So I now find myself washed up on the webbed shores of information technology (IT) where I rely on much younger students and colleagues to help me navigate new systems and applications. This makes me a pilgrim and in order to survive I need help from digital natives.

Marc Prensky, a writer and speaker on education, coined the terms “digital native� and “digital immigrant� in his essay On the Horizon (2001). He points out that while digital immigrants can learn IT and become quite proficient at its uses, digital immigrants will think differently and process information in different ways from digital natives who are socialized in highly digitized, information-rich environments. Even with high levels of IT proficiency, digital immigrants will still retain a “footprint� or “accent� from their analog pasts. But no matter how skilled I am at an application such as PowerPoint, my accent gives me away as a digital immigrant. (Another giveaway: gray hair.)

When I was in grade school, we had lessons on using dictionaries and encyclopedias. I’m referring to hardcopy, carbon-based dictionaries and encyclopedias because that was all we had. It would be well after I completed my graduate studies that online dictionaries, Google and Wikipedia would become commonplace.

By the time I was in college, pocket calculators were starting to supplant slide rules.  However, in the early 1970s, few of us had a pocket calculator because the one with a square root function still cost several thousand dollars. My first “mobile� device was a pocket calculator that I purchased as a graduate student. I remember that it was made by Casio and had a square root function, played musical tunes, and even told time. I thought it was the bee’s knees. (For digital natives unfamiliar with this term, an online dictionary defines bee’s knees as an anachronistic phrase denoting excellence).

In graduate school it became clear to me that despite my digital shortcomings, I needed to embrace information technology or die.

In graduate school it became clear to me that despite my digital shortcomings, I needed to embrace information technology or die. This was because my dissertation required complex statistical analyses that were beyond the scope of pocket calculators, even the ones with a square root function. Because my survival instincts were intact, I loaded all my data onto 80-column IBM punch cards. In those days, it was common to see graduate students carrying shoe boxes on campus. I was one of those students.

This was because large data sets required hundreds of punch cards that could easily be transported in a shoe box. The next step was to compile punch-card data to be analyzed. On our campus this required a card reader that converted punch-card data into an optical tape format. Back then optical tape was made of paper in which holes were machine-punched according to the octal numeral system. That is, a base-8 system (imagine that you learned to count having only eight fingers). As a member of the original geek squad, I actually learned to count in octal because there was a need to visually inspect tape when there was no access to an optical tape reader.

I remember my first portable computer in the mid-1980s. The term “portable� is used advisedly as it weighed a whopping 28 pounds. When secured in its case, it looked and felt like a hefty sewing machine. My Compaq had 128k of RAM, operated at 4.77 MHz, and was MS-DOS based. But it did have its own built-in keyboard and a nine-inch monochromatic green monitor. I thought it was the bee’s knees.

Despite many successes, my transition as an immigrant to the digital nation has been uneven. It was only recently that I gave up my “dumb� phone. You know, the kind that only does voice. When I tell my students that I still don’t text on my new smartphone, I immediately set myself apart generationally and digitally.

So where does this leave me? As a digital immigrant I am grateful for the resources and support that is available in our webbed universe. Much like the colonial pilgrims, I need help in order to survive and the digital natives who are my students and colleagues have always been generous in their support. My students are especially eager to assist me and I appreciate when the student has become the teacher with a great deal of humility on my part. I also appreciate that the digital nation is a highly accessible democracy with permeable borders.

Global communication by multimedia, memes going viral, and the rapid creation of online communities are developments for which there is no turning back. The digital landscape is my adopted home now, but I still have memories of my pre-digital motherland.

Perhaps when I have grandkids sitting on my lap, I’ll begin my story “When I was your age going to school, they made me use a dictionary—yeah, the paper kind!�

Alvin Wang resumed his role as a professor in the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Department of Psychology this year after serving 11 years as dean of the Burnett Honors College. He can be reached at Alvin.Wang@ucf.edu.

The Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Forum is a weekly series of opinion columns presented by Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Communications & Marketing. A new column is posted each Wednesday at /news/ and then broadcast between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday on WÂ鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½-FM (89.9). The columns are the opinions of the writers, who serve on the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Forum panel of faculty members, staffers and students for a year.

The arrangement follows more than a year of negotiations and covers the fiscal years of 2018-19 and 2019-20. Traditionally, pay agreements between the university and the union are reopened every year for negotiation. The parties agreed to a two-year memorandum of understanding to better address faculty pay raises for this fiscal year that had been pending based on the outcome of negotiations.

Under the new agreement, which is subject to the approval of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Board of Trustees, eligible Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ faculty members will receive a one-time payment of $2,250 on May 10. Starting with the Aug. 23 pay period, eligible faculty members will receive a 2 percent salary increase.

For the 2019-20 year, the agreement provides eligible salary members with an additional pay increase of 1.25 percent starting with the Sept. 20 pay period. Depending on whether the university receives additional recurring funding, eligible faculty members could receive another 1.25 percent salary increase in the same pay period, based on the agreement.

“Interim President Thad Seymour and I applaud the union for working with us to find the common ground for rewarding our hard-working faculty, which are the foundation of our academic enterprise,â€� says Elizabeth A. Dooley, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Working together, I know the union and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ will continue to find ways to support our faculty and to advance excellence in teaching and learning.â€�

Dooley commended members of both negotiating teams. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s bargaining team members are chief negotiator Michael Mattimore, Sherry Andrews, Charles Reilly, Ross Wolf and Charlie Piper. The UFF’s bargaining team is led by chief negotiator Jennifer Sandoval with assistance from Yovanna Pineda, John Raible, John Fauth, Mason Cash and Scott Launier.

“It has been my privilege to work with this incredible group of volunteers tirelessly representing the interests of faculty during our negotiations,� says Sandoval, associate professor of communication and program coordinator for Communication and Conflict. “We thank the BOT representatives for their continued engagement in good-faith bargaining this year during a time of constant change and uncertainty. Collaboration on the MOU regarding salary is a positive step forward in our ongoing work on the new contract.

“We also thank the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ administration, specifically Provost Dooley, for making faculty compensation a priority.â€�

Negotiations continue between the university and the union on the broader collective bargaining agreement for 2018-21. The United Faculty of Florida bargaining team represents more than 1,670 employees at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

As a professor emeritus of , I announced the games for the first five years of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ football starting in 1979.

Announcing over the Tangerine Bowl (now Camping World Stadium) public-address system at that time was rather challenging. I often enlisted my children to help as spotters to identify players, and it took getting used to hearing your voice on a five-second delay. It was so distracting you had to concentrate on what you were saying and not on what you were hearing. On one occasion, I announced that the football was “placed on the 51-yard line.� I got a few stares from fans wondering just where the 51-yard line might be.

Launching New Traditions, Mascots and Half-time Performances

I was also asked to arrange for the pregame and halftime shows for home games. The assignment was exciting, rewarding and very comical at times because we were taking baby steps.

That first year I pleaded with every high school band director in the area to participate. When options were sparse, I even enlisted a security-dog demonstration from Patrick Air Force Base.

When we staged our first home football game against Fort Benning, there was no marching band, no salary for our coach, and just a few brave cheerleaders.

That first year I pleaded with every high school band director in the area to participate. When options were sparse, I even enlisted a security-dog demonstration from Patrick Air Force Base.

My directions for this task came from the athletic director Jack O’Leary under the watchful eye of then President Trevor Colbourn, the driving force behind the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ football program.

Of course, Colbourn had to take the cautious, administrative view that probably included avoiding risks of liability, which meant turning down the halftime plan for a Cypress Gardens ski-show performer to sail around the stadium.

Probably the most awkward situation occurred when we were playing Morehouse College, whose marching band was going to be at the game but not scheduled to perform at halftime. We planned for our own jam-packed halftime, which was to conclude with words by Colbourn. Before the halftime began, I was surprised to see the Morehouse band forming on the sidelines and then begin to move onto the field. Our staff was doing everything it could to stop them, to no avail.

It turned into a chaotic mess. After the band performed and left the field, we had little time left for Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ to do much of anything. Our part of the halftime program was a disaster. There was just a little time for Colbourn’s remarks, and a delay of game penalty was imposed on Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ at the start of the second half.

The folks at Disney were more than willing to help with the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ football program in a number of ways. They even offered to construct a new Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ mascot suit for our 1980 football season. Our ideas were very knightly, so I recommended “Sir-Wins-A-Lotâ€� for the mascot, and the name stuck — at least for a time. Colbourn even knighted our new mascot as Sir-Wins-A-Lot before a home game.

The title worked well for a few games, up until we ran into a few losses. Later on, having a mascot named Knightro served us better.

An FSU Connection

In 1982, former FSU Coach Bill Peterson arrived to be the new athletic director. Working with Peterson was quite a kick for me. As an FSU alumnus, I knew all about his igniting the Seminoles into a major football powerhouse and the part he played in nurturing FSU’s traditions.

There were a number of aspects of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s early football launch that included assistance from those Seminoles from Florida State. Despite the fact that they beat the Knights 46-14 in our one 1995 meeting on the gridiron, their influence on our football program was noteworthy. Two of our early athletic directors had been FSU coaches, with Gene McDowell being the first All-American player at FSU.

The late actor Burt Reynolds, a former running back for the Seminoles, also gave an assist to the rising Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Knights football program. I was honored to serve as master of ceremonies for one of the annual “Night of Knightsâ€� fund-raising auctions in downtown Orlando in 1989. It was a lavish, black-tie, televised affair attended by a host of community notables. It also became a key event in the history of the football program as we collected more than $300,000 for Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ sports that evening.

Building a solid football program takes time, commitment and some very careful, right steps.

The program was all about convincing the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ community of the importance of football to the development of our school at large, a concept championed by Colbourn. In my opening remarks I played a portion of the Notre Dame fight song. The audience recognized it immediately — and that was my point. It was familiar to them because a school then of only 9,000 had achieved worldwide recognition through its extraordinary profile in the sport of football.

Adding glitter to that big night was an appearance by Reynolds and wife Loni Anderson (whose son-in-law was a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ assistant football coach at the time). The couple added a donation: a black stallion to carry our Knight mascot.

Building a solid football program takes time, commitment and some very careful, right steps. Above all, it takes a lot of dedicated, unselfish, optimistic people who can give the fans something of value to watch. As a witness during those early formative years, I think we saw just that.

We owe so much to those many supporters who have encouraged the program with their ideas, their participation and their pocketbooks.

These infants begin to take in the outside world and make it their own with each new experience. With those new experiences and growth come a perspective on the world and the ability to share it. We learn our methods of communication quickly, but how many of us truly understand the impact our words have?

Words have the power to console those in grief, uplift the downhearted, and inspire those who feel defeated. History shows us how influential speeches are to groundbreaking movements and changes. It’s hard to imagine where we would be without Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream…� speech, or Ronald Regan’s speech calling for Russia to tear down the Berlin Wall.

Although best as a positive influence, words can also lead to painful ramifications. Through his persuasive techniques, Hitler managed to persuade numerous countries to kill more than 6 million innocent people just because of their religion. What started out as a way to communicate to survive, has the capability of being the vessel in which hate and destruction flow through.

At a young age, I experienced how hurtful words could be. When I was bullied at school, my mom incessantly recited “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me� as a form of comfort. As bad as I wanted that phrase to be true, life had taught me a lesson that I could not ignore.

I learned that the pen is truly mightier than the sword. The impact of words has the ability of molding the lives of others. For example, my mother was constantly ridiculed for her Hispanic accent while speaking English. Hollywood hadn’t glamorized the way Latinos spoke English yet, so this proved to be a traumatic experience for her. This, in turn, caused her to emphasize English over Spanish when raising her children. Having a limited grasp of Spanish, however, caused me to struggle with my identity as a Latin American woman.

Though mightier than the sword indeed, the pen shares the double-edged blade characteristic with its counterpart. It is for that reason we must be cognizant of what we say and how we say it.

With the tragic events that have taken place recently around the world, we have seen the power of our words at work. We have witnessed vile words turn into actions of hate, only to leave us with an unbearable loss. We can put an end to this; we must put an end to this.

In theory the answer is simple, but the answer is far more complex in practice. What if we listen to others and learn to communicate? What if we promote and invest in love as much as we do our businesses, companies, and sources of income? What if, we stop ourselves from speaking negatively and instead speak words of encouragement and kindness?

It is easier to refrain from something when it is not actively portrayed in our society. In these past couple weeks, I have made it my mission to spread positivity in any way I can. Whether it is making small talk in a waiting room, smiling to those who cross paths with me on the way to work, or even voicing my appreciation, I have noticed that the attitude becomes infectious.

It’s amazing that after learning how to convey our thoughts and emotions as we age, we don’t do it nearly as much as we should. In fact, I challenge everyone reading this to do a random act of kindness or genuinely vocalize their appreciation for someone today.

As Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.�

Have the strength to speak your mind, the wisdom to know when to hold your tongue, and the compassion to love continuously.

Elizabeth Santiago is a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ junior majoring in psychology and a member of the President’s Leadership Council. She can be reached at easantiago7@knights.ucf.edu.

The morning began with a keynote address and Q&A by Anthony Jenkins, Ph.D., Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s senior associate vice president and dean of students.

Next, alumni staff presented this year’s Chapter & Club Awards, which included:

Chapter and club leaders then participated in breakout sessions on the alumni association’s strategic plan goals of communication, engagement, relevance and funding. After lunch, they continued with roundtable discussions on board management, social media, student engagement, professional development/career-focused events, and partnerships.

Before wrapping up the day-long conference with a catered happy hour and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Bookstore merchandise sales, attendees got to meet and participate in a Q&A with Mike Morsberger, the new vice president for alumni relations and development, and CEO of the foundation.

Thank you to all of our dedicated alumni volunteers! Go Knights! Charge On!

Bates and her team first helped to launch The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort in 2010. Following its success, she and her team partnered with Warner Bros., the “Harry Potter� cast and filmmakers, author J.K. Rowling, and a team of creative geniuses to once again capture the world’s imagination, bringing Diagon Alley to life for the devoted fans of the books and movies.

On Nov. 6, Bates was celebrated for her successes, as well as her continued involvement at the university, becoming the 31st inductee in the Alumni Hall of Fame, which was established in 2000.

Tom Alexander, ’03, chair of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Nicholson School of Communication Alumni Chapter, emceed the luncheon, which was held at the Citrus Club in downtown Orlando. He was joined by Robert Chandler, NSC director and professor, who presented Bates with her award.

“Through all of her actions and efforts, Donna truly exemplifies integrity, community, creativity and excellence, making her a remarkable Knight,� Chandler said.

Fellow NSC Hall of Fame inductees, and members of the NSC Alumni Chapter and , as well as Bates’ co-workers were in attendance to congratulate her.

“I’m incredibly proud to be a graduate of the Nicholson School of Communication at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½,â€� Bates said. “I love seeing the high caliber of candidates our program is producing, and I’m so honored to be a member of the NSC Alumni Hall of Fame.â€�

As communications manager for the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, Megan oversees, creates and implements all marketing communications for the luxury hotel brand, from its website and onsite collateral, to local and international advertisements, and media relations and social media.

Most days, she’s writing advertising copy, working with graphic designers and evaluating marketing opportunities. She also tries to take time to “shop” the resort and communication channels from a guest’s perspective, to ensure accuracy and find innovative new ways to drive revenue.

Gold Standards

Megan describes her fellow “Ladies and Gentlemen” as the world’s finest service professionals. (And, if you’ve ever been to a Ritz-Carlton, you’re surely familiar with the brand’s high service standards.)

“I come to work excited and motivated to work with such exceptional talent,” she says. “It’s like a family. We push each other to be as creative and successful as we can be, but we also support each other and understand that we are at the resort for one reason: to create indelible memories for our guests.”

As she anticipates her career growth, Megan would like to take on more responsibilities in the region as she becomes more experienced with the Ritz-Carlton brand in the Caribbean and Latin America. Down the line, she also would like the chance to oversee marketing communications for multiple resorts and, eventually, she would love to join the company’s corporate office and drive strategies for the entire brand.

So, what’s it like working in Grand Cayman? “I never imagined I would live and work in one of the world’s most beautiful destinations!” she says. “And, there are still more than 80 hotels and destinations to explore! The opportunities with this brand are limitless.”

RITZY Q&A

Q. What’s been your most memorable day at work so far?

A. I was able to experience our signature event, Cayman Cookout, which brings together world-famous chefs, wine and mixology experts for a weekend of demonstrations, tastings and events. It was a whirlwind of activity, and I was there to just absorb it all and learn. It was such a cool opportunity and really demonstrated the resort’s commitment to me as a new employee. Not many organizations would take the time to provide such a dynamic learning opportunity.

Q. What inspired/interested you about the field of communications?

A. I’m an extrovert, and I love to write, so I felt drawn to communications when I started at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. But, it was all the extracurricular activities and internships that nurtured those natural abilities and allowed me to find a career. Now that I’ve been in the workforce for a while, I value so much the experiences I had at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

Q. What’s it like living in Grand Cayman? How do you spend your free time?

A. Awesome! I can walk to the beach and swim in the Caribbean Sea after work! Grand Cayman is a vibrant international community, and there’s no shortage of activities on the island. We have great restaurants and entertainment, amazing white sand beaches, watersports, etc. The weather is so great most of the time that I want to be outdoors and active as much as can. Next, I want to learn to dive and check out the underwater world.

Q. Last thing you Googled?

A. Indemnification. Exciting stuff around here.

Q. What did you want to be when you grew up?

A. Construction worker. I was all about it — hard hat and everything.

Q. Most embarrassing moment?

A. I once participated in a pickle-eating contest, because one of the “professional eaters” booked for the event bailed and we needed a seat-filler. It was awful.

Q. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

A. Sheryl Sandberg shared a quote in her book: “If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on.” Have a sense of adventure in your career and life.

Read more stories about alumni at .

Johnson, also the Professional Science Master’s (PSM) Coordinator at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, brings a wealth of experience to the Board including four years assisting in the coordination of a statewide PSM initiative between 12 state universities.

The appointment of a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ employee to the NPSMA represents a national interest in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s role in expanding the PSM program’s collaborative graduate education. And, perhaps more importantly, the move enhances Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s position as America’s Leading Partnership University.

The PSM is a unique, innovative program that prepares graduates for science careers in business, government, or nonprofit sectors. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ has five PSM programs including Health Care Informatics, Modeling and Simulation, Biotechnology, Conservation Biology, and Professional Engineering Management.

The hybrid degree program combines rigorous technical study in science or mathematics with practical training in leadership, management, ethics, and communication. Designed to increase industry partnerships, the PSM connects students directly to potential employers through required internships and employer/industry advisory boards. Each PSM program is guided by employer advisory boards. The goal is to provide industry, government, and nonprofits with employees who have a deep scientific knowledge as well as skills to apply that knowledge in innovative ways.

The PSM was started in 2000, and there are now more than 302 programs at over 139 universities.

The National Professional Science Master’s Association (NPSMA) joins together PSM degree program directors, faculty, administrators, industry representatives, alumni, and students that support PSM degree initiatives. The mission of NPSMA is to promote and support the growth and development of professional science master’s degree programs.

Johnson and four other individuals begin their three year terms with NPSMA on January 1, 2014. The new board members also include professionals and educators from SUNY Buffalo State College, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Colorado at Boulder, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

In the commercial, Gordon, who has been sponsored by Pepsi MAX for more than 10 years, disguises himself as a suburban dad and takes a Chevrolet Camaro for a test drive.

Since its release March 12, the video has received more than 31 million views.

“We wanted to leverage Jeff Gordon in an interesting way,� said Krkljus. “We wanted to create a piece of content that would appeal to a larger audience and break out of the niche following in the motorsports world.�

Krkljus graduated from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in 2007 with a degree in interpersonal and organizational communication. During her time at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, the Orlando native was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority and interned at Y Partnership (now MMGY Global), a travel and tourism marketing firm that inspired her interest in art direction and design.

“Learning the ebb and flow of a real agency was huge,� said Krkljus. “The more experience you have, the better – more real life experience and more people to talk on your behalf.�

Krkljus began her internship in the media department but soon moved into the production department, where she first began considering portfolio school. From 2007 to 2009, she attended Miami Ad School for art direction.

Since then, Krkljus has created collateral for brands such as PUR, Adidas, Tostitos, Pinkberry, Gatorade and Polaroid. Throughout various projects, she has worked with celebrities including Wanda Sykes, Julie Bowen, Flavor Flav, Elton John and David Beckham.

To watch the viral Test Drive commercial, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5mHPo2yDG8. And to learn more about Krkljus, .

The Nicholson School of Communication Alumni Chapter hosted the reunion, and the networking reception concluded the College of Sciences’ week-long celebration of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s anniversary.

“Our alumni were eager to celebrate Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s anniversary and they appreciated the opportunity to reminisce about their days in the classroom,â€� said Shaloni Prine, a 2007 graduate and assistant director of Alumni Relations for the College of Sciences.

Throughout the evening, a special 50th anniversary-themed slideshow played, allowing guests to take a trip down memory lane as they viewed pictures from the past 50 years of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and Nicholson School of Communication history. Alumni, ranging from the class of 1971 to the class of 2012, also submitted photos from their own time at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, allowing them to share personal memories with the group.

Attendees heard from College of Sciences Dean Michael Johnson and NSC director Robert Chandler, who provided an update on the Nicholson School of Communication, focusing on the school’s expansion of its global communication studies programs, certification programs, highlights of current NSC student achievements and upcoming school events.

Some of the evening’s other special alumni guests included Ybeth Bruzal, ’05, Central Florida News 13 anchor; Lee Constantine, ’74, Seminole County commissioner; Clay McMillan, ’90, president of CMI Production Services; Roger Pynn, ’73, president of Curley & Pynn; and Matt Weber, ’83, president of ROAR! Internet Marketing.

Former NSC director Ray Buchanan, former NSC interim director Bruce Whisler and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ vice president and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Alumni Association executive director Tom Messina, ’84, as well as nearly 20 retired NSC faculty also attended.

To learn more about the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Nicholson School of Communication Alumni Chapter, visit https://ucfalumni.com/nicholson. To view photos from the event, visit www.facebook.com/Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½nscalumni.