Desktop publishing students marketing Java 101 and The Wire
By: Garrett Whaley
Desktop publishing students are designing advertising campaigns to help promote Java 101 and The Wire for a class assignment that will eventually be showcased in an open house at Delaware Technical Community College, Owens Campus.
Instructor Heather Madden said the marketing department formerly designed the advertising for Java 101 and The Wire up until the desktop publishing class was asked to submit student designs for these two organizations.
“The marketing department is always overwhelmed with so many different things,” Madden said. “It was time to do some things for ourselves.”
The desktop publishing class was given responsibility to market Java 101 from the business department because Java 101 is supposed to be a business-learning center for our students, Madden said.
Leslie Mergner, Department Chairperson, Business, Entrepreneurship, Office Administration Technology, and Paralegal, said Java 101 falls under the business department because the facility is intended to be used as a learning lab.
The Entrepreneurship, Business, Marketing, Communications department, and Food Safety program are all utilizing the learning lab to market organizations and gain hands-on experience.
“All programs can utilize the facility,” Mergner said. “We are trying to cross market different departments and programs.”
The desktop publishing class is a mix of marketing, communications, and business students.
“It’s incredible for students to create designs for these organizations and be able to see them,” Mergner said. “It’s slowly but surely linking together.”
Having students design promotional products like coffee sleeves, flyers, coasters, and mousepads for Java 101 and The Wire gives them practical hands on experience, Madden said.
“Students seem to be more engaged in activities that may be used on campus or in the business world than your typical classroom assignments,” Madden said.
“There are more opportunities for these students to experience the real world limitations in marketing,” Madden said. “Limitations such as money and resources.”
“It’s a fantastic way to showcase our student’s creativity,” Madden said. “And a bonus is that they can add these designs to their resume.”
Java 101 and The Wire both plan on choosing the most appropriate designs for their organization when the budget year ends.
Student work has been chosen in the past, Madden said.
“The entire class designed a coupon that would be selected to represent the 1 Million Cups celebration a few months ago,” Madden said.
Office Administration major Jovana Matos said creating marketing samples for Java 101 and The Wire has been an interesting experience because it provides us with real world business experience.
“Designing for Java 101 and The Wire has been a pretty neat experience because we, the students are gaining hands-on experience that will be useful in the real world,” Matos said.
“I would feel excited if my design was chosen to represent Java 101 or The Wire because then my hard-work wouldn’t have been for just a grade,” Matos said.