CSU Pueblo Media and Entertainment class to explore the future of media, technology, and innovation at SXSW
Release Date: March 11, 2024
PUEBLO,CO - Nine CSU Pueblo students will embark on an experiential class at South by Southwest (SXSW) in hopes of gaining an edge on their education and careers. The on-site portion of the class will take place March 7 to 17 in Austin, TX, where students will attend twenty industry sessions, film premiers, music showcases, keynotes, and tradeshows. During the last half of the trip, students volunteer as part of the music festival,gaining valuable experience from working the event.
In preparation for their trip, students have spent numerous hours researching what SXSW has to offer and planning out their schedules to get the most out of the experience.“Students have been sharing their weekly findings, generating discussion about the significance of various sessions, panels, film premiers, and more. I look forward to following their journey and seeing the impact of this experience on their perspectives and futures,” said Kim Pluskota, Media and Entertainment faculty and instructor for the course.
Once in Austin, students spend their days attending industry sessions which are often comprised of three to four experts from various industries. They also have to attend film screenings, music showcases, tradeshows and exhibits, and keynotes to complement their research. To document the experience, the class integrates social media heavily into its structure. Says [Kim] Pluskota “We designed social media to be a major part of the class given the history of tech platforms at South by Southwest, its multimedia capabilities, and because its mobile friendly.” The course was introduced at CSU Pueblo in 2022 as part of a curriculum and program restructuring in the Media & Entertainment program. It is designed with experiential, professional learning as a focus through which students interact with innovators, entrepreneurs, and professionals from the hi-tech and media and entertainment industries.
“The class is very different from traditional college class offerings. Students customize their learning by selecting sessions from over twenty tracks, from the music industry and film production to health, med tech, psychedelics, and technology, to name a few. They are given a prompt – to discover the future,” says Dr. Jon Pluskota, Chair of Media and Entertainment and on-site coordinator for the class. “It’s like a modern-day World’s Fair. Its global media, entertainment, technology and innovation at its best.”
If you want to find out what a typical day at SXSW is like, you can follow the student experience on Facebook and Instagram by searching SXSWtheClass. If you are interested in learning more about the Media and Entertainment program at CSU Pueblo, you can connect with the department online at www.csupueblo.edu/media-and-entertainment.
About Colorado State University Pueblo Media & Entertainment
The Department of Media & Entertainment is where technological innovation meets traditional humanities and social sciences. We offer a pragmatic and professionally oriented undergraduate program designed to prepare majors for successful careers in the media and related areas and to prepare students for graduate study. The department offers a proactive student-faculty advising experience. We have a collaborative department culture, where we like to recognize our student accomplishments and outstanding performance.
About Colorado State University Pueblo
Colorado State University Pueblo is a comprehensive state university with an enrollment of nearly 4,000 students. With 34 percent of its students Hispanic, it is a designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), and a military friendly university. The university is dedicated to interdisciplinary learning and entrepreneurship that elevates its people and community, creates educational opportunities, fosters unique collaborations, and supports inclusion, access, and affordability as a gateway to the world.
