Final Reflection

So, it's been a little over a month since the epic CreateAthon@USC.  I've been wanting to write this post since the second I left the dreary halls of the Coliseum that day, but I knew that fatigue was undoubtedly affecting both my judgment and ability to form intelligent sentences.

Since then I've been waiting for the pride and excitement that immediately comes out as soon as anyone brings it up to subside, and it honestly hasn't.  By now I am more than caught up on sleep, out of constant communication with my nonprofit and focusing on other aspects of my semester, but the feeling still hasn't gone away.

To be honest, I didn't know what I was getting into with CreateAthon@USC.  I took this Creative Leadership class because I needed a journalism elective, and I consider myself to be somewhat of a leader and kind of creative.  I didn't know what CreateAthon was, and I certainly didn't know what sort of effect it would have on me.

At the kickoff, I realized a change in the dynamic of my classmates with whom I'd spent the past months planning the event.  Suddenly, we weren't strangers who had taken a class together--we were a team.  Everyone was going out of his or her way to help someone else.  It finally clicked that we were all in it together.

When working with the creative teams, I know I speak on behalf of everyone when I say we were blown away.  These incredible people, students and mentors, truly were the best of the best.  People say you're only as strong as your weakest link, but luckily for us, we didn't have any of those.  You all were the heart and soul of what we did that night.  I want to sincerely thank you for every single one of the 24 hours you committed to this cause.  You didn't have to do it, which makes it all the more incredible that you did.

As far as the faculty and professional mentors, you challenged us to think unconventionally and refused to settle for mediocrity in all aspects of the creative process that night.  We were lucky to work alongside some of the most talented and kindhearted individuals in the business that night. Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.

Professor Mallia, I can't express in words how much you impacted each and every one of us this semester.  I know we agree that while this may have been the single most frustrating class of our college careers, we gained knowledge and experience that would have never been possible in a classroom setting.  Thank you for teaching us how to lead by leading us--by letting us fail, but by never letting us go through any of it alone.  It wouldn't have been possible without you.

Next year, CreateAthon@USC will continue, and I am confident that it will only get bigger and better as the years go on.  So this is my final thank you on behalf of the first ever CreateAthon@USC--to the creatives, the mentors, the sponsors, Professor Mallia and Professor Farrand, and above all, to the incredibly talented, devoted team leaders.  The first CreateAthon@USC could've been anything, and you all made it amazing.  I will be forever in awe of what we did that night.

Sincerely,

Kellie McKinney

The Observation Deck

We had the hardest time thinking of an effective way to channel everyone's frustrations and joys.  And to be honest, I kind of just wanted to capture people losing their minds on film.

Cue the Observation Deck.  Think of it like something you'd see in the real world: a stationary camera away from everything going on where participants can speak their minds and let it all go.

It started around hour 12.  About halfway through. 

Here are some of my favorite clips:






Let's just say, things got weird.

Kellie McKinney

CreateAthon@USC 2013

Team Leader, Social Media Director, and all-around think-aheader

A Creative Diet

"At times, it's more like a CreateAthon."
- Peyton Rowe, VCU CreateAthon extraordinare

It was hard to find a balance.  Be healthy or treat yourself?  Stay hydrated and get caffeine?  Both ideally, but how?  Either way, creative minds work best with a full stomach.  We made sure that wouldn't be an issue.

We want to give a big thanks to Moe’s Southwest Grill, Cupcake Down South, Chick-fil-a, Groucho’s Deli, Hooligans and Firehouse Subs for providing us with the energy we needed to push through 24 hours!  We also want to thank each of the six nonprofits for their contributions in fueling the troops.

Pace Yourself

It’s early Saturday morning and there is only seven hours until the teams present to their clients. By now fatigue has set in, attention spans are waning and the push to produce is becoming harder. In order to make it to the finish line successfully, participants are going to need to pace themselves. This means they are going to have to take some time to reflect on what they have done, make peace with their progress and stay hydrated, but there are a few things that shouldn’t be done in this particular situation. For example, don’t hideout in a bathroom stall for a quick nap, don’t eat five Moe’s burritos in one sitting, don’t leave an itch unscratched and do not, seriously, do not shotgun a Red Bull.

Jared Owenby

CreateAthon@USC 2013

Documentary Team Blogger, Social Media Enthusiast,

and Copy Writing Extraordinare

Bloopers Reel One

It’s beginning to get weird at the CreateAthon@USC headquarters. The jitters have set in and the pressure persists. Participants have resorted to coffee and shenanigans to keep the creative juices flowing; from flying burritos to candy drops, nothing relieves stress like a good laugh. So, like Miley Cyrus, we can’t stop, and we won't stop. Our focus is on point. 

We're the Documentary Team.  We're always fiery.

Jared Owenby

CreateAthon@USC 2013

Documentary Team Blogger, Social Media Enthusiast,

and Copy Writing Extraordinare

Kickoff Recap

 Here goes nothing. (But not really.)

CreateAthon@USC Inaugural Kickoff!

Even though it took less than one of the 24 hours, the pep rally was a huge part of CreateAthon@USC.  How do we get the creatives excited?  How do we show our appreciation for the mentors?  How do we express the magnitude of the challenge we're about to undertake?  These are questions we wanted, no, needed to address.  With the help of Alex Rodbell, event planner and team leader, we were able to plan an all-encompassing, successful pep rally.

Notable attendees included:

• 59 student participants
• 3 CreateAthon@USC masterminds
• 9 professional mentors
• 6 additional faculty members
• Charles Bierbauer, dean of the College of Mass Communication and Information Studies
• WLTX news 
• USC news outlets

Motivational tidbits from co-conspirators Karen Mallia and Scott Farrand inspired, informed and encouraged the participants.  Then it was "t-shirt time."  When we put on our shirts, all 77 volunteers, from different places and backgrounds, became one.  One incredible group of people, bonded by a common goal.  To create.  To inspire.  To make magic happen.  All in 24 hours.  As soon as we heard USC's adopted anthem "Sandstorm" start to play, we were ready to go.

Editorial Note: We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

Wait... it's tomorrow?

It's crunch time, people.

Here's a little sneak peak into the last minute chaos:

Team leaders are busy putting together informational packets for each member of the creative teams.  These packets will serve as reference guides for the creatives and contain everything they could ever want to know...and more.

Will Fortanbary, team leader and creative mastermind for Helen Hill Media Education Center, takes time to be goofy on the last minute trip to Sam's Club.  A positive attitude like his makes all the difference!

All loaded up and ready to go first thing in the morning.  We've done all we can do to prepare.  Ready or not, here it comes.

15 hours until kickoff!

Meet the Team Leaders

Before we launch into creative overload, I thought I'd take some time to introduce you to some of the people who have been working persistently to make the inaugural CreateAthon@USC a success.  From event planning to fundraising, social media, and everything in between, these Creative Leadership students know how to take initiative.

During CreateAthon@USC, these students will be overseeing their respective creative teams.  They will make sure that all creative work is in line with their vision for the client.  Some of them will even be contributing to the creative process!

Name: Chris Molony
Year in school: Senior
Major: Advertising

Nonprofit: Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands

What is your goal for CreateAthon?

I'd love to see CreateAthon become a huge thing for USC, drawing together people from all walks of life and all over campus.  I want for it to become an annual event hosted on our campus every year like Relay For Life or Dance Marathon.

Why did you decide to join CreateAthon?

Not only are we getting the opportunity to help out some deserving organizations, but we are also getting some great experiences and meeting new people. 

What excites you most about CreateAthon? I'm excited for the overall experience; to be able to say we helped plan and participated in the first one at USC is really something. Plus, who doesn't love pulling all nighters with their professors and classmates in the dungeon of the Coliseum?

Name: Leesa Delphia

Year in school: Junior

Major: Advertising & Political Science

Nonprofit: Edgefield Theatre

What is your goal for CreateAthon? 

I can't wait to see how we can benefit the six nonprofit organizations involved.

Why did you decide to join CreateAthon? 

Benefiting the community benefits all of us.

What excites you most about CreateAthon? Creating!

Name: Kellie McKinney

Year in school: Junior

Major: Advertising

Nonprofit: Helen Hill Media Education Center

What is your goal for CreateAthon? 

I want to serve as a support system for my team, and I hope that my positivity will help foster their creativity to yield great results for our client.

Why did you decide to join CreateAthon? 

I chose to help lead CreateAthon because I wanted to learn how to understand creative people in order to best serve their needs and get great work in return.
What excites you most about CreateAthon? 

All of the nonprofits deserve great work from us, and I can't wait to see what amazing things our creative team will come up with for the Helen Hill Media Education Center! 

Name: Jacob Scartozzi

Year in school: Senior

Major: Advertising

Nonprofit: Harvest Hope

What is your goal for CreateAthon?

To do whatever I can personally to make sure the nonprofits get the most out of CreateAthon. This means being focused, but also having fun and creating an exciting atmosphere during CreateAthon.

Why did you decide to join CreateAthon?

I’ve never been a part of an event like CreateAthon, and I think it could be a new and valuable experience that I can carry with me for a long time.

What excites you most about CreateAthon?

Working with new people, and collectively creating something for a good cause.

Name: Cierra Cambrai Michael

Year in school: Senior

Major: Advertising/Fashion Merchandising

Nonprofit: Edgefield County Theatre Company

What is your goal for CreateAthon?

My goal for CreateAthon is to learn, create and have fun! Creative leadership combined with real world experience, all while working with other students who have similar goals as myself? It doesn't get any better than this! I'm learning so much from my classmates everyday. At the end of CreateAthon, my ultimate goal is for each nonprofit to be more than satisfied with their new marketing strategies/campaigns that we have been working so hard on since August!

Why did you decide to join CreateAthon?

Chris Huebner, my advisor, told me about Creative Leadership in Spring. Before arriving to class on the first day, I thought this would be a class with a ton of guest speakers, lectures, etc. Once Professor Mallia explained CreateAthon to us, of course I stayed in! Why would I drop a course preparing me for my future?

What excites you most about CreateAthon?

Being involved and working with nonprofits is what excited me the most. Every day that I walk into the classroom feels like I'm clocking into work or an ad agency. This is my first time being hands on in a course and it's worth every bit of the work.

Name: Will Fortanbary
Year in school: Senior
Major: Media Arts
Nonprofit: Helen Hill Media Education Center
What is your goal for CreateAthon?
My goal is to create GREAT branding that these nonprofits can positively benefit from.
Why did you decide to join CreateAthon?
I have a passion to make things better, and I have a passion for people and relationships.  CreateAthon is a great way to merge all of my passions into one awesome night!
What excites you most about CreateAthon?
I am most excited that I will get to create cool things that matter!

Name: Jessica Simson

Year in school: Senior

Major: Public Relations

Nonprofit: Tutor Eau Claire

What is your goal for CreateAthon? 

To successfully improve Tutor Eau Claire's ability to reach & impact key audiences within the Columbia community.

Why did you decide to join CreateAthon?

To get real world experience creating a brand identity for a nonprofit organization.

What excites you the most about CreateAthon?

The opportunity to help nonprofit organizations, and as a result the community in which they reside, motivates me as a future Public Relations professional. This opportunity to test my skills as a leader before entering the real world serves as a valuable opportunity.  

Name: Meagan Riordan

Year in school: Senior

Major: Advertising

Nonprofit: Federation of Families of South Carolina

What is your goal for CreateAthon?

To help our volunteers create branding that will greatly improve business for our nonprofits. 

Why did you decide to join CreateAthon?

To build my resume as well as help build others' portfolios.

What excites you the most about CreateAthon?

Helping nonprofits!

Name: Stewart Lowder
Year in school: Senior
Major: Marketing
Nonprofit: Federation of Families of South Carolina
What is your goal for CreateAthon?

My goal is to help revamp Federation of Families of South Carolina designs for their posters and logos so their event, Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, will be more successful in spreading awareness of children's mental health.
Why did you decide to join CreateAthon?

I think CreateAthon is a great way to help nonprofits and get great leadership experience that will be valuable for my future career.
What excites you most about CreateAthon? 

The fast-paced all nighter will be very exciting and fun. The challenge of creating something from nothing in a 24-hour period is very exciting.

Name: Alex Rodbell

Year in school: Senior

Major: Public Relations

Nonprofit: Harvest Hope

What is your goal for CreateAthon?

My goal is to help Harvest Hope leave with some awesome new ideas that the students initiated and developed.

Why did you decide to join CreateAthon?

I decided to join because I truly have a love for public relations and event planning. I wanted to be able to help the group succeed through my previous experience with planning student-led events and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get involved.

What excites you the most about CreateAthon?

I am most excited to see the reaction of all of the nonprofits when we present them with the new material! 

To all the creative leaders: THANK YOU!  Thank you for all that you do, and will continue to do for 24 hours straight.  Probably even much longer than that.  Your ceaseless hard work has not gone unnoticed!