PRSUCCESS 2014
SCRIPPS PRSSA
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MIRA KUHAR PUBLICATION DESIGN ALLISON EVANS EDITORS MELAINA LEWIS CIDNYE WEIMER KERRY TUTTLE BRIAGENN ADAMS WRITERS SAM MILLER ERICA STONEHILL LINDSEY ZIMMERMAN DANIELLE MEYER JESSICA CARNPROBST ALYSSA DAS MARISA FIORE CHAPTER PRESIDENT CIDNYE WEIMER CHAPTER ADVISER DAN FARKAS
A FRESH TAKE ON NATIONAL
Table of Contents
CONFERENCE
Work life balance.......................................................................................................2 Erica Stonehill PRSSA Provides Hands-On Experience...........................................................3, 5 Lindsey Zimmerman
Scripps PRSSA Presents at National Conference..............................................................................................6, 8 Jessica Carnprobst Third Annual PR Bootcamp............................................................................................................7, 8 Alyssa Das PRSSA Thanksgiving Dinner...........................................................................................................................8,9 Marisa Fiore
LO, MY
NAM
E IS
BY: SAM MILLER
A Fresh Take on National Conference...............................................................................................1, 3 Sam Miller
Chapter Socials Equal a Social Chapter...........................................................4, 5 Danielle Meyer
HEL
The representatives of the Hugh M. Culbertson Chapter of PRSSA gather for a photo at the PRSSA National Conference. During my first week of classes, I attended the introductory PRSSA meeting, and there I met Kelsey Miller and Jess Carnprobst, two executive board members I met up with them later for coffee, and the two answered all of my questions. I told them about my goal to work in political communication, and as the words left my mouth, their faces immediately lit up. They explained to me what PRSSA National Conference was and that it was being held in none other than Washington, D.C., the Mecca of American politics. I was a little disheartened when I learned that freshmen never attended and that it would cost me roughly $300, but after the deadline to register was extended, I ended up deciding to go.
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Going to National Conference meant I had to create a résumé and business cards, something I had never done before. I started to feel a little overwhelmed, thinking that since I had yet to work on anything PR-related, I would be behind everyone else. It wasn’t until I got there that I realized the advantage I would have attending a professional event this early and started to form ideas about my future career. Attending National Conference is the most important thing I have done during the course of my freshman year. It solidified what I had previously decided I want to do and also clarified what I didn’t want to do. During the conference, I attended
sessions on the subgenres of PR and in the panels, I learned a lot about my career goals. For example, I know that agency life is not for me, and I know that I want to help people – I want to go into political and advocacy PR. The most important session I attended was entitled “Around the World and Back: Global Relations.” I got some great insight into advocacy PR from this panel. I saw how organizations such as Women for Women International communicate with third-world countries to empower women and “[offer] support, tools, and access to life-changing skills to move from crisis and poverty to stability and economic self-sufficiency.” This opened my eyes to just what PR could do. Coming into the field, I assumed that we just worked with clients to establish a brand for them – I didn’t know that we could make such a difference. On top of great sessions, I also got my first taste of networking. I learned that it truly is the key to starting your career! At the social events, everyone was constantly engaged in conversation, and at any given time you could see business card transfers. During the sessions, I heard from several professionals about how they got where they are today by knowing the right people, and this really overwhelmed me. As a self-proclaimed introvert, it was very hard at times to break out of my shell, but in this field you really have to be a people-person, and it forced me to break out of my continued on page 3
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You’ve found your job...
Do YOU have a life?
BY: ERICA STONEHILL
“PR is your job, not your life.” Heather Bartman, one of our very own alumni, dropped this golden nugget of knowledge at one of our first meetings of the semester; and while PRSSA is an organization established to help college students learn more about the field of public relations, our chapter is more than that. As members, we know it is important to learn about PR and the different jobs within the degree, but it’s also important to recognize that there are other paths to take during and after college. That being said, our executive board has taken the opportunity to invite a variety of guests to our meetings this semester such as, a panel of recent graduates, a representative of interning abroad, as well as a few people from our graduate school.
beyond boarders and oceans. Why wouldn’t you want to experience the hustle and bustle of London while earning your internship credit for graduation? It seems like a no-brainer, but many people don’t think of it as an option, and that’s why our chapter finds it important to cover.
At the beginning of the semester, we brought in three recently graduated OU alumni to give us the cold, hard truth about life after Athens. What was important about this opportunity was that we weren’t restricted to asking only PR-related questions. The conversation flowed from how to transform a post-grad internship into a full-fledged job, to why it’s okay to negotiate your salary, even as a recent college grad. Nicole Spears, immediate past president of Scripps PRSSA, reassured the group that it is possible to find a job right out of school, and Allison Jordan pointed out that it’s okay to leave that job for another offer (as long as you don’t make a habit of it). As an organization that is heavily focused on the future careers of its members, it is vital to answer the burning questions about the real world.
Graduate school is like the Sea World of college. Some people think it’s horrible and can’t imagine why someone would want to spend money on such a thing, while it’s a dream vacation for others (‘vacation’ may be stretch). Either way, we need details to make an educated decision. This is why our executive board brought in a grad school panel to separate fact from fiction. Our visitors explained all the different methods of paying for graduate school, busting the myth that it will put you in debt for life. They also discussed why it’s important to consider going somewhere other than where you earned your undergraduate degree. Some people are life-time students and enjoy learning in a school setting. Graduate school doesn’t have to be something secret and scary; it’s a very beneficial experience and something to consider when planning your future.
Internships are a fact of life for our major here at OU. What many of us forget is that this doesn’t limit us to the beautiful United States of America. Frances Weiner, a fellow Bobcat, spoke to our chapter about interning abroad and really ignited the wanderlust in many of our members. While studying abroad is an amazing opportunity, interning in a foreign country gives you so many benefits for post-grad life. Becoming fluent in another language such as Spanish or Italian gives you the extra inch when applying for jobs, and makes you so much more marketable. It also expands your network connections
As public relations majors, it’s easy to get sucked into the time warp and forget about everything around us; but if you want to further your education after your undergraduate career or you’ve always wanted to visit Hong Kong, you should have the chance to explore every option. Our executive board goes above and beyond when planning meetings, and they try to cover all the bases, including but not limited to, PR. They definitely took notes from Bartman at the very first meeting. We already know that public relations is going to be our job. We’re trying to find our lives, too.
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continued from page 1 shell. The networking I did at National Conference really made me feel more comfortable when talking to new people and now I can’t wait to network more. Besides helping me focus on my career, the conference also allowed me to get really close with a group of PRSSA members. Prior to attending, I didn’t really know any of the attendees personally, and I was actually a bit afraid of being left out since they were all juniors and seniors. After this experience, though, I consider them all my friends. It’s amazing what spending five days with a group of people can do! They all gave me great advice for my
next few years of college and I doubt I could have gained this anywhere else. Overall, attending National Conference as a freshman was one of the best decisions I could have made. I learned so much from the experience and I really encourage everyone to attend at least once. The price can be a little daunting, but it is well worth it! I’m already planning and saving for PRSSANC next year, in Atlanta, GA. I’m excited to implement the knowledge I have gained and keep learning in conferences to come! .
PRSSA PROVIDES
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE BY: LINDSEY ZIMMERMAN Anyone who has ever attended a Scripps PRSSA meeting knows that there are countless opportunities for members to help plan real PR campaigns for clients and events in Athens. As fall semester comes to a close, several committees have worked for almost the entire semester to plan and implement campaigns for a wide variety of clients. From political publications to international pride, there’s no shortage of ways to get involved, no matter what kind of PR interests you. The Scripps Innovation Challenge team, lead by Sara Dixon, is working hard to plan and promote an event that has become a favorite among Scripps students over the past few
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years. Info sessions for interested students took place throughout the semester. The team hosted a kickoff event on October 30, which featured an entrepreneurship panel along with a “startup simulator” to give participants a preview of what they’ll be working on throughout the next few months. Several boot camp sessions for participants were held during the semester as well. The New Political is a student-run publication delivering news on campus, city and state politics and public policy. Briagenn Adams and her team have spent the last few weeks promoting TNP’s election-season coverage. The publication produced a
voters’ guide to keep readers informed about the various candidates and issues on the ballot this year, so the PR team worked hard to promote the guide among politically affiliated student organizations and political candidates in Athens. As always, attracting new readers and recruiting writers is an important objective as well. International Education Week kicked off on Saturday, November 15 with the International Student Dinner. Erin Golden and her committee have been promoting the event for weeks by writing articles for Compass, distributing press releases and creating social media content. They also drafted email blasts for the university to send out to students and faculty about the week’s various events and activities. The committee also has a valuable asset in Allison Evans, who shot professional photos at the events throughout the week. International Week won’t take place until April 2015, but it’s never too continued on page 5
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CHAPTER SOCIALS EQUAL A
BY: DANIELLE MEYER
SOCIAL CHAPTER
E.W. Scripps School of Journalism interns with the National Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Couches tour abroad There are plenty of PRSSA chapters that have regularly scheduled meetings where discussions about press releases and social media are brought up. There are plenty of chapters who have meetings and speakers that closely resemble Ohio University’s chapter of PRSSA. However, what some chapters don’t have is the closeness that OU’s does, which is due in part to the multiple social events planned throughout the year. Starting out the 2014-2015 school year, PRSSA members were all invited to a beginning of the semester cookout where there was pizza, snacks, corn hole and music to be enjoyed. It was a great way to start out the semester and the year, and a wonderful opportunity to get to know everyone or catch up with old friends. This was an important first social event because for newcomers and freshman, trying to meet all the faces that belong to Scripps PRSSA can be hard and sometimes intimidating.
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By opening the year with a fun and casual cookout, the pressure to get getting to know all the members to know everyone was lessened. better, newly acquainted mentors and mentees were able to get to know Several months into school and each other better too. The pumpkinmany meetings later, PRSSA put on carving event gave members a time another social event, this time with and place to let loose and just have another organization at OU. Ad fun, which only helped strengthen the Club partnered with PRSSA to have bonds that many have already made. a pumpkin carving contest. This event was accompanied by popcorn, One final event of the semester is the cotton candy and everyone decked Thanksgiving dinner. This dinner out in their Halloween costumes. is the perfect way to end our time Though the result of who won the together as the semester winds to a contest came back a little unclear, close. All the members collaborating there was no mistaking that this was together, bringing different dishes and another successful social event. This enjoying each other’s company made end-of-October event fit in perfectly the dinner possible and successful. with the time of year and was just At the Thanksgiving dinner everyone what everyone needed to get into the was reminded of all the memories and Halloween mindset. Members were friends they have made during fall also able to continue bonding with semester and also left looking forward each other in a less professional and to what’s to come in the spring. serious setting than how the Monday meetings sometimes are. Along with continued on page 5
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early to start planning. The PRSSA planning committee has spent the bulk of their time doing graphic design work by drafting and refining a logo and poster design. As more events are planned and scheduled for the week, including annual favorites such as Taste of Study Abroad and the International Street Fair, promotion for each of these events has started to take shape. The committee plans to start drafting press releases and other promotional materials soon so that everyone on campus and in Athens
Scripps PRSSA is a chapter that differs from many others. Though this chapter has the usual meetings with professional speakers and the typical PR related topics, there is something more to being in Scripps PRSSA than just the professional aspect of it. There is the friendship, the social events and the lasting memories that members are left with. The speaker’s
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Sara Dixon, director of the Scripps Innovation Challenge (SIC) promotional team, poses with the SIC logo in cut-out form. This was used as social media tactic throughout the campaign
from memory and every topic covered at the meetings probably won’t be remembered, but the time spent with friends, peers, mentors and mentees will be memories that will last for a lifetime. The social events that Scripps PRSSA puts on are not just a time to let loose and forget about school and stress for a little while. They are more
than that. They allow members to bond and build friendship, which truly makes this chapter strong and lasting. Members of the Hugh M. Culbertson Chapter of Scripps PRSSA pose at the “Welcome Barbeque” held at the beginning of the semester.
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SCRIPPS PRSSA PRESENTS AT
TEN-HUT! PERFECT 10 FOR THIRD
NATIONAL CONFERENCE ANNUAL PR BOOTCAMP BY: ALYSSA DAS
BY: JESS CARNPROBST
On Friday, October 10th, Scripps PRSSA had the opportunity to present at one of the eight Chapter Development Sessions at PRSSA National Conference. Our presentation team included myself, Cidnye Weimer, Gary Bridgens and Marisa Fiore and our session was “Its More Than Just a Meeting: Powerful PRogramming and How To Plan It.” We originally chose this topic because we all agreed that our programming is what makes us a strong chapter. Although PRSSA is a professional organization with meetings each Monday, we’re also a family. Through our extra events and programs, we have the opportunity to get to know each other all while getting to know ourselves. During our presentation, we discussed programming for weekly meetings, big events, workshops and miscellaneous events. Before going into detail, we outlined our yearly calendar as well as some dos and don’ts when programming. In general, it’s a good idea to plan ahead, remember your audience, partner with other organizations on campus and establish opportunity for all members. However, try not to overuse speakers, over program or wait to fill your calendar. As we dove into our weekly meetings, we explained how vital it is to vary speakers while incorporating workshops and panels. In the past, our members expressed that they wanted more interactive meetings.
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This year, in response, we’ve switched off between speakers and workshops more frequently. We also discussed the importance of weekly member spotlights and going to dinner after each meeting. These are just a few of the many ways that we try to bring our members closer and make sure those who take the extra step are appreciated. Next, we highlighted some of our big programming ideas, while giving ideas to other chapters to assist them with implementing one. We talked about last year’s PR Career Week, hosting a Regional Conference and the Social Media Summit that Scripps PRSSA put on two years ago. We stressed the importance of planning for these early. It’s a good idea to create a committee specifically for these programs, because the more hands on deck the better. Taking it one step further, we stressed the importance of having a presence at national events. Members should attend National Conference each year and send a National Delegate
to National Assembly in the spring. During our presentation, we also briefly highlighted the extra events we do to create a fun environment and thank our members for their hard work. Some of these events include the back to school cookout, social events, our mentor/mentee program, #ScrippsSummerChallenge, Thanksgiving dinner, Valentine’s Day shuffle, the end of the year banquet and PR Bootcamp. Overall, we received tremendous feedback throughout the weekend. After presenting to a packed room that seats about 300-400 people, it’s easy to say we were all extremely proud of ourselves. Most importantly, other chapters seemed to enjoy the information and took away some new ideas for their chapter. Scripps PRSSA strongly implements these events that make us a family each year, and it’s amazing to see that other chapters have new opportunities for this as well.
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Public Relations Boot Camp is a fourweek, intensive, workshop for both dues paying and non-dues paying members of Scripps PRSSA. The program is entirely ran and led by members of the PRSSA executive board. PR Boot Camp is intended for students of all experience levels, and is marketed as a way to gain insight into what it’s like to be a PR professional. Each week different members of the executive board went over PR topics that are not always touched on in a classroom setting. During week one, attendees of PR Boot Camp learned about media relations and event planning. Students were taught how to create a media list. They were shown important tools for building media lists, such as: PR Newswire, Cision, Vocus and Meltwater. Members of the executive board touched on the importance of brevity while writing a pitch; they also went through the dos and don’ts of media pitching. During the second part of this session, students learned about five different types of events (promotional events, benefits, conferences, press conferences and ceremonial events) and five steps that go into planning an event (finding the goals of the event, planning the event, getting the details of the event, knowing the budget, and reviewing the plan to ensure that everything runs smoothly). The second week of Boot Camp, members of the PRSSA exec board taught the cadets about the importance of social media for individuals, as well as for brands. Students learned what it is like to work in social media, how to
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find a brand’s voice and how to convey that voice digitally. The topics of grammar, appearance and consistency were stressed. The differences between paid, earned and owned media were discussed, and students were shown examples of each. Students were taught about the importance of content calendars, scheduling and monitoring, and were shown programs such as Hootsuite and Omniture. For personal social media, students were shown the importance of
knowing their audience, being conscious of privacy settings, and the most important thing to keep in mind: have fun! The session ended with a brief discussion of proper etiquette to use while live tweeting and participating in twitter chats. The focus of week three was strategic communication writing. The session started with members of the executive board passing out a worksheet titled, “Common Writing Mistakes Every PR Professional continued on page 8
Members take notes while participating in Scripps PRSSA’s third annual PR Bootcamp
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AND FOR THESE THINGS,
Should Avoid.” Students learned important information to remember while writing, such as when to use a hyphen versus a dash, when to use while although and when to use since versus because. There was also a list of misused words, such as effect and affect. After going over all of the common mistakes, the students completed a worksheet, showing off their new writing skills. The second part of the session students were shown a press release and were then asked to make one of their own. The executive board leaders explained brand voice and how important language is while writing. The fourth and final week of PR Boot Camp was about personal branding. Here, students learned that their
WE ARE THANKFUL BY: MARISA FIORE
Each year we gather together to celebrate family and friends and to remember all that we are thankful for. This year, Scripps PRSSA came together for an early Thanksgiving Dinner on Monday, Nov. 17 in place of our weekly Monday meeting. Ben Clos graciously hosted the event at his apartment in Palmer Place. Director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Dr. Robert Stewart, Scripps Howard Visiting Professional Professor Bob Benz, Professor Craig Davis and Professor Nerissa Young showed up to enjoy wonderful food prepared by Scripps PRSSA members in potluck style and to get to know the chapter members better. Our President, Cidnye Weimer, prepared the Thanksgiving turkey as tradition passed down through the chapter. Some of the other food included was mac and cheese, cornbread casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce, couscous salad and pumpkin soup. Professor Benz’s wife, Lara Edge, even made sweet potato casserole! Everyone came dressed in their holiday best to take a picture for our holiday card. This card will be sent to all of our professors to wish them Happy Holidays this season. The event went off without a hitch and was enjoyed by everyone from the freshman to the professors. As we were gathered together I realized how thankful I was for this chapter and everything it has done for me. When I came in as a freshman I wasn’t even a public relations major and now I have completed two public relations internships and am entering into my second semester as a junior. Without Scripps PRSSA, I would not be the person I am today. Between networking trips, regional conferences, national conferences, PR boot camp and weekly meetings, I credit the majority of my knowledge of PR to PRSSA. Because the executive
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board has been so passionate about creating an incredible experience for its members, it has allowed me to become passionate about PRSSA, PR and all of its members. The friendships that you develop from PRSSA will last a lifetime. Having the opportunity to travel with your friends all around the country for PRSSA events brings you closer together than you could ever imagine. The people that won’t judge you for having dreams about SEO, working at a PR agency in New York City and the Bateman Case Study Competition don’t come around every day. Having the opportunity to develop passions and friendships with your fellow classmates allows us to not only be a student organization on campus, but a family. There are a million reasons why I joined PRSSA, but one reason I stayed: the friendships. These people are the most genuine, kind-hearted people I know. Through every meeting and every PRSSA event I have had the opportunity to meet a new member and have never found someone I didn’t enjoy being around. It is for this reason that I am thankful for my Scripps PRSSA family. Having the opportunity to share Thanksgiving dinner with such an amazing group of people is just another reminder of why I love this chapter so much.
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Executive Board members Ben Clos, Melaina Lewis and Kerry Tuttle give a presentation on media relations.
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS: Monday, January 12 Scripps PRSSA retreat Baker Multipurpose room, 6-8 PM Tuesday, January 13 PRSSA to Cleveland Info session Ellis 111, 6PM Monday, January 19 COPRSA, Match Day Registration Martin Luther King Jr. Day Sunday, January 25 Member Inductions, Scripps PRSSA Nelson Commons, 3PM
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name should be synonymous with their brand, and also learned how to build said brand. Students learned about designing a logo, resume, and website; similarly to the previous sessions, consistency was stressed. At the end of the workshop, a certificate of completion was presented to each student who attended all of the sessions. PR Boot Camp is a great way to gain more hands on experience as well as a great way for new and existing members of PRSSA to get to know their executive board. PR Boot Camp is a workshop that is put on one time a year (fall semester) and it is strongly recommended to anyone who wants to know more about the public relations industry.
Friday, January 30 #PRSSAtoCLE Networking Trip Thursday, February 19 COPRSA Match Day Columbus, Ohio Saturday, January 21 Scripps PRSSA Social Media Summit Ohio University Tuesday, January 24 #ScrippsPRSSAtoCHI info session March 1-7 Spring Break Monday, March 9 Executive Board Applications Due
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