Winnipeg's Finest

January 16th - Episode 7: Author, Laina Hughes

Laina is a Creative Communications student at Red River College, who has just published her first book. Like all second year students in the program, Laina was asked to come up with an idea for an Independent Professional Project (IPP). As a lover of literature and a woman who spends a lot of time at the library, Laina quickly decided the IPP was a great opportunity for her to write her first book, Wolseley Stories. Laina's lived in the Wolseley area for most of her life, and appreciates the uniqueness her neighbourhood has to offer. Over the past year she's gathered many different stories from different people who live or have lived in the Wolseley area, and has complied them, along with her own stories, into one neatly packaged book.

Laina will be having a book launch, next Thursday at 7:30pm at McNally Robinson in Grant Park Shopping Centre; a perfect time to pick up your copy of Wolseley Stories and to get it signed by the soon to be #1 best selling author.

But until then...

I introduce you to one of Winnipeg's Finest, Laina Hughes.

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Alanna Tinsley-Roy - Fashion Designer

Part of planning my Red Dress Gala included making video profiles of the designers who contributed some of their pieces to the fashion show. Part of the reason I wanted to take on this event as my end of the year project is because I knew there would be a lot of opportunity to use the skills I learned and harnessed through journalism, advertising, and media production. I didn't have any video production skills going into CreComm, and it was something I quickly fell in love with.

Below is a video I shot and edited of recent MC College graduate, Alanna Tinsley-Roy, one of five designers who took part in the Red Dress Gala.

Time Management...

I started this blog last fall as a requirement of the CreComm program at Red River College. I wasn’t sure how much I would like blogging, but after doing it for a couple of months, I really got into it. Lately I’ve had so many other projects on the go that require a lot of my time, and unfortunately I haven’t been posting on this blog as often as I’d like to. Ironically, some of my other projects have included maintaining a blog I created for the Red Dress Gala& Fashion Show I organized in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF). The HSF liked the work I did for my third party event blog so much that they asked me to create and maintain a blog for a shoe auction they’re hosting in April. So although it may seem like I don’t blog anymore, I am posting on two other blogs that take time to manage, and I invite you to check them out. As for the other projects I have been or are currently involved with, here’s a brief list in no particular order:

·         Nov/Dec internship with Brookline Public Relations in Calgary

·         Red Dress Gala held February 13^th at Stereo Nightclub

·         Blogging for the HSF

·         Making and selling homemade dog and cat treats to raise money for the Winnipeg Humane Society – in preparation for a live telethon being held on March 17^th

·         Organizing a battle of the bands event to promote Red River Radio (RRR), as well as to announce the winners of the RRC student election

·         Hosting Winnipeg’s Finest on RRR

·         Working on an integrated marketing campaign for FriendMatch

·         ....the list is endless...

Some of the projects I’m involved with are mandatory, and some are voluntary. I’ve always been the type to volunteer for almost anything and everything, as a way of exploring different things and helping to take the load off of someone else. I’m still learning how to manage my time as I do like having different projects going on at once, but I do need to remember to incorporate some me time. 

As for right now my main focus is on finishing the CreComm program with pride in the work I’ve had the opportunity to create. Classes end the first week of April, followed by another three-week internship I’ll be doing with Kildonan Place Shopping Centre in the communications department. There are still many things I’m looking forward to in the upcoming months that are bound to keep me on a tight schedule, but I promise to make a stronger effort to maintain this blog.

Stay with me...

IPPs = Busy Busy Busy!

It's a busy time of year for us second year CreComm students. For the past year we've all been working on our IPPs (Independent Professional Projects), and a lot of them are starting to wrap up. As most of you know, for my project I've chosen to organize a Red Dress Gala & Fashion Show in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, on February 13th. Although I knew from the very beginning I wanted to do an event as my year long project, many other students have written books, created websites, filmed documentaries...the list can go on forever.

There are so many talented students in the CreComm program, and it's been great seeing everyone's hard work come to life.

Good luck with your projects everyone! Show 'em what you got!