A Model's Take on Body Language and Non-Verbal Communication

Hello Readers!

Body Language and Nonverbal Communication is an extremely important topic that many people are disregarding due to our technologically advanced world. Please check out the interview that I did with my cousin and model Hippie Hannah! Her take on nonverbal communication and body language through modeling is quite interesting.

Check it out and please feel free to share it, like it, tweet it, etc!! 
Follow her on Twitter @Hannahdolljones and "like" her on Facebook Hannah Jones

Thanks for sharing!

Heidelberg Germany Trip!

Hello Readers!

I recently visited Heidelberg Germany on a study abroad business trip.  I visited several companies including Audi Factory, Koehler Paper Factory, Deutsche Bank, an organic winery, and brewery.  The focus was on sustainability in business.  Our group consisted of many professors and business students from the University of the Incarnate Word.  This trip was one of the best experiences in my life as I learned so much about international business, sustainability in business and international communications.  

Feel free to check out my pictures taken from the trip on my Flickr account.  Just click the link. 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/98051919@N07/  

For a sneak peak, here are some posted pictures. Enjoy! 

Organic Winery
Photo Credit: Madeline Gregory

Neckar River, Heidelberg Germany
Photo Credit: Madeline Gregory

Castle View
Photo Credit: Madeline Gregory

Neckar Bridge
Photo Credit: Madeline Gregory

Native Orchid Flower
Photo Credit: Madeline Gregory

Scenic View of Germany
Photo Credit: Madeline Gregory

Heidelberg Castle
Photo Credit: Madeline Gregory

The view from across the Neckar River of the Heidelberg Castle
Photo Credit: Madeline Gregory

New Website!

Hello everyone, 

I just wanted to give an update on my latest website titled Managing Social Media. This website includes a lot of really awesome information as well as features three social media experts. 

Reaching New Heights

Mentoring within the Greater Waco Education Alliance

            The Greater Waco Education Alliance is urging community members and parishioners to become mentors by helping to educate parents on the importance of having a positive influence in their child’s life.  In the latest issue of the Executive Director’s Report, Virginia DuPuy, head of the Greater Waco Education Alliance, focused on mentoring.  The most recent accomplishments include the recruiting of 64 mentors who are being matched to students in the new partnership with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program at J.H. Hines Elementary and other schools.  The majority of these mentors are Baylor University Students.  Libby West, a sophomore at Baylor, says, “I am looking forward to being paired with a child and being able to hang out with them every week.”

Photo Credit: Maddie Gregory

Bree Lancaster, Member of Kappa Alpha Theta, pushes a local Waco elementary school student during the King's Club after-school program.

The Alliance has also met with mentoring program directors of: 

• Communities in Schools (CIS) 
• Leadership Education and Development (LEAD)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) and
• Kids Hope 

as well as others interested in supporting mentoring efforts, including Alice Starr, Poverty Solutions Staff and Baylor Social Work Interns.  The directors identified the strengths, challenges, and unique characteristics of each program.  The mentoring program’s immediate goal is to recruit mentors through marketing. The long range goal is to share organizations' strengths, structures and best practices.  “So many people are wanting to make a difference for the students in our schools . . . and this can be a relatively easy way to get connected and do something really important for a child,” said DuPuy, who is also a former mayor of Waco.  According to studies, the mentoring efforts will help to reduce teen pregnancies, drop out rates, and the number of children who enter the criminal justice system.

“Those are all expensive for the community. It costs a lot of money to keep someone in jail; it costs a lot of money when the state is, in essence, supporting someone who had a child at 15.  If you really want to talk about being fiscally conservative with our resources, mentoring is one of the best ways to do that.” -- Doug McDurham, Director of Communities in Schools.  

            On behalf of supporting the mentoring efforts in the greater Waco community, the Epsilon Epsilon chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta at Baylor University has also started an after-school mentoring program called King’s Club.  Baylor students meet with children from local Waco schools near the main thoroughfare of12th Street and La Salle Avenue every week to build relationships on a playground, in a friendly environment.   Allie Crowder says, “I love getting the opportunity to spend time serving the children of the Waco community.  The time spent with my Theta sisters and the adorable children is priceless.” The Greater Waco Education Alliance along with many other organizations are working together to improve the mentoring efforts in young children's lives throughout the city of Waco.  

Environmental Portraits: Learning the Art from the Ground Up

Environmental portraits are different than your average day studio portraits.  They are taken within the subject's environment in which they work, live, or play.  This type of picture can also say something about who the subject is.  There are many reasons as to why photographers enjoy environmental portraits:

• They give context to the subject being photographed
• They make the shot more interesting
• They give the viewer a better insight into the subject's lifestyle and personality 
• It also helps to relax the subject for a more natural feel

Things to consider when photographing your subject within their environment may include the camera settings, lighting, props, background, as well as how you want them to pose.  

Here are a few examples that demonstrate these key elements.

In this picture you can see the elements of lighting technique, natural action and candidness of the subject along with the overall environment attributing to the woman's specific task.  

Photo Credit: Sukanto Debnath

This picture is an example of an environmental portrait due to the all of the texture surrounding the clerk.  His facial expression gives the portrait meaning to the photo as well.  

Photo Credit: Diego DeNicola

There are many different locations where environmental portraits may be taken.  Anywhere you go you can take a picture of someone within his or her natural environment just by asking permission to photograph them.  Some tips on how to capture these photographs can be found on these websites. 

http://www.digital-photography-school.com/environmental-portraits

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/09/AR2006050901061.html

Feel free to share your favorite pictures, thoughts, or locations for environmental portraits!

Finding the Perfect Picture: Learning the Art from the Ground Up

Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film.     - The Focal Dictionary of Photographic Technologies

Photography requires a great sense of creativity.  Finding the subject matter that is unique, interesting, and appealing is very important.  Most photographers have a creative side that they choose to show and develop through their pictures.  When taking pictures look for great locations such as:

• Churches
• National and Local Parks
• Zoos
• Scenic Views/Overlooks
• Bodies of Water
• Nature Trails and 
• Cityscapes

Check out Baylor University Professor, Curtis Callaway's professional slideshow for some ideas on creativity. 

Here are a few pictures that show creativity through unique structures, animals and scenic locations.

This is a picture of a Catholic Church which made for great pictures especially due to its historic architecture.   

Photo Credit: Maddie Gregory

Here is a picture of a meerkat taken at Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas.

Photo Credit: Maddie Gregory

Here is a picture of the view across the Brazos River taken at Lover's Leap, Cameron Park.

Photo Credit: Maddie Gregory

For more tips on creativity with photography visit:

http://photo.net/column/harolddavis/becoming-a-creative-photographer/

http://www.digital-photography-school.com/adding-randomness-to-your-photos

Feel free to share your favorite locations! 

Photography 101

The Basics of Exposure:

There are three elements that factor into a photograph's exposure.

•  ISO - the measure of a digital camera sensor’s sensitivity to light. In a film camera, the sensitivity of the film.
• Aperture - the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken.
• Shutter speed - the amount of time that the shutter is open.  

Check out this quick video which gives an overview three elements: ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed.

Each of these elements relate to how light enters the camera. In order to take a perfect picture, one must have an understanding of the three elements of exposure.  The intersection of these three elements determines the overall exposure. 
A change in one of the elements will impact the effect of the others.  When you adjust the shutter, you need to also adjust the aperture accordingly, and your last resort should be an adjustment to ISO as this is usually dependent upon specific lighting conditions. 
Accurately gauging all of the elements in any given situation takes a lot of practice.  

Here are just a few pictures showing what is possible when the photographer has the freedom to accentuate adjustments to these three variables: 

Low aperture can blur an otherwise distracting background:

© www.digital-cameras-help.com

Elevated ISO can shed some light on a dark night:

Photo Credit- Maddie Gregory

High shutter speed can catch all the action:

Photo Credit- Kevin Kopanski

Run Run Run!!

Gear Up 4 Bearathon!

Baylor University Homecoming Tradition - Pigskin Revue!!

Excited with Life: 
I was so happy to be able to participate with Kappa Alpha Theta's Homecoming festivities which started off with the parade where we had a wonderful Homecoming breakfast and watched our amazing float titled the "The Gold Rush," come through downtown Waco.  Following the amazing parade, I participated as a sunflower in my sororities Pigskin act! Then after a long afternoon of performances, I headed off to the Baylor vs. Missouri Football game which we won 42 - 39!! Yay Baylor, way to pull it out! Although we had an eventful day on Saturday, one must not forget about the massive bonfire on Friday night with the thrilling extravaganza!! I really must say that Baylor Homecoming is an important event that a true Baylor bear must never miss out on!! 

Yay!! Glad to be back Baylor!!

Fall 2011: Can't wait to blog about exciting new educational information... or just for FUN :D !!!

Please Don't Go Doc Rivers!

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/columns/story?columnist=may_peter&id=6521951

Head Coach Doc Rivers of the Boston Celtics is questionable as to if he should conclude his coaching career after tonight's game against the Miami Heat in Miami.  Doc Rivers is a highly respectable coach and very liked by many.  Rivers leaving Boston would be devastating to the true Boston fans.  Although if he does decide to leave, he will be leaving with high stature and has the right to his own decision.  
He oversaw the development of such youngsters as Rajon Rondo, Al Jefferson, Delonte West and even Gerald Green, getting them to the point that they were deemed to be valuable pieces in trades or potential trades for established stars. Those guys didn't just improve on their own.  What Doc Rivers has done for the Boston Celtics, can be discussed for hours.  It is on going.  He will be highly missed and thus future coaches will have a big hole to fill.  
"Rivers doesn't have to apologize to anyone for what he has done in Boston. He's earned the right to say goodbye on his own terms," said longtime Celtics reporter Peter May.  

Baylor University Survives Tornado

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/us/28storm.html?_r=1&hp

A deadly tornado stretching a mile wide tore through downtown Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Wednesday evening, killing at least 15 people, flattening homes and buildings, and bringing further damage and death to a region already battered by storms.  

Power losses were widespread across the University of Alabama, where many students were holed up after the tornado swept just south of the campus. 

Emily Crawford, a third-year student at the law school, said she had been preparing for an end-of-semester exam when the tornado swirled by. By nightfall she was still at the law school, which had become a refuge for scores of students, many of whom spoke of devastation in their neighborhoods worse than they had seen reported from Hurricane Katrina. 

“It is surreal,” Ms. Crawford said. “People are coming up to the law school because they don’t have anywhere else to go. The school is sending buses into town to pick up students and bring them back to campus so they have somewhere safe to stay.” The tornado was only the latest in a series that have struck the southern United States this week, causing heavy rains and flooding in an area stretching from Texas to Georgia, officials said Wednesday. 

With the many Facebook status posts, tweets, and texts that were constantly updated with concerns about the first tornado alert for Baylor this year, students were thankfully not affected.  Many student's were on lockdown in the library basement, or hiding with roommates in the bathrooms of their apartments or dorms.  Alerts are to be taken seriously, and Baylor warned students through email, text message, and voicemail.  Way to respond quickly in times of an emergency.   

Why Do People Care?

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/royal-wedding-what-royal-wedding/?ref=opinion

In an exclusive online commentary from the Times, David Brooks and Gail Collins converse about the Royal Wedding.

Gail Collins: Then you can explain why people are so excited about this. Is it because the rest of the news has been so awful lately? I can understand the desperate desire for diversion. My household is really, really engaged in the basketball playoffs this year, and I cannot help feeling this is partly because the alternative is gas prices, tornadoes, and Mitt Romney.


David Brooks: I hate to brag, but I’m interested in the basketball playoffs (it’s so interesting to watch N.B.A. players actually try), Mitt Romney and Kate Middleton all at once. I’m kind of a Renaissance man in that way.  As for why people care, let me think for a second. Could it be that people are interested in those who are phenomenally good looking, unimaginably wealthy, globally famous and who get to live in a string of lavish palaces for the rest of their lives? Could it be that human beings are really interested in beauty, wealth, fame and terrific real estate?


Gail Collins:  The one part of this that really bothers me — aside from the fact that I now know that the mother-of-the-bride has her future son-in-law as her cell phone screen saver — is that a disproportionate number of American little girls seem to nurture an ambition to grow up to become princesses. This is much worse than little boys nurturing an ambition to grow up to play guard for the Lakers.  It’s a non-job. If Kate Middleton wants to be a good role model, she should go study dentistry or something.


David Brooks: I don’t see what’s wrong with having Prince William on your screen saver. I have Richard III on mine. Provides daily inspiration.


How do you feel about the royal wedding?  Personally, as a little girl, I always imagined being a princess.  What little girl doesn't?  Why not let them pretend to live that life, until they grow up into reality.  Don't we all wish that we could pretend to be someone we aren't at some points in our lives?  What about right now?  Therefore, yes the royal wedding can be an escape from the everyday American life, at least for a while.  

Can't Stop the Celtics

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/sports/basketball/18knicks.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=celtics&st=cse


New York played the Boston Celtics, the defending Eastern Conference champions, down to the final seconds, losing only when Ray Allen — the author of countless memorable playoff moments — got the ball and a little open space at the arc.


Allen, the N.B.A.’s career 3-point leader, took a pass from Paul Pierce and sent the ball through the net with 11.6 seconds left, sending TD Garden into a happy frenzy. Carmelo Anthony missed a deep 3-pointer over Pierce seconds later, and the Celtics danced away with an 87-85 victory to open this first-round series.


As the buzzer sounded, Allen spiked the ball and was mobbed by teammates.  The Knicks were left to ponder a grand missed opportunity after leading for most of the second half and blowing a 3-point lead in the final minute.   


Celtics, way to pull out an awesome win in Boston!! Ray Allen congrats on that 3 pointer after all you are the N.B.A.'s career 3-point leader.  Allen's execution on all his shots keeps the fans watching and even more excited for what could come next during the game.  


Celtics fans are looking forward to hopefully another playoff win tonight!  Way to go Boston!!

Center for Dance

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/a-new-dance-center-for-houston/?ref=dance

The Houston Ballet will celebrate the grand opening Saturday of its new Center for Dance, a $46 million project with multiple rehearsal studios, administrative offices, a wardrobe workshop and even a special room for shoes. It also includes a dance laboratory with stadium seating for developing and performing new work. The troupe has been busy on other fronts as well. It has won the Rudolf Nureyev Prize for New Dance, a $25,000 grant intended to encourage large companies to make new works. The company is using the money to commission a piece by Jorma Elo that will have its premiere in October at the Joyce Theater in New York. The prize is awarded by the Joyce Theater Foundation from an endowment created in part by the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation.  

This break through with the new Center for Dance for the Houston Ballet is extravagantly exciting.  With all the new dance coming about who doesn't want to go see this seasons finest performances.  Visit http://www.houstonballet.org/ to purchase your tickets.  You won't want to miss out! 

Book those Hotel Rooms Early for your Summer Vacation

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/19/business/19hotels.html?_r=1&ref=business

Hotels have begun offering direct bookings through Facebook and smartphone apps, and they hope that the convenience and direct contact will lure back travelers who have been turning to online travel agencies.  


Hotels need to make sure that their booking engines can be found wherever the customer is, rather than asking the customer to search them out, said Glenn Withiam, a spokesman for Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, which recently held a hotel industry conference that examined social media.  Offering reservations directly helps to keep the conversation between the hotel and its guests, Mr. Withiam said.


Hotels make less money for rooms sold through an online travel agency than if customers had booked directly. Those customers may also start to think about meeting their travel needs through the online agency, rather than through the hotel, becoming in essence a customer with a relationship to the booking Web site and not the hotel.


Hotels are trying different ways to use the new media. Hyatt guests with smartphones can check in and check out with them. That means travelers can check in during the taxi ride from the airport and simply pick up keys at the front desk.  Hilton Worldwide estimates that about 615,000 customers have downloaded its mobile apps. Along with the ability to make or modify a reservation, it has offered new services like meals that are ready when guests arrive.


This ability to have your meal ready when you arrive, and have your check in already done, makes a hotel stay worth the time and money.  Who wouldn't want this kind of convenience?  It then makes you just want to blog, tweet, like, message, about the great customer service with such simplicity.  Who wants to wait in the lobby while your spouse checks in at the front desk with screaming babies at the Hilton now anyways?  With this new media access your summer is on its way to fun and relaxation.  


By using Facebook and smartphone apps, hotels hope to deepen or regain the relationships they had with customers and to raise the quality of their experiences when they check in. Attracting guests to book directly in new ways is a win for the hotel, said Mr. Withiam, from a financial, customer relationship and brand perspective.

We Are Still So Proud

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/sports/ncaabasketball/30baylor.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Baylor%20Womens%20Basketball&st=cse

When It Counts Most, Texas A&M Beats Baylor:

The second-seeded Aggies are headed to their first Final Four, and if nobody celebrated with more zest than Adams, it was because in three previous losses to the Lady Bears this season, her self-belief and patience were severely tested.  

Senior Danielle Adams blamed her lack of scoring on her own impatience, saying she rushed her shots.  It was like listening to golfers insist the Eisenhower Pine on the 17th hole at Augusta National doesn't influence their shots.  

Baylor’s 6-foot-8 sophomore Brittney Griner, the loblolly pine of women’s basketball, causes her opponents to alter their shots by her mere presence.  Texas A&M (31-5) will face Stanford, which is appearing in its fourth consecutive Final Four, in a national semifinal.  

After the Lady Bears’ 61-58 win in the Big 12 title game, Mulkey said that she shook hands with Blair and told him she looked forward to meeting again in the Final Four. It didn’t set well with her that one of the programs would move on to Indianapolis at the other’s expense.  

Yes, it might have been at the other's expense, but all of Baylor University can agree that we, Lady Bears, played a great season and a very competitive one to be precise.  We earned it, but it just did not fall in our favor.  After all, we were the top-seed to begin with.  

Although it is a first Final Four Aggie celebration for the ages, it would have just been another Baylor Final Four repeat...

Katie, Dollar Sushi Night on Wednesday?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/23/dining/23sushi.html?ref=dining

Tsunami Alters Sushi Markets:

Seafood supplies in northern Japan were devastated by the tsunami that destroyed the region’s fishing fleets and aquaculture farms as well as the ports themselves.  So far, this grim picture is not causing serious shortages in American sushi bars, but how the situation will evolve remains to be seen.  


Therefore,  American sushi lovers need to go out and eat as much sushi as they can before there is no longer any sushi available to eat.  By supporting your local sushi bars and attending their dollar sushi nights, you can help keep American sushi bars successful.  Tokyo Sushi Restaurant located off Franklin in Waco, is still a favorite choice in terms of quality sushi according to various Baylor University students.  


Although Japan might be having shortages in terms of seafood without radiation, America so far has not.  Let's take advantage of what we do have America.     

Americans Please Stay Far Away From the Plant

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/world/asia/17nuclear.html?_r=1&ref=world

United States chairman of Nuclear Regulatory Commission said that American officials believed that the damage to at least one crippled reactor was much more serious than Tokyo had acknowledged, and he advised Americans to stay much farther away from the plant than the perimeter established by Japanese authorities.


Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Jaczko’s most startling assertion was that there was now little or no water in the pool storing spent nuclear fuel at the No. 4 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, leaving fuel rods stored there exposed and bleeding radiation into the atmosphere.


While radiation levels at the plant have varied tremendously, Mr. Jaczko said that the peak levels reported there “would be lethal within a fairly short period of time.” 


Americans please be very cautious, and stay as far away from the plant as possible.  Take even higher measures of safety than the Japanese recommend.  The radiation will become highly lethal according to our chairman of commission.  Although Japan is embarrassed and angered by this assessment, it is the correct means of protection.  We want you to be safe from harm.

Revamping Education in America

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/us/politics/15obama.html?ref=us

President Obama called on Monday for an overhaul of education legislation enacted in the Bush administration, telling an audience of teachers and students that Congress should change the No Child Left Behind Act before the start of the next school year.


“I want every child in the country to head back to school in the fall knowing that their education is America’s priority,” Mr. Obama said.


President Obama said that while the intent to the No Child Left Behind Act was right, the law as it stood had not given educators the flexibility and money they needed to make it effective. 


The question arises, will President Obama's plan for revamping the No Child Left Behind Act stand or will it sit around considering the new Republican majority in the House and the new members on the education committee?