In the Heart of Metropolis

Last summer, Stacey Meineke, BA '03, was making repeat calls and knocking on doors, looking for a way into the world of film production. Although some may consider her efforts unusual, Meineke knows it's just part of the job -- or at least part of getting the job. "The hardest thing you have to do in this industry is get in," she says. "Who you know will get you a job, what you know will help you keep your job." 

After coming up with few results, she called Joe Kickasola, professor of communication studies, who knew about an independent film project in need of some assistants. Soon, Meineke, along with Baylor senior Robbie Bourland, was working as a production assistant on a movie called "The Dueling Accountant." Other Baylor graduates involved are Matt Beckham, BFA '91, an actor in the movie, and Jeromy Barber, BME '98, the producer. 
Kickasola knows firsthand how important those connections are. "I was very appreciative of my professors who tried to connect me when I was trying to get into the working world," he says. "It's an industry of who you know. We have found that a very strong factor for our students succeeding is to get them in internships where they can prove their talents to people who are hiring. Producers are more willing to trust someone they've worked with before." 
Baylor in New York, which began last fall, is a semester-long study program designed to help communication studies students make those necessary connections, earn experience and get a taste of life in the Big Apple. Participants in the program take two classes taught by Kickasola, supplemented with lectures by executives in the communications business, attend field trips covering various aspects of communications and complete an internship in specific areas of concentration. Students also do independent study, directed by a professor in the communication studies department. Participants earn 12 hours of credit, equal to a typical semester at Baylor, and some students may opt to take an extra internship or do independent study for three extra credits. The program is open to all communication studies students, and Kickasola hopes that by this spring, the program will be extended to all students.
While studying in New York, students live just outside Times Square on one floor of the Lamb's Church and Theater, a historic building that once housed famous members of the Lamb's Actors Club such as Mark Twain, John Phillip Sousa and Fred Astaire. Lamb's now is owned by the Manhattan Church of the Nazarene and is home to the pastor and his family and several ministries. Kickasola travels daily to Lamb's from his home in Brooklyn to teach classes. He selects two advisers, one male and one female, to reside on the students' floor. In addition to classes, excursions and internships, students are assigned maintenance tasks at Lamb's and are responsible for their laundry and meal preparation. Fees for the trip, which include housing costs, are $3,000 more than regular Baylor tuition.
Bourland, an aspiring screenwriter/independent film director who worked with Meineke last summer on the set of "The Dueling Accountant," attended the New York program last fall and worked at Goldcrest Post Production in Greenwich Village. Midway through the semester, he said he was encouraged by his experiences. "My internship has required a lot of hard work that isn't the most glamorous. But it is also paying off in that I am meeting people and making connections. The more I do, the more they pay attention to me, and it allows me to make a good impression on them," he says. 
The New York program was launched in part to provide a way for communication studies students to establish the networks they need without losing a semester at Baylor. "I could always find internships for students in New York, but it was hard for students to leave for a semester and only get three credits," says Brian Elliott, senior lecturer in communication studies, who helps students narrow their fields of interest and find placements. 
"New York is one of those central places that you need to be if you are going to reach the epitome of your career in the communications industry," he says.
The program also grew out of Kickasola's desire to challenge students to think more critically and to broaden their exposure to cultural diversity. "My experience has been that it's very hard to make theoretical concepts stick with students unless they have some practical extension of those ideas. New York provides a rich environment for that process," he says. 
Locating the program on the East Coast also should broaden Baylor's name recognition in the film industry. "When we have a number of students in internships, they are not simply giving a good impression about Baylor to individual employers, but also to national employers," Kickasola says. "They are involved in an industry that shapes our culture. We have confidence that our students will represent us well. The more visible Baylor is, the better the internships, the better the jobs and the better off Baylor is." 
Kickasola gave the program a trial run last spring break. During that week, 18 students went on daily excursions, some planned by Kickasola and some chosen by the students. They also heard guest lectures from executives at NBC, a photographer from The New York Post and a professional architect, who discussed the culture of New York City with the students. Participants were required to write papers about their experiences during that week. 
Bobby Rivera, BA '03, attended the spring break session and wrote about the culture shock that some of the participants experienced. "It brought a lot of people out of their comfort zone. I think you're a better person for it if you are exposed to different people and their views on life. You can create your own world in suburbia, but here in the city, it's so diverse," he says. 
David Barrow, BA '03, also attended the spring break session. He says he has known he wanted to live in New York for several years. "The program gave me an outlet to see what the city and the people are like and finalize ideas I had. This is great for telecommunication students who need to be in a big city and see how the world works ... there's so much productivity and intelligence."
In its first semester, students secured internships with ABC's "20/20" and "Good Morning America," MTV and VH1, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, and various radio, film production and event management companies and public relations firms. (See Accolade, on senior Jenny Ebbeling, who interned at "Good Morning America.")
"The New York program is really exceeding our expectations," Kickasola says. "The students and I have regular discussions about their classes and internships, and it is clear they are growing exponentially as both academics and professionals. They are being challenged to think much more deeply about culture and communication than they have before."