Resume

Gretchen Joy Gabrielson
603.438.0440
gretchen.gabrielson@furman.edu

Education:

-Furman University
• Majoring in Communication’s Studies
• Dean’s List (Spring 2013)
• Have maintained high academic performance and integrity throughout my academic career
• Greenville, SC

-Winnacunnet High School
• Served as Student Body President
• Served as team captain for two varsity sports
• Hampton, NH

Employment:
-Camp Counselor
• Worked from 2011-2013 with girls from 14-16 years old at Camp Brookwoods and Deer Run in Alton NH
-Babysitter
• Worked for different members of my local community in New Hampshire by taking care of their children
-Resident Advisor (2012-2013)
• Greek RA: Helped to make my pledge class cohesive, worked solving roommate conflicts and acted as a peer mentor
• Apartment RA: Assisted with apartment visits, roommate conflicts, overall wellbeing of Furman University Upperclassmen
• RA of the Year (2013)
• Wayne King Award for Distinguished Achievement (2013)

Activities:
-Senior Class President
• Innovating the Senior Class Gift for the Class of 2015
• Planning events for the Senior Class to raise money for the Senior Class Gift
-Junior Class President
• Planning the Annual Junior Senior Dance for upperclassmen
• Student Liaison for Furman University

-Delta Delta Delta
• Recruitment Round Chair: helped plan an individual round for sorority recruitment
• Focus on philanthropy with St. Jude Research Hospital and the local Frazee Dream Center

-Orientation Staff
• A member of the fall orientation team in which the team orients new students to Furman University the week before classes begin
-Homecoming Court
• Represented my peers of the class of 2015
– Division One Track and Field Thrower
• Recruited to throw Discus, Shot Put, Javelin, Weight, Hammer for the Women’s Track and Field Team
-RUF
• A group based off of faith and encouraging yourself in the midst of one’s college career

Skills:
-Proficient in Public Speaking
-Proficient in Latin
-Adobe Photoshop
-Premiere Elements
-Garage Band

High School Experience Involvement:
Committees: Student Government: Sophomore Class Vice President (2008), Junior Class Vice President (2009), Student Body President ( 2011):(Student Government 3 years), Poetry Out Loud Finalist (2008: 9th Grade), Poetry Out Loud Finalist (2009: 10th grade), Winnacore: Honor Society for Exceptional service (2010), Quill and Scroll: National Honor Society for Journalists (2010-2011), Prom Committee, Winnachronicle (High School Newspaper): columnist (2008-2011), Fellowship of Christian Athletes: Student Leader ( 2007-2008) Assistant Principal interviewing committee: I helped interviewing possible candidates for a the position of Assistant Principal at Winnacunnet High School (2010), National Latin Exam (2008-2011), Refined University Fellowship (2011-2012).

Community Service: Lara Bunce Memorial Walk (2008), Breast Cancer Walk (2008) John McCain Campaign (2008), Warriors to Be: Field Hockey pick-up games to help beginning players with their game (2007-2009), Student Leader Bethany Church: Supporting young adults in their walk with Jesus Christ (2008-2011), Sunday School Teacher: 1st – 6th grade (2009-2011), Friends of Winnacunnet Track and Field Liaison (2009-2010), Collection of Pennies for victims of the Haiti crisis: with the help of Student Government (2010), Student Liaison to improve cell phone policy at Winnacunnet High School, (2009-2010) Winnacunnet High School Announcements Director(2009-2011).

Sports: European Field Hockey Trip: I traveled to Ireland, Italy, France, Switzerland and Austria competing against different club teams (2008), European Field Hockey Trip Captain (2008), freshman/ JV/ V Field Hockey (2007), JV/V Field Hockey (2008), JV/V Field Hockey (2009), Indoor Track (2008-2011), Varsity Letter in Indoor Track (2009-2011), Varsity Spring Track (2008-2011), Varsity Letter (2009-2011), Rookie of the Year: Spring Track (2008), JV Field Hockey Captain (2008, 2009), JV Steady Stick: Sportsmanship and Steady Play Award (2008), JV Tournament Most Valuable Player (2008), Indoor Track Most Improved (2009), Spring Track Most Improved (2009), JV Field Hockey Most Outstanding Performer (2009), Spaulding Invitational’s Most Outstanding Thrower (2010), Pat Polletta Memorial Award: for exceptional Community Service, Leadership and Athletic Achievement (2010), Winter Track Captain (2011), Spring Track Captain (2011), Indoor Track Unsung Hero (2011), Outdoor Track MVP (2011), thrower for the Paladins: Track and Field (2011-2012).

Miscellaneous: Rotary’s Four Way Test Competition Winner (2009), HOBY: Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership (2009), Student Leader Bethany Church: Supporting young adults in their walk with Jesus Christ (2008-2011), Sunday School Teacher: 1st – 6th grade (2009-2011), Prom Queen (2010), eight week intensive Leadership Development Program: consisting of a six day hike, including a twenty-four hour solo and a nine day canoe trip.

The power of the WEB

THE WEB HAS POWER. Yes it is truly. It is truly changing us and thereby changing our society. Thinking back to the very first article we read, the internet has changed the way we think and learn thereby changing the way in which society takes in information. In a generation of scanning texts and looking for the most important information, we have been trained by the web thereby then training us how to use the web and then in turn how to make and create sites.

Effective print has a clear and concise science to it. The main point to take from a successful website is to be clear and concise and not to over indulge the reader with unnecessary information. Furthermore, it is important to assist in the direction we are pursing in technology.

The power of the Audience

No single person interprets the same thing in the same way. We each see things so differently and do not truly understand how another views a certain perspective. Therefore, it is important to think about that when creating web content. It is important to create with the audience in mind because these individuals will be the deciding factor on how successful an individual is. Therefore, it is important to do some research and figure out information in an attempt to truly understand who you are providing content for.

In my case my website has a focus on allowing the audience to get a better understanding of who I am and my passions and aspirations and how I got there. This allows me to connect with people looking for certain qualities and characteristics I possess. Therefore there will be a definite push on my website to get people out on the web to know me and some of the things I am passionate about!

In this article there is a major focus on getting to know the audience and in turn getting the audience to know you creating a type of cyber relationship that provides a unique way for people to get to know each other over the web without even meeting. This concept is interesting to me because it demonstrates a form of innovative communication that has limitless power.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is a relationship built through a website considered a real one?
2. How does an audience determine success?

the vital role of the USER

We learn quickly that it is truly the user that provides the success of the product at hand. Due to the satisfaction of simple everyday pleasure such as cars, coaches, pencils, straws and other types of mechanisms that have been innovated and thereby proven worthy by those who use them, these products stay around to experience success.

This is no different than what we find on the internet, with the use of websites. It is truly the user that has decides the fate of the site and truly decides what stays and what gets the cut as far as website innovation. Jesse James Garrett depicts this through his work entitled The Elements of User Experience .

Websites, as depicted, can be a challenge especially when one is trying to digitally express oneself through digital technology. With the discussion of concepts such as user generated design as well as fully comprehending how to have successful and overall appealing site.

Chapter two begins with the concept of the Five Planes including the Surface, Skeleton, Structure, Scope and Strategy Plane, all of which are building block concepts. Each place is strategy put together to depict this type of image:
elemts

As one works through each of the planes you gain a stronger innovative plan for your site. It is truly best to complete the planning for one plane before one begins another. In the user experience however one also has this sense of duality, meaning a product as function and a product as informational that divides each plane in half as depicted above. This adds more meaning a strength for the full innovative effect.

This organization is truly important and will provide a successful innovative and thoroughly thought out site which will help the strategist as he/she works through creating a successful site.

Discussion Questions:
1. Is there a plane that is more important than another? Why or Why not?
2. Does successful completion of one plane help the innovative progress or can the creator jump from plane to plane?

Garrett, Jesse James. The Elements of User Experience: User-centered Design for the Web and beyond. Berkeley, CA: New Riders, 2011. Print.

student orgs and their benefits continued

As I continue on my quest to investigate Student Orgs I really want to show those around me the benefits of finding involvement in different organizations.

My argument is built around the concept that student orgs benefits the development and the whole person of a student. With interviews between students and student org directors in sorority and fraternities as well as o-staff, housing and res life, RLC, FUSAB, SGA, Diversity Council and other orgs on campus. My goal is to get a vast group of students and the benefits they have found in student orgs.

My beginning with be walking into the Trone Center and headed to the student orgs common room. From there I will use a montage of cuts as well as shots and interviews of meetings and events held by student orgs. My conclusion will be that student orgs is a major benefit to the individual as well as large scale. 

Filming for Newbies

I am a newbie to all things technology. I am not a gifted artist or talented at an having an “eye” for creativity. When asked to craft for my little during Big/Little week I had major panic attack throughout my endeavors as all things artistic, creative or innovative is not my talent nor forte.

However, after reading this article describing the ease in which film production can be created I have learned that expressing myself creativity is not as hard as it seems and there is some order to what can seem as the order less in art.

Point of view is extremely important. It is truly important when filming because it validates the point that the author is attempting to make and to demonstrate to those around him/her. The way I see things is different from the way another sees things and through accurate comprehension of point of view one can better be able to understand or see what I so clearly understand. First, second and third person narration as well as point of view plays into this concept as well as the narration of either of these three provides a certain understanding and comprehension on the audience. A switch from third to first person narration in a film can easy change the meaning behind the argument that the producing is attempting to create.

Another important concept for beginner directors is to think about the audiences point of view as well. When creating a film one cannot exclude the audience for forget their importance in the understanding of the argument being made by the director.

Filming and the creativity that goes along with it is not as difficult as I originally thought and is easily achieved if one considers both their point of view as well as the audience’s when creating their film.

Sight vs. Sound

In our day and age we are living in a world that allows us to understand and perceive the world around us through the visuals we see. Visual images are everything and mean a lot to the understanding and comprehension of the world around us. In Osgood and Hinshaw’s article “The Aesthetics of Editing” this concept is no new term.

Visuals are not only a concept that is used in modern day but was also used for communication in the past. Visuals have always been a fool proof way of communicating with others that speak different languages. When I hike the trail maps and signs that appear along the trail are often not in word form but instead through the use of symbols, thereby communicating to everyone on the trail regardless of the language spoken where to travel.

This article was much like the article that I blogged about prior to this blog. Osgood and Hinshaw touch on the psychology of visuals and how we as individuals each perceive images differently. The use of This Old House demonstrate just this.

There is also discussion of the use of a story board to plan out the most effective execution of the visuals that will be used. The story board is a visual depiction of the story about to be told and thereby prepares the story for filming and includes techniques for camera shooting including rhythm and pace as well as continuity and the necessity of framing. The sequence including transition and cut is also very important to the comprehensive story telling found in video imaging.

Editing is extremely important as it enables the filmer to pick and choose what is best depicted and important in terms of getting main points and perspectives across to the audience.

Overall visuals are extremely important and are a major mode of communication in our world.

Discussion Questions:
1. How does visual communication play a role in your life?
2.What surprises you about the prevalence of visual communication?

Angle is Everything

In life I have truly realized that the way a situation, occurrence or event is portrayed effects the way the audience or consumer views this situation, occurrence or event. Perspective is absolutely everything and has purpose in our daily life. Serving as a Resident Assistant for the Greek Village and for the apartments in North Village has truly solicited this concept. When an incident happens I have to take note of it and gather witnesses and information. They way this information is given to more or rather the way in which an individual decides to angle or under the perspective of another changes my perspective or understanding of the situation at hand. Zettl’s article is no exception to this tangible example as he goes on to explain the way in which videos are shot and the image that appears is for a reason and gives the audience the perspective and the image it has planned to have done.

Angles are everything. The way in which a visual is aesthetically depicted has a lot to do with a preplanned thought or understanding implanted. The ways in which this is accomplished is through the vertical and horizontal as well as the effects the tilted plane gives off. Other techniques include the magnetism and use of the edges and  the use of diagonals and asymmetry and how that effects what we often are first drawn to when we see a visual.

Zettl also explores the psychology that is apart of the way we view images. No human being sees the same thing the same way, everyone sees things differently and comprehends things in a different light. Therefore although there is a certain strength in predetermining what the audience will be focused on, each audience member will in fact view things differently. At a recent CLP held at Furman University ( a CLP is a require to graduate and one student needs 32, they are often speakers that speak to different interests) the guest speaker talked about just this and how we as individuals view things in such different ways and no matter how hard we try no one person will see things the other will.

Words are important as they are a solid way of getting a point across however, as depicted in this article, pictures can also have the same effect. Pictures also have the power to send meaningful messages and we as the director and editor have the power to manipulate the frame and angles to depict our message.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do the way we visually see things effect our perspective?

2. How can images be a more effective means of communication rather than  words?