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Newsroom reminiscing

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Listen up, kids:

Before there was such a thing as blogs and social media, there was something called newspapers. (OK, to be fair, after newspapers and before blogs there was a short-lived thing called zines, but no one remembers what those were.) And back then, newspapers were how we got most of our news. I worked as a writer for a daily newspaper in Lawrence, Kansas, and I wrote my first “blog” before we even knew what blogs were.

The assignment came from the managing editor. I’d only been a reporter for a couple of years, and the only thing I had ever written was news stories – third-person articles with quotes and facts. So, I was super uncomfortable writing a first-person column for the paper on a topic like this one. I think it was immediately obvious that I wasn’t the next Ann Landers because this was my first and last column they asked me to write.

But I never forgot the assignment. I even saved a copy after all of these years. On the 50th birthday of the bikini, the assignment was to write what this style of swimsuit meant to me. WHAT??

Looking back on my job as a newspaper reporter and all of the news I covered in the six years I worked for daily newspapers, it was one of the greatest times in my career. I was totally green. Made a ton of mistakes. Was figuring it out as I went, and loving every minute of it. I missed the ambiance of the newsroom the minute I left – as crazy as it was. To this day, I value #localnews, believe in journalism and our #FreePress and love the beauty of news storytelling.

Take a read of the article below, and see for yourself if 25-year-old Megan’s writing style has changed over the years. (PS – 48-year-old Megan is looking for a new swimsuit this year. Anyone know where I can find a combination of a muumuu and a scuba suit?)

Lawrence Journal-World – Re-print from Thursday, July 11, 1996

Article headline: Fashion freedom isn’t cheap

I can still remember climbing into the tight flowered bikini that my teenage sisters picked out for my plump 4-year-old body.

And ever since, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the infamous bikini. Of course at 4 years old, the rolls of fat are adorable. But today, I’m a little less excited about revealing my cellulite. Still, I haven’t given it up.

Yea, I usually say I wear a bikini because I’m trying to get the almost all-over tan. But the truth is I’m a slave to fashion just the rest of us.

It’s always the most stylish women at the pool or beach who are parading around in chic bikinis. I’m just trying to follow suit. Besides, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a grandma-style one-piece swimsuit. But it hasn’t always been easy. Just ask any bikini wearer.

The saga usually begins at the stores. If you’re going to wear a bikini, you better set aside several days to find a suit that fits. Most men probably won’t believe this, but for some of us with unique body shapes, it could take years to discover the perfect style.

Nowadays, the modern bikinis are a bit more sophisticated. They offer underwire, padding, straps, slimming panels in every shape and color to assist in the quest for the precise fit. After you’ve found the right suit, the problems don’t end there. What about when you want to take a quick dive off the diving board? Forget it.

Now that you’re a bikini wearer, you have to be extremely cautious doing acrobatic water activities like skiing or tubing. The two pieces of small fabric covering the important parts of your body just weren’t built to withstand the forces of nature. Even the slightest movements can cause crunching, sliding, bunching or worse yet, untying!

The tried the gamut of styles during the years. I proudly wore a K-State purple velour style last year and before that I had the tank-style, some frills, bows, stripes, plaids and even a famous teeny weenie yellow polka-dot bikini.

And speaking of teeny weenie, that’s something else bikini wearers like me have had to put up with. Comments about the size of the garment. For years it was hard for my parents to comprehend how less than a yard of fabric could cost more than $50. “Is that a Barbie outfit?” my mom would say as I grabbed my towel and head for the beach.

“You can’t wear that outside in public, you’ll be arrested!” my dad would shout.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but sometimes they were right. There have been several occasions at the pool when I just didn’t feel like “sucking it in” the entire day. During the years, I’ve been open to new trends in two-piece swimsuits. But there are two things that will turn me into a religious one-piece swimsuit wearer. The thong bikini and stretch marks.

Back to School

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Now that I’m a Jayhawk, I finally made it to a KU game. Thanks to my friend Kristin Venable for showing me around

Since starting grad school in 2018, I’ve learned a few things about myself. Especially myself as a college student.

I decided to go back to grad school last year to diversify, and hopefully discover the new challenge of teaching college classes someday.

What I didn’t think about was how much time had passed since I was in an actual college classroom. And how a lot has changed in two+ decades. Gone are the days of perms, big bangs, sorority life, studying until 2am and $1 beers in Aggieville.

My life is a little different this time around. Full time job. Husband. Two teenagers in high school. An elderly mom. Along with the many other responsibilities of family, social, charity, etc.

If you’re wondering what it’s like back on a college campus these days – don’t ask me because I’m only there one night a week, and I’m attending The University of Kansas Edwards Campus in Overland Park. But I can give you a few of my revelations. So far, I’m surviving ok, but there’s been a few little issues…

First, I consider myself pretty tech savvy. I would rather die than be the middle-aged, soccer mom who raises her hand with a dummy tech question. So, during my whole first 8-week class I completely missed every single online message that was shared with the class because I didn’t know I needed to check my KU email. Oops! I wondered what everyone was talking about during class!

  • Thank you classmates: Erin Carlson and Nicole Papageorgiou for helping out. I had to finally admit I needed help. I am receiving all of the online messages now and no longer left in the dark.

Speaking of online… the first time I took an online timed test and had to stare at the clock at the top of the page ticking down the seconds, I was sweating bullets the entire 40 minutes. I didn’t think I needed to study “too much” because it was open book plus we could look up the answers with our computers – duh! I was so wrong. It was SO HARD and THAT CLOCK! How could I get anything done with those seconds ticking right in my face?

  • I only made that mistake one time. See! This old dog can learn new tricks. Now if the professors would stop changing how they do the online tests each class.

Now, how do I study again? My brain, urg! I don’t know if my brain is tired, full or worn out, but I’m not sure I’m able to retain any more information. I’ve even had to go to my high school kids for tips on studying, and boy, was that a mistake. I tried to save money in my first class and just read the text book online. I found I wasn’t retaining any of the information. This old-school mama needs to have the actual paper in her hands and to use a highlighter to get the information to stick. Even then I’m not sure it’s actually sticking.

  • Study tips my high school kids shared: make flash cards and/or use an online app called Quizlet that quizzes you. No thank you! Taking handwritten notes works best for retention. Thank you Mr. France, senior year English Shawnee Mission Northwest! Still true almost 40 years later.

K-State Wildcat at heart. I probably won’t make the mistake of wearing my KSU purple to campus again. I did it one time without thinking and definitely got some teasing. I’m slowly coming around to being a Jayhawk.

At this point, I’m almost half way there. Graduation is set for 2020 – the same year and month my son, Zachary, graduates from high school! I even told him we could have co-grad parties. I know he’s thrilled.

#2020Rocks!

Inspiration for a recharge

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My senior college photo at K-State (1993). Time to go back to college!

I really love my job, and I’ve been doing it a long time. I believe there are seasons in life when it’s time for a refresh. This is the longest I’ve ever worked in the same position and I’m ready for something new.

I was thrilled when I was selected to be on a National Advisory Council at K-State. https://jmc.k-state.edu/advisory/index.html  We meet quarterly in Manhattan to culminate expertise from a variety of backgrounds to advise our alma mater, the AQ Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communication. And THIS was the motivation I needed to kick off my master’s degree (which will also be in journalism) at that “other” Kansas University.   🙂

I guess I’ll have to get used to saying that I’m a Wildcat first, and hopefully soon I’ll be a Jayhawk grad too in a couple of years.

I’m not quitting what I do now. Instead I’m enhancing it. I’ve taken stock of my life, and I’m simply looking to recharge. I think the master’s degree is just what I need.

When I meet with new college graduates as part of a mentoring program or internship, I explain that their first job is only a stepping stone to the next and then the next… and sometimes not even in the same career field. Two generations ago, it was common to select a career and then you retired 50ish years later from that same career. Thank God that’s changed. I just think that would have been so boring!

Today, my life consists of two teenagers (who want to spend no time with me), a husband and an elderly mom who lives nearby. Most of my focus is on my business. I knew I wanted to sprinkle in something new. I’ve had this dream in the back of my mind for a decade, and 2018 is the year!

Working with college students or having interns has been important to me since I started my own PR firm in 2003. I’ve always considered mentorship as a growth opportunity, not just for the mentee. Darn it when I actually learn more from them than they do from me!

So when I was selected to help on this advisory council I decided that the time was right to jump in with both feet.

Ultimately, I want to find a teaching job in Kansas City where I can work in the areas I’m most passionate about: public relations, journalism, social marketing, communications or the combination. I believe one stepping stone has lead me to the next and finally to my destination, which is mentoring and educating college students. In the meantime, you will find me with a backpack, a laptop and a book, because I will BE the college student.

 

 

Meet the Intern

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I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to write a blog post until I sat down to create this one about myself. Despite my daily use of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, I am struggling with actually describing myself to strangers via the Internet. How do I properly convey who I am with just a few paragraphs and a photo? I think you can learn a lot about a person by what keeps them busy, and by what they do in their free time.

Let me start by telling you who I am. My name is Maris Panjada, and I just finished my second year at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. I am double-majoring in Business Administration and Mass Communications, which definitely keeps me busy. I enjoy being able to attend classes and live in downtown Kansas City while only being twenty minutes away from a home cooked meal at my parents’ house in Overland Park. I started working as an intern at Megan Neher Public Relations in February of 2015, just a few months ago.

What else keeps me busy? Besides my internship with Megan, I work as a student ambassador at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at UMKC. I also manage social media for a local real estate team. I am actively involved in my sorority, Chi Omega – I have met some of my best friends through Chi Omega and through Greek life on campus (my roommate is a Delta Zeta), and I love being a member of an organization that prioritizes service, academics, and high standards of personnel. Through Chi Omega I have also gained a leadership position on campus. The Collegiate Panhellenic Council is an executive board that oversees all four on-campus sororities, and I serve as Vice President of Publicity and Events on that board. This position has kept me occupied every day of the past semester, but I cherish the ability to be a leader within the Greek community for women.

These responsibilities keep me extremely busy, and are partially to blame for the fact that I fall asleep on the couch at the early hour of nine o’clock most nights. But when I’m not dashing from the Student Union to Management 301, or working feverishly at my MacBook to finish projects for either of my jobs.. What am I doing?

Netflix. I do not know what people did before Netflix. Sure, I enjoy reading – I’m proud of the fact that I’ve read seven books so far this year, my favorites being Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (a Kansas City native!) and The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty. However, when I’ve had a typical twelve-hour day on campus (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), or a day spent meeting with Megan and Ashley, grocery shopping for myself (who knew how hard this was without Mom to spearhead it?!), paying bills, and other scary adult activities, I do enjoy flopping onto the couch (or falling into bed) and watching Netflix. My favorite shows are The Office (I’ve watched all nine seasons hundreds of times), Mad Men, and Parks and Recreation. I also enjoy some “fluff” TV – Keeping Up With the Kardashians (I’m not ashamed to admit it), any HGTV show, and Family Guy if I need a good laugh.

Besides Netflix, I also spend much of my free time with my boyfriend of 2+ years, Kyle Cimino, when he’s not playing rock shows at a bar or recording in the studio. If I’m not with Kyle or my friends, I am probably doing yoga, spending time with my parents, younger sister, and beloved dog in Overland Park, or, you guessed it, binge-watching another season of The Office on Netflix. I am also a huge fashion nerd and I follow East and West-Coast trends as much as I can on my tight college budget. I like dogs, kids, and Sanibel Island, Florida. I dislike bad drivers, bad weather, and bad food. A lot of my clothes are monogrammed, and I won’t go anywhere near a motorcycle, a port-a-potty, or a lawnmower.

I hope you feel like you know a little bit about me now. I am excited to continue working with Megan and Ashley, two amazing women who have had such a positive impact on many local and national companies through MNPR. Perhaps I will be lucky enough to write a few more blog posts in the future!

-Maris

Olympic Communication

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Synchronized diving, swimming, beach volleyball and, of course, gymnastics. The Summer Olympics capture all of us – if only for 16 days.

Being part of a global organization, such as the International Association of Business Communicators, makes me think about the communication that goes on among Olympic athletes. Of course many of these athletes don’t speak the same language, just as some of our membership from across the world doesn’t.

It can be tricky to communicate with someone who doesn’t speak your language (and sometimes embarrassing) as you try your luck with a few common phrases heard on TV and mostly relying on grunts and rudimentary gestures. But surprisingly – just like a sly one-year-old – we usually get our point across.

I finished a cross-country drive with my kids this week and was thinking about these amazing athletes. Not only are they living their dream as Olympians, they’re visiting one of the world’s most exciting cities. I imagine they are wandering through the Olympic Village, attempting some non-verbal communication within the enormous international community. I’m envious. What an unbelievable adventure, even as a spectator, to soak up the ambience of Beijing at this time.

It reminded me of another international adventure that feels like a lifetime ago. I spent a high school spring break in Mexico with family. I returned to Shawnee, Kansas, and wrote a emotional commentary for my high school newspaper lambasting the communication skills of spring breakers – especially their treatment of the Mexican tradesmen. After digging through two boxes in the attic at my parent’s house, I found the piece (yes, my mom and I somewhat of a pack rats). I was Megan Mullikin back in 1989, but as you will see if you click the link below, I was just as opinionated as the Megan Neher you know now!

Thankfully, I’m confident the Olympians in Beijing use much better communication in the international scene than my classmates did during their weeklong freedom at Padre Island. U.S. Olympic personalities like Michael Phelps, Shawn Johnson and others help ensure we’ve buried the persona of the Ugly American forever!

 

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