Classmate Blog Critique

 

Over the past three years as a Mass Communication major, I have had the amazing opportunity to surround myself with some of the most intelligent and creative minds at Southern Arkansas University. Each day, my peers challenge me and inspire me to pursue new projects and explore new ideas. Each person I have encountered in a mass media/mass communications course has taught me about new perspectives and unique demonstrations that have shaped my creative endeavors in this broad field. 

Even though I won't be able to talk about all of my classmates in this post, their individual work is linked to Professor Reppert's website to highlight their unique stylistic approach to each project. Today, I will be talking about two people that have always encouraged and inspired me over the past few years at SAU.

Haylee Hines Blog

It's going to be hard to talk about Haylee's blog without going into depth about the exceptional work she has produced every single year I have known her. Haylee has always gone above and beyond in her research, blog design, writing, and stylistic approach. In this class, Haylee's critique of "Lifestyle or Popular Culture" stood out to me for so many reasons. I love Haylee's consistent organization in each of her blog posts, creating an aesthetic flow of storytelling. If you have ever met Haylee, you know she has a voice that is meant to be heard, and her voice is evident in her writing. In this specific piece, I can perfectly hear the enthusiasm and professionalism behind her words, which is a steady encouragement to her readers as they learn from her impressive work. Interactivity is a huge component of the work we produce in this class (and every class) and Haylee beautifully incorporates that into her work.

Gwen Gunnels Blog

There is a reason I always choose Gwen for my classmate blog critiques. Actually, there are a few reasons! Gwen is one of the most naturally gifted writers I have ever met and she always manages to impress me with her work every single year. Her work is always exceptional and is done with a level of professionalism that I admire. In her third blog post of the semester, Gwen talked about the impact of lifestyle videos about "Amazon Must Haves" that have influenced millions of people in America. In this post, Gwen established a flow of storytelling that is combined with several examples of interactivity that highlight her professional tone and her aesthetic style that ties her post together. I could easily mistake Gwen's work for a professional blogger and I am constantly finding myself looking to Gwen for inspiration.

I have always been a fan of Haylee's and Gwen's since our first class together freshman year (MCOM 1003) and I am sad to see our time as classmates come to an end.  I cannot express how thankful I am for the past few years and all they have taught me, and I hope they know the impact they have had on me and so many others! I cannot wait to see everything that they will accomplish in their lives and I will miss them!