Dixie State University Besties Capture and Create Captivating Content

By Allie Garrow

Nothing can seem more nerve-racking than first-day introductions, but for Dixie State University students Alyssa Janeway and Samantha Ortiz, first impressions proved to be misleading.

“Over Christmas break, I got a Gucci necklace,” exclaimed Janeway, a first-semester freshman, as she tugged lightly on her small yet luxurious necklace while waiting for class to start. Eyes rolled across the room, and Ortiz smirked at such a large affirmation. “I definitely won’t be friends with her,” she thought. Little did she know how lifechanging their relationship would be.

The unexpected friendship between Janeway, now a junior, and Ortiz, a senior, has since blossomed into a content creation platform, Coffee with Besties. The web show’s overarching mission is to highlight the importance of the University’s Department of Media Studies. “We couldn’t do the show without the technology and equipment the Media Studies Department provides for us,” Janeway said. “Sure, we could film it on our phones, but we’ve put together this show through the school, for the school.”

From TV broadcasting to radio shows and podcasting, the Department of Media Studies provides students like Janeway and Ortiz with several outstanding resume-building opportunities. The two friends hold a history of filming together for ESPN, Ironman, and Tuacahn Center for the Arts’ concerts for David Archuletta, Lee Brice, Bee Gees, and the Beach Boys.

Their passion for media, friendship, and laughter is what drives them to create content involving other DSU students, faculty, and community members. “We pretty much go around campus and want to talk about student issues that are relevant to them,” Ortiz said. “This is the best way to get other majors into the Media Studies Department.”

Other content they produce is lighthearted with a comedy game show nature. One of Coffee with Besties’ most viewed videos prompts students and community visitors to answer the question, “What are you listening to?” “Most of the time, we just want to know what goes through everyone’s minds,” Janeway said.

Janeway and Ortiz’s initial collaboration came through a year-long radio show titled Not the Caffeine Addiction, which later became Coffee with Besties in November 2021. The two friends work together equally throughout video editing, content creation, graphic design, and much more.

Students taking advantage of readily available resources and producing their own content as these two best friends have done is just one prime example of “active learning. active life.” opportunities offered across all departments.

“I want my digital footprint to be massive,” Janeway said. “Any opportunity to utilize the equipment, expand my skill sets, and produce my own content—I’m here for it.”

To learn more about the Department of Media Studies at Dixie State University, visit mediastudies.dixie.edu. For more information about Coffee with Besties, follow coffeewbesties on Instagram.

About the Author

After graduating with her associate degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho, Allie Garrow transferred to Dixie State University to become a Trailblazer. Now a senior at DSU, Allie is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in media studies with an emphasis in public relations. She is also minoring in communication studies and marketing. When Allie’s not hitting the books, she enjoys hitting the road in pursuit of adventure.

Allie Garrow