One of the coolest courses SLU has to offer is English 401:New Media Advocacy.
This course uses the tools of new media (podcasts, short videos, blogs, twitter, etc.) to engage communities in productive, respectful and service –oriented ways. This semester this class, with the instruction of Professor Nathaniel Rivers, made it their mission to advocate for all the unique things St. Louis has to offer. This advocacy comes in the form of an organization called Seize The Lou.
Seize The Lou (STL) is a grassroots, non-profit organization committed to showcasing the best of St. Louis. The organization shows off St. Louis through media outlets. The main media outlet is the website www.seizethelou.com. According to one of Seize the Lou’s organizers, Pierre Louis, “This website offers an interesting perspective of St. Louis in a way people are not used to. It shows all the great and unique aspects of the city.” Seize the Lou’s website highlights three components that add to the beauty of St. Louis: housing and businesses, food and drink, and urban attractions.
In the Housing and Business section this organization speaks to three of the best places to live in the Lou: The Central West End, Tower Grove and Soulard. While their job blog highlights employment opportunities and possible jobs for people majoring in the top ten majors at SLU. Seize the Lou’s food & drink blog aims to discover the best cuisine that St. Louis has to offer. The food and drink reviewers fled to the many wonderful breweries and eateries that St. Louis has to offer, some of the reviewed eateries include Strange Donuts and my personal favorite, Crown Candy. The urban attractions section highlights a few of the unique aspects of the city of St. Louis. Some of these sights include The Pageant Theater, City Museum, Saint Louis Art Museum and even SLU’s very own Billiken Basketball.
One of the campaign’s core missions is to keep the youngest generation of the workforce eager to make St. Louis its home. Seize the Lou is doing an amazing job selling St. Louis. According to a Seize the Lou student organizer, Dena Colantino, “I’ve been a student in St. Louis for almost four years now, and though I’ve always loved the city, I’ve never fully embraced everything it has to offer. Working with Seize the Lou has given me the opportunity to get to know St. Louis better and appreciate it for the cultural hub, vibrant metropolitan and welcoming home that it is.”
This campaign has the potential to grow St. Louis, improve its economic standing and sell all of its majestic beauty.
