On Monday, the SDSU campus was closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Throughout the country, people provided a public service and volunteered in their local communities to celebrate the Civil Rights leader.

At SDSU, honoring King’s legacy isn’t a once-a-year opportunity. Sure, we march in the annual MLK Parade, hold an on-campus luncheon in his honor and fondly recall his visit to campus.

But, we also work in and with the community every day. We – from students and employees to local alumni – regularly ask ourselves that question King raised so many decades ago.

Whether it’s collecting donations for the local food bank, raising money for worthy causes like Light the Night, or using elbow grease to help improve a home for a community member, Aztecs are helping their neighbors most in need.

Honestly, it’s simply who we are — as the oldest and largest university in the region, we can’t help but shape San Diego and be engaged with its residents. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s one of the favorite parts of my job: getting an astronomy lesson on Monday and then a lecture on how the brain works on Tuesday.  Remember when you were in college and you had to take one of those GE classes and you were like “when will I ever use this!” – well, welcome to my world everyday!

The story of the discovery went public yesterday and now it’s the reporters’ job to tell the story, thank goodness! But I had to tell it first. And that my friends, is why you should always pay attention in class – even if you think it’s pointless.

P.S. We used Storify to capture what the world was saying about our story when it went out. Check it out!

[View the story "SDSU Discovers Planets That Orbit Two Suns" on Storify]

As a professional in higher education, I particularly like to see what other universities are doing when it comes to video. So following, in no particular rank or order, are 6 of the best university videos that I found from 2011.

1. San Diego State University – I’ll start with our own. We’ve gone away from the typical institutional television spot showing faculty members in labs coats and tried to do something a little more fun, that shows both the passion of our alumni, and the reach we have into the community. Our institutional spot focused on a chant that the student section does before every home basketball game – “I Believe.” The commercial features several prominent alumni, including the founder of the Rubio’s Fresh Mexican food chain, Ralph Rubio, and the mayor of San Diego, Jerry Sanders. But the best part is what we did after the commercial debuted. We were able to get Mayor Sanders to join the student section before a game to lead them in the chant. And we captured it on a smart phone (Not all videos need to be professionally produced to have impact). But the video was a hit and shows the excitement and atmosphere at our games.
   
   
2. Boston University – Boston Red Sox, Behind the Lens.  We all like to share stories about our successful alumni.  BU does a great job on this feature, shadowing this sports photographer as he shares his experiences taking pictures at historic Fenway Park in Boston. The production value of the video is outstanding, very creative, weaving in still photography, making it look as though it’s moving. And the story is compelling, like something you might see on a network sports show.
   
3. University of Toledo – #whyUToledo. This is a great example of an integrated approach to new media. It started as a Twitter campaign, asking people why they chose UT. Then they took the images of the actual Tweets and made a video out of it, with voice overs of (supposedly) the students reading their Tweets. Really fun, forward thinking, great way to connect with the generation that is currently looking to go to college.
   
4. McMaster University – This Month with the President. While this is a very simple concept, execution is not always as easy. McMaster sits down, in a different location, each month with the president of their university and has him discuss a particular topic. It’s not scripted, there’s no teleprompter. It’s just him sharing his thoughts. It’s a great way to personalize someone who, often times, people on campus don’t get to interact with.
   
5. University of Oregon – Call me a Duck. I’m a sucker for Hip Hop songs being used in non-traditional places. And this one is outstanding. It’s actually sung by an a Capella group from UO that went on a national television singing competition show. It’s an amazingly well produced music video that shows school pride, passion and creativity.
   
6. Bowling Green University – Stroh Center Rap. One of the challenges in the Advancement and Development world is educating people – particularly students – about the importance of philanthropy to a university. The typical introduction of a newly built and/or named building is a press release and a ribbon cutting ceremony with a photo opp. The opening of Bowling Green’s new basketball arena, The Stroh Center, was anything but typical, thanks to this video. The rap talks about the people who made the building possible, including how much money they gave. – “He will melt your face with his philanthropy” — And the video features those donors. The production value of the video is excellent. But for my money, getting the donors to participate in the video is well worth the watch.
   

What great university videos did you produce or see this past year?

Let me explain.  I’m currently building a new commencement website.  There is a great deal of information to organize and communicate and I am neck-deep in it all.

Commencement is the most important thing we do.

Much of the information is geared toward students, but families and friends are also included. Schedules and other critical instructions are sorted by college.

Commencement captures a feeling of momentous achievement for many graduates, illustrated by this SDSU graduate from 2011.

Believe it or not – if you have a twenty-something college student for a child, my guess is you believe it – some students don’t know their college.

That’s right.  After four-plus years and all those classes in the Arts and Letters Building, some literature major will email commencement organizers to ask, “What’s my college?”

This prompted me to include on the site a list of majors and departments by college.  I’m sure we’ll still get those emails.

Cynicism aside, commencement is the most important thing we do.  More important than the novel discoveries, innovative programs and community service, graduating students defines the value of San Diego State University.

I’m reviewing hundreds of photos from last year’s commencement and I’m struck by the emotions captured in each snapshot – a mix of elation, pride, satisfaction.

A few knowing students look afraid, perhaps about entering the real world.

But most look happy.  They leave campus with terrific memories, hard-earned achievements and the initiative to take on their next challenge.

To the class of 2012, I offer a hearty, “Congratulations!”

1. CNN.com featured San Diego State University student veterans in the story “Veterans transition from war zone to classroom.”
2. The Los Angeles Times reviewed the Weber era in the story “Departing San Diego State president leaves a long, distinguished legacy.”
3. A full nine months before we publicly launched our campaign, the New York Times included San Diego State University’s comprehensive fundraising campaign in their story “Amid Cuts, Public Colleges Step Up Appeals to Alumni.”
4. ABC News featured research by San Diego State public health professor Joni Mayer in the story “Stricter Laws Needed to Keep Kids Away From Tanning Beds.” And in part because of her research, in 2012 California will become the first state in the country to ban indoor tanning for teens under 18.
5. “Raising Graduation Rates, and Questions” in Inside Higher Ed featured SDSU’s graduation rates that nearly doubled over 1o years.
6. Associated Press wrote a story on new research from SDSU psychology professor Jean Twenge about today’s college students  being more confident than previous generations in “New data on college students and overconfidence.” I can always count on Jean for at least one solid national hit each year!
7. SDSU geology professors Tom Rockwell and the always entertaining Pat Abbott appeared on CNN and Headline News to help explain the uncommon earthquake on the East Coast. They were also interviewed by USA Today and others.
8. ESPN’s story “SDSU studies surf sustainability” featured our new Surf Research Center. Forget the puns, this research is all about doing good in places where surf is a tourist attraction.
9. SDSU launches only the second LGBT major in the nation and the San Diego Union-Tribune comments section lights up!
10. The new Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit in New York City is curated by SDSU religious studies professor Risa Levitt Kohn. She talked about it on NPR last month after being featured in dozens of national publications.

And in honor of our “plus one” in this week’s NCAA College Basketball rankings, SDSU’s march to the Sweet 16 in March was probably the biggest SDSU story of the year.  But it wasn’t just our student athletes that made a name for themselves in 2011, “The Show” went national and was tagged among the best student section in all of college basketball by ESPN.

10. Stephen Weber – for 15 years, President Weber was the identity of our campus – and our most effective storyteller.  He transformed SDSU and left us with incredible momentum.

9. Elliot Hirshman – SDSU could not have found a better president.  He has brought new energy, passion, humor and a laser focus on student success.

8. Steve Fisher, Beth Burns, Rocky Long, Tony Gwynn and all SDSU’s outstanding coaches – SDSU would be a great university without a great Athletics program but now we’re on the verge of having both.  Beyond building successful programs, these incredible people work daily to shape outstanding citizens.

7. 69,000+ applicants – I guess we’re doing something right!  Seriously, California has many talented young people filled of hope and enthusiasm for the future – let’s not let them down by closing the door on their dreams of a university education!

6. SDSU’s incredible faculty – they continue to bring accolades for their outstanding work and $150 million in research that has elevated SDSU to be among the top public research universities in the U.S.  On the downside, I have to go to work knowing I’ll never be the smartest person in the room!

5. Our students – they are why we are here!  A lot has been written about the current generation’s short-comings – don’t believe it.  From what I’ve seen, our future is in good hands. I’m especially impressed by the accomplishments of our student leaders in the areas of sustainability and social justice.

4. SDSU’s donors who have enriched SDSU with $280 million to The Campaign for SDSU. SDSU would be a far different place with their investments in our talented people, nationally ranked programs and beautiful facilities.  Thank you 280 million times!

3. Our hard-working staff – they look after our students, fix our computers, protect the campus and keep it looking amazing.  While the jobs vary, they share a belief in the power of a university to change lives.

2. My team – through their efforts, the MarComm team is helping transform the image of 114-year old university and engaging more people in powerful new ways.

1. My family – for putting up with the 3 a.m. phone calls (which are never good) and generally supporting me through all the adventures that come with the job.  It helps that my wife Lucita is an Aztec alumna!

I’m tempted to add that I’m thankful for the delicious cookies baked by Aztec Shops – which have got me through many long meetings.  Instead, I’ll close by thanking our troops for keeping our country safe and allowing us all to live our lives in freedom.  Peace to all!

Jack Beresford is Chief Communications Officer at San Diego State University

It’s a flurry of paper grading, cramming and test-taking.

That's not me -- there's no way I could run in heels -- but you get the idea!

When the semester began, it was a marathon of finding classes, meeting new colleagues and classmates, and finding somewhere to eat lunch since Aztec Center closed. But, nearing the semester’s end is a sprint, especially with finals week looming ahead.

This is a big time of year for me particularly – it’s where I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Daily and weekly deadlines aren’t for the faint of heart – every day, I publish new content to the news website that details all things SDSU and, each Tuesday, I create the SDSU NewsCenter e-newsletter that goes out to thousands of readers. It highlights the best of SDSU news, whether it’s a major research award, student or faculty achievement, or a noteworthy ranking. (Shameless plug: sign up for the weekly e-mail here.)

Besides my duties as editor of SDSU NewsCenter, I have other projects to finish up before the year’s end — whether it’s writing stories or blog posts (like this one), shooting video, profiling faculty and staff members, or just clearing off my desk so I can get a fresh start in January. At times, it almost seems like there aren’t enough hours in the day.

But, come finals week, things slow down substantially across campus. But, that doesn’t mean there isn’t news to read – we have a few good stories left up our sleeves as we shut down 2011.

So, while it may be physically quiet on campus, be sure to check SDSU NewsCenter every now and again for the latest and greatest SDSU news. At the very least, don’t let my sprint go to waste!

What does your last-minute ‘sprint’ consist of?

Before baby, I was a notorious work-a-holic.  Checking email day and night, staying late, the epitome of someone who loves their job but doesn’t know how to “switch it off.”

It took the whole three months away on maternity leave to finally shake the old me and bring me face to face with the new me: a working mom.

As media relations manager, I am still on-the-job around the clock so to speak, but instead of checking my email before settling down to sleep,

This little guy is the reason I have dropped my old "work-a-holic" habits.

I am prepping bottles, putting away toys and doing other things that were never before part of my daily routine.  Honestly, did I really spend that much time on my smart phone before the baby? (My husband says yes!)

Thankfully, my beautiful new son has really put things into perspective for me. I still love my job – how could I not working for my alma mater by helping to raise the prestige of our great university?  But as most working moms know – at the end of the day, the only thing I want to do is drive home and do the job that matters most – being the best mom I can be.

The top part of the SDSU homepage features the terrific efforts of our students, faculty, staff and alumni.

When I catch up with family or longtime friends, I’m often asked, “What’s new at San Diego State?”

It’s a tough question to answer, if only because the people here do so many interesting things and I don’t want to unfairly pigeonhole the university with a clumsy response.

Thankfully, my job requires me to identify SDSU’s best stories and retell them on the homepage.

The top part of the page is dedicated to the terrific efforts of our faculty, staff, alumni and students – especially students.

And we’re always looking for  more good stories to tell.

Here’s a quick rundown of current stories being featured:

Tatooine in Real Life — SDSU professors Jerome Orosz and Bill Welsh discover the first planet to have two sun-like orbiting stars.

Better, Faster, Stronger — SDSU engineers work to invent brain-controlled bionics.

The Gift of Sight — SOLO Eyewear, a company started by SDSU students, uses revenues to provide eye surgeries and prescription glasses to people in need.

Worldly View — Eric McDermott investigates Huntington’s disease in Bangalore, India, at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences.  He’s part of SDSU’s surge in Fulbright scholars.

American Indian Inspiration — Generations of local American Indian leaders celebrate the 35th anniversary of one of the first academic departments dedicated to the study of their history and culture as means to create a better future for their people.

Share your story

If you’ve got a great story, please drop me a line at ahoskins@mail.sdsu.edu.

We reached out on Twitter and asked our followers why they chose SDSU. While many included the obvious – sunshine – you can see the passion our students and alumni have for SDSU. Here are some of their responses:

@homebrewdoc: 140 characters aren’t enough! RT @SDSU_NewsTeam: Aztecs: Why did you go to college at San Diego State? #whySDSU

@amazingjen: @SDSU_NewsTeam The Compact For Success program would take me on yearly visits to campus so it always felt like home to me! #whySDSU

@czarcruise: Because of the tradition, location, and the fact my entire immediate family has gone there. 3 Generations of AZTEC PRIDE #WhySDSU #GoAztecs

@stef_funny: #WhySDSU because that means I get to be an AZTEC for life! @SDSU_NewsTeam

@WRob73: @SDSU_NewsTeam #WhySDSU bc I love the city..loved the team and coaches.so happy I chose to go there…best 4.5 years of my life

@The__Show: #WhySDSU : More combined wins in football and hoops than any other school in the country. But even besides the wins, we have sooo much fun.

How about you? #WhySDSU?