Looking for takeaways:
The last time I visited New York City, I was sixteen years old and deep in what I now refer to as my “theatre kid days.” For six days of spring break, I joined a horde of other exuberant and theatrical adolescents for just about every tourist-y activity you can imagine. Six days of inside jokes, sore feet and show business: the best kind of chaos.
Four years later, I’m looking forward to a very different kind of trip. I know that at times New York will still feel like a thrilling, chaotic blur, but I’m going to challenge myself to look for something more. With each agency visit, stunning view, and unexpected experience, I’ll challenge myself to distill the chaos into something worth remembering: a takeaway, if you will. I hope this blog will be a place where I can share those lessons on professional advertising, city culture and life.
With the energy of a theatre kid and the focus of a strategist, I’m ready to pack my bags. Here we go!
Rachel Benner
04.30.17
Been there, haven’t done that
…yet.
I’ve been to New York many times. As a kid, I spent summers with my family on Long Island where my Dad grew up. In high school, I played in a basketball tournament in the city. And, most recently, took a bus into the city from Connecticut for a fleeting 5 hours (experienced Times Square, the One World Observatory and the 911 Memorial ). But there are still items to check off that bucket list…or rather, things I haven’t done yet. Maybe these experiences were meant to wait until the right moment - perfect for a trip like this.
The Short List:
- Grab an early morning coffee at a local cafe (people watching)
- Get pushed in a SoulCycle class (basic but inspiring)
- Go to a Broadway Show (a must see)
- Take the Staton Island Ferry (at night)
- Eat at Katz’s (famous Jewish deli)
Cheers to opportunities for discovery, unplanned experiences & making more memories in the city of dreams.
Meg Winters 04.30.17
Spring Is A Season for Planting
Sitting on the third floor of Allen Hall, surrounded by faces I see constantly but rarely talk to, I’m struck by how eager I am to finally connect with the people whose work I have long-admired. This is my New York Experience group, a collection of strategists, developers and art directors ready to take on Creative Week (and maybe see a museum or two in the process).
Just about every person I’ve talked to in the ad industry has emphasized the importance of relationships, and I’m excited to plant these seeds now. I’ll water them over time with projects and Skype calls, late nights and collaboration, early mornings and beers after work, but right now it starts with an introduction.
Hannah Lewman. 04.27.2017
Discovery is a beautiful thing.
Every year I have a revelation right about now. A week or so away from an amazing experience where invested people go to a wondrous place, I realize that I love watching people find themselves. Sure it’s about advertising done well, about the excitement of a city that has no equal. I love knowing students will use this. But more, it’s about ten years from now. Someone will remind me that this is where they understood a “career,” where they found themselves with the right questions.
This year will be no different. Here we go, all 117 students and faculty.
Ready.
Deb Morrison 04.25.2017