The Digital Collegian - Published independently by students at Penn State
[ Summer 2006 ]

Division gets creative with new ad department
Collegian Insider 2006
Program teaches students skills in pre-production

Three years ago the Creative Department separated from the Business Divison's Marketing Department to become a stand-alone department. The new department quickly became a focused and integral part of the division, and grew from a staff of four to the current staff of 12.

"All Creative trainees go through the entire Business Training Program, and they are required to go on several sales calls," Business Adviser Candace Heckard said. "We expect that they will accompany account executives on sales calls to consult with clients."

Since the department re-grouped in 2003, Heckard said, it has been led by talented and organized students who help their staff members receive a great learning experience. She said creative directors Jerry Hoak (2003), Allison Duray (2004), Kristen Boise (2005) and Mike Aiello (2006) deserve credit for managing a huge workload and producing excellent, award-winning work.

The department's responsibilities now include print production. To give students a deeper technical knowledge of the process, all Creative staffers now work in the shop during the semester following training.

"Though there was some moaning and groaning at first, most say they value the experience and know it has enhanced their knowledge of the process," Heckard said. "More experienced staff members also spend a couple of hours a week in the shop preparing ads for publication."

Having students handle ad production is part of a long-term plan begun by General Manager Gerry Lynn Hamilton in 1996.

"We identified a strategic goal of having the News Division and the Business Divsion take total responsibility for not only creating the content but also for producing the content," Hamilton said. "We have taken a number of steps toward the goal since 1996. In 2004, I asked Business Manager Julie Columbus to begin moving her division down the home stretch."

Columbus ('05) and Heckard worked with Systems Supervisor Dave Slocum to develop a new training program and to work out procedures. Creative Department staff members played a big role in working out the details, Hamilton said.

Clay Kohler ('06) succeeded Columbus as business manager and continued to develop the print production initiative, which reached its goal this year.

"I am astonished the final transformation only took two years," Hamilton said.

This year the department won the Best In Category award at CNBAM (College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers) for a Business Division staff recruiting campaign. Aiello was the designer.

Photo by 2005 Photo Editor Dan Freel
Photo by 2005 Photo Editor Dan Freel
Current Creative Director Kiersten Royer works the computer in the new Creative Department office in the production shop.

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