Author: shwetakrishnan

I am interested in combining my journalism skills with my interest in politics. I am currently pursuing a certificate in public affairs communications, which has allowed me to gain skills aimed at educating and shaping public opinions on policy issues.

Through this certificate, I had the opportunity to participate in the GradyDC study away program in Washington D.C. During this time, I interned at the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, a non-profit organization that seeks to influence DC specific policy issues through advocacy, research and litigation.

Letter-to-Editor

This letter-to-editor is written from the perspective of a hypothetical public figure on an important policy issue. It is meant to address the op-ed that the author Michael Bloomberg wrote in terms of addressing the immigration crisis in the United States.

Key Messages

This key messages document is an example document building up to the final campaign. This document focuses on why abortion should be legalized across the nation included main ideas supported by statistics and data.

Advertising Script

This advertising script is another example document building up to the final campaign plan. This document creates a hypothetical advertisement based on a public policy issue using visuals and emotions to connect with the audience.

Op-Ed

An op-ed, or opinion editorial, is based on a specific policy issue. The author writes the issue based on a strong and informed opinion backed by data. The opinion of the author doesn’t necessarily reflect the opinion of a publication, rather it gives the author a chance to express their ideas about a specific issue. The first op-ed focused on human trafficking, and how it needs to be more heavily addressed on the national level. The second op-ed was another part of the building blocks to the final campaign plan. This piece focused on legalizing abortion across the nation, addressing the maternal healthcare crisis.

Infographic

An infographic is used to factually and visually display information based on a public policy issue. This was the final assignment in the Advanced Public Affairs Communications course used to once again, highlight an important public policy issue in a visually appealing manner.

Final Campaign Plan

The final campaign plan was a culmination of all the tools and elements learned throughout the Advanced Public Affairs Communications course. As described earlier, this project focuses on creating a hypothetical public policy campaign, incorporating previous assignments that were used as building blocks for this final project.

Boutique Feature: Empire South

Skills I Used

I was able to take what I learned about lighting and visuals to create a story about an individual in the Athens community. Having a storytelling background allowed me to put together a written story and take visuals that accompanied the audio and written portion to help create a cohesive, clear project.

I had the opportunity to work with the AJC to do live coverage on Election Day 2024 in Athens-Clarke County. I interviewed voters before polls opened at 7 a.m. and continued to have conversations until 2 p.m. at five different polling locations across the county. This opportunity allowed me to gain experience talking to a variety of people and writing quick stories with tight deadlines. This was one of my favorite experiences because I was able to take the skills that I learned from each of my Grady classes and apply it to a real-world experience and report on a newsworthy event that was highly important across the nation.

Posts Published on the AJC website: Election Day 2024: Live Recap of Election Day

Celebrating International Education Month with International Student Life at UGA

International Education Month is more than just three weeks in November. For the University of Georgia’s campus, it’s about internationalizing the student experience and celebrating a variety of cultures throughout the year.

“A large part of International Education Month is showing everyone that international education doesn’t just happen in a vacuum, it doesn’t just happen here in ISL or immigration services and OGE,” said Natalie Kenny-Hall, Senior Programming Coordinator for International Student Life at UGA.  “Literally every department has some kind of international education going on.”

International Education Month is dedicated to providing international education to all UGA students. It’s based on the federal initiative of International Education Week, which is the third week of November.

“We recognized that so much international education was being done at UGA that we needed to expand that to cover the entire month,” she said.

It kicked off with the Parade of Flags on Monday, Nov. 4, where students requested their countries’ flag from the International Student Life office. Each student carried their country’s flag from the Arch to Tate Student Center. 

“I was carrying the Brazilian flag. It’s my first semester here, and I just came from Brazil, and it was an honor to bring the Brazilian flag with me,” said Majorie Baio, Graduate Assistant for ISL.

Following the Parade of Flags was WorldFest, an event held in Tate Plaza where several UGA ISL organizations had a table displaying their own cultures. 

This was a chance for both international and domestic students to interact with international cultures and student organizations from all around campus.

“The ability for our international students to be able to speak about their culture to their peers is really lovely to see that happen in real time,” said Natalie Kenny-Hall.

A variety of departments across campus put on events to continue supporting ISL’s initiative to expand international education across campus throughout the month.

At UGA’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute, the Dancing with Devils: Latin American Masks Traditions exhibit is dedicated to celebrating a small portion of Latin American culture. It’s available for all UGA students to take time to engage with a particular international culture and learn about celebrations and traditions.

“I think international students just love to see a focus of things that are not American and see that celebrated, not just a quick hat-tip of ‘Oh we’re doing this, isn’t that nice?’,” said Natalie Kenny-Hall. “It’s real in depth, a whole month of celebrating on campus that helps them feel more included and it opens up more opportunities for them as well.”

Skills I Used

I liked being able to create another story based on International Student Life. I enjoyed being able to talk about such a broad topic because I think it gave me the opportunity to film different angles to provide a clear picture of International Education Month. This was also my first time using video for a journalistic purpose, and I feel like I learned a lot about filming and editing techniques, which helped me create this product.

Internationalizing the Student Experience: Natalie Kenny-Hall Creates a Safe Space for International Students on UGA’s Campus

Natalie Kenny-Hall has one main goal with her work: internationalizing the student experience at UGA.

“It’s not just about working with international students and helping them here on campus, but it’s also allowing students from the US to experience international culture as well,” she said.

The Senior Programming Coordinator for International Student Life at UGA seeks to create a stronger community among students through her work. She is involved in planning and programming events like International Coffee Hour.

At this event, students can be found talking about different cultures and sharing their experiences at UGA.

“Lots of research shows that when students feel like they belong, they do better academically.”

It’s not something she just tells international students; it’s something she has experienced herself.

Natalie grew up in England and pursued her undergraduate degree there. She thought that moving to another “similar” country would be simple.

“Moving to an English speaking country, I thought the transition would be very, very easy,” she said.

Her empathy to understand the mixed emotions that these students might feel as they start college across the world allows her to connect with a variety of students.

“Natalie has helped me find my community at UGA by teaching us all that we need to be able to gain intercultural competency. Her trainings allowed us to understand how to communicate with people from different backgrounds and cultures,” said Sowmya Gangyshetty, a third-year law student from India.

In the 53 years that this event has taken place, Natalie has seen the firsthand impact that these interactions can have on a student’s sense of belonging and finding friendship.

“I see (students) sitting down and talking to each other the first week, maybe the second week, and then by the end of term, they’re best friends and they’ve got a group of people,” she said. “That’s just wonderful to see that kind of organic friendship happen due to them coming to one of our events.”

Natalie is also an advisor for five international student organizations at UGA- Bangladeshi Student Organization, Korean Undergraduate Student Organization, Indian Student Association, Nepalese Student Organization, Vietnamese Student Organization.

“It’s a fairly new job for me directly advising student organizations, but they’re all wonderful. I’d like to keep growing those skills to make sure that I can support them as best as possible,” she said.

When talking about how students can make the best of their experience through ISL’s events and organizations, she suggests that they be open to new opportunities, even if it’s scary at first.

The biggest lesson that she hopes all students take from ISL events is that, “there’s more that we have in common than we don’t have in common from around the world,” she said.

Skills I Used:

This story continued on with my idea of continuing to report on International Student Life, but this time I was featuring an individual. I loved being able to do create story because it shows the depth I have with producing different types of journalistic pieces. Most importantly, I think this piece truly showcased how I continued to grow throughout the semester as a journalist by incorporating audio elements combined with a written story.

International Coffee Hour with UGA’s Arab Cultural Association

At International Coffee Hour, it’s more than just learning about culture. It’s about immersing yourself in someone’s environment.

“When it comes to coffee hour, really it’s to showcase all the different elements,” said Dylan Schell, one of the Arab Cultural Association’s Event Coordinators. “What I really like about events like this, is that you kind of get a little bit of a window into many different facets of a culture.”

The University of Georgia’s Arab Cultural Association hosted their coffee hour on Friday, Sept. 20. It was held in the Victor K. Wilson Ballroom in Memorial Hall. Between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., 268 students experienced vibrant parts of Arab culture.

“This is really one of my favorite events at UGA, because International Coffee Hour is probably one of the biggest events,” said Maggie Zou, the Senior Programming Coordinator for International Student Life at UGA. “We can get all the international students all together, and we can also attract all the domestic students as well.”

This event featured different aspects of Arab culture, including homemade food, a guessing game to place different Arab countries on a map, calligraphy, and scented items.

Dylan Schell helped create a vision for this event and followed through with the planned details.

Not only is geography important to understanding Arab culture, but so is food.

Soukaina Chaouki, a UGA grad student and ACA volunteer, explained the importance of connecting with the culture through this calligraphy, an important art form for Arab culture.

Having these items allows students to permanently have a reminder of learning about Arab culture.

She also explained the importance of scents and perfumes in Arab culture and history. Strong fragrances are used for rituals and welcoming guests into someone’s home.

With all of these ways to celebrate culture, students enjoyed their time engaging with a new experience.

UGA has been hosting International Coffee Hour for 52 years, and the most important part of these events has been bringing students together to immerse themselves in a new culture to create a strong community.

Skills I Used

I chose to highlight this story because I love featuring different aspects of International Student Life. International Coffee Hour is something that they host every Friday, and I always enjoy being able to go and participate. I think being able to write about such a unique organization and show different aspects of a culture is so interesting, and it has also helped me grow as a journalist. It was great to be able to take the photography skills I learned and be able to put it to use in this setting as well.

Finding Simplicity Among Holiday Decor, According to Design Experts

Creating the perfect, cozy holiday feel can be overwhelming for college students and new homeowners. Finding personalized decoration ideas that will inspire long-standing holiday traditions doesn’t have to be complicated, whether you’re moving into your first apartment or new home.

There’s one common theme to create the best space for your holiday decorations: simplicity.

Here are five design tips on establishing timeless beauty throughout your holiday decor. 

1. Stick to traditional colors, including greens and reds, or blue and white with touches of gold or silver.

Trends will come and go, but traditional colors will always create a classy look. While new trends might seem fresh and exciting, it can sometimes create a clashing of color palettes or lose popularity by the next holiday season. Instead, find enjoyment in creating beauty with traditional holiday colors that complement each other, and never go out of style.

“Trends are happening, but we normally stick to your pretty traditional greens and red,” said Jarrett Kemp, owner of Appointments at Five. 

2. Embrace using family holiday decor items and create new traditions.

Holiday decor should not be only about finding aesthetic ornaments from HomeGoods or an expensive designer. There is joy in watching your kids hang up ornaments they created over five years ago, and using decorations that have been passed through the family for generations, according to Alexa Stevenson, owner of Alexa Stevenson Interior Design. Lean in to celebrating these family traditions because these items are what will make your home unique and meaningful.

“I think stockings are such a sweet Christmas tradition,” said Kemp. “If you can invest in a nicer set, that’s something that my mom has had ours for years.” 

3. Keep it simple and edit out the extra decor.

Holiday decor does not always have to be elaborate to create beauty. Part of the essence of decorating is using minimal items to make intentional choices. For example, refrain from putting garlands on your front door, over your fireplace, and on your stair’s railings. Find one spot to put the item, and leave the other areas open for other, more simple decor choices.

“As with everything, if you edit it and don’t try to do everything at once,” said Stevenson. “Don’t try to do everything. Do time, generating lace or anything chilly or fluffy.”

4. Be intentional with your lighting choices.

Lighting can be an important factor in setting the mood and tone in a family’s home. Be mindful of the lighting choices you make, not only on your Christmas tree, but also throughout your holiday decor set-up. Choose soft, warm lighting by incorporating lamps and small string LED lights, rather than harsh overhead lighting that can take away from the comfort and warmth that soft lighting brings.

“I like white lights,” said Stevenson. “And I would say, I do prefer white lights over colored lights, because I think they’re prettier, and look decent and kind of ties everything together.”

5. Strive for cozy, not perfection.

Stay away from trying to look like a pristine magazine cover, and seek comfort. Find decorations that make you and your family joyful, and avoid trying to create a scene that you think is “perfect.” The best holiday memories come from creating fun traditions and joy, like stockings and simple fireplace designs.

“I think there is a lot of stress in people to have the perfect holiday decorations and all that kind of stuff,” said Stevenson. 

No matter which items you choose for your holiday experience, remember to create a simple space that reflects you, your family and your timeless traditions.

I had the opportunity to work with HomeGrown, the Oglethorpe Echo’s home and garden magazine. The content I made was very different from hard news writing that I am typically used to creating. It allowed me to blend elements of creativity with my journalistic storytelling skills to create different newsworthy products for the community in Oglethorpe County.

Featured in Grady Newsource, I wrote this piece in collaboration with two reporters, Katie Guenther and Sarah Coyne. We interviewed a local homeowner in Athens, GA, and created a story ahead of the annual Porchfest festival that took place on Sunday, October 20, 2024.

---

This piece involved interviewing two local Athens designers and compiling advice from both individuals and creatively tell a timely and relevant story about holiday decor.