September 2016: Alumni Newsletter by Cassidy Lang

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER BETA ETA CHAPTER - SEPTEMBER 2016 ISSUE

Meet the new e-board! 4 DEAR ALUMNI, Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s September and the Fall 2016 semester has kicked

into full gear! Our E-board and chairs have been

PRESIDENT

KATIE SPOLETI Epsilon // Senior Journalism Major

planning and working all

summer to ensure we have another successful year of recruitment, fundraising, events and fun! We are so excited to see what

this semester has to offer

VICE PRESIDENT

JORDAN HEIDEN

Delta // Senior PUBLIC RELATIONS Major

us, especially with the

Presidential Debate coming up in just a few weeks.

Cheers to another year of

wisdom, integrity and love.

SECRETARY

Meghan Orsino Zeta Class // Senior Public Relations Major

4 HAVE A SUBMISSION FOR THE NEWSLETTER? E-mail your Alumni

Chair, Cass Lang, at

cassidymlang@gmail.com!

TREASURER

olivia hayum eta Class // Senior Public Relations Major

SUMMER INTERNSHIP STORY With any internship brings new experiences and connections. This past summer, I had the privilege of being the Communications Intern at Pacific Gas and Electric Company. PG&E is the utility provider for 16 million people in California, and not necessarily the first company that comes to mind when people think of a Communications position. As the Communications Intern, I worked in Field Meter Operations Quality & Training making training videos for one of the electric metering training programs at PG&E. My day-to-day activities included going to different locations to shoot video as well as edit video. One of my favorite memories from the summer was one day when I went out in the field to shoot a metering installation. As part of the safety in the field, I was required to wear flame-retardant clothing, safety glasses, safety vest, and a hardhat. The metering installation was taking place in a salt mill, and required a significant amount of before hand to make sure the installation went safety and correctly. The field of communications is very broad and allows you to often find yourself in unique and unexpected situations. With such strong professional support from my fellow Zetas, I feel that I can tackle any kind of situation that the field of communications throws at me. -ANI GHAZAROSSIAN

5 Leslie (Pakelody Cheam) representing Zeta Phi Eta at DO 317 in Indianapolis.

5 Berlin, Sherlock, Hazel and Reise teach one of Santa’s elves how to do the hand sign at Santa’s Village in New Hampshire. FUN FACT: the elf’s name is Taylor Hadra and she’s a Zeta from Emerson!

WEST COAST FOR THE SUMMER As the spring 2016 semester came to a close, exciting things were happening for me and all of my friends, especially those in Zeta. Two of my friends were getting ready to travel Europe, another two friends were moving to NYC to start jobs and live on their own, one friend was beginning her first big girl job and I was moving 3,000 miles away, to do a little bit of everything–work, travel, play and be an adult. The day the semester ended I packed up my bags and headed for Portland, Oregon with my boyfriend

to begin what would turn out to be the summer of a lifetime. In the past 10 weeks I have learned so much about the industry and I have had the chance to work first hand on the production of an amazing magazine and with an incredible non-profit. Every day I woke up excited, in love with my job and ready to witness the miracle that is the East House in Portland, where I work. Our RMHC chapter has two houses, one on each side of the Willamette river in Portland, where we can host up to 50 families per

night. People from around the world come to stay in our Houses while their seriously ill child receives care from a nearby hospital. Patients are admitted for various things, but at the end of the day, RMHC is responsible for making every family that is staying with us feel at home. Overall, it’s a magical, incredible place that I truly never want to leave. My official title is communications intern, and my job involves running all of the social media accounts for the chapter, showcasing volunteers,

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donors and families each day. Many times I have the chance to interview families and volunteers about how RMHC has impacted their lives. I’ve never met a more thankful, loving and appreciative group of people than the staff and guests at our Houses, and waking up to go to work at a place like that is nothing short of incredible. Working at a non-profit is definitely something I plan to do in the future. All in all, my summer has been incredible. I’ve hiked, read, interviewed, fallen in love with my job and found myself. I feel incredibly ready, and confident to take on the fall with my Zetas and achieve even more incredible things.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR MARISA?

-MARISA RUSSELL

As the fall semester’s Recruitment Chairs, Marisa (Russell) and I wanted to highlight the incredible opportunities that can be reached with Zeta especially with our proximity to New York City. Whether it be doing cool projects or interning at your dream company, Zeta prepares you for it all. To promote this idea, we named our recruitment campaign #ExploreWithZeta. We want our members to use this hashtag on social media as they explore and conquer all of New York’s wonders. To match the theme, I designed t-shirts for the organization with inspiration from NYC subways. With our recruitment campaign set into place, we are excited to meet potential new Zeta members!

Marisa will be working as a social TV intern for CNN as of September 12. In addition, she will be responsible for recruiting the newest class of Zetas and preparing to graduate in December. In January 2017, she will begin her graduate program at Syracuse University!

UPCOMING EVENTS 49/14 & 9/15: Info Sessions 49/19 & 9/20: meet & greet rounds 49/22: Invite Only professional mixer 49/27: Theta bonding event

- SABRINA O’NEIL

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I DEFINITELY AM NOT WHERE I THOUGHT I’D BE A YEAR AFTER GRADUATION. For anyone who knew me in college, I said I was going to be on-camera talent for a network, probably living in Dallas and swore up and down starting a career in New York City was the biggest mistake anyone could make. Update on my life: I’m not on camera, I’m not living in Dallas and I started my career in Manhattan.

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ADULTING; MOST RECENT GRAD EDITION ecently in an informational meeting with two of my friend’s interns, I enthusiastically encouraged one of the college students to start a Zeta chapter at his school. He told me he is interested in pursuing a career in broadcast journalism, so I explained to him the many benefits of founding a Zeta chapter, including the number of connections across the country. It was then that it hit me; I am no longer an active campus-chapter member of Zeta Phi Eta.

The past few months have been somewhat of a whirlwind. Graduation was an incredible event. One of the highlights was Sen. Chuck Schumer ripping up his infamous speech after he arrived late. As I drove away from Hofstra, I did not feel like I was embarking on a new journey. It felt as though I was once again leaving for summer break. I started full-time as an associate in the communications practice at Dewey Square Group in June. Dewey Square Group is a public affairs firm with clients in industries like healthcare, real estate, and energy. As I became acclimated to clients and office life, I often turned to the friends I met in Zeta to help me navigate the professional world. I don’t know if I would have had a job offer before graduation if it weren’t for Zeta. From resumes to cover letters to interview prep, the Zeta family is always willing to help others out. The supportive network is what makes this organization special. I love when someone posts about their new job or internship and I see a flood of congratulatory comments from fellow Zetas.

A new job comes with ups and downs. My first few months as a real adult have been much easier thanks to everyone in this organization. If I face a difficult situation at work, I know I will not brave the issue alone. I have a large network of smart, professional individuals that I can turn to for advice. As the summer winds down, it feels surreal that I won’t be making the trek down to Long Island. Instead I will make the trek into downtown Boston, fighting rush hour traffic. Client calls replace classes. Fortunately, homemade food replaces whatever Lackmann/Compass is serving. The unchanging, unwavering wisdom, integrity and love from Zeta members is my favorite constant. - RACHAEL DURANT

A LIT LIZ UPDATE raduating from college was one of the hardest, most worthwhile experiences of my life. I graduated a semester early, in December of 2014, while most of my Zetas graduated in the spring. Being at home and watching all the amazing things they were doing, whether they were killing it at spring internships, organizing student-run panels, or simply snapchatting funny moments, I missed it too much.

The best thing about being a Zeta was the friendships I formed that spanned the space between my couch and Hofstra, the moments where I needed someone to look at a cover letter, and the times the phone call at 2 a.m. really was necessary. With their help and incredibly supportive parents, in February of 2015 I received a job offer at a marketing company.

Two months out of school, I was ready for a new start. I remained at the marketing company for a year, writing over 250 articles a month, in addition to white papers, case studies and press releases. This March, I made another change and now work at Northeastern University. It’s only been a few months but i honestly love it. The work is fast-paced, and the students I write about are just as accomplished and ready for pieces of the real world as those at Hofstra. Speaking to them, whether in passing on the way to class, during an interview or via email, I’ve come to recognize the same drive that can be found in Zeta. Sleepless nights filled with homework, days spent interning and commuting, whatever time left in-between split between family and friends and the time where both morph into the same. I wouldn’t be where I am today with Zeta, and the friends I made are still some of the very best I am lucky to call my own. Making any transition, from college, to job to job is hard, but having a supportive system that encourages and drives you to be better makes it all worth it and a little more sweet at the end.

SEPTEMBER 2016 ISSUE

- LIZ MERINO

Interview with Jordan Heiden What is your favorite memory from your time at VH1? JH: It’s hard to pick just one memory, but my all-time favorite was working the Big In Music You Oughta Know show. I got to see a number of interviews with great new artists, then watch them all perform live. At the time, Hozier was still gaining popularity, so I was able to learn so much about him. (His real name is Andrew Byrne.) Listening to him live was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. His voice can truly captivate a crowd. It was incredible.

Who is the most famous person you’ve rubbed shoulders with? JH: It depends on what you mean by rubbing shoulders. I’ve been in the same room as Will Smith, Queen Latifah, and Alicia Keys, but I’ve actually had conversations with Amber Rose, Tristan Wilds, and Lindsay Lohan’s mom, Dina. I wish I could tell you I’ve met Leonardo DiCaprio, but unfortunately I only know his home address.

You were recently featured in a FindSpark article regarding being “out” in the workplace. What made you want to be a part of that? JH: Now more than ever, it is crucial to push LGBTQ+ content out into the world and when I saw the posting about this “Out in the Workplace” project, I knew I needed to get involved. I also knew I could bring a very unique perspective having worked with Logo TV, the only network to primarily focus on LGBTQ+ news and pop culture. More than anything though, I just wanted to make a small difference to someone. People think coming out is a one time thing, but it doesn’t just happen at home. It happens at school, work, and everything in between and it’s important to offer continuous support.

AFTER TWO SEMESTERS OF INTERNING AT VH1, JORDAN WAS ASKED TO STAY FOR THE SUMMER AS A PROJECT FREELANCER. WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE?

3READ THIS INTERVIEW

dream. After working in the heart of the city for a summer, that all changed. I learned that life should not be about chasing money, but finding purpose. I learned that work is important, but family is more important. I learned that I don’t want to be a stressed out, infinitely busy CEO. I want to be happy with the ones I love for however long I’m here.

Moving from Southwick, Massachusetts to Long Island was a huge adjustment for you. How does a veteran tobacco farmer handle the move to Astria? JH: It was terrifying, but living in Long Island for school made the transition a little more feasible. It’s strange because at this point in my life, I’m not really sure where to call home. I feel parts of me belong in the woods, surrounded by nothing but the trees and I feel other parts of me belong in the crazy bustle of the city. Don’t ask me where I’ll be in a year, because I don’t have a clue.

A summer of living in the city gives you some time to explore, can you share some of your favorite NYC/Astoria spots? JH: I’m pretty sure I spent the vast majority of my summer eating, so I’ll share my favorite food spots: Hinomaru Ramen (Ramen/Astoria), Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden (German/Astoria), The Thirsty Koala (Australian/GF/ Astoria), Braai (South African/Manhattan), The Beetle House (HALLOWEEN EVERYTHING/NYU area), Queen of Sheba (Ethiopian/Hell’s Kitchen)

What were some of the most challenging aspects of your position? JH: There were a lot of challenges with this position, but they taught me a lot about myself. For one, the hours were long, hard and demanding. I could easily rack up a 14 hour day if talent was in town, which happened pretty frequently. People also sometimes forget that entertainment is not a glamorous industry. It’s a lot of babysitting, handholding, ass-kissing, and dealing with tough personalities. The job is certainly not for everyone.

What is something that you’ve learned about yourself while at VH1? JH: In all honesty, I’ve learned that everything I thought I

knew about myself was completely wrong. I had always wanted to be this powerful, strong CEO who dedicated her life to work. For as long as I can remember, that was my

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4 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 After graduating in 2015, I began working as a Desk Associate at CBS Radio News. While I was excited to be employed, I definitely wasn’t sold on working in radio. My heart wasn’t there, but I knew it was a foot in the door at CBS and I’d be kicking myself for the rest of my life if I passed up an opportunity like that. For 13 months I learned some serious lessons in humility, sacrifice, hard work and what it means to be on a team. The first eight months I was there, I was a freelancer, which meant I had no control over my schedule or how many days a week I was given. One week I might get a full 40 hours and have decent shifts and the next week I could get 24 hours and they’d all be overnights. Living with the inability to plan anything, make commitments to see people or feel in control of my finances was incredibly difficult and I felt like I was constantly letting people down for having to cancel plans last minute (after being called into work if someone got sick) or having to miss out on events all together simply because of the possibility of picking up more hours. And then things got better… kind of. In January, I was offered a promotion to a staff job. Think of the Hunger Games where there’s all these people trying to beat each other out for one spot but not actually knowing what they’re battling for. That’s the promotion process at Radio. For a hot second I was Leonardo DiCaprio and “KING OF THE WORLDDDD” and the next second I was buying an extra-large blue raspberry Slurpee at 7-11 and sobbing because I found out I was the permanent 1-9am person. Now hold up: I know what you’re thinking, “Emi, why are you boring us with your ‘very sad hand-written book’ about your life postgrad. Can’t I just send you some dog video to shut you up?” Okay. I feel that. But here’s the point: life after college is tough. Like really tough. Like broke isn’t a joke and Starbucks becomes a luxury and you cry a lot but you’re somehow still making things work. I accepted that terrible position and decided to be the best overnight DA they’d ever had. Was I? That’s debatable. But I handled

countless international and domestic news stories with a skeleton crew and I learned to think fast. I learned to say yes to everything because no one is too good for any given task. I made friends with our affiliates across the country. I made life-long connections in the newsroom. I learned the cafeteria opens at 6am and they have these really delicious lemon muffins on Wednesdays. And I learned new jobs don’t just come to those who sit around and wait. After getting my staff position, I decided it was time to actively start looking for my next move. During my days as a freelancer, I realized I loved the shifts where I was booking interviews for our affiliate stations and loved the competitive nature of getting new voices before other networks. The lifestyle of an onair reporter just wasn’t realistic for what I was aspiring for later in life and one day a co-worker asked me if I’d ever considered booking. It clicked. The lightbulb went off. The angels sang. Life made sense, or that’s what I tell myself. I then launched into what would become a six month process of networking, meeting with senior producers and sending out over 150 job applications. That number is no joke. I’m not proud… One day, I was on the subway heading to a Mets game and got a message from a Hofstra alum on LinkedIn (make sure that bad boy reflects your best self) asking me to look over a job description and tell me what I thought. Long story short, it was a producer position at SiriusXM and the day before I went for my second interview, I got an email from the head of booking at CBS This Morning telling me she had a job for me. In the span of 36 hours, I went from pounding the pavement and being at a job I practically was miserable doing to

receiving an offer for the job I had striven for all along. Did I cry? Oh you bet I did. Ugly, ugly subway tears of joy. Still glad no one knew me in that car… So where am I now? Two months into my new position and I’m loving it. The hours are still bonkers but the newsroom is full now because everyone has a crazy schedule here. I’m the early morning/control room booking producer, which means I handle all breaking news/last minute PR requests/sit in the control room and monitor all the guest on the show and make sure what’s going on in the studio is consistent with what’s happening in the control room. The moment I’ve been most proud of so far was booking Kellyanne Conway 24 hours after she was announced to be Trump’s new campaign manager. We had an on-going stake out to try and grab her for the show and she responded to my texts, making CBS the first network to have her on after the announcement. TBH never deleting that text thread… My parents like hearing about the celebrities that are on the show (Meryl Streep has flawless skin, Amy Schumer is honestly such a chill lady and Daniel Radcliff should teach parents on how to raise their children with good manners) or seeing my accidental cameo appearances, but for me it’s about the thrill of knowing I contributed to a larger project and left my touch on the product. There’s no better feeling than to lean back on Friday, after a psycho week, and seeing your name scroll through the credits. It’s basically that silent affirmation that you helped play a part in getting the show off the ground and there’s honestly no better feeling. So no, I am definitely not where I thought I’d be after graduation and I couldn’t be happier at where life has taken me. - EMI FELDMAN

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“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.”

“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.” - I truly believe this statement, especially after my summer of adventures. Over 35 days, Cass Lang and I traveled to 9 countries, 22 cities, and learned how to say hello, goodbye & thank you in seven languages. We engaged in cultures completely different from our own, and met people who soon became our very best friends. To say it was the best month of my life would be an understatement. Our journey began in Greece, where we got to walk through the ancient acropolis, explore temples of Greek gods, jump off rocks into the ocean, and make friends with wild donkeys on the beach. I even had my Lizzie McGuire moment when singing with a Greek band on our last night in that beautiful country. From there, we flew to Italy, which quickly became my FAVORITE country. The plane hadn’t even landed yet and I was already in tears. We started in Rome where I wished for my Paolo in front of the Trevi Fountain and fulfilled my lifelong dream of seeing the Pope in person. Next came Florence, where I climbed to the top of the Duomo and drank my weight in wine in Tuscany. We even made a

pit stop in Verona so we could pay Romeo and Juliette a visit. Our last stop in Italy was Venice, where we rode a gondola and ate pasta, gelato & plenty of nutella for every meal. Italia was perfect. As we left Italy, we got to see the Alps up close and personal when we went white water rafting through them. Then we spent a night in Austria where I obviously sang in front of a mountain to live my Sound Of Music dream. Next came Germany, where I got to see the Neushwanstein Castle and try on traditional Bavarian dirndls in Munich. I walked through Dachau concentration camp and got a first hand experience of the history that shaped our world. I touched the Berlin wall that once separated an entire city. It’s safe to say that I learned more history in one month than I ever did in school. To experience it makes it real, and it affects you more than the pages of a history book ever could. Amsterdam was next on our list, and it was more beautiful than I imagined. The canals took my breath away and I learned that there are more bikes than

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4 TOP from left to right: Berlin (Jordan Heiden) in Astoria, Queens; Sydney (Marisa Russell) in Washington; Aslan (Sarah Abuharaz) in Costa Rica.

4 BOTTOM from left to right: big and little, Geneva (Emi Feldman) and Paris

(Ashley Mungiguerra) in Dallas, Texas; Reise (Emily Weeks) in Vermont; Hazel (Cass Lang) and Emerald (Emily Walsh) in Paris, France.

people. Cass had the chance to live up to her pledge name [Hazel] and see the bench that was featured in The Fault In Our Stars. I immersed myself in more history at the Anne Frank house, and got lost bike riding through the countryside of Holland.

hometown. Traveling gives you the opportunity to see the world, and people, in a different light. I learned to let go and enjoy the ride. There truly is nothing better than laughing until you cry with you best friends in a different country every night.

Next, I fell in love with Paris, where I ate more croissants than I’d like to admit. I saw the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, strolled through the Versailles gardens, relaxed on a Seine River cruise, and saw the Eiffel Tower light up at night. However, my favorite part was watching Cass as she took in her favorite city. She had been dreaming about visiting Paris since before she could remember, and I was such a treat to see her experience the city of light.

Most importantly, I learned to follow my arrow. I learned to trust myself and follow my gut…even if that leads me to stealing a mug from the famous Hofbrahaus. In all seriousness, as I enter my senior of college, this trip taught me to live life to the fullest and always be excited for what’s ahead. As Iraklis, our tour director would say; “It was lit, fam.” -EMILY WALSH

Our last stop was in Barcelona, where I Flamenco danced with my best friends, did my best Cheetah girls impression at Park Guell and spent a lazy day on the beach. Even though I have thousands of memories to last me a lifetime, this trip was so much more than that. I learned that the world is so much bigger than my