) Other than sitting behind Diane Sawyer's desk, they were able to see all of the different departments of ABC that you don't see behind a TV screen (graphic design, marketing, sales). 

Day Three:

(Photo credit: Prof. James Lohrey)

On the third and last day, the group woke up early again to see The Bethenny Show. Some of the group had front row seats and walked away with some of Bethenny's Skinny Girl Nutrition Bars. 

After having a few very eventful days in NYC, Sarah Ryan told me her favorite part about the trip, "It was nice to bond with everyone in the COM department because we don't all get to hang out with each other outside of class. Also, it was interesting to see how broad the field really is and a great way to make connections."

I hope everyone had an amazing time and I encourage anyone in the COM department to take full advantage of this trip next year!