While many Temple classes feed students facts, statistics and trite diatribes, the recently renamed Creative Services Workshop allows students to work first-hand on real world situations.
Now known as Diamond Edge Communications (DEC), the workshop is designed to give advertising, public relations and graphic design students a unique opportunity to gain actual experience by working with real clients.
They are able to network with professionals in their field and put together an impressive resume that is a real asset to their future.
The Creative Services Workshop decided to change its name to create a new image of youthfulness, freshness and vivacity.
Dr. James L. Marra, DEC faculty adviser, decided that there was a need to concentrate on improving the Workshop’s image.
Roseann Coppolella, a public relations student in the program, decided to run a promotions campaign that was geared towards creating an image that would explain exactly what DEC does.
“Diamond Edge Communications is a name that reflects our cutting edge work and outlook. We want to be seen as a professional agency that has an innovative, young and fresh perspective,” said Coppolella.
Although students get credit hours for partcipating in DEC, it is interesting to note that it is exclusively a student-run agency.
DEC started up in the late 1980s and is one of the eight such student-run agencies in the United States.
About 25 students each semester take on a specific role that allows them to gain expertise in their area of interest.
Some of these roles consist of account manager, creative director, art director, copy editor and promotions director.
These students have already had extensive training in their particular field of study, and become a part of DEC to further solidify the skills they have learned in their previous courses.
“We learn from experience instead of the classic form of testing and reading,” said Coppolella.
“It really looks good when we are applying for a job because it impresses the potential employer because we can show them that we have actually produced work that was published and paid for by clients.”
Clients that the students have done work for include the WISE center, PNC Writing, Dixon Environmental, Weightman Advertising, League Collegiate Wear and Temple’s Department of Environment Management.
“We are looking forward to working with more clients in the future,” said Marra. “Clients that the students have done work for in the past have always been pleasantly surprised by the quality of their work.”
DEC is currently working with Web design, creating media coverage, creating brochures, flyers, posters and press releases and producing and revising Web sites.
They also have directors in charge of each specific area as well as students who work under them.
One might wonder why professional companies would seek out Temple University and pay for students to do work for them.
“Most companies feel that we can do a great job because we are the future of any business and we are the best at what we do,” said Coppolella.
“Many clients are looking for new ideas that are consistent with the trends of our generation.”
Christine Olley can be reached at molley@temple.edu.
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