Tag Archives: Erika Pomerantz

My Permanent Mark at Coastal

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I have slapped my website URL and social media handle on pens, t-shirts, stationary, business cards, and more. However, up until this point, a slab of concrete had alluded me. That all changed today.

A few months ago, I wrote about an opportunity for members of the Coastal Carolina community to leave their legacy. For a $250 donation, Chanticleer supporters can have their own brick engraved on the “Alumni Walk,” a pathway that leads up to the newly renovated Atheneum Hall Alumni Center. Wanting to give back to my employer while also maybe receiving a few website hits in the process (so shameless of me), I purchased a brick.

Atheneum Hall is where the Alumni Walk is located. Atheneum Hall is also the structure that makes up our University logo.

Atheneum Hall is where the Alumni Walk is located. Atheneum Hall is also the structure that makes up our University logo (Photo courtesy of Jada Bynum).

This morning, workers installed the first wave of personalized bricks into the walkway. I smiled proudly when Alumni staff member and #CCUSocialMedia Dream Team member Erika sent me a photo of my concrete square. Not soon after the text I went over and looked for myself. Making sure I promoted my employer before myself, the first two lines of the brick show allegiance to my University. The next two lines spell out my social media handle and my blog address. While I know I left out my life motto, I figured down the road I could always purchase another brick and add it in.

My brick being laid.

My brick being laid (Photo courtesy of Erika Pomerantz).

It just really appeals to me to have something like this. That brick will grace that pathway for a long, long time. Fifty years from now that marker will still be there. While I know I probably won’t still be authoring my blog in 2065 my hope is that the web address will still be working and the content archived. How cool would it be for a freshman to stumble upon it and use whatever crazy device invented at the time to look me up?

They installed the first wave of bricks this morning. (Photo courtesy of Jada Bynum).

They installed the first wave of bricks this morning. (Photo courtesy of Jada Bynum).

A great part of this brick campaign is how the final product has turned out. I have seen other schools install personalized brick projects and the engraving just doesn’t look very good. These bricks are crystal clear and well done. If you are one of my local readers, you can order your own brick by going here.

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We have the men’s basketball NCAA championship game on tonight. I respect Coach Krzyzewski so much but this evening I am rooting for Wisconsin. First off, I think it looks great upon our basketball team at Coastal if the Badgers win the title just because our guys played them so close. Secondly, I would like to say that I watched the national champions play from the closest vantage point possible during their NCAA Tournament run. Whoever you are cheering for, enjoy the game! Don’t Blink.

#CCU Yik Yak Takeover

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One month ago I questioned aloud on this blog how I could utilize Yik Yak effectively in our Coastal Carolina University social media strategy. At the time I didn’t have a concrete game plan. Well, after thinking about it a lot and reading about how other universities are handling this hot social media app, I realized two things: 1. I wanted to do something about Yik Yak. 2. I didn’t want to do what the other universities were doing.

This Thursday, October 30, #CCUSocialMedia will host a #CCU Yik Yak Takeover. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the whole campus community within the 1.5 mile set radius is encouraged to send out positive yaks throughout the day. While many universities are attempting to block it, Coastal Carolina University is taking a big step to embrace it. This is a completely original idea, one that will catapult Coastal Carolina into the discussion of universities who came up with a plan to maximize the possibilities of Yik Yak as opposed to those who wanted nothing to do with it.

The #CCU Yik Yak Takeover will take place this Thursday, October 30.

The #CCU Yik Yak Takeover will take place this Thursday, October 30.

The #CCU Yik Tak Takeover is the brainchild of our “Social Media Dream Team” on campus. I have the privilege of working with a group of six other fellow staff members* who in addition to their university jobs are also social media leaders on campus. We have meetings and we talk often. At last week’s meeting we all committed to taking this on. Come Thursday, we will do what we can to generate positive yaks. Students will have the opportunity to find us on Prince Lawn (our campus gathering place) and send out an inspirational yak in our presence. If they do, they will receive a Coastal prize.

But make no mistake about it, the #CCU Yik Yak Takeover is not about, nor dependent on, the seven of us staffers. It is entirely a deal that will be driven and executed by our students. We could “Yak” until our thumbs turn blue but we would still be outnumbered 10,000 to 7. If our students buy-in, this will be one of the most successful social media feats seen on a college campus. So will they?

The #CCU Yik Yak Takeover caused a lot of buzz on Yik Yak today. As you can see, some of it was positive and some of it was in a mocking nature. The portions of text that are blocked out contained bad language.

The #CCU Yik Yak Takeover caused a lot of buzz on Yik Yak today. As you can see, some of it was positive and some of it was in a mocking nature. The portions of text that are blocked out contained bad language.

I bet they will.

When we announced our Takeover at 4 p.m. today, we had a lot of excited students. Many voiced on social media how much they love their school for doing something like this. Don’t get me wrong though, we also have some students who are going to oppose it as well. Just minutes after the announcement, the Coastal Yik Yak stream was buzzing about October 30. Lots of users voiced support, while other completely mocked the idea. Going in we knew that we would have people who would fight what we are trying to do. However, our plan come Thursday is simple…overwhelm the negative with the positive.

Some of the positive response we received on our #CCU Yik Yak Takeover.

Some of the positive response we received on our #CCU Yik Yak Takeover.

Wait one second though and throw strategy out the window. Sure we plan to outnumber bad yaks with good yaks. However, one thing is forever on our side: Pride. The students here at Coastal Carolina University are passionate and protective of their school. They know a big opportunity exists on Thursday to let that passion shine through for the social media world to see. The majority of students that make this campus great will show up on the day before Halloween and make the #CCU Yik Yak Takeover an epic success. Trust me, those of you outside of the CCU radius will want to “peak” on our community beacause we are about to do something pretty cool. Don’t Blink.

 

* Thanks to the Social Media Dream Team of April Betsch, Erika Pomerantz, Jeff Stone, Jennifer Sellers, Kevin Olivett, and Travis Overton for making the #CCU Yik Yak Takeover possible. Thanks to the #CCU student body in advance for making it successful.