The time has come upon me and I must present tomorrow for capping! I am still tweaking certain things to make it just how I want it. I have made a lot of strides to make this site visually stimulating and informative. I feel I have included much of what I aimed for at the beginning of the semester and will reach my goals. I had aimed to format the site a little different but like how it has came out. I have included some great testimonials and photographs thanks to many Marist students who have lived in Italy. Coming from having no clue on what I wanted my project to be in the beginning of the semester I am happy with what I have accomplished. See you all tomorrow for the showing!
The Final Push….
So the final weeks are here. This is the Sunday after break and I have exactly eight days until I need to present my final project. In six days I want the final draft to be done with only final edits to be made by the time I publish it. I have most sections entirely completed and now only layout and tweaks on photos are necessary to be completed. I have not run into many roadblocks in the past month and feel that this website software is very user friendly. I am glad I chose to use this one to convey my messages to the abroad students. I am excited to see what my assessors, professors and fellow students feel about my site.
Oh those testimonials…..
So I have so much content already done now comes the organization and most importantly the testimonials. I am putting out feelers in order to get as many done as possible. I also want to have a wide range, not just people who I went with. I am going to send some to people who are currently abroad as well to have a fresher view of Florence as it was this past semester. I am hoping to get more than ten testimonials to be published by the end of the semester.
Who wants to agree with me?
So here comes the time where we actually need to be evaluated. Weird. I am having trouble thinking of who would be a good candidate for my letters of agreement. I am thinking of having someone who is currently in Florence to critique it since they have fresh eyes. I also want someone on the abroad staff to see if they also agree with it. I am interested in seeing what other people think. I hope I do not convey it with only my opinions. I want it to come across showing how passionate I am for the city but not show that there are no bad parts.
I know the general public is highly anticipating this site but you will have to wait! Ha
I HAVE A HOMEPAGE!!
Pretty self-explanatory. I have a homepage and may i say it looks amazing! I may not keep it like this and changes will be made but for now I am very happy . It was hard to make up my mind on what I wanted the tabs to be name but these seems to be suitable. I thought it would be a good idea to add a question section to help even more people with anything they would need. I think this site will keep evolving as time goes on and even better developments will occur. I have found that the site is sometimes hard to learn but when you get certain skills you can create great components for your site. 
Slowly but Surely….
Midterms are here and progress is being made slowly but surely. I am slowly learning how to best create my website using wix.com. There are so many different features, layouts and graphics that can be used I want to know everything. The tutorials and guides they give users is very helpful. Sometimes I am not quite sure how exactly I want it to come out but I know one thing for sure. I want it to be an invaluable source for a future Florence resident. I want it to be clear, concise and in no way bland. I am still trying to figure out how to write my content in a way that is amusing but does not seem like I am making it a joke. I have made a few contacts that are willing to give me interviews and their opinions on abroad.
“The ancient Romans had …
“The ancient Romans had a tradition: whenever one of their engineers constructed an arch, as the capstone was hoisted into place, the engineer assumed accountability for his work in the most profound way possible: he stood under the arch”. (thinkexist.com)
This quote exemplifies why we cap and the responsibilities we take on when we start the class. It is something I will keep in mind throughout the entire semester. Especially when I tire of the project or lose motivation. It is my project and when I am done I will have to “stand under the arch” of my website.
The Proposal!
So as of September 25 I have officially made my proposal…to my capping professor. It is official. I have a project, a timeline and lots to do!
I went through an interesting process to get here but it has only created a better of idea of where I want to go. Since my last post I hit another roadblock. After contacting and receiving word back from someone on the Ldm staff it became abundantly clear that I would be in this alone. No partnering with study abroad OR Ldm. After thinking about it and changing my idea I became even more excited. I will be able to really put my own information and sense of humor in every section. It will not be as if I am working for a client. I am the boss and the outcome is completely up to me.
I found a free website creator that I think I can really utilize to make my website unique and easy to use. I am ready to outline and begin creating stories and tips that will help anyone. I hope to have the layout and sections completed by next week! I’ll let you all know how it goes. I have high hopes!
First Roadblock
So I am in my fourth week ok this process and at the end of last week I hit my first roadblock. I had decided to try and partner with Marist Study Abroad to either re-do and make a “Florence Bible” for students going there for abroad. This will not be possible. The booklet that I was planning on supplemating or editing is distributed by Lorenzo De Medici in Florence. So that was a bummer.
I realized this is no way near the end of this idea. I now just have to be a little more creative AND a little more ambitious. My next step is to contact the school in Florence. Marist has a great relationship with the school. When you are there you are given an advisor in case you run into any problems. I lost my wallet when there and Elena, the advisor, took it very seriously and was there to help me find it. I am hoping with ehr help I can get in contct with whoever is in charge of the booklet and see if they want an LdM alumin’s help. 
The Beginning of the End!
COM 401L also known as Capping here at Marist College, time to start. For most majors it means a semester of hell, intense group meetings, creating an entire designer line or a paper over 60 pages. For a communications major it means a chance to finally implement all the hypothetical lessons we have been learning. You are able to CHOOSE yes I said it CHOOSE what you want to do. You are not forced into one concrete project. For other majors, this makes us look like slackers who get to do whatever you want but on the contrary! You are given so much freedom it is harder to brainstorm. You can create a mock commercial, put on an event, writing a book, and create a new club and many other ideas. You are grouped in with all other communications majors giving you the possibility to collaborate with other students.
First day we walk in and are asked. What do you want to do? At that moment my brain ran wild. I am a Public Relations major but that didn’t mean I thought of only my concentration. The first day I sat silently, the second day I gave input on other’s ideas. All I could think of was “HOW DO THEY ALREADY KNOW?” Finally on the third day it hit me! What am I obsessed with? ABROAD. So they I had it, my primary idea. I would do something having to do with abroad. Then BAM, another thought came to me. Why not make the unofficial “Florence Bible” and make it a school sanctioned and distributed document.
Right there is where I stand at this point. I have my idea. Now action must be put in place and maybe just maybe I have chosen my own capping project that I feel strongly about.
