Me and my technology.

This week in class we discussed whether Technology organizes our lives or We use Technology TO organize it.  I have to admit mine is a little of both.

I am a sports information director (SID) - in a nutshell the PR dept. for the athletics.  My coworkers and I are responsible for disseminating information about our teams, both successes and falters.  This requires MANY hours of planning for events, attending games and matches and then post game responsibilities.  I have NO idea what a 40-hour work week feels like unless its summer, but for most...summer = July and that is it.

Basically though, technology dictates how my profession is run.  We have the ability to stream games on the internet for opposing SIDs who did not travel to watch the game, or run live stats (statistics) through a program specifically catered for college athletics.

In turn this stat program leaves you waiting for a file at the completion of competition.  Which means if you are from Michigan and your team is playing on the west coast at 7 p.m. PST, it is possible that you are not getting a game file until 1 a.m. EST.  In years past, you would then just obviously wait until the next morning to post and send the game story out along with updated statistics, but in today's world, you have to get it out ASAP despite it being 2 a.m. You then type a story and put it on your athletic web site, which feeds to a local paper's site then gets routed to the morning news, on and on.

This tiny little file that explains how the game played out if you were not able to see it via those other media, RUNS how your day goes.  

To put this into a real life example, last year my softball team was playing a team just two hours up the road, but I was unable to travel.  Unfortunately, my roommate was too cheap to get internet (but that's a story for a different day) and I didn't have a wireless card, so I had to find wireless somewhere.  Another wrench in this story, my parents were visiting so we were at the beach.

Needless to say, I found a beach hotel that had unlocked wireless and sat by the side of a pool sipping a beer, typing my game recap and putting the stats on our website.  I've also written stories at bars, restaurants, in the middle of the mall and on a 10-hour bus ride home.

As an SID you are EXPECTED to use technology to get your job done in whatever way that entails.  I feel like that is technology organizing my life.

However, on the flip side, my phone helps me organize my life.  I don't have to carry a planner and an address book with me at all times, instead I have my phone.  My phone also allows me to get e-mails so that I can either address a situation ASAP or find a computer later to really delve into whatever it is that needs attention.

My computer has folders for each of my sports instead of having numerous physical file folders on my desk and seeing as my phone line has still not been hooked up by my desk, I have e-mails that keep me connected to people who need me.

Could I do it the "old-fashioned" way? Probably.  Am I glad I don't have to? Absolutely.

Even though technology sometimes runs my life, I would not change it because at the end of the day it makes the way I run my life more effective and efficient.

Until next time...GradGirl 4.0 out.

Grad Class Week 1.5

So I have now survived three total classes of grad school and I must say it is interesting to say the least.

My friends know that I am loud and like to talk and express opinions, but in class I tend to save my best thoughts for when they are really needed.  I do not talk just to hear my own voice.  I may only be 25, but I feel in a lot of ways I am mature and understand that my opinion is not always needed.

One of my sorority sisters started a blog in grad school that was quite amusing and one of her features she had "People You Meet in Grad School".  There ended up being about six parts to this feature and it was hilarious.  Based on what this blog is supposed to be for though, I will not be able to do that, though I would probably do a great job of.

Anyways.

I like interacting in class so my COM 600 class is interesting and fun so far.  Now on to COM 641...it is a very small class and we had one meeting and I hope the class goes up from there.  I like social media and the impact it is creating on my job.  I constantly have to stay tuned into what athletes are doing on Facebook and Twitter, what my colleagues are trying to push into the market and the next big step to get their team publicized.

Just wanted to get used to writing about something other than sports again...and I did it.

More to come soon.

Until then - grad class 2.0 next time.