Chicago Thursday Rundown

Posted on November 16, 2023 by brent

If you notice a couple extra typos and grammar mistakes in tonight’s post you can chalk it up to jet lag. I am still trying to adjust after arriving back home from Chicago yesterday afternoon. So as long as you can tolerate that, let’s proceed with my latest five topics.

Hello, Chicago – What better way to really feel like you are in Chicago than to have this view from your hotel room? Each night I went to bed I marveled at the hustle and bustle of Downtown Chicago seemingly right beneath me. On the two full days we were there, I also found a couple moments to sit on the chair by the window and just really soak in the magnificent Chi-Town scene while listening to my “Catechism In A Year” podcast. So much appreciation and energy!

A look at the view of Downtown Chicago from my hotel room.

Ice Cream Museum – On Monday night, one of the vendors at the AMA Higher Ed Symposium hosted a social at the Ice Cream Museum in Chicago. They had me at “ice cream” as I told Cara that we HAD TO go. The museum was decorated in a way that made it a selfie paradise. It also boasted plenty of ice cream trivia, a sprinkle “swimming pool,” and unlimited ice cream. The Ice Cream Museum was definitely the cherry on top of a fabulous day in which Cara and I presented earlier. Thanks to Open Fortune for hosting us.

A few shots from our Ice Cream Museum experience in Chicago.

Deep Dish – Besides ice cream, I also had the chance to eat famous Chicago deep dish pizza. Cara and I went to Giordano’s on Sunday night as I ordered a chicken pesto pie. Because deep dish pizza takes a little longer to cook than other pizzas, it gave us time to soak in the restaurant’s busy atmosphere and to watch the Seahawks defeat the Commanders on a last-second field goal.

On Sunday night we ate deep dish pizza at Giordarno’s.

Taylor Swift Experience For Sloan – This past Saturday Sloan was over the moon stoked when she was invited to go to the movies to see “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.” Adding to the excitement was that our friend, Fidela, asked her to go. Fidela is the same friend that went with Sid to the Jonas Brothers concert and someone who Sloan looks up to. Our daughter made it through the entire three-hour movie and loved every moment of it. Thanks for taking her, Fidela!

Sloan walking into the theater to watch the Taylor Swift movie.

Baby Poll – This showed up in my Timehop from seven years ago and it just reminded me of an exciting time. We were close to learning Sloan’s gender and my University Marketing and Communication colleagues at Coastal Carolina University decided to create this poll. How can you not notice the “social media” onesie they included on the sheet? Interestingly enough, the office sided with “boy” by a 10-9 vote. Sloan had other ideas.

This was the baby poll that my office did while working at Coastal Carolina University in 2016.

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That will wrap things up for this Chicago-themed rundown. I may be back from the Midwest but things are just going to get even busier. Hold on! Don’t Blink.

Farewell, CCU

Posted on February 20, 2020 by brent

Reality has finally sunk in. I have reached the end of my time at Coastal Carolina University, a place that has provided me with fulfilling work and lasting memories. It has been a nearly six-year journey, one that has encompassed the better half of my professional career. It is impossible to properly convey in a blog post all what CCU has meant to me, but at the very least I can use it to offer a few final thoughts before I close this chapter.

It has been an honor to wear this name tag.

I feel blessed that I worked at CCU during its glory years. When I started in May 2014, Coastal Carolina was an FCS-institution on a nice, quiet campus. By the time 2018 rolled around, enrollment had steadily increased, fundraising broke records, several state-of-the-art buildings had been erected, Ph.D. programs were being offered, a major NCAA championship had been won, and the athletic program had joined the BCS. These years of upgrades, milestones, and increased prestige served as a breeding ground for a social media program to explode.

I had the good fortune of being at the right place at the right time under a leadership team that made a dedicated commitment to social media. I had the freedom to think and act creatively with marketing and communication professionals who helped turn ideas into reality. From day one, it was an absolute blast.

I had the privilege to develop a Chanticleer social media voice, interview students, cover events, design campaigns, provide comfort in times of vulnerability, lecture in classes, chat with the media, jump head-first into paid digital advertising, and so much more. The backdrop for all this excitement was a special Feel the Teal culture that you just won’t find at other places.

Looking back at my time at CCU it all seems almost too good to be true. Not because the university is just minutes from the beach or because the school colors are some of the best in the nation, but because of something else. Something not so superficial.

I am talking about my University Marketing and Communication team.

My wish is to go out giving credit to the people who helped me on a daily basis; the people who literally optimized their talents to make our social media program better even when they had a thousand other things to do. If not for them, #CCUSocialMedia is not what it is today.

Let me start with Bill Plate (department vice president, now at Utah State), the man whose innovativeness and vision made me not think twice about moving across the country. Bill took marketing at CCU to new heights, placing a premium on social media. He taught me more than just marketing—he taught me that effective leadership is about humility, levelheadedness, and trust in the team. Thanks for hiring me, Bill.

Bill Plate with Martha Hunn at Bill’s going away lunch. Both these individuals are incredible leaders who earned the respect of the University Marketing and Communication team.

The first person I ever met at CCU was Martha Hunn (chief communication officer). She picked me up from the hotel for my on-campus interview in March 2014 and immediately I thought this person has it together. She taught me how to be poised and composed when the media came calling and always made sure I had everything I needed on the social media front when major university statements were released.

Another photo of the two leaders who shaped University Marketing and Communication…Bill Plate and Martha Hunn.

For the majority of my time at CCU, I had the good fortune of reporting directly to Lindsi Glass (associate vice president for marketing and branding, now at Utah State). You won’t find anyone more creative, smart, and FUN! Lindsi allowed me to flex my social media muscle while at the same time expanding my horizons in the marketing world beyond just social. She was a tremendous team player, someone who effortlessly connected with everyone in the department and threw the best Kentucky Derby parties ever. If not for Lindsi, I would not have had my career moment late last year when we presented in Las Vegas. Lindsi and I understood each other and shared character traits, making for a great working relationship and paving the way for a personal support system as well.

Lindsi and I could always relate with each other.

Perhaps one of the best developments during my time working in University Marketing and Communication was when Judy Johns was elevated to director of photography. This was a game changer for not only our social media program but for CCU as a whole. Not only did she modernize Coastal’s photography operation and build a team that clicks (no pun intended) on all cylinders, but, like Lindsi, she is the epitome of a team player.

Judy Johns (to my left) always went out of her way to help me.

Scott Dean and Tad Robinson, the other two professional photographers of the unit, would literally drop anything they were doing to help me, whether it be to take a photo or find one.

During my time as a Chanticleer, the emphasis in social media switched to video. David Russell, newly installed as the director of video production at the time, didn’t hesitate to throw the talents of his unit behind #CCUSocialMedia. If I asked David to assign one of his videographers to a social media project and no one was available, he would step in himself. On a personal note, David and his wife, Robin, went out of their way to provide support to Sid and I after Sloan was diagnosed with Pyloric Stenosis. I will never forget that.

Most of the time when David would assign a videographer to a social media project, he would turn to Geoff Insch. My best friend in the entire department, Geoff and I collaborated on numerous projects during my time at CCU. He knows how to create video for social media and is damn good at it. Geoff did everything I ever asked of him and we had a lot of fun together. I will miss his positive attitude and our shared love for all things nerdy.

Two nerds! Can’t say enough about Geoff Insch.

I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize Richard Green, our digital journalist. Richard is one of the hardest working people I have ever met and constantly provided high quality video content for use on our social channels. He was always a joy to coordinate with and a true example of a consummate professional.

The graphics team led by Rob Wyeth provided me with creative designs from the moment I stepped foot on campus. Whether it was a logo for an organic campaign, graphic for a major (sometimes minor) holiday, or something for a paid social media ad, “the guys”––Jonathan Ady, Regis Minerd, Ron Walker, Daniel “Scoops” Mableton––would always have my back. Special thanks to these gentlemen for welcoming me to their lunch table when I was brand new at CCU and for inviting me out for beer and movies.

This would be a great “Caption This” photo. That is Rob Wyeth on the right.

At the end of 2018, I had the opportunity to hire a social media specialist. Anthony Bowser joined our team and instantly improved #CCUSocialMedia with his creative ephemeral storytelling, witty Instagram captions, and Gen Z-first outlook. He has a bright future ahead of him!

Anthony Bowser has brought a spark to our social media program. Katie Ennis has been an incredible student intern for us since 2018.

AP Style was valued by #CCUSocialMedia and editors Caroline Rohr, Mel Smith, Mona Prufer, and JoAnne Dalton would always quickly turn around anything I gave them for proofing. They helped us look good in front of our audience!

Speaking of quick turnaround time, Brentley Broughton (web design manager) would promptly assist with any issue I was having while navigating the university’s content management system. He also taught me a thing or two on the golf course.

Thanks to Trenny Neff (trademark and licensing coordinator) for processing all our social media advertising bills, Jeanne Caldwell (graphics project manager) for assigning and delivering all my graphics requests, and Doug Bell (editor of Coastal Magazine) for believing in the social media guy to write the cover story for a major publication.

Special thanks to my student social media interns over the years: Jada Tomlinson, Lauren Eckersley, Eddie Harris, Monica Trepiccione, Temperance Russell, Brandon Brown, Michelle Rashid, and Katie Ennis. It has been a joy to watch many of these former students thrive in the professional world.

I worked with some very talented social media interns during my time at CCU. In this photo I am with Eddie and Monica.

Last but not least, I want to give an extra special thank you to Kimberly Harper, the administrative assistant of University Marketing and Communication. When I would introduce my student interns to her, I would simply describe her as the MVP of our department. She does everything for everybody in MarComm, doing far more than just serving the vice president. If there was a glue within University Marketing and Communication it would be Kim. I will miss her.

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Of course everything would have been in vain without an audience that was passionate about Coastal Carolina University and hungry for social media content. To the thousands of #TEALnation supporters who gave me such satisfaction on a daily basis, THANK YOU.

Although I now look forward to my next adventure in higher education, I will never forget CCU. My experience as a Chanticleer made me a better professional and person. At this time, there is really only one final thing to say…

CHANTS UP!

Don’t Blink.

“S” is for SUMMER Thursday Rundown

Posted on June 21, 2018 by brent

It’s time…it’s time…it’s Thursday Rundown time! If you were a fan of professional wrestling in the early 2000s, you would recognize that cadence from a wrestler named Vader. He sadly passed away yesterday. So, in his honor, I dedicate this blog post to him (along with the letter “S”).

Sidney’s Craft – For Mother’s Day, I gave Sidney a gift card to a place called AR Workshop. Earlier this week, she cashed it in! A haven for women who want to create custom home décor from raw materials, AR Workshop offers a wide variety of projects to choose from. Sidney opted to make a lazy Susan. A very handy and creative person, I think my wife’s final product came out great.

Sidney and Sloan holding the lazy Susan that was made at AR Workshop. Sid did a wonderful job!

Snakes on a Sidewalk – Last week, I encountered two snakes slithering around our neighborhood. Well, one was slithering and the other one was dead. Let me start with the unfortunate latter reptile. Sid was doing yard work this past Thursday and came across a tiny snake in one of our barked areas. The little guy met his demise via a weed whacker. Later that night, Sidney had me confirm that it was deceased (yep!). I gave her grief about it resembling a worm more than a snake. A couple days later while walking the neighborhood, I found a very much alive green garter snake on the sidewalk. I pointed my phone at it, snapped a couple photos, took some video, and walked away.

A look at the two snakes I encountered this past week.

Sloan’s Best Photos – This week, courtesy of Timehop, I was served two of my favorite photos ever taken of Sloan. The first one shows her laying on our bed in her swimsuit, moments before we went to the pool. The second one is of her sitting in the bassinet wearing her rosary. Both these photos melt my heart and it was so nice to be reminded of them. When it comes to Sloan in the present, she is walking like a pro! Nothing slows her down and she is starting to say words. At times it is challenging to keep track of her but she brings us so much joy!

I love these two photos of Sloan.

Summer is Here! – In a different life, I might have said that my favorite season is spring or fall. Well, for at least the past 10 years, I have seen the light. In my opinion, nothing compares to summer. Longer days, hot temperatures, wading in the pool, the Fourth of July, cookouts, a laid back feel, baseball, ice cream, and so much more makes this season my undisputed favorite. Summer officially started today and I can’t wait to experience all that it will bring in 2018.

Nothing beats the summer!

Staff Advisory Council – At my job, I embrace opportunities that go beyond my duties within University Communication. When you step outside of your department (something I failed to do while at the University of Montana), you learn so much. For the past year, I had the pleasure of serving on the Staff Advisory Council. Our mission was to facilitate an active and participatory line of communication and engagement among the University community. A large portion of our work centered on fielding questions and concerns from the 733 staff members at Coastal. We would discuss all matters at our meetings to determine how to arrive at the best answer or response. We would then provide follow up to every inquiry that was received. It was a great experience serving on this body and I learned a lot.

I really enjoyed serving on the Coastal Carolina Staff Advisory Council.

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Now stop reading this blog and go enjoy the longest day of the year! I hope you have a fabulous weekend and thanks for reading. Don’t Blink.

What Do You Hear? It is the Thursday Rundown

Posted on May 17, 2018 by brent

Good evening to everyone. I hope you have had a nice week thus far. Been kind of a weird one in this blogger’s household with a sick baby but the Thursday Rundown will go on. Here we go…

Mother’s Day Weekend Recap – The Resers sure had a nice Mother’s Day weekend. Sloan kicked it all off by “giving” Sid a heartfelt card she made at daycare. On Saturday, we spent time at the pool as Sloan’s love for the water managed to grow even more from last summer. We went to church later that night as we celebrated the conclusion of the Easter season with the Ascension. While there, we managed to try out some of the awesome tips we learned last week about keeping Sloan engaged during mass. On Sunday morning, Sid opened up her Mother’s Day presents. Then, almost 11 months after Sloan was baptized, another member of the family received the cleansing waters as we watched our niece’s baptism. We spent time relaxing during the middle of the day and then at night we all went out for Mother’s Day dinner at a Shogun-inspired restaurant called Miyabi.

We had a very nice Mother’s Day weekend.

A Year Ago – I had a lot of past blog posts and other memories I could have shared for the throwback portion of the Thursday Rundown but I couldn’t pass this up. One year ago, Sloan (and Sid) visited me at the office. Sloan arrived in her little Chanticleer outfit and it was so nice to hold her during the middle of the work day. I was also a proud daddy showing her off to my co-workers. A special memory for sure!

One year ago on this date, Sloan visited me in my office.

Yanny vs. Laurel – Everyone in the country is weighing in on whether that voice on the recording is saying “Yanny” or “Laurel.” Can I settle this? I live on a street named Laurel (crazy, huh?). My office is located in Laurel Hall (no joke). I know how to pronounce Laurel and I know what it sounds like. My friends, that voice on the recording is not saying Laurel. It is Yanny.

I work in Laurel Hall!+

“I Feel Pretty” – Last Friday, Sid and I cashed in a movie theater gift card and free babysitting services to go see Amy Schumer’s latest comedy, “I Feel Pretty.” I know I say this a lot, but it isn’t a movie you need to see in the theater. For Sid and me, it was extremely nice to get out of the house and see anything, but if you are particular about your theater choices, wait for this one to hit Redbox. With that said, it was still pretty funny. My biggest obstacle with the film was believing that Schumer actually had her “I am beautiful/perfect/etc” state of mind. You see, at the start of the movie, she falls off a bike at the gym, causing the normally low-confidence Schumer to completely change her whole outlook to the point where she believes she has super model looks. The movie relied entirely on Schumer’s acting to express this and I don’t think she did a good enough job conveying it.

Last Friday, Sid and I went and watched “I Feel Pretty.”

Dancing With The Stars: Athletes – Except for maybe an episode, I had never watched “Dancing with the Stars” until four weeks ago. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. However, I have watched every minute of the current season that is unfolding on ABC. A bit different from a regular competition, the one I am watching is “Dancing with the Stars: Athletes” and it is an abbreviated 4-week version of the show. Why am I watching? Josh Norman, a CCU alumnus, is competing on the show and I am covering it for our social media channels. Norman has made it to finale night on Monday and I will be cheering for him. No, the show still really isn’t my thing but I have allowed myself to enjoy this special season.

Josh Norman, along with Sharna Burgess, will compete in Monday’s “Dancing with the Stars” finale.

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Are you sitting on your couch reading this blog post from your phone? Exit out of your browser and text one of your contacts a random, but authentic, compliment. Have a great weekend. Don’t Blink.

Primed for 2018 NCAA Tournament

Posted on March 11, 2018 by brent

It’s March Madness, baby! The bracket was revealed about 90 minutes ago and the week that many consider the best in sports is now upon us. The NCAA tournament used to be what I looked forward to most in March – but then my daughter was born on St. Patrick’s Day – so my priorities have changed a bit. Regardless, I still get excited for the 68-team college basketball extravaganza.

This post is going to be super short because the time change has me exhausted…just kidding, I reject the imaginary impact of daylight savings. But it is still going to be short because Sid and I have a Netflix series we want to start.

First, I want to give credit to CBS/Turner Sports. For the second year in a row, the Selection Show was a big improvement from the 2016 atrocity. This year’s edition was even better than the make-good show in 2017. Cutting right to the chase by announcing the teams that made the tournament, both automatic qualifiers and at-large teams, was a great call. This set up great organization prior to bracket reveal and spared us from the awkward cut-ins of teams who sweated it out for an entire 2-hour Selection Show only to be disappointed at the end.

The “live audience” in the Turner studio was pretty hoaky and I wasn’t sold on bringing in a separate analyst for each region (I still have a tough time accepting Charles Barkley as a college basketball expert) but it was the best show to date so I will keep my complaining to a minimum.

Sadly, my Chanticleers did not make it to the NCAA tournament this season. Thus, because my #1 team is not in the field, I will have to pull for a couple others.

In 2015, I traveled with the Chanticleer men’s basketball team to the NCAA tournament.

One of these universities is (surprise) Gonzaga. A No. 4 seed in the West region, the Zags will face UNC Greensboro in Boise. After last year’s narrow loss in the national championship, the Bulldogs will have to actually win the title this season to top their 2017 run. Not an easy feat but hopefully Gonzaga will at least win a couple games and bring my hometown the excitement that Spokane has become well-accustomed to.

Even more than Gonzaga, I will be enthusiastically cheering for the Montana Grizzlies. How can I not cheer for my alma mater and former employer? It will be great to watch the maroon and silver on national TV as one UM goes up against another UM. Although the University of Michigan might be recognized as the premiere “UM” across the country, I am crossing my fingers for a major upset in this No. 3 vs. No. 14 matchup in Wichita, Kan. Yes, I have been removed from Montana long enough that I don’t know any of the student-athletes or coaches on the team but a lot of the athletic department support staff remains, so I will be pulling for them and hoping that they have an enjoyable experience.

This is me at the 2012 NCAA Tournament when Montana played Wisconsin in Albuquerque.

Okay college basketball nuts, your time has arrived! Enjoy the games and Go Bulldogs and Go Griz! Don’t Blink.

Post Election Day Thursday Rundown

Posted on November 10, 2016 by brent

Tonight I deliver my first ever Thursday Rundown with a President-elect Trump in existence (trust me, I never thought I would say that). So let’s make my Thursday Rundowns great again (awful, cliché joke) and get started with the five topics…

Eating at Wahlburgers – For those fans of the Wahlberg brothers and of their television show, you might be interested to know that Sidney and I ate at Wahlburgers on Monday night. The restaurant itself was pretty cool. You could eat in the “full service” section or you could go through a cafeteria type line if you were in a hurry. The place also had a nice bar. As for the food, I wasn’t too impressed. I ordered the basic cheeseburger and sweet potato tater tots. Both items were average. If given the choice, I would opt for Five Guys.

Sidney and I ate at Wahlburgers in Myrtle Beach on Monday night.

Speeches from the Candidates – Last night after work I came home and watched Donald Trump’s victory speech and Hillary Clinton’s concession speech on YouTube. I actually enjoyed both addresses. I liked how Trump playfully made fun of himself and I also liked the army of Republican power players he brought up to the stage and introduced. When it came to Hillary’s situation, I always feel bad during the presidential election concession speech. She tried so hard to keep it together and did a pretty good job at it. I felt she was gracious in defeat, something that couldn’t have been easy considering never in her wildest dreams did she think Trump would beat her.

I also want to touch on an incredibly inspiring scene that took place today. President Obama hosted President-elect Trump at the White House. For a president geek like myself, the image of the two of them sitting in side-by-side chairs in front of the press was totally cool. After a terribly bitter campaign in which both men took unmerciful shots at each other, they were able to put it all behind them and get down to business. I was actually surprised when I learned that Obama and Trump had never met before but I guess it made the encounter even that much more remarkable.

I thought the meeting between Trump and Obama today was pretty inspiring.

Amazing Sunrise – I have taken photos of sunrises at Coastal Carolina before, but nothing like what I captured yesterday. The heavenly display on Wednesday morning was spectacular. I was working out in Coastal’s gym when the sun started to come out and the colors started to dance. I stopped what I was doing and ran outside to take a couple photos. Our #CCUSocialMedia audience seemed to appreciate the beautiful sight.

This was the photo I took of the Coastal Carolina sunrise. What a beautiful scene.

One Final Reminder Not To Say This – Although I have linked to this a couple times in my previous blog posts, I think it is worth highlighting in tonight’s Thursday Rundown. I know a lot of people are angry with Donald Trump’s shocking win and that is fine. However, I think it is important to express presidential election frustration in a way that doesn’t entail threatening to leave the country. We need to be thankful for where we live. We need to be thankful for democracy. We need to be thankful for a government that is set up with checks and balances. Go ahead and fume, but please be respectful.

Dr. Strange – After Wahlburgers on Monday night, Sidney and I went to watch “Dr. Strange.” I had heard great things about the film from friends, social media followers, and critics. However, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. In all reality, I should have anticipated this considering I am not the biggest fan of Marvel movies. However, I thought “Dr. Strange” would be a little different. For me, the film just contained way too much fantasy and science-fiction elements for my liking. I guess you could say it was just too sophisticated for me. I kind of wished I chose “Hacksaw Ridge” for our date night.

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Please make sure to thank a veteran tomorrow. Have a great weekend and know that I appreciate you reading my blog. Don’t Blink.

Staying Relevant on Social Media over the Summer

Posted on June 17, 2015 by brent

When summer rolls around and students leave campus, many professionals in higher education have the opportunity to become lackadaisical. The good ones don’t of course, including the social media marketers. While things definitely do slow down it doesn’t mean you stop trying to improve. Especially in the realm of social media where you spend all academic year trying to engage your audience, the last thing you would want to do in the summer is slack off and lose everyone.

The months of June and July give me an opportunity to be especially creative while experimenting a little bit. In tonight’s blog post I will give three quick examples of what I have done this week to make sure we stay in front of our social media audience.

Snapchat Alphabet Soup – Yesterday afternoon I placed a time sensitive challenge over our large and engaged Snapchat audience. I gave them a half hour to spell out “#CCU” anyway they pleased. They then of course had to Snap us a photo. In 30 minutes, I received about 30 images! Some people got really creative as one person used waffles, another used M&Ms, and another used s’mores ingredients! Others wrote the hashtag in cool calligraphy or wrote it on the beach. In the end I chose a winner (the s’mores entry won) and posted a really cool photo gallery on Facebook from the Snaps I had captured via screenshot.

Here is a collage of some of the Snaps we received from our Snapchat audience spelling out #CCU.

Value Your Alumni – During the summer, students have the tendency to stray away from social media because they are on vacation. However, that is not the case with alumni as most work year round so they stay consistent with their daily habits (which includes looking at social media). Today on Facebook I asked our alumni audience to comment underneath my post so that we could thank them for attending Coastal. With that motivator of a personal thank you from CCU, we had hundreds of alums leave comments. I spent today writing over 230 replies to Coastal grads. Don’t think I was just saying “thank you” either. I tried to work in a personal note for each person. It was time consuming, but fun, and best of all, our audience really appreciated it.

On the left you can see the original post. On the right you can see three examples of the dialogue that I had with alums.

Face-To-Face with the Future – During the summer, our university hosts nine different freshmen orientations. Last year I used guerilla marketing tactics to reach this very valuable group. On the second day of each orientation, there is an info fair that takes place. When this year rolled around, I wanted to take a more organized approach than what I did previously. I requested my own table for #CCUSocialMedia. This past Friday I was given a half table but by the second orientation on Tuesday I had my own space. During this one hour info fair I run social media promotions exclusively for the freshmen and bait them with sweet swag. I have had the opportunity to talk to many parents and students while literally watching our following on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat shoot right up.

Myself with Chauncey on the left at my table. On the right you see students engaged.

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I don’t love summer just because it is hot outside and I get to eat a lot of ice cream. I also like it from a work aspect. Although it is more of a low key time, there is the potential to make some big gains. While some higher education social media marketers might use it as a time to rest, we at Coastal Carolina University are using it to get better. Don’t Blink.

Emma Lommasson, Griz Weekend, and Bitter Cold

Posted on December 5, 2013 by brent

As I seem to do about once a week, tonight’s blog post will cover a few different topics that are relevant in the life of yours truly. I want to get you guys out of here quickly tonight so how about we get started?

Meeting a UM Legend: Today I had the opportunity to meet Emma Lommasson, an icon at the University of Montana. She started as a student at the university and worked her way up to become the assistant registrar. She will turn 102 in just a few days and is an absolutely fascinating lady.

I had the chance to be in her presence because our head football coach Mick Delaney paid her a surprise visit today. Organized by our radio man, Mick Holien, I tagged along to document the meeting between Coach Delaney and Emma. You would not have believed how happy and excited Ms. Lommasson was to meet Coach. As charming as ever, Mick chatted with a delighted Emma for about ten minutes. When he left to head off to practice, I snuck a picture with her. My great uncle lived to the ripe age of 101 but besides him I had never met another person in the century club until meeting Emma today.

Myself with the wonderful Emma Lommasson.

Crazy Next Two Days: That nice long break I had last week is way back in the rear view mirror. Times are packed once again and Friday and Saturday will have me working non-stop. Tomorrow I will scramble to get ready for a football playoff game on Saturday while at the same time doing all I can to help get Griz Nation ready for a football playoff game on Saturday by getting them pumped and prepared for the big game via our new media outlets. But come 4 p.m. I will turn my attention from the gridiron to the hardwood as Grizzly Athletics hosts the Lady Griz Classic. Tomorrow night Appalachian State and UC Irvine will tip off at 5:30 p.m. followed by Montana and Idaho at 7:30 p.m. As usual I will have my seat in the northwest corner at the music table working away. By the time I get back to my office probably at around 10 p.m., I will return my focus back to football.

Saturday will be an extremely early morning as I hustle off to work to get ready for our FCS playoff game against Coastal Carolina. Once my morning prep work is completed it will be noon and that means kick off time. Once the football contest ends at around 3:30 p.m. I will be back in my office wrapping up the action in Washington-Grizzly Stadium and then getting ready for Night Two of the Lady Griz Classic. The first game tips off at around 6 p.m. and then the Lady Griz will play either App State or UC Irvine at 8:15 p.m. By the time the final buzzer sounds on that second game I will be very anxious to get home and hopefully look back on a successful day for the Griz.

Cold: Here in the Missoula area we are in the midst of a brutal cold front. The last couple days we have experienced single digit temperatures. Unfortunately, it is just going to get worse. The next two days call for even more extreme lows and the emergence of another factor…wind. It is going to get very nasty here in the Zoo.

Of course the storyline of Coastal Carolina coming from a warm climate to take on the Griz inside the ice bowl of Washington-Grizzly Stadium has managed to play itself out like no other this past week. Truth of the matter is, I really don’t see the cold impacting the players that much. For those of us who played outdoor sports, especially football, we know that once you hit the field and warm up you feel fine. Then you add in the adrenaline factor and you are good to go. I worry about our fans and game personnel who will brave the elements on Saturday. I have had a tough time staying outside for four minutes the past couple of days, let alone the four hours that everyone else will come kick off. While sitting up in the press box I will definitely have sympathy and a whole bunch of respect for the 20,000 Griz fanatics cheering loudly below me.

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Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Stay warm and cheer loudly for the Griz! Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser

Tag Archives: Coastal Carolina