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If you’ve ever wondered what life at º£½Ç»»ÆÞ School of Communication (º£½Ç»»ÆÞ SOC) looks like or how the Alumni Mentor program works, joinÌýcurrent students Lauren Gersten and Jessica Newell, and host Grace Ibrahim on our most recent Media in the Mix podcast episode – and our first video edition!Ìý

Gersten is a first-year public relations student and Newell is a graduate student working on her Master’s of Strategic Communication. On the podcast they talk all things SOC, classes, professional goals, and falling in love with Washington DC with a special focus on our unique Alumni Mentor program. After the shoot, weÌýquizzed them on the truly essential questions:Ìý

º£½Ç»»ÆÞ SOC: What is your favorite spot on-campus?ÌýÌýÌý

Lauren Gersten: I love the McKinley building (and it is not just because I am an SOC student).Ìý

Jessica Newell: I’m fond of McKinley’s rooftop patio. If I’m early to class or in between classes, it’s a sunny, quiet place to do work in the fresh air without getting too far away.Ìý

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º£½Ç»»ÆÞ SOC: What has been your favorite class so far?ÌýÌý

Lauren: I am a second semester freshman so I haven't taken that many classes, but I will say Understanding Media (COMM 100) was super fun and a great way to get into the world of communications at º£½Ç»»ÆÞ.Ìý

Jessica: I enjoyed my Writing for Strategic Communication class last fall with Professor Konowe. We wrote in different formats each week—speeches, media advisories, infographics—to promote small businesses that we invented. I felt like I was a fictional entrepreneur, as well as a PR professional who challenged myself to incorporate new writing behaviors and shed some of my bad writing habits.Ìý

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º£½Ç»»ÆÞ SOC: What is one thing you can’t live without?ÌýÌýÌýÌý

Lauren: I am always listening to music or podcasts, so headphones are essential to get through the day.Ìý

Jessica: Cats! I’m counting the species as one thing. My childhood cat, Domino, is pure joy for me. While she chills in NJ with my parents, I often borrow time with my friend’s cat, April, to get my cuddle fill. I’ve had cats my whole life, and the best part is that I’m allergic to them--the universe can have a sense of humor.Ìý

LISTEN HERE:

º£½Ç»»ÆÞ SOC: What is a random skill/talent most people don’t know you have?ÌýÌýÌý

Lauren: I could name every single One Direction song from memory.Ìý

Jessica: My weirdest skill is wiggling my ears on command. A more useful talent of mine is picking up languages, accents, and melodies quickly and being able to repeat them back to people.Ìý

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º£½Ç»»ÆÞ SOC: What is your most memorable experience at º£½Ç»»ÆÞ to date?ÌýÌý

Lauren: Getting to see my room for the first time at move-in day or participating in my first Shakespeare play with Rude Mechanicals!Ìý

Jessica: Last fall, Professor Phillips got my class exclusive access to a private lecture hosted by the communications team at the Library of Congress. We learned all the insider details about them hosting Lizzo for a flute concert, and the evening ended with me walking past the Capitol and the Supreme Court on my way back to Union Station. I remember thinking, “yeah, so this is what it means to go to school in D.C.â€�Ìý

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º£½Ç»»ÆÞ SOC: If you could be any mode of transportation, what would you be and why?Ìý

Lauren: I would be an electric scooter and I really have no reason for this, I just think they're funny.Ìý

Jessica: I would be a train. I like how safe they feel and that they’re on a carefully planned track. But they give you time to take in the view as you head toward an adventure, and they sing at you with their little whistle!Ìý