Names: Laura Rojas and Kyndall Dysard
Years: Both are juniors
Majors: Both Communication Studies
Minors: Laura’s is Brazilian Porteguese Language; Kyndall’s is Poltical Science
Hometowns: Laura is from Chapel Hill and Kyndall is from Wake Forest
Laura Rojas (left) and Kyndall Dysard (right) are next school years TealTV co- presidents.
HC: What exactly is TealTV?
LR: TealTV is UNCW’s student broadcasting network.
New TealTV members at orientation to learn and prepare themselves for the work they can expect to do for the organization throughout the year.
HC: What do your jobs as co-presidents entail?
LR: It entails constantly morphing our minds into one and staying as dynamic as a duo can! We will continue learning the ins and outs of the organization, from production to writing to editing so we can best serve our members and foster a creative and passionate environment.
KD: We often..
LR: …finish each other’s sentences!
KD: Or at least try to…! Together, we have to oversee each and every aspect of TealTV. Not only does this include departments–editing, production, marketing, sports, news and entertainment–but it also means working with other student media managers, networking with faculty, other students and friends out in the community, and inspiring members to reach their full potential while being a part of the organization.
Dysard (left) and Rojas (right) in the studio used by TealTV.
HC: Did the organization have co-presidents in the past, and if not, why did they change that with you two?
LR: The decision to apply for co-presidents of TealTV came about organically. We both have a vested interest in the organization and have always had conversations about visions we want to turn into reality. We have had such a great partnership through our work with the marketing team and as producers so we are confident in our ability to tackle on the responsibility of the whole organization. In it’s 17 years of existence, TealTV has not had co-presidents. We interviewed, proposed our plan to the Student Media Board, and received a positive response. Here we are now!
KD: TealTV has never had co-presidents, but we’re excited to be the first and make history! (Also, diddo to above.)
HC: What are some of your plans for TealTV in the coming year?
LR: I have seen this organization grow so much since my freshman year, and we want to inspire collaboration between the different and diverse departments of TealTV. Our members are very creative, talented, and dedicated so I look forward to using everyone’s strengths to contribute creating important, relevant, and entertaining media.
KD: Even though we are a creative organization, we plan on setting up standard operating procedures within the organization. This will help ensure that all moving parts are moving in the right direction and will help increase our ability to effectively communicate.
HC: What are some of your favorite memories from being a part of TealTV?
LR: The marketing team decided to take a short trip to Myrtle Beach last semester. The team has weekly meetings and keeps in touch throughout the week, but it’s rare to get everyone together when we’re not working on TealTV. In Myrtle we went to the beach, cooked, and had a lot of downtime where learned a lot about each other. Moments like these are so memorable to me and show us why we care about the organization and the relationships we create because of it. Another one of my favorite memories was during October 2015’s flooding because Kyndall and I tag-teamed social media posting on TealTV’s accounts. We shared important university information and student’s perspectives during the storm through pictures. We reached all of our semester social media goals in two days!
KD: SAME AS LAURA! I’ve also enjoyed tabling, chalking, and painting the rock. Anything that allows us to have fun and interact with other students makes me happy! Really, just meeting new people and making lasting relationships with members has got to be pretty up there on my list. Our members are amazing!
The TealTV team out in the Myrtle Lobby.
An example of some the stories TealTV works on; for example, they covered the flooding caused by Hurricane Jaoquin.
HC: What was your role in TealTV before you were elected to be co-presidents for next year?
LR: The fall of my freshman year, I joined TealTV as a Marketing Team member. The team had just been created and we had about five members at the time. I became the new Marketing Director my sophomore year. This May I will be wrapping up my third semester as director with fifteen members on the team!
KD: I took over as Marketing Director for Laura when she was abroad the spring semester of our sophomore year. I resumed my position as Associate Marketing Director when she returned and created TealTV’s current website. I manage and update the website, and I’m also working with marketing to help create and even NEWER website that will help engage students more. Laura and I are also producers for our new show, “The Debate Series: Students on the Issues.”
The TealTV team at UNCW’s trunk show.
HC: For anyone interested, how can they go about joining TealTV?
LR & KD: We encourage anyone who is interested in getting involved with TealTV to contact a department executive or the organization’s email, tealtvmedia@gmail.com, for more information. We recruit at the beginning of each semester but also accept applications on a rolling basis. Contact information and our application can be found at tealtv.org.
#StayCurrent
Episodes of TealTV can be found on their YouTube channel.
You can connect with TealTV on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
@UNCWTealTV
Photos courtesy of Laura Rojas and Kyndall Dysard.