The constant transformation of technology is something that must be continually observed and discussed on a mass scale, and the SXSW Interactive platform is the ideal arena for this discussion. This festival is absolutely necessary for anyone who seeks to have a profession that involves the usage of digital media technology. As a student who is very much interested in the digital media landscape, I believe that participating in the SXTXState Project is the quintessential way to propel me forth on my career path.
I had the opportunity to cover the SXSW Interactive festival as part of the Advanced Online Media course offered at Texas State University during the Spring 2012 semester. As a class of almost 20, we were able to produce an extensive amount of coverage of SXSW Interactive panels for the class’s website. I couldn’t begin to explain how big of an impact that experience had on my life and burgeoning career. The things that I learned and observed during that time have come to heavily influence the decisions that I’m currently making for my future.
While that was a fruitful experience, I did feel that not all members of the team were as invested in the project as others. Upon hearing that the SXTXState Project would be a separate endeavor in the Mass Communication Program in Spring 2013, and would consist of only five members, I immediately saw this as the perfect opportunity to revamp our university’s presence at the SXSW Interactive festival. While the team has shrunk in numbers, I believe that this approach will give the program a chance to cover the event more thoroughly, aggressively, and purposefully, due to the selective and competitive nature of course enrollment.
I see myself as an ideal candidate for this innovative course because of my aforementioned exposure to the project that it is based on. Because I know what to expect, I would be able to use my first-hand experience to prepare not only myself, but also the other members of the team. Those who have not previously participated in the project would benefit from this for understandable reasons. I also believe that my insight could be of value to those who did participate. As quasi-veterans, we would be able to compare our impressions of the experience and analyze how we could make the project better for ourselves, and for the consumers we would be producing material for.
Additionally, I’ve been able to take every single one of the new media-related graduate courses offered at Texas State University. I can truly say that each course has equipped me with invaluable technical and theoretical skills that I’ve been able to apply to personal, professional and educational projects. I believe that the knowledge I’ve gained as a New Media Concentration student has prepared me to proficiently interact with panelists and attendees alike. I strongly feel that this preparation will allow me to engage at a higher level of communication than I would have been able to otherwise.
If awarded the privilege to participate in the SXTXState Project, I would be given the opportunity to cap off an incredible two-year experience as a graduate student in the Mass Communication Program at Texas State University. As many students and faculty can reaffirm, individuals who have observed the work of our program have consistently expressed how impressive our school is. It is because of innovative methods, such as the SXTXState Project, that we are being recognized and viewed in such a positive light. I would be beyond honored to be one of the many reasons for this recognition.
Even if I don’t get the opportunity to participate in this project, I will be confident in its execution because I will know that the best people were selected to represent our university. In the end, that’s truly what matters.
Kiana’s Work from SXSW 2012
SXSWi 2012 Interview with Deanna Zandt
SXSWi 2012 Interview with Brian Conley
SXSWi 2012 Interview with Kristin Russo
Additional Info:
New Media Concentration: Yes
Been to SXSW Before: Yes – 2010 (music only), 2011 (music only), 2012 (interactive and music)
Been in Program Since: 2011
Relevant TXST Courses: Issues in New Media, Online Media Design, Advanced Online Media, Content Management Systems
Other Courses: n/a
Website: www.kianafitzgerald.com
Blog: www.kianafitzgerald.com/blog
Twitter: @KianaFitz
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kianafitzgerald
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kiana.jewell
Other: Co-Site Designer and Contributor for SXTXState.com: sxtxstate.com/author/kiana-fitzgerald; Lead Site Developer and Contributor for TXStateOfChange.com: txstateofchange.com/node/55
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Having attended SXSW the past two years, one can see the potential this conference/festival has to offer in furthering your understanding of new upcoming technologies, films, and music. By experiencing SXSW, you are not only consuming mass volumes of valuable and cultural information, but you are simultaneously providing the kinetics necessary for keeping this gathering of international minds moving.
If Kiana Fitzgerald is sent to SXSW this year, she will be provided the opportunity to advance her knowledge or engagement with the media machine and be able to network with important individuals who may aid her in her career as a mass communication professional.
Kiana was a hardworking under grad and now is proving to be a hardworking grad student. She has a great attitude about work and is an artful juggler – in a multitasking sense.
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Kiana is one of the most professional and hard working people I know. After knowing her for some time I have seen her excell and persevere at a collegiate level. She has recieved many acknowledgments at Texas State and all a representation of her hard work. No doubt about it, she will do a wonderful job if winning these tickets for Sxsw. Aside from all this she is a lover of music, all genres so this would just be another experience for this diligent worker to show what she’s all about.
Kiana is the ultimate communicator, with excellent creative and technical skills, from photography to web design. I had the pleasure of working with Kiana as the editor for the Texas State of Change project. She lead the design and construction of the website for our Knight News Challenge funded data reporting project. Not only is she a focused and highly motivated, but she is constantly challenging herself to learn new skills and add to her accomplishments. I would be honored to work with her again as part of the 2013 SXTXState Team.
Since I met Kiana last fall, she has continually impressed me with her intellect, creativity and talent. With the digital media skills she has developed through new media coursework and internship experience, she is more than qualified to provide high quality coverage for this project. She is self motivated and disciplined, balancing a dizzying workload with poise and professionalism. Most importantly, she is a team player. It is always a pleasure to work with Kiana, and it would be great to work with her on the SXTXState project.
SXSW is an extraordinary event that offers a tremendous learning experience and opportunity to connect with other persons involved in media technologies. Kiana has an amazing history with Texas State University. She is an astonishing student that has applied her studies inside of the classroom to the outside world through her internship, job positions and personal projects. Her experiences and abilities would offer the SXTXState Project team great insight into SXSW.
Kiana has an impeccable amount of knowledge and an outstanding work ethic. After getting to know her over these past years she has become a personal inspiration to me. She also stands as a respectable leader, which is exactly what the SXTXState project needs.
Kiana not only is a dedicated, driven student/individual. But she is a very enthusiastic, remarkable talent. Any task presented to her, in every aspect, she goes above and beyond assuring perfection. Not to mention her vast knowledge and passion for all genres of music, she is the most suitable fit for this program.
Thank you so, so much to everybody that took the time to vote for and comment on my SXTXState proposal! I realize that this final thought is a bit late, but better late than never, right?
I just wanted to briefly mention the notable influence that ethnic groups are capable of having on social media, as discussed in my Issues in New Media class over the summer. After reading how Sara Peralta proposes to cover SXSWi for the Latino community, I realized that I’d like to do the same. My particular situation involves Twitter and the presence of African American influence.*
I had the opportunity to interview influential Twitter user Dr. Goddess for the SXTXState Project earlier this year. She led a panel at SXSWi 2012 that was appropriately named “The Bombastic Brilliance of Black Twitter.” Here’s how Dr. Goddess explained the phenomenon during our interview:
“You have to look at black culture first. You start to see the essential interests: it’s the language we use, it’s what we pay attention to, it’s how we express what we like, how we talk about what we like, it’s the friends we create, the businesses we form, the people we support, the music we listen to. Black Twitter is black culture on Twitter, and you have to have a clue as to what black culture is in order to recognize it and appreciate it.”
I was able to experience this “brilliance” firsthand through this proposal.
I’m an active Twitter user and find myself engaging with other African American Twitter users more than any other race. The interconnected web of African Americans that I interact with is extremely diverse. From age, to occupation, to hobbies, to personal beliefs; we’re all extremely different. Whether these differences are debated or embraced, we choose to support one another as often as possible.
The support of my proposal is a perfect example of this. This page has been tweeted or retweeted almost 50 times over the past few weeks, and has been voted for nearly 3x that amount. I want to make it clear that I am in no way bragging: I’m saying this to illustrate the power of ethnic influence.
I feel that the black community is largely ignored, in terms of new media discussion. If I’m chosen to represent the SXTXState Project, I would be able to directly ask this community what they would be interested in, and deliver for them. These individuals would be providing me with just as much insight as I would be providing to them. As previously mentioned, the sharing power of this group is profound and would be extremely beneficial to the SXTXState Project. Not only would my associates be able to efficiently share SXTXState content, they would also have the chance to offer a different perspective during topic discussion. I feel that my established relationship with this community would bring a remarkable element to the SXTXState Project that has not yet been introduced.
*Note: Not only African Americans constitute the Black Twitter community. I also interact with many Caucasian and Latino users who have chosen to belong to this group because of aligned interests and ideologies.