May 9, 2014
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L.R. Poos, dean of arts and sciences, and fellow CUA faculty members accompanied 15 students last month on the first annual CUA in the Media trip to New York City. The group visited Out of the Blue Enterprises, CNBC, and Google. The day concluded with a reception at The Harvard Club, where students networked with CUA graduates.
The first stop was Out of the Blue Enterprises, a media firm that creates and produces educational content for children. Angela Santomero, who received her B.A. in psychology in 1990 from CUA, is the founding partner and chief creative officer. Santomero created the popular children's show "Blues Clues" in 1996 and is currently producing several shows including "Super Why!," and "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood."
In talking to the students, Santomero reflected on her education at Catholic University and how her psychology degree has helped her understand children's relationship with media.
"Angela compared the writing process for each episode to a pot of boiling water. Although it may take some time, the right idea will eventually come to you and then you can start working or, in this case, 'cooking.' I thought that was so creative," stated Jesi Breen, senior media studies major from Frederick, Md.
Students then traveled to the headquarters of CNBC to meet with Mary Noonan Robichaux who earned her B.A. in politics in 1987. As a senior producer, Robichaux creates long-form documentary content. In a typical workweek, she says she balances traveling, conducting interviews, and editing footage in the studio, on top of other projects. She notes that an hourlong feature can take months to edit before it airs.
While at CNBC, students toured the stage floor and control room and watched the crew film the mid-day news segment "Power Lunch."
The last stop was Google, where Kevin Murphy gave a tour. Murphy, who received his B.A. in Economics in 1993, is Google's Partnerships Team Lead.
Students said they were amazed at the atmosphere in the office, as employees traveled down hallways on Razor scooters, took breaks in the game room, and enjoyed an array of free food at one of the many kitchens.
"I had hoped that the range of places we visited - a small production company, a major broadcast media center, and one of the most important new media companies in the world - would make for a really interesting set of contrasts, and I think it did," stated Poos.
Following the tours, students gathered for a reception at The Harvard Club. More than 25 alumni attended, networking with students about job opportunities and sharing their career paths.
"I think my favorite part of the day was just seeing how these alumni are using their degrees. There are so many opportunities and it got me excited about graduation," said Meg McElroy, a senior media studies major from Haddonfield, N.J.
"I hope this is just another step in continuing to develop this network, with all the benefits it can offer to both students and alumni," noted Poos.