Contents

Make a Difference with your Display or Exhibit
Photo Resources on the Web
Online Grant-Writing Help
Write the Right Word
Meeting the News Guidelines

Make a Difference with your Display or Exhibit

January's Marketplace for Entrepreneurs had some excellent -- and some not-so-good -- exhibits and displays. Here are some reminders to make your display catch people's attention and tell a story.

* Focus on one message. What's the one idea you want people to take away from your display in the first five seconds they look at it? Remember, that's all the time some people will take.

* Have a few words in large letters and a few large graphics rather than any small type and several small photos or graphics. People should be able to read everything on your display from 12 feet away.

* Have a coordinating handout with more information people can take and read later. For a short message, a memorable giveaway might be effective.

* Include action -- a moving part, a hands-on activity, a video, a food sample, anything related to your message.

* Try to have pieces three-dimensional rather than just flat pages on a display board. This adds options and interest.

Photo Resources on the Web

Need a photo to pop into a PowerPoint or other project? Without a professional photographer on staff, the Ag Communication department depends on getting high-quality photos from you, shooting some ourselves, hiring freelance photographers occasionally and using public domain photos.

Three sources of public domain photos are linked from

And just a reminder that it usually breaks copyright law to copy photos from the Web or printed material without permission.

Becky Koch, (701) 231-7875, Becky.Koch@ndsu.edu

Online Grant-Writing Help

Write the Right Word

The messages we send out are important. But misspelled words can be so distracting that the message never gets through. Here are a few words that have been misused in recent weeks.

There/their/they�re � "There" indicates direction. We went there for lunch. "Their" is a possessive pronoun. The students worked hard for their degrees. "They�re" is a contraction for "they are." They�re on their way to the game.

A lot - It�s two words in all cases. I spent a lot of time working on this project.

Calendar - The word has two "a�s" and only one "e." Her new calendar has photos of horses.

All right - This also is two words. Hyphenate only if the term is used as a compound modifier. Everyone was all right after the accident. He�s an all-right guy.

Gauge- The "a" always comes before the "u" in this word. He bought a 12-gauge shotgun.

Altar/alter � An altar is a tablelike platform used in religious services. The minister placed the Bible on the altar. To alter is to change. She altered the order of her sentences.

Ellen Crawford, (701) 231-5391, ecrawfor@ndsuext.nodak.edu

Meeting the News Guidelines

Please make sure the news releases you ask Ag Comm to send out meet our guidelines.

The primary goal of those news and feature releases is education. Ag Comm also will do releases about NDSU faculty, staff and students, and events and activities provided they are sponsored or co-sponsored under the Vice President for Agriculture and University Extension.

In other words, releases must have a connection to NDSU Agriculture and University Extension.

For example, we�ll do a news release about an event at which faculty or researchers are major speakers or presenters, but we won�t do a release about an event simply because a faculty member or researcher happens to be a member of the event organizer�s board. Nor will we do a news release about a non-NDSU organization�s event just because NDSU has had a working relationship with that organization in the past.

Ellen Crawford, (701) 231-5391, ecrawfor@ndsuext.nodak.edu

LET'S COMMUNICATE

If you have questions or comments, or would like to submit information or make a suggestion, contact:

Agriculture Communication
Attn: Becky Koch
7 Morrill Hall
Phone: 231-7875
FAX: 231-7044
e-mail: bkoch@ndsuext.nodak.edu

Go to Let's Communicate Index