How Nicole Hengst and Her Team Shaped Mass Comm Week 2019

October 15, 2019

jonzmikly

by Hannah HolderMass Communication Week has been around at Texas State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication for the past 29 years, starting back in 1990. SJMC Lecturer Nicole Hengst has been the main coordinator for the weeklong event for the past three years. About the event, Hengst said, “Mass Comm Week is a good opportunity for SJMC to make good connections with the professional world and have those professionals come here where students are comfortable.”This year’s Mass Comm Week is special because nine student interns did most of the planning. Hengst called the event “for students, by students.” Each year, a graduate assistant helps coordinate the event alongside the main coordinator and the faculty committee. This year’s graduate assistant is Albert Suarez. Suarez will be hosting his own panel during Mass Comm Week, taking free headshots for students at 11 a.m. in Old Main 232. Mass Comm Week interns have been hard at work planning and covering the weeklong eventHengst and her team have been meeting for one hour a week since mid-August, preparing, planning and organizing Mass Comm Week. During those two months, Hengst and her team have gathered a total of 50 panels to be hosted throughout the week. Throughout those 50 panels will be some virtual reality workshops hosted by SJMC’s Jon Zmikly, a drone workshop hosted by SJMC’s Dale Blasingame, study-in-America information sessions, a trip to San Antonio Express-News and some keynote speakers. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3m2wIsFWxh/ Three of this year’s biggest keynote speakers are listed below: Norma Lujan, an alumna class of 1999, is one of the ‘big’ keynote speakers for Mass Comm Week. Lujan worked for L’Oreal for eight years as a product development manager, senior marketing manager and director of marketing for the company. She has an eye for all things fashion, beauty, style and design. She has traveled the world for her careers and has now founded her own lifestyle brand, Libellule & Lavande. Lujan will be speaking on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 3:30 p.m. in Centennial 157. Pablo Mercado, another keynote, studied English at what was then Southwest Texas State, to becoming the chief technology officer for Vox Media. Vox is an American-based digital media company known for more than 325 media brands and communities within the news, sports and entertainment spectrum. Mercado is one of the other ‘big’ keynote speakers for Mass Comm Week. Mercado will be speaking on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 11 a.m.in Old Main 201 and at 3:30 p.m. in Alkek 250.Brant Freeman is a SJMC alumnus and the voice of the Bobcats for Texas State conference games aired on ESPN. Freeman will be discussing his commitment to televise every Texas State game on ESPN on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. in Old Main 320. This year’s Mass Comm Week is Oct.14-18. See what Mass Comm Week has to offer you this year. Use#MCWeek19 on Instagram or Twitter to showoff some of the panels you attended!