We Run This Show: Kayla Hill '13

This week's student spotlight proves that you don't have to be an upperclassman to play a big role at D3TV. Kayla Hill '13 is only a sophomore, but she has already taken on a prime director position at the station!

As a freshman, Kayla was involved the weekly Training Show that helps teach newcomers the station's equipment, but this semester is her first time being truly involved in the studio. In addition to her participation in the Training Show, Kayla's television experience mainly comes from taking D3TV advisor Larry Abed's Television Production and Televisual Literacy course, which gives students of all ages and experience levels a chance to learn the ins and outs of the station in a classroom setting. Kayla enjoyed the course so much that she wanted to get involved in the station's operations. Currently, Kayla serves as the Archivist for the station, and she is responsible for organizing the station's tape archives and pulling out past programming that current students and viewers will still enjoy.

Like many other DePauw students, Kayla has also put her media interest to use for WGRE, where she hosted a show at 4 AM on Saturday mornings. When she's not hard at work in campus media outlets, Kayla enjoys watching "The Source" or cooking shows. Kayla also shows that members of campus media outlets don't always have to be pursuing a career in the media: she hopes to someday become a linguist and national translator. Kayla has enjoyed her experience in the television station and thinks it is a fun social outlet. "Get a group of friends and think of show ideas," she suggested. If your friends are not interested in being part of on-campus media, Kayla also said that giving the Training Show may be a good place for you to start and a great way to meet people!

Being involved in D3TV (or even just a fan!) can lead to some cool experiences, as our alumni and student spotlights have shown. If you are a D3TV fan, find us on Twitter at @d3tvdepauw! If you are a DePauw student and tweet a suggestion to your followers to follow our Twitter by noon on Friday, April 1st, you will be entered to win one of FOUR tickets we are giving away to the Union Board's Spring Concert! It's just one of the ways that being a D3TV fan can really pay off!

Flashback! Tony Blair's 2008 Ubben Lecture

Tonight, DePauw University will host Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and author of The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains Nicholas Carr as part of the Timothy and Sharon Ubben Lecture Series. The program will take place at 7:30 pm in Kresge Auditorium and is free to students and the public. This is only the second time that the Ubben Lecture Series has featured a debate, so be sure to check it out! 

In honor of the event, we suggest checking out this clip of D3TV's coverage of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Ubben Lecture, which took place in March 2008.

Alumni of the Week: Rachel Pfennig '09

Have you ever wanted to work with celebrities like The Black Eyed Peas or the cast of “So You Think You Can Dance?” For Rachel Pfennig ’09, working at D3TV helped make that dream a reality.

Rachel has always loved performing arts and knew that she wanted to be involved in student media when she was in college. With the encouragement of Nicole Pence ’06, Rachel joined D3TV her first day on DePauw’s campus. Rachel appreciated that every student on campus had the opportunity to get involved in any aspect of the station, whether it was appearing on screen, learning equipment to crew or run a show, or offering creative input. During her four years, Rachel took on any role offered to her within the station, from serving as co-host of “Freshman 15” to taking on the role of Director of Operations and Engineering, a role that she shared with recently spotlighted Scott Reasoner ‘09 (whose spotlight can be found here!). In addition to co-hosting "Freshman 15," Rachel appeared on-air for other favorites such as "The Source" and "The View."

In addition to the traditional D3TV activities that Rachel took part in, she also participated in other media projects while on campus. As an avid thespian and four-year member of Duzer Du and DePauw Theatre, Rachel participated in many theatrical productions, including "Steve Here," which was created by Steve Timm. Rachel served as assistant director for the theatrical production of the show, and she also adapted the performance for D3TV. Shifting a stage show to the television screen proved to be a challenge, but Rachel took on directing and staffing the performance so that it could be shared with the community on television. Rachel's creativity also came out in her work for The DePauw and WGRE; Rachel penned a column for The DePauw called "Pfashion with Pfennig," and she also hosted radio shows for three years, including a stint as a co-host of one of WGRE's longest running shows, "Breakfast with the Babes."

Life after DePauw has been interesting for Rachel, since she has taken on many different roles in the entertainment industry. Viewers of one of Rachel's favorite shows, "30 Rock," may not think the show is an accurate representation of life in the entertainment industry, but Rachel insists it accurately shows what it is like to work on a television show. Rachel was a Production Assistant for the Talent Department of "So You Think You Can Dance?" for two seasons, which gave her the opportunity to meet The Black Eyed Peas when they came to the show as guest artists. The band hired her as their Production Coordinator, and Rachel spent a year traveling the globe with The Black Eyed Peas. Today, Rachel is a creative assistant at Media Arts Lab, an advertising company that works exclusively for Apple, Inc. The position allows Rachel to return to her writing roots, and she is putting her Communications/English Writing degree to good use.

If you someday hope to embark on a career like Rachel's, she suggests taking a tip from Nike and "Just Do It." Rachel believes DePauw students who want to get involved in a particular industry can be successful, they just need to try. "It seems so simple, but most people are too scared and see their dream job is too out of reach," she said.

To help get dream jobs within your reach, Rachel advises reaching out to alumni, even in cities where the alumni network does not seem large, or current faculty members. "It isn't like a state school where thousands and thousands of people are in the network. Since it is a smaller unit of people, DePauw alum are incredibly responsive and willing to help," she said.

Want to see Rachel in action? Check out this clip from her time as co-host of "The View!"

We Run This Show: Amanda Bernardin '13 and Sarah Granger '13

Before all you DePauw students get out of Greencastle for Spring Break (and the rest of you get outside to enjoy Spring!), take some time to get to know sophomores Amanda Bernardin and Sarah Granger!

Amanda and Sarah got their start with the station the same way many D3TV staff members did: by joining "The Source." Amanda spent two semesters serving as a sports reporter for the show while Sarah was a news reporter and anchor. After only a few semesters, they were able to get positions on the D3TV Executive Board. Amanda stuck to her sports roots by taking the position of Sports Director, which means she is in charge of the sports content for "The Source" and any other sports on the station. Sarah is D3TV's Web Director and is responsible for the station's website and overseeing the social media accounts connected to the station.

In addition to her work at D3TV, Amanda is a DJ at WGRE, where she has been involved every semester she has been at DePauw. She knew before enrolling at DePauw that she wanted to be involved in broadcasting, and her time at D3TV has only furthered that passion. Amanda's time at D3TV has encouraged her to pursue a career with a sports production company, and she someday hopes to broadcast for the NFL. Sports are not Amanda's only interest, though: she hasn't missed an episode of "One Tree Hill" in eight seasons!

Sarah came to DePauw with some broadcasting experience, and she knew she was interested in getting involved in D3TV right away. In addition to her work on "The Source" and with D3TV's web presence, she also helped tape an original show that fellow board member Kaitlin Klose '13 created, "Connections to the Castle." When she has a break in her busy schedule to watch some television, Sarah likes to keep up with DePauw news by watching "The Source" and enjoying the humor of "Psych." After graduation, Sarah hopes to use her media background and technology knowledge to pursue a career in graphic design or computer science.

No matter what your major, grade, or media experience, Amanda and Sarah encourage all DePauw students to come out and get involved. "It's a great thing to have on a resume and it is so much fun to be a part of," Sarah said. "There is something extra gratifying about seeing yourself on TV!"

We hope you enjoyed getting a look at two of our sophomore board members! We'll be back with new spotlights and D3TV happenings on March 29, so be sure to check back!

Alumni of the Week: Riley Robbins '95

What do ugly blazers, foreign love experts, and plenty of controversy have in common? They are all part of the legacy of Riley Robbins, our D3TV alumni of the week!

Riley (pictured with fellow D3TV members Nikki Miyasato '10 and Mara Mote '11) got his start in the media industry during his time at DePauw, where he was involved in D3TV, WGRE, and The DePauw. Although participating in student media takes some hard work, Riley proved that with a little humor, being a member of DePauw's media outlets can be fun as well. At WGRE, Riley hosted two radio shows, including one late night show where he pretended to be a foreign love expert. The show ran from 12 am-3 am on Saturdays, also known as prime socializing time at DePauw, but Riley felt it was worth sacrificing his social life to help others with theirs. While working at The DePauw, Riley caused more than a little controversy. Serving as a columnist and eventually Editor in Chief, Riley tackled topics such as guns on campus, cheap wine, hazing, and Student Congress's use of funds. When it came time for Riley to get involved with D3TV, he took the opportunity to be a sportscaster on "Evening Edition" and work on a D3TV original sitcom. Riley served as producer for "My Education," which was a five episode sitcom that was filmed during Winter Term and starred an all-freshmen cast. Although building the set proved to be a dangerous task when part of the set nearly fell on Riley, he was pleased with the final product and feels that it still "holds up."

Today, Riley is a reality TV development executive, which means he takes "different ideas, celebrities, concepts, brands, and try to turn them into TV for various outlets." Riley makes sure to keep up with reality favorites such as "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" and scripted hits such as "Big Bang Theory," "Modern Family," and "Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Riley regrets not getting involved with D3TV earlier in his DePauw career, and he suggests that any students interested in the media industry get involved immediately and spend as much time in the Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media as possible. Riley also suggests that students think beyond DePauw when they are creating things such as television shows for D3TV. "Your friends love it? Fun. America loves it when it's on YouTube? So much better!" he said. "You might be in a bubble in DePauw but that doesn't mean you need to be with the work you make."

In addition to just getting involved on campus, Riley insists that DePauw students need to take advantage of internships in New York City or Los Angeles, even if they are unpaid. "Trust me. You're just as qualified as the kids who do get them here. The only difference is that they apply," he said. "You need to do the same and you'll get all the same advantages. And don't be afraid to reach out to DPU alums to ask for help."

Riley's one word of caution to DePauw students, however, is to resist the urge to pitch television show ideas to connections made in the industry. "That's just going to tick them off and have them sell your email address to Nigerian spammers!"

We Run This Show: Morgan Burke '11 and Ashley Nelson '12

If you have watched any D3TV shows during the 2010-2011 school year, you can thank Morgan Burke and Ashley Nelson. Morgan served as General Manager of the station for the fall semester while Ashley is currently in the role, and together, they are this week's student spotlight!

In addition to sharing the role of General Manager, Morgan and Ashley have quite a bit of other things in common. Both came to DePauw with no television experience and decided to take a risk by being involved in D3TV. Although they both ultimately ended up taking on the role of General Manager, Morgan and Ashley have held a variety of positions within the station, including spending time as News Director for Ashley or the Director of Operations and Engineering in Morgan's case. A major part of Morgan and Ashley's D3TV experiences includes spending time work on "The Source," D3TV's weekly news show. "The Source," however, is where the similarities end! 

For many D3TV viewers, Morgan is best known as the host of "The Defense of Liberty," an entertainment/talk show that he developed during his first year on campus that is still running today. Morgan is definitely not one to shy away from controversy; he frequently covers divisive issues on "The Defense of Liberty," and he enjoyed another former D3TV favorite, "DRL," because of host Michael Shropshire's controversial video topics. Morgan also got the chance to show off his opinionated side when he wrote columns for The DePauw. In addition to voicing his own opinion, it is no surprise that one of Morgan enjoys watching opinionated television shows such as "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart. Currently, Morgan is working on "The Defense of Liberty," "The Source," and a DePauw-centered version of "The Bachelor" that Ashley created. 

Like many DePauw seniors, Morgan is applying for jobs and attempting to determine his next step in life. Morgan hopes to put some of the skills he acquired at D3TV to use in his career, and he is applying for positions in political media groups that will allow him to use his video production skills. DePauw students who are interested in breaking into the media industry should seriously consider spending at least a semester at D3TV, according to Morgan, who credits the station with giving him the skills to take on roles from video editing to producing. "When I interview for jobs, I have a leg up because I know how to use a lot of the equipment and won't have to be taught-which goes a long way towards getting hired, as a lot of people who apply have never worked with TV equipment before," he said. "So just throw yourself out there, you don't have to go my route and produce a show, you can always apply to be on the board, but just let loose, and maybe it'll turn out that you like it."

While Morgan is in front of the camera and sharing his opinions, Ashley has spent most of her time at D3TV behind the scenes working to create the programs you see on the station. Ashley got her start at the station in a rather unique way, since she was not involved in any other media outlets on campus and thought she would be dedicating her free time in college to softball. When she was going through sorority recruitment, Ashley met a woman involved at D3TV who suggested she get involved, and the rest is history! Ashley got her start in promotions but quickly moved on to news and began producing "The Source," which became her favorite show on the station. Although she has learned plenty about the television world through D3TV, Ashley is torn between pursuing a career in production or marketing, and she is even considering law school. Currently, Ashley is inspired by one of her favorite television shows, "The Bachelor," and is working to create a version of the popular reality show for DePauw's campus. Ashley enjoys working with Morgan and the rest of "The Bachelor" team (Rob Weidner, Colin Chocola, Megan Kovach, Lara Naanouh, and Brian Alkire) and can't wait for the final product to make it to the airwaves. Ashley and Morgan came up with their own show concepts, and Ashley encourages any DePauw students to get creative and come up with their own ideas too! No experience is required, and getting a show started is as simple as emailing Ashley (ashleynelson_2012@depauw.edu). "We have a great Board of Directors this semester and each and everyone of them are good at what they do so don't be intimidated, just swing by the station and talk to one of us or Larry Abed and we can get you started," she said. "You can do almost anything at D3TV whether you want to work behind the scenes or produce your own show, or even anchor for "The Source." The options really are unlimited so stop by today or shoot me an email."

Alumni of the Week: Scott Reasoner '09

We hope you enjoyed last week's spotlights on Lindsay Merwin, Mara Mote, and Rika Banerji! Up next is alumni Scott Reasoner, who helped develop D3TV's sports programming during his time at DePauw.

Scott, like several of the D3TV team members, was a member of the Media Fellows Program of Distinction, which helped encourage his interest in the media. Scott chose to join the D3TV staff, where he helped out with everything from promotions and operations. As a senior, Scott took on the role of General Manager of the station, where he oversaw all of D3TV's activities. Since sports are one of Scott's main interests, he used the resources at D3TV to get some experience covering DePauw athletics. Scott started a sports program for D3TV and played a role in the taping and airing of football games, including taping an annual Monon Bell pregame show. Although Scott definitely kept busy at D3TV, he managed to find the time to host a radio show on WGRE for most of his college career and even served a semester term as News Director for the radio station. Despite having experience with multiple campus media outlets, Scott enjoyed D3TV because it offered a chance to learn about a new form of media that he had not had much experience with. "What I liked about D3TV was that it was a newer and more untapped media on campus than WGRE or The DePauw," he said. "There was always something new and exciting to do and I loved the fast paced work of television."

Scott is currently working as the sales manager for the Great Falls Voyagers, a minor league baseball team in Great Falls, Montana. He takes on a variety of tasks and responsibilities, including corporate and group sales, marketing, and handling merchandise. Although his job keeps him busy, Scott also makes time for non-D3TV shows such as "Seinfeld" or "West Wing." For students at DePauw who are seeking to enter the workforce, Scott suggests taking any good opportunities that may come their way, even if it means taking an internship instead of a full time position. "It may not always pay the best right out of school, but internships are not only a great way but sometimes the only way to get your foot in the door," he said. "Then if you put in the hours and learn from people you see are already good at the job you want, you will have no problem moving up in your field."

We Run This Show: Rika Banerji '11 and Mara Mote '11

Some of you may be wondering who is truly running the show at D3TV...and to solve that problem, we present another weekly spotlight! Check back every week to see student profiles of the very people who are bringing you D3TV programming.

Up first are Rika Banerji and Mara Mote, two seniors who have been at D3TV practically since they set foot on campus. Both of these D3TV superstars came to DePauw without any television experience and learned the basics of TV through the station. Each of them has served as the Director of Finance, and Rika is currently holding that position on the Board of Directors. Both of them love "Glee" and D3TV's very own "The Source," but they are nostalgic for a past D3TV favorite: DRL, or DePauw Request Live. Mara was even in a video for the show! Since both of them loved DRL so much, they're hoping some creative DePauw students will take over the show concept and create some new music videos for the campus to enjoy (hint hint, DePauw students!).

Mara came to DePauw knowing that she wanted to someday be involved in the TV industry, so she jumped right in to any opportunities she could find at D3TV, even spending two semesters as General Manager of the station. In addition to working at D3TV, Mara hosts a radio show on WGRE every Wednesday from 1-2 pm. Mara's future plans include moving to California and working in the television industry. For students who are hoping to also work in the television industry, Mara suggests getting involved with D3TV in any way possible. Mara took TV Production with D3TV's Director of TV Operations, Larry Abed, and found it to be extremely helpful when it came to learning the ropes of the station. For students who are just curious to see what the station is all about, Mara suggests stopping in to try their hand at everything the station has to offer. "It is definitely worthwhile to spend quality time at the TV station," she said. "Your job is not complete until you've learned every piece of equipment in there and have at least had one all-nighter in the editing bays. The real world is going to require you to be versatile, so the more you know, the better your chance."  

Unlike Mara, Rika did not know she wanted to be involved at the television station when she arrived at DePauw. With some encouragement from her RA, former General Manager Danielle Jaegers '10, Rika took on the position of Assistant Director of Promotions and Outreach and has never looked back! Rika has held a variety of positions at the station and learned how to use the equipment so she could help out with any show on the air. Rika also proves that D3TV is not just for Media Fellows and Communications majors; she is a psychology major and enjoys the creative outlet that the station can offer to any DePauw student. The station's equipment may be intimidating, but Rika advises DePauw students with any interest in television or the media to come in the station and give TV a try. "If you are interested in TV, have ideas for new shows, want to do something with the station, do not hesitate to walk into our office and talk with someone who is already involved," she said. "D3TV is DePauw's television station, therefore, it is your television station, and you have the right to come use your facilities whenever you want and show your creative genius."

Alumni of the Week: Lindsay Merwin '10

We here at D3TV feel it's time for our awesome alumni to get some credit...so check back each week to learn about one of our alumni!

This week, we're spotlighting Lindsay Merwin, a member of the class of 2010 who got her start in television here at D3TV.

Although Lindsay is now a general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor/producer at WTVW-Fox 7 in Evansville, she actually thought she would be going into print journalism when she came to DePauw University. After hearing about auditions for D3TV's news show, "The Source," Lindsay decided to try out just for fun...and the rest is history! Lindsay earned a spot on the show and began her television career as an anchor and "one-man band" reporter. "Without 'The Source' I would not have been ready for the internship that got me the job I have now," she said. "There's no better source of adrenaline than doing live TV, and we had a blast. Now when I have an hour to turn around a story or I'm doing a live shot with zero prep time, I'm glad I was somewhat prepared!"

In addition to her work with D3TV, Lindsay also tried her hand at hosting a radio show on WGRE and wrote articles for "The DePauw." Although her media addiction meant that she often spent more time in the Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media than anywhere else on campus, Lindsay credits her "activity ADD" for helping her get where she is today and thinks other DePauw students should also try their hand at a variety of activities. "Try everything! If only because DePauw lets you do that," she said. "Bug other students and professors for help. Be prepared to feel like you don't know what you're doing in the middle of when you're doing it - it's the only way to learn how to shoot, edit, write, anchor, deejay, or run that terrifying switchboard with too many buttons."

For students who are hoping to break into the media industry, Lindsay suggests taking unpaid internships in the industry to get some valuable experience. For those students who are worried about entering a tough media market, Lindsay believes that the risk is worth it. "The media market is extremely tough right now but it's one of the most rewarding, fun, and challenging places to be," she said. "Not that I'm biased or anything!"

When Lindsay isn't busy on air in Evansville, she also likes to watch television shows such as "30 Rock" and "Modern Family." She is also a self-proclaimed "Gleek," and says she wishes she could have been a member of DePauwCappella during her time at DePauw!