Fond Farewell

Farewell lunch with the gang

How time has flown over the last several months. The moment has come for me to write my last blog post as the marketing intern. The summer is fast approaching and with school almost done, I will soon be heading home to Denver. It seems like yesterday that I sat down for the first time at the station to write my introduction post. Before this, I had never had to write for an organization or even heard much about blogs before, it was difficult to put pen to paper and find my style of writing. Over time the blog has slowly, but surely improved and matured to what it looks like today. Designing and writing for the blog has been an amazing and enjoyable challenge that has allowed me to express creativity and share my thoughts.

The two semesters I have spent at SPR have been without question a rewarding and memorable experience. I have met some great people and developed new music interests while receiving invaluable knowledge about marketing and business.

The hardest part of concluding my internship is saying goodbye to all the staff that make SPR truly special. Many listeners are acquainted with the station’s program hosts, but I was lucky enough to get to know the staff behind the scenes. Even though I was the only guy in the back office, it was never difficult to strike up a quick conversation with all the women. Whether it was chatting with Ann, about this year’s excellent skiing conditions or discussing with Stephanie, the Volunteer Coordinator, our favorite TV series, I will miss each and every person at the station. It was great to be in a welcoming environment and I always looked forward to arriving at the office each day, except during pledge drives. I think everyone can breathe a sigh of relief now that I will no longer be asking them to take ridiculous pictures with donated items for the website during the pledge drive.

Reflecting back on my time spent in the office, I am amazed at how much I have transformed. Verne can attest to how nervous I was at first of doing even the simplest of tasks, such as take pictures in the studio of him and his guests, while on the air. Now, I don’t hesitate to snap a quick photo of an interview. There have been times where deadlines and unexpected events caused me anxiety, such as answering the phones during the pledge drive. A big thank you needs to go out to all those listeners that called into the station and were patient enough to repeat their contact info multiple times for me. One of the most stressful times I can distinctively remember was the day when I accidentally deleted The Making Noise blog. In a panicked frenzy I tried to remain calm, but was overwhelmed with the task of having to build the blog from scratch without anyone noticing what I had done. In the end everything ended up for the better and all those stressful times were learning experiences that made me stronger.

Last but not least, I can’t forget the readers of Making Noise. Through all the changes you managed to stay with the blog and continue to give your reactions to posts, vote on the poll question and leave comments. One of the most satisfying parts of being the intern at SPR was when I received responses back from people about the blog. Everyone has been so supportive and I appreciate all the feedback. My goal with the blog was to make it an interactive site where a dialogue could occur instead of a one-sided lecture.

I now pass the blog onto the next intern who will give it a new voice. Spokane Public Radio will forever be close to me and I look forward to returning back to school for my senior year, so I can once again volunteer at events and be a part of the public radio family.