Target Back To School - U of M Style

Installment numero dos of Yaybia's Back To School Extravaganza is here! Check it.

Goldy Gopher would be proud. Target stores in the Twin Cities metro area have added a little U of M love to their back to school sections.  Amidst the body pillows, tail bone crushing futons, and array of dorm gear only meant to last one year is a full aisle dedicated to our local Big 10 favorite.  We'll try to keep our hopes as high as Target's for the football team this year, but at least we'll look good doing it.  Daily planners (although they could never replace a trusty Gopher Guide), notebooks, shirts, and even lamps are branded with the comforting M and placed right where those first time college moms are looking and more than willing to deck out their kid's dorm with all the same gear that she'll have to make her the best Gopher Mom on the [super] block.

So with that, thank you Target for knowing where I live and giving me U of M swag because there is no way in hell I am going to go battle the freshman in Coffman Union just to get a new Gopher T that will inevitably be destroyed at an upcoming game. Ski-U-Mah!

Yaybia Back-to-School Extravaganza: Best J-School Professors!

The Yaybies know we’re lucky to have gone to the J-School at the University of Minnesota. Our SJMC instructors are brilliant, inspiring, and eager to share their real-world experience. In celebration of the back-to-school season, here’s a rundown of the best of the best:

Jennifer Johnson.
Creds: Tons, but most notably Leo Burnett and CD at two shops in Mpls.
Teaches: Copywriting/Creative Strategy and Portfolio Development
I thought I knew how to think creatively before JJ’s class, but she completely reinvented the creative process for me. Now I know what makes a great ad and how to brainstorm effectively. (Hint: It involves dozens of scraps of colored paper that you WILL fill with ideas.)
Best lessons learned: Don’t cry at work. Be an elbow, not an arm (leave a comment if you’re curious about the origins of that one…)

Earl Herzog.
Creds: EVP/Media Director at Campbell Mithun
Teaches: Media Strategy
Students either love or hate Earl’s style: gruff, to-the-point, unabashed. His class is completely real-world and the skills and knowledge he shares give aspiring media professionals a huge advantage in their first job. My favorite part of his class? Quizzes on the New York Times’ Media & Advertising section. A perfect example of teaching students what they really need to know in the advertising world.
Best lessons learned: FIGURE IT OUT. Read the Times’ Media & Ad section. And don’t be late.

John Rash.
Creds: Director of Media Analysis at Campbell Mithun, writer of The Rash Report
Teaches: Mass Media and Politics
Unfortunately, I never got to take John Rash’s class, but all his students rave about his intelligence and availability, even though he’s crazy busy. The Rash Report is absolutely astounding. The first time I had a conversation with this man, I knew he was one of the smartest people I will ever meet. I can’t imagine how amazing Media & Politics will be with the election this year!
Best lessons learned: Actually, I’m usually too busy trying not to let my jaw drop at his eloquence and insight…

John Eighmey.
Creds: Senior management and both Y&R and the FTC. Journal of Advertising listed him as one of the 10 most-cited authorities on internet advertising.
Teaches: Cases
Another professor whose brilliance I never got to witness firsthand, but friends tell me he’s incredibly intelligent and a stellar thesis advisor. When we had an NSAC near-disaster, one team member emailed him frantically for advice. He replied within minutes, calming us down and giving us guidance on how to proceed.
Best lessons learned: Intelligence and quiet compassion goes a long way.

Howard Liszt.
Creds: Former CEO of Campbell Mithun. Served on the Easter Seals board. Knows absolutely everyone. Malcolm Gladwell should have profiled him as the Connector in Tipping Point.
Teaches: He’s technically marked down as teaching JOUR 3201…but we know him as the fearless NSAC advisor.
Howard pushes his NSAC team to work harder, be smarter, and think more creatively than they ever have before. Having his seal of approval on your resume all but guarantees you a job after graduation. And he honestly cares about every one of his students.
Best lessons learned: Work hard. Believe in yourself and your team. Genuinely care about others. 400 BABIES!

Brian Southwell.
Creds: PhD, outstanding researcher of health communication, and winner of a huge teaching award
Teaches: Psychology of Advertising
Choosing Brian Southwell as my thesis advisor was the best decision I could have made. He was endlessly patient and always had complete faith in me.
Best lessons learned: Extra effort and thought will always be rewarded.

Mark Pedelty.
Creds: Anthropologist who has traveled Central America, Mexico, and the US.
Teaches: Mass Media and Pop Culture
Each semester, Mark organizes a concert or other event which his class promotes to help raise awareness for a cause. My semester was the first one, and the honors section promoted local artists in conjunction with Friends of the Mississippi River. Through this, he demonstrates how media can work for good, and how anyone can use our PR and ad knowledge for a good cause.
Best lessons learned: Intersections of culture and media are everywhere. Decide for yourself whether that’s good or bad.

Kathy Hansen.
Creds: Co-author of Behind the Message, a communication researcher’s Bible. Innovator in communication research and teaching techniques, like creating a custom module that turns Neverwinter Nights into a PR/journalism research simulator.
Teaches: Honors Senior Seminar, Info for Mass Communicators
I liked both of Kathy’s classes, but I remember her most as an exceptional mentor. She knows the J-School inside and out and will sit down with anyone to help them discuss class and career options.
Best lessons learned: You can do anything, no matter how big.

Debra Kelley.
Creds: Principal of Hall Kelley design company.
Teaches: Basic Media Graphics
Debra is encouraging and patient. She knows that ad students are not necessarily designers, but she teaches the fundamentals to make any Powerpoint look clean and professional. Her class is the best way ad kids can learn Photoshop and InDesign besides pirating their GD friend’s copy, getting drunk, and playing with vectors. Err…was that just me?
Best lessons learned: Read The Non-Designers’ Design Book. Now.

Did I skip your faves? Leave them in the comments!

"Happy Together": Target Dorm 2008

Before I started school at the U, my mom and I stocked up on dorm gear from Target. I bought a magenta comforter and matching desk lamp with a lot of orange and pink accents, and I remember being terrified that my roommate would hate all those tropical hues. I was able to move into the room first, and when I returned a few days later, after she had moved in, I was relieved and delighted to see the exact same Target collection adorning her side of the room. We had even bought the same pink chairs! Later she told me that when she unlocked the room and saw my gear, she thought to herself, "Thank God, this is gonna work."

Target picked up on college students' anxiety to get along with new roommates in this back-to-school spot. I absolutely love how Wieden + Kennedy present Target as one solution to the "will my roommate like me?" anxiety.

Good luck, incoming freshmen. Here's to nine months of dorm food, getting sexiled by your roommate, and passing out in the stairway before you can make it to that frat party. At least you'll get to stumble into an XL-twin with stylish new bedding, thanks to Target.