Loving My Gym

Posted on February 10, 2015 by brent

I have mentioned my gym a couple times, most notably right when I arrived at Coastal. At the time I was so impressed with the practically brand new facility that I couldn’t wait to get started with my regimen. After ten months of putting in my 6 a.m. Monday-Friday workouts, my sentiment has not changed. I love working out at the HTC Center and consider myself lucky to exercise in a first class gym. After nearly a year, it is time for some updates and evaluations.

When I left the University of Montana, I looked back fondly on the relationships I had made with people solely because we saw each other at the gym every day. I mentioned how I hoped the same would happen at Coastal Carolina. It has. Over the months I have worked out in the HTC Center I have met professors, staff members, and students. Several of these people I am on a first-name basis with. The center’s director is around a lot, even when it is during the 6 a.m. hour. We have become very well acquainted. I have locker buddies that I talk to. I have had people come up to me in the middle of my workout and introduce themselves. I have connected with many of the student workers, but that is worth its own paragraph.

This is the very front of the HTC Center…my gym.

The rec center student staff is absolutely amazing. Jody Davis, the director I mentioned above, has done a fabulous job of hiring and training his student employees. The word “professional” is what comes to mind when I think of the young men and women who serve at the welcome desk and monitor the weight room floor. I have literally pulled a couple outstanding students aside and told them I was going to feature them for #CCUfamily, completely bypassing the nomination process. Funny things happen too. Last week one of the new floor attendants came up to me and asked if I was a foreign language professor. I responded that no, I wasn’t, I was a staff member. I asked her why she thought that. She told me it was because I looked foreign. It made me laugh.

A look at Coastal’s gym. I took this photo at around 11 a.m. on a Monday.

I really appreciate the fact that I don’t have to pay for a membership. I equally appreciate that I don’t have to pay for towel service either. Each morning I pick up a big fluffy black towel to shower with. The facility’s showers are nice with water pressure about 20x greater than what I have in my apartment. Speaking of towels, the HTC Center probably owns about a million workout towels that you get to use to wipe off with during your exercise. Adding to the resources to combat sweat, there are numerous damp disposable towel dispensers around the weight room floor to wipe down equipment after use (or before use). I always despised spraying disinfectant into an old towel and scrubbing.

A side view of the HTC Center. The large windows create great views.

As far as the equipment offered, I have more than what I need. Machines and free weights are top notch. There are more than just a few benches to use. Thankfully they have an indoor track. A floor attendant once told me nine laps equaled a mile but just to make sure I always run ten laps or 20 laps based on whether I am running one or two miles. The direction you are supposed to run on the track never changes so you never have to worry about whether it is an even or odd day. One thing I do notice…far less people use the indoor track at Coastal than at Montana. Many times I am the only one running on the track and I think people look at me like I am crazy for completing my cardio in such a boring fashion.

I took this photo directly from one of the large windows in the HTC Center. Each morning I watch the sun rise while doing my sit up routine.

The HTC Center comes with a climbing wall, several rooms for fitness classes, ping pong tables, and drinking fountains where you can actually slurp up an adequate amount of water. You type in your Coastal ID number and scan your hand to enter through the facility’s gate. Televisions are located throughout the whole floor as opposed to just on the cardio equipment/cardio area. Each morning I watch “Sportscenter” while getting my pump in.

Another look at the gym with a good view of the track and climbing wall.

Now to the music. I have said before that when I work out, my thoughts are my music. I don’t use a personal iPod and I am not dependent on whatever the gym I am at is playing. I enter my own zone and block the external sounds out. With that said, I do at least notice what is being played through the facility’s speakers. At the HTC Center they have a very clear, volume-sufficient system. It can be a role of the dice though when it comes to what is being played. Depending on the day, I routinely hear mainstream pop, country, old school hip-hop, and classic rock. What usually seems to win out though is a station that plays a mix from the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Once in a rare while though, a station that specializes in techno type mainstream remixes will be blasting and on these days (and these days only) I allow myself to enter into a trance.

Finally, time to address the crowds. As mentioned, I work out in the early mornings. There is a core group of us, probably around 15 people, who show up every single day when the gym opens up. Depending on whether it is a Monday or a Friday, you will see an additional influx of about 10-30 people. Because of the size of the gym and the equipment offered, it never gets crazy early in the day. Us morning people have it very good. I have worked out a couple times during the lunch hour when I returned from trips and let me tell you, the people volume is turned up a couple notches. I have heard the traffic reaches an insane level during the evening…I have yet to experience that and have no desire to do so.

Working out in a place where you are comfortable and feel welcome is important. Luckily for me, both of these needs are met at Coastal Carolina University. I love the HTC Center and can’t wait for my workout tomorrow! Don’t Blink.

Small Screen = 4, Big Screen = 1

Posted on February 5, 2015 by brent

It is Thursday. Do I need anymore of an introduction? Let’s get right to the rundown.

Coastal Students on Instagram – For my latest Social Circle segment, I decided to highlight Instagram images taken by our students. Using the beginning of the semester as a starting point, I featured some photos that our campus community took over the past few weeks. I had a great time jamming in as many photos as possible into my two minutes. The last photo I spotlight is pretty cool. To check out my latest Social Circle segment on our campus television show, “Coastal Now,” just click here.

In my latest Social Circle segment I highlighted Instagram photos taken by CCU students.

Social Media Group on the News – As I have mentioned before, I have the opportunity to head a group made up of our social media leaders on campus. Once a month I sit down with some of the most colorful personalities at this university and we discuss trends and happenings within the social media realm here at Coastal. One of our local news stations found this newsworthy. This Monday, Mandy Noell from WMBF came and shot our meeting. She then did a great story later that night focusing on the work we do and the challenges we face. To view the story, click here.

Thanks to Mandy Noell from WMBF for doing such a great story.

“The Loft” – This past Sunday, Sidney and I went to the theater to watch the movie “The Loft.” The film focuses on a group of friends, all in high profile/high paying positions, who go in together to purchase a suite high up in a building where they can take their mistresses back to, thus never leaving a paper trail of where they cheat at. One morning the group discovers a dead woman handcuffed to the bed. Throughout the duration of the film the plot takes crazy turns, making you suspect each person in the group as the culprit at one time or the other. A couple scenes are especially entertaining and intense. It is an exciting thriller/mystery movie with plenty of drugs and sex. If that is your thing, you will want to see “The Loft.”

February in Missoula, February in Myrtle Beach – The photo with the snow was taken exactly one year ago today as I left my apartment complex in Missoula, Montana. The second photo was taken today here in South Carolina. Thanks to filters, the first photo looks kind of beautiful. No filters needed, the second photo is beautiful. I will take warmth and sun over snow and ice any day. Thankful to be here.

Montana on the left, South Carolina on the right.

Mindy – There is only one television series I am currently watching and it is called “The Mindy Project.” The comedy follows the exploits of a young doctor named Mindy as she balances her professional and personal life. Mindy Kaling is an Indian actress, you might have noticed her during a Super Bowl ad where she thought she was invisible. Anyway, as most of you know I don’t watch sitcoms so you might be wondering how I stumbled upon this particular program. Well, my girlfriend watches it so I got roped into watching it as well. It has officially become something we sit down and laugh at each week.

Hanging out with Mindy at a Red Sox game.

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Another week almost in the books. I am looking at another free weekend ahead. Most depressing thought is that there will be no football to watch. What will I do with myself? Perhaps I can watch some old “The Mindy Project” re-runs. Have a great one! Don’t Blink.

Campus Marvels and Super Bowl Prediction/Connection

Posted on January 29, 2015 by brent

Happy Super Bowl Week to everyone! I hope you are all celebrating accordingly while wearing a lot of blue, green, and gray. Once again it is the Thursday Rundown so here we go!

Chauncey Statue – At Coastal Carolina we will soon join other big time universities as places that have beloved mascot statues on campus. Making our Chanticleer sculpture so unique (besides the fact that it is a Chanticleer in general) is that our own art students created this work of art. We didn’t have an outside company create it for us, it came from the talent we have here on campus. Once fully ready, this statue will be placed outside of our TD Sports Complex entrance. I stopped by to snap a few photos of it yesterday.

Me standing proudly by the Chauncey statue.

Ripped Up Football Field – Last week I mentioned that we would soon be installing teal field turf in our football stadium. I accompanied the news with a photo of our partially torn up field. Well, one week later the field isn’t just partially torn up anymore. As you can see, the once thick green natural turf is completely removed. This afternoon I went over and watched the heavy machinery run up and down the field while shoveling up mounds upon mounds of dirt. I can’t wait for the teal turf to be laid down…it is going to look awesome!

Me inside the grassless Brooks Stadium this afternoon.

Super Bowl Prediction – I have said repeatedly that I am nervous for this Sunday. New England is an extremely good football team. They crushed Indianapolis in the AFC Championship while Seattle squeaked by Green Bay. I hate Tom Brady and Bill Belichick as much as the next guy but damn they are good at winning. But do you really think I am going to go against my Seahawks?! I see Seattle winning its second consecutive Super Bowl by defeating the Patriots in a close game, 24-21.

Super Bowl Disclaimer – When it comes to in-game Super Bowl predictions and reactions though, be careful! I guarantee it, this year the commercials and the halftime show can be the most incredible spectacles ever but people will still shoot them down and say they sucked. Three years ago I wrote about the skewed sense of the past many people have and I am 100% sure we will see it again this Sunday. Another no-no for you…don’t be “that guy” who counts a team out long before they should. Time and time again I watch people on Twitter crown one team the winner only to be embarrassed an hour later. Although I wrote about this over two years ago I still see folks make the mistake on a weekly basis. If New England struggles early or if Seattle is down by a couple touchdowns in the second half, don’t leave either team for dead.

Good Luck, Brock! – One last Super Bowl note. Playing for the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday in the Super Bowl will be Brock Coyle, a linebacker on the team. Just one year ago he was still a student at the University of Montana. A standout student-athlete for the Grizzlies, he always conducted himself with class and integrity. It also just so happened that he served as an intern for myself and our marketing director. He did his job in the office with as much dedication and effectiveness as he did it on the field and in the classroom. Brock is one great guy and it has been remarkable to see him rise so fast. It would be incredible to see him get a ring.

Best of luck this Sunday, Brock!

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When I end these Thursday Rundowns I always like to thank my readers. Tonight is no different. I appreciate all of you for taking time to read what I have to say. There is so much on the internet and for you to spend even two seconds on Don’t Blink is a great compliment to me. Have a wonderful weekend. Don’t Blink.

Five “Super” Things

Posted on January 22, 2015 by brent

Having Monday off for Martin Luther King Day really made Thursday come soon. Not that I am complaining, who isn’t excited that Friday is just several hours away? Long week or short week, Thursdays are reserved for my weekly rundown so here we go! Super Bowl XLIX – Well, I wanted a Seahawks-Colts Super Bowl but I will settle for a Seahawks-Patriots championship just as well. When your team makes the Super Bowl, you really can’t get too upset about who they are paired against. This past Sunday’s game was incredible. No one except for my girlfriend knows the outright ridiculous celebration I engaged in when Seattle stormed back in spectacular fashion to smash the hopes of the Green Bay Packers. So many dynamite plays happened in those last four minutes but for whatever reason the onside kick recovery stands out most of all for me. Teams I root for never recover onside kicks so that play was special. I love the Seahawks and I hate the Patriots as much as I do the Cowboys so bring on Super Bowl XLIX!

I was beyond ecstatic after the game on Sunday.

Start of Something Beautiful – Isn’t it quite the sight to see a football field getting torn up? I took this photo from the Kline Hospitality Suite in Brooks Stadium this morning. Once the natural grass has been removed, field turf will grace the surface of our football stadium at Coastal Carolina University. But it just won’t be any turf. We are making a statement with TEAL TURF. You can bet it will look beyond sweet when I re-take the below photo once the teal surface is placed. I saw first hand the incredible boost the red turf gave Eastern Washington University and I know Coastal’s new turf will provide a similar lift.

The removal of the grass playing surface is underway at Brooks Stadium.

Accelerate Aging by Becoming President of the United States – My junior year of high school I was in an honors humanities class. The major culminating project of the class called on us to prove a thesis that we were to present to the community. Teamed up with two of my classmates, we presented and proved our thesis that the Office of the Presidency greatly accelerates aging. Besides all the research, science, and writing that went into our project, we built a walk-through replica of the White House that included before and after portraits of the Presidents from the time started their term in office to when they ended it. If only I had the below images of Barack Obama to back then to add to the walls. The first photo shows President Obama during his first State of the Union Address in 2009 and the second photo is from his State of the Union Address on Tuesday night. Say what you want, the pictures don’t reflect a normal six years of natural aging. It makes you appreciate and respect the stress and the hard work that our Presidents subject themselves to.

President Obama has aged dramatically while in office.

Learning to Assist in Difficult Situations – Today, my department went through another session of our customer service Feel the Teal Training (I wrote about the program several months back) . We spent the morning learning how to be most effective in challenging situations when a person is upset. Our group talked about past situations we have been in where the people we were trying to serve were not in very good moods. Our Feel the Teal Director, Eileen, then went over with us the different personalities of difficult people and how to adequately deal with them. Not only did it give us some great techniques, but it was also an eye-opener for me and others who have actually been that difficult person in the past. Charlotte Here I Come – To celebrate Sidney’s birthday, her and I will be spending the weekend in Charlotte. A three-hour trip from Myrtle Beach, we will be staying in the city’s Epicentre, an electric area full of shops, restaurants, bars, clubs, and other entertainment options. Besides airport layovers, I have never really done Charlotte before so I am really excited to visit another great American city. —————– After me complaining about Jeopardy, critics, and cupcakes it was about time I had something positive to say! Thank you for reading my blog and I wish you all a great weekend. Don’t Blink.

I Am an Online Dating Expert and a Published Writer!

Posted on January 15, 2015 by brent

Hello Thursday, it is great to see you again! I am all around the board today with my Thursday Rundown as I cover online dating, work, football, and the movies. Let’s get started ASAP.

The New Way to Date – So apparently I am an online dating expert! We get calls from the media every single day asking us to put them in contact with our faculty members who specialize in certain areas. This past Friday we fielded a call from news station WPDE regarding a story they were doing on the safety of online dating. Because the subject revolves very heavily on social media, I was assigned to give the interview. Reporter April Baker came over to the office and interviewed me. I talk to the media a lot but usually it is in relation to something I am doing at the University. This time around I was straight up giving my expertise! I had a fun time doing the interview and April did a fabulous job. Watch the report by clicking here.

A screenshot from my online dating interview with WPDE.

Published Writer – I love to write and I do it a lot through this blog and other outlets but never before has my work been published in a legitimate, hard copy publication. That recently changed. I was humbled to have the opportunity to write a profile piece for the latest issue of Coastal Carolina University Magazine. Our twice-a-year alumni publication, this magazine is beautiful and glossy with a large readership. I wrote a piece on Patrick Sparks, an important alumnus of CCU. I put a lot of effort into the piece but after three months since submitting it to the editor, I kind of forgot about it . However, I was reminded of it in grand fashion today when I held a copy of the magazine in my own hands. I had a small moment of pride when I saw my own story on that page with my name on it. To have opportunities such as this is a big reason on why I came to Coastal.

The main photo on the right is my article in the magazine. The top photo is the cover, the middle photo is my social media ad in the publication, and the bottom photo is the magazine logo on the inside cover.

American Sniper – For a long time now I have looked forward to watching “American Sniper.” After months of buildup, award hype, and countless previews on television, I am pumped up for the nationwide release tomorrow. I am just so intrigued by the role Bradley Cooper plays. As a fan of his, I am chomping at the bit to watch him take on this character. It is something completely different from anything he has ever done. I will see it at the theater for sure this weekend and I will make sure to let you know how it was.

Championship Sunday – This Sunday the NFL conference championship games will be played. It goes without saying that I will be cheering heavily for the Seahawks to dispose of the Packers in the earlier NFC contest. To see my favorite team get back to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row would be very fulfilling. As for the AFC nightcap, I will be clearly cheering for a certain team as well. I hope the Indianapolis Colts kick the snot out of the New England Patriots. I enjoy Andrew Luck and despise Brady and Belichick so I am crossing my fingers for a Seahawks-Colts Super Bowl. Nothing is better than watching the NFL on Sunday when you have the sweet assurance that you don’t have to work the next day.

Social Media Promotion of the Week – As a fun little social media promotion to start the semester off, I implemented something that I thought of while working out last week. I had Jada, my social media intern, go to Kimbel Library and randomly choose five books from all corners of the facility. She took photos of the books and put a note on the inside cover stating what to do with it when found. Starting on Monday I posted a photo of one of the books on our social media outlets challenging our students to find it, check it out, and then bring it to our office for a prize pack. I repeated this routine with different books on Tuesday, Wednesday, and today. Four days in and we have had a winner each day. Two of the times we had a group of students come in with the winning book. Jada did a great job choosing the selections as she picked books that somehow related to the University and/or the college experience. This promotion will wrap up tomorrow.

These are the four student winners who checked out the hidden books the past several days.

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Did you know that January is already halfway over? How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? If you have already fallen off, don’t give up. Hop back on and make good on your goals. The year is still very young. Have a wonderful holiday weekend and enjoy the football games! Don’t Blink.

Bar Rescue Snub and More

Posted on December 4, 2014 by brent

After a well-deserved break last week because of Thanksgiving, the traditional Thursday rundown is back tonight. As usual the topics are random and somewhat boring so let’s get it over with.

Bar Rescue Shutdown: In past tweets I have expressed my desire to contact people that have appeared on my favorite show, “Bar Rescue.” I discussed my hope that I would be able to interview them on how scripted the program actually is and then follow it up with a blog post. Well, I have since used Facebook to creepily contact one Colorado bartender who I watched on a re-run this past Sunday. Unfortunately, my nice Facebook message and friend request wasn’t enough to get this particular person to spill the beans. She is not able to discuss the show. I might or might not contact others to see if they will give me my coveted inside information but I don’t think they will budge either. If only they were as open to discussing “Bar Rescue” as my friend Bryden was about discussing “The Bachelorrete.”

Sara Keller from “Bar Rescue” shut me down for an interview.

Holiday Messages: I fear that my new South Carolina friends might think I am really weird. On Thanksgiving I sent out my traditional holiday phone message. For those of you not in my contact list, I embarrass myself during the major holidays and send out an over the top, cheesy photo message (click here for full details). While old friends and family expect and love my holiday exploits, my friends down South might think I am totally off my rocker. I want to use this portion of my blog post to tell my valued east coast associates to not think I am insane, this is just something I do during special dates on the calendar to make the holidays a little brighter.

FCS Playoffs: The round of 16 in the FCS Playoffs is this Saturday. I will be on the sidelines as Coastal Carolina hosts Richmond at 1 p.m. in Brooks Stadium. If the Chants defend their home field, it is likely (barring an upset) that the team will travel back to Fargo the following week for a quarterfinal matchup against North Dakota State. Out west the Montana Grizzlies will head to Cheney once again to play Eastern Washington. I am hoping that the Griz avenge the loss in November and eliminate the Eagles. It would be really cool to have both the Chants and the Griz in the “Elite 8” of the FCS Playoffs.

That Weather Though: I feel obligated to gloat about the incredible weather here in Myrtle Beach. So far this month it feels like I am living in a Joe Nichols song as it has been “Sunny and 75.” I have never seen the sun nor temperatures above 40 degrees in December before so it has been a very welcome change for me. Especially after going back home over Thanksgiving and experiencing the cold again I am so impressed and thankful for the climate here in South Carolina.

I took this photo yesterday. It has been absolutely gorgeous out this month.

Tweeted at by Major Company: Last night I wrote about my experience at the checkout register at Books-A-Million. I slightly criticized the major bookstore for a solicitation onslaught. This morning the Books-A-Million Twitter account responded to my tweet I sent out last night promoting my blog post. In a couple tweets, the company’s account thanked me for writing the post and noted that they would take my critique into consideration. I found this correspondence impressive for three reasons.

1. I never tagged them in my initial tweet.
2. They replied to me in two thoughtful and personal tweets.
3. They took the time to actually read my blog post.

By Books-A-Million reaching out to me in this way, my customer service viewpoint on the company has improved greatly. Well done, BAM.

It was really nice and professional of Books-A-Million to send me these tweets following my bad experience at the cash register.

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Talk about a quick and to-the-point blog post! Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful Thursday night and a great ending to your work week. Don’t Blink.

The Week Before Thanksgiving

Posted on November 20, 2014 by brent

Just a week away from Thanksgiving, are you excited yet? I sure am. With Turkey Day on my mind I present to you my weekly Thursday rundown blog post. How about we jump right in?

Buffalo Wild Wings Visit: Only in my blog would you find someone ramble on about an ordinary BWW dining experience. This past Saturday, Sidney and I went to eat after the Chant football game. In a rare move for me I ate something other than wings. I ordered the Italian burger and let me tell you, it was loaded. It was two patties, pepperoni, garlic sauce, AND mozzarella sticks. It was a miracle that I didn’t die from a heart attack right then. It was probably even more of a miracle that I managed to keep my food down after I watched the women’s UFC fight between Jessica Eye and Leslie Smith on the restaurant’s big screens. Eye almost took off Smith’s ear as blood splattered everywhere. My hatred for UFC will be for another blog post.

This was my Italian burger that I ate at Buffalo Wild Wings on Saturday night.

Newspaper Love: Our student newspaper here at Coastal Carolina University is called The Chanticleer. Over the past couple of issues, #CCUSocialMedia has had a focal point in both. In the issue that came out a couple weeks ago, Wyatt Davies did a story on our Yik Yak Takeover. You can read it by clicking here. This week the newest issue came out and I had the honor of being the feature in a piece by Dylan Cordaro. You can read it by clicking here. While I enjoy coverage from the professional media organizations, it is nice to have the work I am doing featured by the population I am trying to serve the most, our students.

A photo of the physical copy of the latest story that dealt with #CCUSocialMedia.

Football Saturday: I am beyond excited for college football this Saturday. I will be on the sidelines as the Chanticleer football team goes for an unblemished 12-0 season as they face Liberty at 1 p.m. in Brooks Stadium. As it is a rivalry game with a lot at stake I expect a hard-hitting and intense contest. A win for Coastal will cement a top seed in the playoffs, a Big South Conference championship, and a regular season #1 ranking. After I finish up my work from the game I will be off to my favorite bar to watch the Griz-Cat football game. I will be yelling hard as Montana looks to improve its already lopsided edge in the Brawl of the Wild Series with another victory over Montana State. I couldn’t say it when I was working for UM but I can say it now: Grizzly Athletics in every single facet is so incredibly superior to Montana State! I never tire seeing that point made time and time again. I can’t wait for kickoff.

Brynn and I on the field after another #GrizCat football victory in 2013.

Hair: Tonight I have the pleasure of attending my first play in ages. I will be attending Coastal Carolina University’s production of “Hair.” I am looking forward to seeing our talented students act and sing on stage. A big bonus is that Robin Russell is directing the production. Robin is the host of “Coastal Now” and has provided me with tremendous support and encouragement since I started my “Social Circle” segment on the show. I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to send some of that support back her way by attending tonight’s play.

This is the door that leads to the Black Box Theatre at Coastal Carolina University. As you can see, it is decorated for “Hair.”

I Meet My Niece Next Week: This latest update on Mikayla is special because it is the last one I have to make before actually seeing her for the first time next Tuesday. Now 11 weeks old she is flailing her arms and kicking her legs like crazy. My family says she is just as excited to see me as I am her. Counting down the days!

Here are the latest photos of Mikayla. I meet her soon.

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Well folks, I am off to a play. Thanks for your readership. Because of my Mick Delaney tribute post on Monday, this has been one of the best weeks ever for Don’t Blink. Make sure to cheer hard for the Chants and Griz this weekend. Don’t Blink.

Gloria Gaynor and the CCU Gospel Choir

Posted on November 18, 2014 by brent

This evening I took on some overtime work at the last minute and made my way over to Lackey Chapel, the nondenominational worship space at Coastal Carolina University. Inside the chapel was a woman by the name of Gloria Gaynor. Wait, who? Okay, I am going to ask you to go back to the 1970’s. Do you remember the disco hit “I Will Survive”? Well, Gloria Gaynor is the artist of that famous track.

Earlier she had toured campus but she wanted to make one more stop to cap off the day. That stop was to Lackey Chapel to watch our Coastal Carolina University Gospel Choir practice/perform. Before the group started to sing I approached her and asked if I could take a photo. She kindly obliged. The choir then started to perform as Gloria sat several rows back. After the Coastal students had performed a few numbers, Gaynor rose to her feet and went up to the podium to say a few words.

This is the photo I took of Gloria Gaynor before the practice started.

With all attention on her, Gloria told the students that they had beautiful voices. She then talked about the importance of singing and the importance of faith. After her brief address, she invited the crowd to ask questions. During the Q&A, Gloria discussed such topics as her rise to fame, the struggle she faced deciding whether to sing secular or spiritual music, and premarital sex. After she concluded up at the podium, the delighted students gathered around her for a big group photo.

Gloria Gaynor with the Coastal Carolina University Gospel Choir

It was cool seeing a former star such as Gloria Gaynor tonight but to be honest, I was more impressed with our Coastal students. In my life I had never really been exposed much to gospel music, let alone a live gospel choir. At a couple events this year I had the pleasure of listening to the CCU Gospel Choir perform but it was either in a big venue or outdoors. To stand among them today in the small Lackey Chapel and hear them absolutely belt out a few songs was a great experience.

Photo I took from tonight of the Coastal Carolina University Gospel Choir performing.

What I noticed right away was just the joy they sing with. Even if you can’t understand one lyric they are singing (even though the words come out crystal clear) the beautiful melody of love and happiness that is so obvious in their voices make your ears rejoice. The clapping and swaying adds power and enthusiasm. The mile-wide smiles that open up on the faces of the students while they perform are contagious. As I stood there watching and listening I said to myself in a satisfied and approving manner, “So this is gospel music.”

The students took selfies with Gloria.

What I got tonight was something that I definitely couldn’t get at the University of Montana. Sorry Gloria, I am talking about the gospel choir. The passion I heard and felt in that chapel was special. I felt bad waltzing through the doors with a camera but I thank the choir and Ms. Gaynor for accepting me. This evening was definitely an experience. Don’t Blink.

How Social Media Got Our #TEALnation Sign Back

Posted on November 13, 2014 by brent

As a digital marketer, I love to share the success stories that this medium creates, especially when it deals specifically with social media. Very recently I had the pleasure of helping out with something pretty cool.

Yesterday at Coastal Carolina University we discovered that a welcome sign next to one of our entrances had turned up missing. This wasn’t just any sign though. It was a newly installed board that had one of our key marketing brands on it. The “Welcome to #TEALnation” sign added personality and flavor to one of our most heavily trafficked entrances. Our campus community identifies with #TEALnation and to have the new sign removed in such a savage nature was unsettling. We knew we had to get it back.

Our #TEALnation sign had been completely removed.

During the morning on Wednesday a brief meeting was held between our Vice President Bill Plate, Director of News and Public Affiars Martha Hunn, our Chief of Police David Roper, and myself. We wanted to decide how we would get word out about the jacking of the sign while asking for its return. After mulling over ideas such as a campus wide e-mail or an actual video we decided to go with a different approach: Social Media. The decision was made to do this outreach solely on a social level. All the other traditional avenues be damned, we were going to rely completely on social media to bring our sign home.

Chief Roper gave me some key words he wanted included in what we sent out but then I was free to compose the social media posts myself. After getting the “okay” from Bill I posted variations of the sign theft news on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I then watched the Coastal Community go to work.

Our Facebook post generated lots of shares and fired up the community.

The tweet was retweeted like wild fire. The Facebook post was shared like crazy. The Instagram image was commented on and reposted. A local news station even picked up on the story. People were outraged by the theft and wanted to make sure that the sign was recovered. A distinguishing and prideful piece of University property was not going to be missing for long!

The tweet we sent out was rapidly retweeted.

And it wasn’t. By 3:30 p.m. yesterday, Chief Roper notified Martha and told her the sign had been recovered. An individual had called in and given the location of our stolen property. When she told me the great news my face lit up. We had rallied our community via social media and we had received the best result we could have possibly hoped for in a matter of hours. Because of the investigation and recovery effort we had to sit on the good news for the night. However, this afternoon we were able to inform Teal Nation that the sign was back in good hands. A heartfelt thank you was given to our social media audience for coming to the rescue. Our announcement was met with enthusiasm and joy.

It felt great to send out the good news tweet.

File this one under “Social Media Success Stories.” We knew that this conundrum would touch a nerve with our community. When people are urked by something, it goes viral. This was exactly the case with our #TEALnation sign disappearance. Instead of concentrating on methods that would require lots of resources and time, we utilized the absolute best weapon we could call on in the given situation. Social media and Teal Nation to the rescue again! Don’t Blink.

Coastal Football Earns #1 Ranking

Posted on November 10, 2014 by brent

Today a very exciting milestone occurred at the university I work at. In the early afternoon, the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coaches Poll came out and revealed that the Coastal Carolina University football program had been voted the #1 team in the nation. Not only was this the first ever #1 ranking for the CCU football team, it marked the first ever #1 ranking for any team in the history of Chanticleer Athletics.

Immediately social media blew up. The tweet we sent out announcing the accomplishment received 147 retweets, earning the distinction as the most retweeted tweet in the history of our @CCUchanticleers account. Our other social media accounts posted big numbers as well. In no time our Facebook account generated 600 likes and 224 shares. The Instagram image created for the occasion garnered 286 likes, a new record. It was definitely a fun afternoon for #CCUSocialMedia.

This tweet has already garnered 147 retweets.

Even though the response on social media was exuberant and powerful, the top spot ranking wasn’t a surprise. With back-to-back-to-back FCS champion North Dakota State suffering a rare defeat on Saturday, it paved the way for Coastal to grab the premiere spot. You might reason that NDSU deserved the respect of remaining #1 after 33 straight wins and three national championships but here is the thing: Coastal has cruised to a 10-0 record in impressive fashion this season. The team has obliterated opponents while doing most of its damage on the road. Playing only five home games this year, the Chants have already posted an undefeated 7-0 road record. The final two games on the schedule will take place in the friendly confines of Brooks Stadium.

Here is the new FCS Coaches Poll.

Here is where the story turns a little personal. Coastal Carolina is the second school I have worked at where the football team has earned the #1 FCS ranking. When I worked at the University of Montana the Grizzlies owned the prestigious top spot for varying lengths of time during two different seasons that I worked there. I do wonder how many people can say that they have worked at two schools that reached the number one spot in the FCS during this young decade (2010-2019). While I feel more connected to the accomplishments of the football team at Montana simply because I worked in the athletic department, it is still a source of pride that my current university is now the top gridiron team in the FCS.

Two schools. Two mascots. Two #1 FCS rankings.

Big congrats to the student-athletes, the coaches, and the Chanticleer Athletics staff on this big accomplishment. The next two weeks the Chant football team will be playing for an undefeated season, the Big South crown, and a top playoff seed. I will get to watch it all play out from the sidelines. CINO! Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser

Tag Archives: Coastal Carolina University