A trip to remember...

On October 22, my class made the journey to Toronto and back. The purpose of this trip was to learn about PR in the workforce, build great relationships with fellow classmates and create lasting memories.

The morning started bright and early. We all met on the bus at 6:30 A.M. with blankets, pillows and most of us still in our P.J.'s. We watched movies, played games and chit-chatted all the way to Toronto. By the time we finally arrived, I felt like I had learned more about the people I see everyday in class in just 2 hours or so than I had in 2 months.

The first stop was the Steam Whistle Brewery. Here, we were taken on a great tour and we learned about how the beer was actually made. We saw everything from how they fill kegs to where the paper work took place. It was a great office to see as there was no ego to be found. Everyone, no matter what their job title or how long they had been there, sat together in one office and worked as a team.

We also got to see a great presentation on Steam Whistle's history and campaigns which was followed by a delicious 9 A.M. tasting of the beer itself.

As soon as we were done at the brewery, we hoped on the bus and headed straight for CBC. We grabbed a quick lunch in the food court and headed to our next presentation.

We learned about CBC's history, partnerships and public relations past. In this presentation we got to see what worked for CBC and what wasn't necessarily the best idea for them at the time.

After that quick presentation, we toured the studios for a while. We got to see where CBC sports and other shows were filmed. It was really interesting to see what the sets actually looked like but we couldn't wait for the next part of our day, a live taping of The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos.

We lined up as a class and waited as the taping was running late. By this time, we had loaded up on caffeine and couldn't wait to get inside. Finally, we got in. After a long wait, the taping had finally started. First up was Metric, a Canadian rock band who was preforming with a great childrens choir.

Finally, George got to work and we watched as he so effortlessly remembered every line and every cue. He really took control over the set and it seemed so natural. You can tell he was made for this.

George knew that we were coming all the way from Loyalist College and he spared no time showing his appreciation. He would chat with us often as we waited and waited for the taping. He even stayed for quite a while after the shooting was completed to answer any questions we had and of course, pose for picture after picture. He had such a great energy and I learned quite a bit from him.

All and all the trip proved to be a success and it is definitely an experience I am quite happy I had the opportunity to participate in. I would do it all again if I could.