44th Annual Adelphi Film and Video Festival a Big Success!

The 44th annual Adelphi Student Film and Video Festival took place on tuesday evening, May 13 at the PAC Concert Hall. Everyone was a winner! Below is a list of the awards that were given out at the post screening party in the studio at Blodgett Hall.

First Place:  Vicarious by Rebecca Farina

Second Place: Heads or Tails by Mara Bush

Third Place: The Day Sound Came by Antonio Escuro

Best Actor: Greg Buckheit (Heads or Tails)

Best Actress: Julie Praetzel (Vicarious)

Best Cinematography: Le Compositeur (Ana Karely Maldonado and Harley Yeager)

Best Sound Design: Vicarious (Rebecca Farina)

Best Editing: Change the Sick Society (Samantha Hollinde)

Best Screenplay: Forgotten (Leore Riven) 

Audience Choice Award: Heads or Tails by Mara Bush

A link to festival photos

2014 Senior Dinner

A fun-filled evening was had by all at the Communications Department 2014 Senior Dinner and Lambda Pi Eta induction ceremony.

The night was kicked off by our very own Chair of the Department, Paul Thaler, who serenaded the room with a few piano tunes and songs. After a brief welcome and introduction of the faculty and staff by Dr. Thaler, a special guest musician was welcomed on stage.

Victoria Levy performed a couple of her well-known songs for the crowd. Everyone had a blast listening to her perform: Gimme and Car, just to name a few. During the last song, Hanky Panky, a cover of Tommy James and the Shondells',  Professor Joe Kluge hopped on stage to provide some percussion on the Triangle.

After a delicious meal it was time to honor the graduating seniors and new inductees in to the Communications National Honor Society; Lamba Pi Eta. Professor Terrence Ross presented certificates and pins to the new inductees and the seniors were given their cords to wear proudly on their graduation day.

Our faculty members presented awards to Senior Communications students who have excelled in the department :

• Excellence in Journalism 
• Stephen Levine
• Kurt Derner Award
• Greg Giaconelli
• Timothy W. Costello Award 
• Rachel Voorhees
• Communitas Et Civitas Award 
• Kathryn Graves
• Frank E. Leonard Award 
• Frank Turano
• Morgan S.A. Reichner Award
• Ammie Lin
• Award for Creativity in Film & Video -
• Mara Bush & Rebecca Farina
• Richard F. Clemo Award
• Jaimie Fitzgerald
• Research and Writing Award
• Nicole Dubato
• Excellence in New Media Award
• Frank Turano
• Departmental Honors
• Mara Bush

Congratulations to all the graduating 2014 Seniors.  We wish you many years of success and remember to come back and visit us!

Accepted Videos for the 2014 Student Film and Video Festival are as follows:

• The Day Sound Came - by Antonio Escuro
• Le Compositeur - Ana Karely Maldonado
• Pumped Up Kicks  - Andrew Olsen
• Ecclesiastes Teaser - by Praise Odigie
• Bury Me at Make Out Beach - Nicole Podesta
• Finding a Friend - Erica Cain
• Fear of Flying - Sela Hoel
• Forgotten - Leore Riven / Nicole Podesta
• I and I - Kaitlin Wilson
• The Slut-Shaming and the Ignorant; Our Still Stereotypical Media World - Keri Torres
• Heads or Tails - Mara Bush
• March of the Jellyfish - Ralph Remy
• Vicarious - Rebecca Farina
• D-Limitz Concert Trailer -  Michael Irons Jr.
• Change the Sick Society - Samantha Hollinde 
• The Pier - Samantha Hollinde
• All in Good Time - Stephen Levine

Accepted Videos for the 2014 Honorable Mention Sidebar are as follows:

• Life - Jonathan Zaccarini
• When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer - Alaina Hemlall
• The Disappearance - Alexia Alurralde - 
• Whatever - Ariana Berman
• Immigration through a different set of eyes  -  Eileen Interiano
• Election Day - Andrew Hollis-Lima
• Mr. Ward - Tristan Baharally
• Absolut Hell - Heather Fisco
• The Car - Frank Turano
• Kill of the Night - Nicole Podesta
• Decode - Kristen Coraggio
• Everybody Hurts - Mary DeMaio
• Endangered Speeches - Mathew Rakowski
• Illusive - Samantha Hollinde
• The Campus - Andrew Ryan
• White Supremacy - Sheldon Jacobsohn

Thank You to everyone who submitted their amazing work.

Please join us on May 13th at 1:00 PM in the Studio (Room 108) for the sidebar and at 7:00pm in the Concert Hall in the Performing Arts Center for the festival.

2014 Student Film and Video Festival

Senior Ammie Lin Looks Back

Just days before graduation and it still hasn’t hit me yet. These past four years at Adelphi have definitely flown by, even though I’ve experienced so much. My undergraduate career here has definitely been a time of stress and excitement, but most of all, growth. Through my extracurricular activities and internships, I’ve become so much more than whom I was on Matriculation Day.

Recruiting new members for Desi Club
during the 2011 Freshman Orientation 

Even before freshman year began, I participated in my first community service project: the Freshman Community Action Program (FCAP), where I met and worked with campus leaders who encouraged me to stay active and involved throughout my years at Adelphi.

Because of FCAP and the mentorship of close peers and professors, whom I looked up to, I joined a bunch of campus clubs. By the end of my first year, I had the courage to run for a secretary position of Desi Club, now known as South Asian Students Association.

Making cold calls for perspective
cancer wig donations at CancerCare!

My sophomore year was consumed of trials and errors, as it was my first time leading an organization and working with an executive board.

One of my mentors, Reaz Khan, also guided me to my first internship, which was paid, through the Community Fellows Program. I interned at CancerCare, as the Programs/Development Intern, where I researched funding sources. My biggest achievement there was coordinating a donation of cancer wigs worth over $100,000 in retail value.

At the 2013 Women’s Recognition Banquet

By junior year, I was serving on five executive boards simultaneously: Vice President of Class of 2014, Public Relations Officer of Amnesty International Club, Secretary for MOSAIC, Secretary for Levermore Global Scholars Student Leadership Council, and Liaison for Criminal Justice Club. Meanwhile, I was taking 18 credits worth of classes and working 18 hours per week at Coach. Time management was definitely the lesson of the year.

Of course, I reaped many benefits. I received Student Government Association’s 2013 Women’s Recognition Award. I was inducted into the Sigma Lambda Leadership Honor Society. I was also chosen to represent Adelphi at the 2013 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL), an all-expenses paid trip to a three day conference at the University of Maryland.

As part of my internship,
I managed the press at the 2013
Annual National Urban League Conference.

That summer also included the best internship experience I’ve had so far. I got paid to be a Marketing and Communications Intern at the National Urban League, where I wrote my first press releases and media advisories, conducted media calls and press conferences, and traveled to various states.

After listening to an old advice about networking, I finally experienced just how effective it is at the beginning of my senior year. I kept in touch with my NCCWSL sponsor, a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). I told her that my dream is to work at the UN and she immediately connected me to AAUW’s UN representative.  Next thing I know, I’m serving as one of AAUW’s first UN youth delegates.

(from left to right) (1) Melissa Guardaro, Main AAUW Rep., (2) Me, AAUW Youth Rep., (3) Miki Noguchi, AAUW Rep., and (4) Donya Nasser, AAUW Youth Rep. 

Speaking on behalf of UN DPI/NGO Youth Reps.
Program at a UN briefing.

I held my third internship during my senior year, as the Marketing and Development Intern at Social Tap. Now, I continue to work towards a future career at the UN by serving as the Communications Chair of the UN Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organization Youth Representatives (DPI/NGO Youth Reps.) Program.

I recently received notice about a possible internship with an NGO at the UN. Although graduation is coming up soon, Adelphi has definitely prepared me for this day. My dream of working at the UN was born at Adelphi and Adelphi has only helped me get closer to it.