Howard University NAB 2006 Student Blog

THE RESULTS ARE IN.......

The results of the final competition are in and Howard University has come in third place. The University of Akron took home the grand prize of free AVID Media Composer Software. We want to thank everyone who visited the blog site on our behalf. All of your support was not in vain, because AVID has decided to keep the blog site up indefinitely so that we can periodically post about school/career developments, exciting technology, birthdays, or anything else that captures our attention or imagination. Although our school didn't win the grand prize, all student representatives received free AVID Xpress Pro Software, a hard drive from G-Tech and Smart Sound Sonic Pro 4. Isn't life grand? :-)
Please feel free to continue visiting the site and post your welcomed comments. Let's continue to stay a community. We need your push as we travel through our future careers.

The Howard University Team

The Changing Times

Thank you to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday. It was wonderful. Yesterday, I sent an email to one of my former professors reminding him that I learned how to edit in his class on linear editing bays. But technology has changed so rapidly that the non-linear systems came in like a raging flood. In this business you have to stay up on the latest developments and keep up with the changing times. I'm sure by now you have heard about AVID's newest creation - AVID Interplay. If you haven't done so yet, you should read about it at http://www.avid.com/products/interplay/.
Companies like AVID try to excel at creating the most innovative and up-to-date products. I just hope I can keep up.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAURUS BABIES!

I would like to give a special birthday shout out to Ashley Martin. Girl you are one of the most thorough women I've ever met. You are a beautiful person and there is no doubt in my mind that you will go far in life. Your great and make sure you enjoy your birthday!

Also, I would like to give a Happy Birthday shout out to Terilyn A. Shropshire. I wish her continued success in her career and a blessed Birthday!

Shengri Kuai Le! (Happy Birthday in Mandarin)

One Hour

Anicia's birthday was last week and now my birthday will be here in approximately one hour. May 2 all the way. The NAB experience was truly an early birthday present.

The Golden Ticket

It's ironic how fate is. On this past Wednesday at NAB we had to give out these gold tickets. The gold tickets allowed people to enter a drawing for free AVID Media Composer Software. Ironically, today I turn on the TV and the movie that was playing was, "Willa Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". It was at the scene where Charlie was opening up the chocolate candy bar to see if he had the gold ticket. He finds the gold ticket! I said in an earlier post, that "NAB was the Chocolate Factory and I was Charlie among the 100,000 or more media companies". But anyway, back to my gold ticket story. The school that gave away the most tickets by the end of the day would win a small prize. In the last fifteen minutes of the day, two schools had the most tickets. It came down to Howard and one other school. The other school was ahead of Howard by twenty tickets. The Howard Team new they had to hustle. So we worked together and in the last stretch of the race........ and just like Charlie, we won! Now we have one more competition to go - this blog site competition. DON'T GIVE UP Howard Supporters. We still may have a chance to win. Keep visiting the blog site!!!

SPECIAL THANKS!!!

There are so many people who have supported us. On behalf of all the Howard Students who represented at AVID NAB, we just want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts. On this post we are going to try to thank as many people as possible, but please forgive us if we leave any names out. Feel free to post any names that we may have forgot. Here is our thank you list below:

Howard University
AVID Technology, Inc. and all NAB employees
Smart Sound
Darim Vision Co., LTD and Gene Shin
Digital Content Producer and Millimeter
Our Parents, family and friends
Alice Palmer
Steve Chazin
Kevin Micalizzi
Jeff Roth
Terilyn Shropshire
Tim Wilson
Clayton Dutton
Prof. Sonja Williams, Howard University
Prof. James Balls, Howard University
Prof. Nagatha Tonkins, NC A&T State University
Prof. Gail Wiggins, NC A&T State University
Mr. Donald Lockett, Howard University
Prof. Reggie Miles, Howard University
classmates and colleagues
www.liberatormagazne.com
www.HowardUniverse.com
Stephanie Chisely
Brianna Lemmons
Brittany Mabry
Brian Kasoro
Teddy Petree, Jr., Freelance Graphic Design Artist
Christine Romero
Jonathan Mickels
...and any one else that may not be listed here, but are definately stamped on our hearts...

NEWER PICTURES!

me at the Venetian on my birthday

Me enjoying those delicious room serviced cookies from the hotel on my birthday! Thanks AVID!

Hardrives for everyone!! Yippie!!

Us getting sonic pro software from smart sound! Thanks Smart sound!

"Its better to love a SHORT woman than to love aTALL" (u get it! lol)

SOMETHING KINDA FRUITY

Current Mood: Content :P

OK...I just got to tell this story, cos it isn't leaving my head.

So there I was, posted in the middle of the high traffic aisle of anxious consumers and resellers. Im reading as many nametags possible...Tokyo, Alaska, New York, Brazil, New York, Los Angeles, London, Sydney, Cape Town...simultaneously handing them cards for their chance to win Avid's new Media Composer software. Many flashed a card back at me, "Thanks, I got one yesterday"...or they took it in partial disbelief, "Media Composer give aways? I guess, whats to loose". Others approached me with open palms. Suddenly, dressed in all black, a lady stormed toward me like a bat out of you know where. My first reaction? "Hi! Can I interest you in a chance to win Avid's new Media Composer?" Unsurprisingly, her haste in approaching me was not for the Media Composer. "Hi, my name is [such and such], Im the Director of Corporate Events for [something kinda fruity]. I got one question...WHAT are you doing?" My response, "Handing out cards for free Avid software" (as if I didnt just say that) "WHY are you here in front of my booth? Please leave!"  "Uh, ma'am? My booth is in front of your booth and this is where Im positioned." As she stands literally 6 inches from my name tag, an eager NAB attendee still manages to slip between us and grab a free Media Composer software card out my hand. "cool", he whispers and disappears in the sea of NAB-ites. "Whats your name?" She asks. "Opiyo Okeyo" "Yeah? well Opi-um, who told you to be here?" (For a director of Corporate Blah blah, she had a rough time putting two and two together, nevertheless, I responded) "Im with Avid" "Well, why dont you stay in your booth? This is tacky!!" she cries, i mean replies. "Ma'am, I am a student, this is my internship job...we are standing in a neutral aisle". We both look around at the very much so neutral AISLE. She spots several other bright purple student representative shirts scattered on the showroom floor. Helplessly, she takes out a walkie talkie, "So youre not going to move?!" "Sorry ma'am, unless someone from Avid repositions me..." She stomps away in her booth, pretending to radio someone I'm sure. I hand out two more cards noticing Dave from Emerson on a roll, passing them to everyone 15 feet in front of me. Ms. [such and such] returns, "This is just cheesy! You really want to represent Avid that bad? If someone told you to jump off the cliff would you do it?" "Im sorry ma'am". Im sure we can guess who she represents [something kinda fruity]...it rhymes with a**hole. Anyhow, she musters up the strength to stomp to our booth (about 15-20 feet away) and Judy comes and informs me we're going to take a break from the card distribution. As Ms. [such and such] barges back into her booth with her walkie-talkie, passing David whos still going at it. Talk about competition. To say the least, The convention was rewarding in so many ways. The "fruity" incident served as additional affirmation that Im with the best and knowing that, increased my confidence in networking with the world of professionals at the NAB. Yo thanks to Alice, Steve, the cool friends I made from (Emerson, NYU, Columbia, Akron, and USC. Thanks Avid...it was priceless.

Current Mood: Content

Listening to: The Mars Volta -- "Eriatarka"

NEW PICTURES!

 

me cheering it up for my 22nd b day!

My 22nd B day at the Hard Rock!

LIFE AFTER NAB!!

Hey everyone NAB is over and it was definitely one of the best times I've ever had. I've had so much exposure that it's really unreal! I've been exposed to technology, the professional world, editing, networking and seeing just what NAB is really all about. I must admit I had no idea that I would have as much fun as I did. I expected that it would be a good experience but I really enjoyed myself and I have the Avid staff to thank for that. The peope working for AVID are amazing! (Alice Palmer and Steve Chazin ROCK!)

It's no wonder Avid is at the top because of the people behind the "Avid Machine" work are truly kind, sincere, great people who really care. To me that is GREATLY APPRECIATED. They have truly been such a pleasure to work with and I wish the company the best of luck. I only look forward to the great things that they will have to offer in the years to come! Don't hurt em too bad Avid! I don't think they're ready! :) lol. You leave me no choice but to spread the word about Avid.

To all the students who also participated in this program from other schools, YOU ARE AWESOME!! It was a pleasure working with you all and I hope we all can stay in touch!

Now I can graduate! I'll be graduating May 13th 2006 Summa Cum Laude! (3.8 GPA) I had to include that because I worked very hard al through college to do that so found it only fair to share that! : P LOL! CONGRATS TO ALL THE 2006 GRADUATES!! BEST OF LUCK TO YOU TOO!