February at Northwestern

Volume 17, Issue 6 | February 1, 2023

Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film Festival took place on January 19- January 29 in Park City, Utah. A handful of Northwestern students had the opportunity to attend the festival.

Students were able to attend events, be involved in filmmaker discussions, and hear from professionals in the film industry at panels.

Some award-winning films that caught the attention of the audience this year included the Polite Society directed by Nida Manzoof (debut) and Theater Camp by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman. There were many other films and documentaries UNW students were able to watch throughout the festival.

"All the blank space in between the list of my movies is filled with failure." -Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton

Read the full story on themel.media

Students who attended Sundance:

Audrey Nehring (MEP – Film & Video, ‘22)
Morgan Wiebold (MEP – Film & Video, ’24)
Elliana Naegelen (MEP – Film & Video, ‘24)
Josh Anderson (MEP – Film & Video, ‘23)
Raeann Goetz (MEP – Film & Video/Public Relations, ‘24)
Hannah Martin (MEP – Film & Video/Bible, ‘23)

Accompanied by Professor Mark Seignious (Media Production), Professor Ann Sorenson (Film/Broadcasting) and administrative and events coordinator, Melissa Clutter.

Any interested student is eligible to participate in theMEL.media workshops offered in film, video storytelling, public relations, and radio. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook at themel.media.

24-Hour Film Challenge

Students in the film workshop were challenged to split intro groups and create a film within 24 hours.

Check out the results of their films:

Five16 Film Festival

Join us on campus and online for the
17th Annual Five16 Film Festival!

Monday, April 3 | 7:00 p.m.
Knight Performance Hall

Tickets on sale:
February 6

unwtickets.com

Alumnus News

The Northwestern Marketing & Communications (NWMC) team is excited to announce that they welcomed a new Digital Marketing Manager, Elena Nowlin ('22), on Monday, January 30. Elena is a new UNW public relations grad and the previous Executive Director of the PR Workshop. She most recently worked on the digital team at Northwestern Media. Elena helped launch the website for the Wow God podcast network, was the project manager for their new texting initiative and directed the seven student employees on the marketing team. Elena will oversee the UNW website.

Congratulations, Elena!

Upcoming Dates

February 6
Five16 Film Festival tickets on sale
unwtickets.com

February 10
Symphonic Band & Jazz Ensemble Concert

February 14
Valentines Day

February 28 - March 1
Quad 3 Final Exams

March 1-12
Spring Break

March 16-25
Anything Goes
Knight Performance Hall

Featured Student

Emily Wilder '24
Communication Studies

What are your plans for the future?

After I graduate next spring I hope to jump right into an occupation, where I would love to be in a Communications and PR-related field. There are so many great and exciting possibilities ahead!

What opportunities have you had at UNW?

I have had so many great opportunities here at UNW. I have been able to take several rigorous courses in my major that have made me excited to learn. Apart from academics, I have had the opportunity to go to sporting games and other exciting events held on campus.

What is your favorite thing about UNW?

Definitely the community! It is truly a privilege to go to a school that is so Christ-centered and dedicated to teaching not just academically, but also spiritually.

Featured Alumnus

Olivia Raun
Public Relations '20

Where has life taken you after UNW?

I graduated from Northwestern in December of 2020, and started my career at U.S. Bank right after the holidays. I worked on the Public Affairs and Communications team as an Internal Communications Representative serving the Finance department. During my time there, I spent a lot of time building and executing strategic communications plans, crafting newsletters, writing articles, and working on communication pieces for leaders across the organization. It really was a little bit of everything, and I am so thankful for all I learned there and the valuable experiences I had.
But after a lot of thought and prayer, I felt like I was being called a different direction. One thing I really missed during my time at the Bank was building strong connections and interactions with the community. In March of 2022, I had the opportunity to shift my career into local government as the Communications and Engagement Specialist at the City of Fridley. I now get to build relationships and interact with our residents very frequently. In my current position, I help manage our website, social media platforms, print and digital communications, promotions, build an internal communications strategy, and practice graphic design skills. I also work on being a bridge between the city and its residents by planning various community events. I split my time working on these duties for City Hall and the Public Safety Department. Both have unique challenges, but it keeps the job interesting! I also have the opportunity to build strong relationships with community partners and businesses, by helping run a program called the Fridley Community Network, where representatives from organizations across the city gather to discuss how we can collaborate to best serve our residents.
Upon graduation I never would have guessed that I would be where I am today, but by trusting in God’s plan and following His lead, I’m very happy with my career journey so far and where I’m currently at. I’m excited to see where my career continues to take me.

What advice do you have for current students?

Don’t be afraid of failure because that’s where some of the greatest growth happens. If you open yourself up to a growth mindset and something doesn’t work out the way you expected, you still end up ahead by learning a lesson, strengthening a skill, and/or gaining experience. In some cases, it may even lead you to a better opportunity.
Whether it be in your classes, internships or post-college careers, a shift from fearing failure to embracing, learning, and growing from failure will get you far. It can take some practice, but as long as you’re working hard, it is so worth it.