Despite what the calendar may say, summer is over at BGSU with the arrival of the Fall 2024 semester. And BG Falcon Media jumped out to a fast start.
We held our third annual Boot Camp the weekend before classes began with the student executives gathering Saturday to review audience and marketing research as well as metrics from the website and social media channels. We spent the afternoon on refreshers on our web and social media scheduling platforms.
Sunday the executives welcomed interns and returning volunteers, beginning with informative sessions with the head of Campus Security and key members of the Athletics Department. We reinforced some relationships and aligned on protocols. Then the executives took the lead in training the interns and volunteers on the web and social scheduling platforms. We concluded by welcome incoming freshmen – a LOT of incoming freshmen with an informal meet and greet. Lively discussions followed and the groups lingered for more than an hour just getting to know each other.
Happy to report that the official start to the semester also began with a bang.
Our first executive meeting included thoughtful discussions about both strategy (how do we turn this fast start into sustained staff growth) and tactics (hey, we have a newspaper to get out this week!).
Our first news meeting had not only a great turnout but the most engagement we’ve seen in years. Particularly encouraging was the freshmen’s response – both engaging in discussions about stories and volunteering to take them on, something we haven’t seen from newcomers in recent years. Not bad for a 6 p.m. Monday meeting.
And things got even better at 8 p.m. when the Falcon Media Sports Network held its first session. Nearly 50 students – again, many newcomers – jammed into the Kuhlin Center’s largest conference room to get things rolling. As they worked through the near-term schedule, freshman after freshman jumped at the chance, actually leading to several sessions of rock-paper-scissors to see who would get the opportunity.
We’ve been working hard on recruiting the past couple of years and we are seeing some real results. We have a strong leadership team that will engage and large and energetic freshman class, aimed at taking BG Falcon Media to the next level.