bethbenton

catching up on life

2011-03-08T15:07:00.000-08:00

Life has been a whirlwind lately!! Since I last wrote I have changed apartments, changed jobs, and embarked on many new journeys. Things are going great. I spent a few days in Daytona last week, sat three rows from the court at the Orlando Magic basketball game last night, and the week before that I went skydiving. Oh yea, and in two weeks I am headed back to California for a long weekend.

My new job is with Guest Relations at Walt Disney World. I get to meet people from all over the world and do all sorts of things from selling tickets, to planning their vacation, to my favorite (and most challenging) guest recovery. I hear amazing stories and see smiling faces all day. And if people are not having such a magical day, its my job to make it that way. I love the people I work with, and still I love being in Florida. There is always so much to do in Orlando, especially for a gal from a small town in south Georgia.

so whats next for me?

No really, I'm asking. The saying the world is my oyster could not be more fitting for my current situation. I love my job now but I just don't know that I am ready to settle into a "career", so as of now I will finish my current job on June 17. Part of me wants to go back to school, get a master's and maybe even become a professor one day. Another part of me wants to pack a backpack, get on a plane, and see where I end up. I want a job that allows me to travel. I want a job with a company that encourages people to think outside the box and doesn't feel like the traditional 9 to 5 you always hear people talk about. Whatever it is I end up doing, I intend to get the most I can out of it, and give back all the knowledge and success I can, and then some. I want to do something great with my life, and maybe that starts today, or maybe when I am 72. But for now, I am just soaking up every experience I can, living in the moment, and loving not knowing what comes next.

Life since graduation

2010-10-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hello again blogging world, its been a while. My life has been nonstop since graduation, but I have had an amazing time. This summer I interned at Sea Island, a 5 star resort off the coast of Georgia. I was a Senior Staff member in charge of coordinating family and children's events. We had a camp program during the day, children's dinners at night, pirate parties, princess tea parties, and many other special events. I loved getting to play with kids, and living at the beach wasn't too bad either. I left Sea Island in August, took a short vacation in California, and then embarked on my next journey.

I moved to Orlando, Florida on September 6, 2010 and it was probably one of the best life decisions I have made. I work at Disney World!! I work in EPCOT at Innoventions, "where invention and innovation intersect on the road to tomorrow." When Walt Disney bought land in Florida for his next big project, he did so because he wanted lots of land to build a future world...Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. EPCOT houses the world showcase, but it also has some amazing things sponsored by companies that use technology to better our world. EPCOT is continuously evolving, and best of all, it contains the coolest examples of PR I have even seen.

In Innoventions, companies can show off their products and services in a way that gets people excited. Raytheon sponsors Sum of All Thrills, where guests can design their own bobsled, roller coaster, or jet ride and then test it on a simulator. Their goal is to get kids to realize that you can do really cool stuff with math and physics. Our world needs new creative engineers, and this venue does an awesome job of getting kids excited about technology. In Test The Limits Lab sponsored by Underwriters Laboratory, kids learn how the company tests products to make sure they are safe for homes. They can release a weight equivalent to a 22 mph baseball on a TV screen to see if it shatters or drop a steel drum on a fireman's hat to test its durability. IBM sponsors RunTime where guests run, jump, and dance on camera and are then put into their own video game. The most out of the box example of PR I have ever seen is the venue sponsored by Velcro. Slapstick Studios houses a comedy game show where guests do some wacky things with Velcro hook and loop fasteners. Kids stick blocks together to see who can build the tallest tower, couples attach Velcro covered bags to each other to pack for vacation, and (most entertaining) dads use Velcro to put diapers on baby dolls and attach them to their purple aprons. :) After the show, guests can decorate their own Velcro frog with princess crowns and dresses, pirate hats and clothes, or even mickey ears.

Before working here, I knew nothing about any of these companies, and now I have such a respect for them. Did you know that Underwriters Laboratories began when one man was concerned with fire safety at the Worlds Fair in 1893? William Henry Merrill then went on to develop a company that tested the first TVs and PCs as well as many other home appliances. The multinational company has its UL safety symbol on over 17 billion appliances worldwide and serves not for profit. Their main goal is to "Know by Test and State the Facts." IBM got its start with punch machines used in the census and is now at the cutting edge of computer technology. The Velcro company got its start from Georgle de Mestral in 1955 after he noticed cockleburs sticking to his dog's fur. He made hook and loop fasteners that are now used on NASA suits and even tanks for the armed forces (and lets not forget those awesome shoes for those of us who can't quite loop swoop and pull yet).

As someone with a degree in PR, I know how hard it can be to get a product or company out into the public, and then how much harder it can be to actually have the audience take an interest in it. I applaud these companies (and several others I didn't mention) for coming into Innoventions with a goal of getting kids and families excited about what they have to offer. It's far from traditional PR, and I think thats exactly what it takes to succeed in today's world.

Things I've Learned

2010-04-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

As I get ready to graduate (only a week from today!) I can't help but look back on the lessons I have learned during my time in college both in and out of the classroom. Part of me is so ready to hit the ground running and take the real world by storm, yet there is some part of me that wonders what will happen out in the grown up world. It's interesting; one of my new favorite artists, Jess Chalker, has a song that says "the lessons you will learn aren't from pages you can turn." Looking back, I realize just how much truth there is in that statement. Miss Chalker also has another song that says "I'm not scared of change but I'm terrified of staying in exactly the same place." This too really fits with my life right now. I am so excited to move to St. Simons this summer and meet new people while interning at Sea Island, and I know that I will have a blast at the Disney College Program in the fall. I hate when things are predictable, the usual Monday/Wednesday class, the same small town scene; I'm ready to break free, but at the same time I know I'll miss these crazy college days. Anyway, enough of the trip down memory lane. Here's what I found out along the way (some are career related--some are just life lessons):

PR professionals don't need sleep, just caffeine and a smile :)
No matter how old you get, you still have times when you need your mom. And if you end up in the hospital having an emergency appendectomy, nothing makes you feel as good as seeing her come through those ER doors at 3 a.m.
When bad things happen and cupcakes run out, you see people's true colors. Some can handle crisis; some can't. (note: try to figure out who these people are BEFORE the crisis)
Adding to #3, things will always work how they are meant to work out, and sometimes the most unlikely people come to the rescue. Just plan ahead and be cool under pressure.
Never take the one person who thinks outside the box for granted. They are most likely your most valuable team member. Also, befriend the person who has the huge purse full of any random thing you might need.
Sometimes an idea you thought was brilliant gets nipped in the bud...and that's okay. Maybe it wasn't so great after all.
Carry a shout wipe.
"The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing" :) keep your priorities in order. focus on the receiver not the message.
Never underestimate the power of networking. the guy behind you in line at the airport may offer you your next job.
A few randoms to end on: Try everything. Life is too short to have regrets; we just consider them lessons learned. Love is one of the most complex yet utterly amazing emotions an individual can feel, and even people who don't believe in it can stumble upon it sometimes. No matter what happens with friends work or family, NEVER LOSE YOURSELF.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

-Mahatma Gandhi

Corporate Social Responsibility

2010-04-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is ideally a means for businesses to make corporate decisions with the public interest in mind. CSR campaigns allow companies to maintain ethical standards by accepting responsibility for their actions and their impact on communities, employees, and the environment. The Coca-Cola Company uses the Live Positively campaign as a way to make a positive difference. According to their website, Live Positively is a “commitment to make a positive difference in the world by redesigning the way we work and live so sustainability is part of everything we do” (www.thecoca-colacompany.com).

As part of their social responsibility efforts, Coca-Cola sponsors programs and charities to help communities around the world with things like education, climate protection, and recycling. Operations Grass Roots is a project where each bottling facility is required to get involved with their local civic organizations, business leaders and politicians. Programs working specifically with education include My Coke Rewards which helps purchase playground equipment and art supplies for schools and Teach for America which recruits teachers for low-income schools. Each year the company also provides more than 1,400 college students with scholarships to two and four year universities.

In terms of climate protection, the company says their goal is to “to grow the business, not the carbon in our manufacturing operations” (www.thecoca-colacompany.com). They strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by improving the efficiency of coolers and vending machines and improve productivity in bottling plants to reduce manufacturing emissions. They also use fuel-efficient transportation for delivery. By the end of 2009, more than 300 diesel-electric hybrids trucks had been created. Currently, Coca-Cola has over 200,000 vehicles used to deliver their products around the world, and they are working to optimize delivery routes and create lightweight packing to cut down on pollution. The company estimates a 40 to 50 percent improvement in energy efficiency by the end of 2010 and a five percent reduction in carbon emissions in developed countries by 2015 (livepositively.com).

In terms of recycling, the company offers things like RecycleBank, where participants earn redeemable RecycleBank Points for rewards from Coca-Cola and hundreds of other participating businesses based on the weight of their recyclables. The Coca-Cola/NRC Recycling Bin Grant Program donates recycling bins to kick-start recycling programs for local organizations. The company is also working with Spain, the Czech Republic, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria and Japan to establish community organizations that promote recycling and litter reduction.

Since 1.3 billion people around the world lack access to safe drinking water and an estimated one-third of the population is expected to face water shortages by 2025, Coca-Cola is committed to protect and preserve water resources (Laitinen). The company plans to preserve resources by using water more efficiently and ensuring that every gallon of water used will make a gallon of product. Their goal is to improve water efficiency by 20 percent by 2012 (www.thecoca-colacompany.com). The company has begun 120 community water projects in over 50 countries “working on a wide range of local initiatives, such as watershed protection, expanding community drinking water access, rain water harvesting, reforestation and agricultural water use efficiency” (livepositively.com).

Coca-Cola got its start in the late 1800’s as a patent medicine and has evolved into one of the world’s most popular and well known beverages; it is sold in over 200 countries. Their marketing and PR tactics have created a brand known worldwide, and the company is constantly recognized for its achievements and initiatives. In March of this year, the company was named one of Fortune’s most admired companies. In February, the company joined world efforts to help Haiti in the aftermath of natural disaster, just after making Newsweek’s “Green Rankings.” There is no doubt that this organization has in many ways made positive strides toward a better tomorrow for our world, but like many other corporations, there have also been harmful occurrences, though positive CSR publicity often keep them out of the spotlight.

The idea of CSR is to inspire community involvement and improvement, yet some people view CSR and even corporations as a whole in a negative light. Milton Friedman and others have argued that a corporation's purpose is to maximize returns to its shareholders not society as a whole, and that only people, not organizations can have social responsibilities (Friedman). Even though Coke seems to have numerous efforts towards making the world a better place, several flaws in their CSR programs have occurred. In response to eight employees of Coke bottlers in Colombia being killed in 2006 and others threatened and jailed on terrorism charges, Ray Rogers at Rutgers University launched Killercoke.com and urged universities nationwide to stop selling the product on their campuses. He claimed "The reality is that the world of Coca-Cola is a world of lies, deceptions, corruption, gross human rights and environmental abuses," while a coke spokesperson claimed he "has no facts to support his claims" (Businessweek.com). In March of 2010, Coca-Cola’s Indian subsidiary was fined $47 million for damage to the water and soil in a southern Indian village which occurred when the company discharged a sludge that contained toxic chemicals like cadmium and lead (nytimes.com).

The important thing that we as consumers and public relations professionals need to realize is that we must dig deeper into what’s really going on in a company and not just trust the positive information displayed on the company website. Coca-Cola operates in more than 200 countries, so it is essential to look not only at the positive things it does within our specific community, but also find out about negative aspects elsewhere and make sure our society knows about them in order to make educated purchasing decisions. The company prides itself on helping to “create sustainable communities by finding solutions to local needs, building capabilities and improving quality of life through programs, partners and people;” which is certainly an admirable goal, but it is society’s job to hold them accountable (www.thecoca-colacompany.com).

Promoting HealthyMilledgeville

2010-04-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

Today my PR group set up a table at Kroger from 2 to 4 p.m. to promote our Facebook page HealthyMilledgeville. We handed out low-fat brownies along with the recipe and gave out a list of healthy options when eating at local restaurants.

A few months ago, we read articles from the Wall Street Journal and CNN which discussed how social networking can help health care. We teamed with Digital Bridges, a local program dedicated to bettering our community through the use of technology. We decided to create a Facebook group where people could go online and share recipes and fitness tips, and before our promotional event today we already had 506 fans of the page.

At our event, we asked people if they had heard of HealthyMillegeville and then told them about it and encouraged them to become a fan of the page and share the information with their friends. Not everyone answered our survey (some just took the info and brownies), but of those surveyed 15 knew about HealthyMilledgeville and 41 did not. When asked about what aspect health they were most concerned with, most people said nutrition and health were most important. We handed out about 80 brownies and got a great response from the shoppers going in and out of Kroger. Two women who stopped by work at local doctor's offices and said they would put the word out in their offices, and one man who works with Healthy Baldwin invited us to work at a health fair he is hosting on May 1. Overall, our event was very successful, and I look forward to seeing how many more fans the facebook page gets after our promotions.

I'm on island time

2010-03-31T16:10:00.001-07:00

Since last Sunday I have been working as a member of the Junior Staff at Sea Island. After a relaxing 5 day spring break in Daytona, I jumped into Camp Cloister, a day camp with 50 kids under the age of 9. This job constantly puts my hospitality and childcare skills to the test, but is one of the best experiences I have had. On my first day, four-year-old twin boys who look and act exactly like Disney channel's Zack and Cody walked in with the collars popped on their pastel Lacoste polos. Each grabbed one of my hands and one said "Hey babe who's your favorite super hero" (thankfully we both like Batman and a bond was instantly formed). The rest of my day was spent doing tye dye and playing duck duck goose on the beach. Each day, each second for that matter has been different. Sometimes the kids love the activities we have planned for them, and other times we have to come up with things spur of the moment with 13 screaming six-year-olds waiting impatiently...event planning improvising at its finest :) Sometimes I work at the movie theater, sometimes I am a camp counselor, sometimes I make flyers or posters for upcoming events, and sometimes I dress up like a princess, wear a tiara, and drink pink lemonade. I think this is what it means to be in PR...just taking things as they come, being prepared for anything, and staying flexible yet in control of the situation. My first few days here have been all about that, and its been a whirlwind to say the least. I have met families from all over the U.S. and even the world and built some amazing relationships with the children and families so far this week, and I can't wait to make more great memories this summer.

BrAiNStOrM!?!?!

2010-03-09T19:50:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, I spent the day at Manning Salvage and Lee in Atlanta, learning more about the real PR world and shadowing GCSU's PRSSA professional adviser Carlos Campos. I had a great day networking with people at MS&L, learning about their particular clients and experience and getting valuable advice about internships and much more, but one of the highlights of the day was an offsite "field trip" in the afternoon. We met Professor Larry Stultz of the Atlanta Art Institute, who is known for his creative brainstorming techniques, in order to get some fresh new ideas for the MS&L crew. Mr. Stultz had some amazing ideas. He said that with creativity, the sky is the limit and everyone must be involved and engaged in every step. He said that when brainstorming, the group should have toys, music, pictures, and NO smart phones.

First, he mentioned assumption smashing, where you ask questions like what can we add, what can we take away, can we make it bigger or smaller, or can we change the color or style? Then he talked about mind mapping, where you write the key word in the middle and let people write things around it, drawing lines and connecting other questions, phrases and ideas. He then talked about the six thinking hats of Debono (blue is the leader, white is positive, black is negative, green is creative, yellow is optimistic, and red is emotional) where group members put on different theoretical hats to look at the situation from different points of view. My favorite was “Out of the Blue” where everyone makes a paper airplane and writes one word on it. Then everyone flies their own plane, picks up a new one, reads the word on it, and then writes the first word that comes to their mind related to what they just read. All of this is done with loud music and lots of energy.

What I liked most about all of these ideas was the simple fact that they encourage outside of the box thinking, which I think people don't do nearly enough. In a world where we have information at our fingertips, I think people loose the ability to think critically, or creatively for that matter. If things as simple as toys, music and simple group activities can boost brain power, .why are we not incorporating more of these things into the classroom or workplace, and what could happen if we did??

Think Outside the Box

2010-03-03T20:55:00.000-08:00

I recently read an article called Great Minds Don't think alike by Ray Silverstein. In it, Mr. Silverstein talks about how it is easy to hire people who think like you...everyone agrees and there are no conflicts. But really, this type of thinking is detrimental to growth and innovation. Silverstein says that in the workplace, collaboration is must. He says that to do this, we can encourage and reward new ideas, take action against negativity, let others be in charge, and bring in people from diverse backgrounds.

This article made me think about how things in the past have been negatively impacted because everyone just went along with the group, and agreed blindly to whatever the status quo proposed...groupthink. In fact, I can't think of any event in history where groupthink was a positive thing. I think of how a few girls fueled the crazy witch hunts in Salem in 1692 that ended in the lynching of innocent people and how thousands of people were senselessly killed in the Holocaust, blindly following orders to torture other human beings. I think of how engineers have failed with the crash of the Challenger shuttle and the sinking of the Titanic. Did one person not think differently, ask why, or propose better ideas for construction? Or how about with things like cults or the Pregnancy Pact (where a group of teenage girls agreed to all have babies together before even graduating high school). How do people rationalize killing themselves in the name of religion or throwing away their future at the thought of "playing mommy."

Groupthink, occurs when people don't want to shake things up, when they attempt to minimize conflict by not voicing or evaluating new ideas. Everything runs smoothly when we are in agreement, but is that always a good thing? History certainly says no.

So, my advice for the day:

BREAK OUT OF YOUR BOX!!

Senior Seminar Research....AHHH!!

2010-02-28T19:40:00.000-08:00

So I am in the process of completing my first (and final) big research project. For my mass communication senior seminar class, we are required to do a group and personal paper on a research topic of our choice. A few weeks ago, we all submitted research proposals...mine was an idea to look at TV shows from the 1950's , 60's 70's 80's and 90's and compare them with the popular shows of today. Our society has gone from I Love Lucy where a married couple was shown sleeping in separate beds, to shows like Teen Mom, where we highlight the lives of unwed teenage mothers. After breaking up into groups, however, my team decided to look at alcohol advertising deciphering how beer, wine, liquor, and anti-alcohol campaigns all use different methods to hook their target audience.

Previous research has shown that beer ads as a whole appeal more to men, and often involve humor and women depicted as sexual objects. Wine ads have two main target audiences, ages 21-29 and 30-45. Their ads use specific jargon, leading viewers to believe knowledge is required in order for the consumer to appreciate wine as an experience. Liquor ads use lifestyle branding, grabbing their target audience by showing a desirable lifestyle of luxury or leisure.

So what next? we are going to look at the top ten brands of beer, wine and liquor and view five commercials and then compare these with anti-alcohol ads. At the end of the semester, we are going to turn in a 15 page paper on our findings and hopefully present at the student research conference at GCSU on April 16. Wish us luck!

Smile...You're in PR :)

2010-02-24T11:23:00.000-08:00

For my small group communication class this semester, we were required to do research on a particular area of nonverbal communications, so I chose smiling. My researched showed that smiling, no doubt has a positive effect on human communication. The studies discussed in the articles I read proved that people are more responsive to other people when they are approached with a smile. In communication, public relations especially, a simple smile may be the key opening the doorway to gaining trust and building positive relationships.

Here are a few interesting things I found:

In Top 10 Reasons to Smile, Dr. Mark Stibich tells us that smiling can improve our attractiveness, health, and stress level. He notes that smiling can trick the body into changing the mood, and can even reduce stress and boost the immune system. It can lower blood pressure, release endorphins, as well as make one look younger and seem successful. Smiling is contagious; it helps one stay positive.
A Slow Smile Attracts found that a longer smile was seen as more authentic, flirtatious, and trustworthy and less dominant. Head tilting increased attractiveness and trustworthiness, but only when the head was tilted to the right. Smiling was associated with attractiveness in females and dominance in males, and in general, female smiles were found to be less genuine than those from males, though women seemed to be better at detecting the difference in short and long onset smiles.

3. Four graduate students in Amsterdam stopped people in the city square and asked them to help with a survey; when the experimenters approached participants with a smile, they were much more likely to get a positive response. They found that smiling participants were more willing to help and that smiles from the experimenter increased the helpfulness of the participants. Interestingly, it was also found that women smiled more than men, but a smile from a male experimenter was more likely to elicit helpfulness than a smile from a female experimenter.

A 2003 BBC news article showed a sonogram picture of a baby that appeared to be smiling, even though typically babies do not smile until about six weeks after birth. Dr. David Chamberlin says that infants instinctively respond to smiles. In his studies of brain activity in early infants, he found that smile centers in the brain become active early on in prenatal development.
Dr. Norman Cousins claimed to have cured his cancer by watching funny movies, stating that the body has its own biochemical responses to laughter and that even a fake smile can bring happiness by activating pleasure centers in the brain. Also, Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Hughes tells of how he and his troops used smiles rather than weapons when dealing with a hostile situation in Iraq.

So, PR professionals, get out there and show off those pearly whites!! :)

Meeting Management in PR

2010-02-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

I found a great article in PRSA's Issues and Trends, so I thought I would share...

Jill Geisler wrote an article called "What Great Bosses Know About Managing Meetings." In it she first talks about the goals that we hope to accomplish by having meetings. We may seek to provide timely information, give direction, make group decisions, produce a product, generate ideas, or observe rituals. But Ms. Geisler also goes a step further, providing a checklist for how to manage our meetings. In her list, she asks many questions, including how important is this meeting to our organization? is there an agenda? is the right person leading the meeting? are the people contributing? what can we do to improve participation? how well do we stay on track? and most importantly, do we end with a clear message?

After reading this article, I began to think of what I could take away and use in my current job as well as during PRSSA meetings. Firstly, knowing how important the meeting is makes a huge difference in who shows up and contributes to conversations. For example, at our last PRSSA meeting, we had three people come to speak about internships, which are of extreme importance to those of us graduating in May. By letting people know that they would be receiving valuable information that could possibly land them with a future internship, we increased our attendance. Also, agendas and staying on track are really important, especially in large groups. At my job as phonathon manager, we have a 15 minute meeting after our break to discuss and work through any issues that we may have encountered. If we lose track, people tend to forget about the overall importance of the meaning and go off on random conversations (like last week, when one employee brought up the fact that Wendy's was out of frostys, and suddenly everyone in the office had a story to share about fast food places) Though the stories may have been entertaining, they ultimately had nothing to do with fundraising tactics, the overall goal of the meeting. The most important thing I took from Ms. Geisler's article was to end each meeting with a clear understanding of next steps, roles, responsibilities, and deadlines and to keep communication channels open between meetings. This is important in PRSSA meetings because since we only meet once a month, it is essential that everyone has a clear idea of the goals we need to accomplish before the next meeting. Also, the exec board especially, needs to stay in contact throughout the month to follow-up on progress and set the agenda for the next meeting.

I found this article to be very helpful in the management world, and also the PR world. Ms. Geisler's checklist was a simple list of questions that could help any professional get the most out of their next meeting. To listen to more of her management tips, lister to her podcast.

Enacting a Senior Giving Campaign at GCSU

2010-02-02T18:53:00.000-08:00

As part of my fundraising efforts towards Georgia College and State University, I am currently working on a team to enact a Senior Giving Campaign at GCSU. Last semester, we held an interest meeting and got some senior leaders and Student Government members to join our cause, and this semester we are working to spread the word about the campaign.

Basically, we are asking GCSU seniors to donate $20.10 in honor of their graduation year. This donation can be in honor of a friend or student, be set aside for scholarships or specific schools, or go towards the Heritage Fund which pays for things that state aid and tuition don't cover at GCSU.

We want these students to give back to GCSU for three reasons:

1) to say thank you to GCSU for four amazing years

2) to make and strengthen a tradition of giving for years to come

3) to increase alumni participation and raise our national rankings

So far with this campaign, I have learned (and been reminded of) some valuable PR lessons. Firstly, I was reminded of how important it is to get enthusiastic outgoing team players working with you. In fundraising especially, people need to be outgoing and confident. Asking for money is not for everyone, sometimes it can be really challenging. Also, I have learned how important it is to fully believe in your cause. You cannot ask someone to donate money to a cause that you do not support 100% yourself. Also, never underestimate the impact of social media. A facebook group I created in 10 minutes is continuously growing and making new people aware of our cause. The last big this I have realized lately is that you can never have enough people on your side. On May 8, over 1,000 seniors will depart from GCSU and make their way in the world, and it is my goal that all of them will have supported (or at least heard about) our campaign. In order to do this, we need to be connectors, not just within our own circles of friends. We need to branch out and come up with creative ways to reach a broad audience of students of all majors, clubs, and activities.

For more information about this campaign, please visit: http://www.gcsu.edu/alumni/seniorgiving.htm

Bobcat PRSSA

2010-01-29T13:41:00.000-08:00

Bobcat PRSSA received its charter on Feb. 25, 2008. During our first year, membership nearly doubled to our current total of 49 members. As an up-and-coming chapter, we pride ourselves on our exceptional membership involvement and the success of the events we have executed. We participated in a fundraising event called the PRSSA Media Mix, selling used books, CD’s and DVD’s to raise money for our chapter president to attend the national organization’s leadership rally in Scottsdale, AZ in June 2009. In addition to our monthly meetings and annual holiday party and service project, we held our second PR Day on Nov. 4. During this event, four PR professionals from Atlanta spoke with students about their jobs, social media etiquette, and future internship possibilities.

The event our whole chapter looks forward to most is PR Real World, a day-long conference held in Atlanta each February. Last year, 14 members met on campus at 5 a.m. to carpool to the event. That day we all went to various workshops, where we learned how to build PR skills and strengthen professional development. On the way home we all discussed what we had learned and the contacts we had made, and immediately began looking forward to attending again the next year.

This year, thanks to a $500 grant from GA PRSA, we will be able to help our members with the cost of Real World as well as the next PRSSA assembly. In our two short years, Bobcat PRSSA has excelled beyond all expectations. We received national recognition when two teams from our chapter took first and second in the CW campaign and we received state recognition when one of our members won a recent twitter contest and got to have lunch with the PRSA President. Also, at our last meeting our professional adviser brought along two young PR professionals to talk with us about preparing for summer internships. Currently, we getting ready to start spring recruitment as well as plan this semester's fundraising event. I think that the things our chapter has done just reflects the incredible work ethic of our members. I am so proud of the progress our chapter has made and I look forward to seeing it continue to thrive in the upcoming years.

PR In Action: GCSU Phonathon

2009-12-03T10:58:00.001-08:00

Each semester at GCSU, a group of about 20 student callers is hired to work on campus Monday through Thursday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. to do PR for Georgia College. Student callers contact GCSU parents and alumni to ask about their experiences at the college, update them on campus happenings, and ask for donations to our school's Heritage Fund, which pays for all the things that state aid and tuition don't cover (like scholarships, free tutoring, and campus safety just to name a few). These calls can last anywhere from 1 to 30 minutes and can result in hang-ups, "we're not interested," a thousand dollar donation, or one of the best conversations of your life; you never know.

Talking with the ladies who graduated from Georgia State College for Women is like a history lesson. We hear stories of how students were not allowed to ride in cars, how students and faculty lived in the old governor's mansion, and how the dining hall provided a family style formal dinner every evening (and ladies wore their white gloves of course). We talk about how much times (and tuition costs) have changed, and many are shocked to hear that our enrollment is now over 6,000. All of them, however, still take pride in the fact that no matter how much GCSU has changed (or how many times it has changed its name for that matter) our front campus still looks exactly the same: those four gigantic brick buildings with white columns standing tall in front of the grassy area where students sit to study or socialize between classes.

Talking with freshman parents is at times like a counseling session. We tell parents not to worry about their babies, offer advice from our own experiences, and answer the millions of questions they have about campus safety, dining options, getting involved on campus, registration, and residence halls. While we invite graduates to our Homecoming in February, we also make a point to inform parents about Family Day in October. We want to encourage people to come back and "stay connected."

With all of these calls its about building relationships. We teach our callers to be active listeners and to do 80% listening, and only 20% talking. We take interest in what each person has to say: maybe they are mad about that 1937 yearbook they never received, maybe their daughter gets no sleep in the dorm because her roommate is a night owl. We contact whoever we need to and do whatever we can to get these issues resolved. On the flip side, there are those who tell us that college was the best 7 years of their life and how "GCSU made me from a nobody into a somebody." As I stated before, you never know where one call will get you.

Along with building relationships, we also ask parents and alumni to donate to our Heritage Fund because it helps with so many things at GCSU. Some people give right away; some decline, and that's ok; we expect that. The students who work at Phonathon are no stranger to rejection, but it doesn't stop them. If one person doesn't donate, we maintain a positive attitude and remember that everyone, at one time, was a nondonor.

Sadly, this is my final year working at the GCSU Phonathon. Since freshman year, I have had many great conversations with parents and graduates, and I feel confident that among the over $30,000 and 300 pledges I received, I made some lasting impressions that will continue to positively affect my soon to be alma mater long after my graduation. In closing, I plan to leave my mark this year as Phonathon manager by making this the most successful Phonathon GCSU has ever had. This semester we raised over $115,000, which is already a record in itself (especially considering the current economic situation), and I am confident that once added to next semester's totals, we will well outshine any and all previous years. I am also proud to say that somewhere included in that $115,000 is my small gift of $20.10 (in honor of my graduation year). As we tell all of our callers, "every gift counts; its the amount of donors not dollars that matters." May my $20.10 help some other student have the same great experience GCSU has given me, and, more importantly, may it be the first of many larger ones to come.

A Reflection on the Relay For Life Kickoff

2009-11-25T14:24:00.004-08:00

My PR class planned and executed the Relay For Life of Baldwin County Kickoff event on the Evening of November 19 at Northside Baptist Church. In the beginning, we all competed in teams of three to pitch ideas for the event, and it was decided that our theme would be "Celebrate a Memory." a birthday party extravaganza complete with a banner, balloon arch, hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, cole slaw, chips, cookies, cupcakes, and a candy bar.

Our class did a great job of working together to pull the event together. As a member of the media team, I wrote the press release about the event (which made front page of both of our local newspapers!) but once we got down to the "nitty gritty" so to speak I helped out the food and decorating teams as well. One thing that I have learned in my various jobs and as a student learning about PR is that versatility is the key. If you are assigned one task, be prepared to help out your teammates with others as needed. Although I wrote the press release, I also wrapped and tied ribbon around silverware, stirred a giant tub of baked beans, and grilled out with my best friend Nick who I recruited to help me man the grill. :) This brings up another important key to success: everyone should have a friend they could call on for help. Nick answered his phone one hour before we needed to start grilling and said he would be there, and he also helped out last year when our class did "paint the hill green" a PR event for GCSU Baseball. It nice to have friends that you can call on to be there no matter the task.

Another thing that we all learned during the event is that not everything will go as planned. Another PR class was responsible for bringing us 100 cupcakes, and only 2 people from that class remembered to bring them. Disaster was avoided thanks to Dr. Carter who went to a local grocery store and purchased them, but this event just shows that you should be prepared for anything. Things will fall through no matter what, and you have to be prepared to cope. Even with the grill sitation, Nick and I were cooking 100 hot dogs and 100 hamburgers on two small grills, one of which was falling apart. The burgers also were not exactly hand made patties, so some of them just fell right apart on the grill, nonetheless, as with any event, you just have to do the best you can with what you've got and remain positive.

In the end, the event was attended by over 100 guests, who watched a powerpoint presentation of local cancer survivors, enjoyed a delicious meal, and vowed to support the Relay For Life with their fight against cancer. I was honored to help make a difference with such a worthwhile organization and I am so proud of the work my classmates and I did. Way to go team PR Fantasy Football!

Binge Drinking Awareness Ad

2009-11-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Advisory Council, Binge Drinking is defined as drinking four drinks during two hours for females, and five drinks in two hours for males. Binge drinking results in a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher and is one of the most serious problems on college campuses, with 48 percent of college students admitting that they “drink to get drunk”(http://www.cspinet.org).

While many college students think that binge drinking is a fun way to blow off steam, few realize all of the negative consequences they could face. Students who binge drink are 21 times more likely than nondrinkers to miss class, engage in unplanned sexual activity, and get in trouble with the police. Binge drinking not only affects the individual who is participating in the drinking; it can affect those around them by disrupting their sleep and sometimes even damaging their property.

The Center for Disease Control has done numerous studies to find out who binge drinks and how they are affected. Their studies found that 75 percent of the alcohol consumed in the United States is in the form of binge drinking and that binge drinking is highest in the 18-to-20 year old group. Underage drinkers are extremely likely to binge drink, which was made evident in a recent national survey that found that 90 percent of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the U.S. is in the form of binge drinks (http://www.cdc.gov/alchohol). This survey also found that men are two times more likely to binge drink than females.

After researching the topic of binge drinking I began to toss around ideas of how I could create an ad discouraging college students from binge drinking. First, I went for the statistics. I chose a male model since men are twice as likely to participate in binge drinking, and I chose a college age person since binge drinking is most common in the late teens and early twenties. At first, I was thinking of including some shocking statistics or trying to scare people away from drinking, but then I realized that just trying to scare people may not do the trick since most college students are going to drink no matter how many facts and figures you throw at them. I decided to take a different approach and just be real with the target audience. My ad says “It’s easy to make fun of the guy passed out in his own puke. But what if that guy was YOU?”

I acknowledged the fact that people at parties always laugh at drunken people, but at the bottom of my ad I also said “When they show you the pictures the next day, don’t misinterpret. They’re laughing at you, not with you.” Basically, I want to let people know that one or two drinks are fine, but no one wants to be the guy passed out at 8 p.m. before his friends even go out to the bars.

Also, I decided to cover my model’s face with a circle that says “YOUR face here” because I want people to look at it and think: this could be anyone, even me. Another way I got this point across was to highlight the word “YOU” in red each time it was used and make it slightly bigger. I like the way the red contrasts with the mostly black and white toned ad, and also I think the font is very appropriate and appealing for a college age person. Overall, I wanted to keep it simple and get my point across, and I believe this ad does just that.

Local Cancer Survivor's Story

2009-11-05T09:10:00.000-08:00

Sue Carr, 81, is not just a two-year survivor of breast cancer; she is a beloved mother of three and grandmother of seven, a school teacher of 41 years, and part owner of The Attic, an antique store in downtown Milledgeville.

“When I was diagnosed,” said Carr, “I was not frightened one bit.”

After diagnosing her cancer in 2007, her doctors remained calm and assured her that the cancer would not be fatal. Carr considers herself very lucky to have been diagnosed early, and she finished with daily radiation treatment in 32 days.

Her daughter, Patricia Smith, who was diagnosed in 2001, was not so lucky. Her entire breast was removed because of a six-centimeter tumor that had gone unnoticed for five to six years prior to proper diagnosis. Smith faced radiation treatment, numerous reconstructive surgeries, and chemotherapy.

“She was a fighter,” said Carr of her daughter. “She would go in for chemo on Fridays, sleep all of Saturday and Sunday, and be back to work on Monday. I don’t know how she did it.”

Today, both Sue and her daughter are cancer-free, enjoying each new day they are blessed with. Carr is a proud survivor, who has advice for others fighting the battle against cancer.

“Have a belief that the Lord is going to be with you, stay positive, and be happy,” said Carr. “Determination has a lot to do with it.”

These strong women have boldly faced and conquered the number one cause of death in the U.S., but unfortunately there are thousands of others who lose their battles. More than 1,500 U.S. citizens die each day from cancer, but organizations like The American Cancer Society and Relay For Life are fighting to lower this number each day, encouraging people to create awareness and join the millions who are working to help develop a cure.

Relay For Life Team Captains Wanted

2009-10-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

For each day that is “just another day” for most, there are thousands who cherish that day as a gift, a chance to live life to the fullest while battling cancer.

Relay For Life of Baldwin County gives community members the chance to show their support and give strength to these people who are fighting bravely for their lives. This year’s Relay Kickoff will be held at Northside Baptist Church Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. and is open to all team captains and anyone who would like to become involved in the 2010 Relay For Life of Baldwin County.

In the U.S. alone, cancer claims more than 1,500 lives each day and is responsible for one in every four deaths.

The American Cancer Society is working to change these statistics with Relay For Life. It is a source of healing and comfort for those who have battled cancer or lost loved ones to the terrible disease, offering everyone the chance to work together to save lives, create awareness, and work towards finding a cure.

Relay is a life-changing event that allows thousands of people in over 20 countries to join together to celebrate, remember, and fight back against cancer, is not just about fund-raising; it’s about one person making a difference. It is a way for schools, churches, businesses, and civil organizations to join together and work toward a common goal: ending cancer within this lifetime.

“Our theme for Relay this year is ‘Celebrate a Memory’,” said Jan Nutt, Event Chair, Relay For Life of Baldwin County. “Memories of past Relays will be celebrated at as we create new memories and remember that the present is a wonderful gift.”

Despite current economic hardships, last year the Relay For Life of Baldwin County raised $174,860. This year, the organization intends to build on that success utilizing new volunteers from all over Baldwin.

“It would be fantastic if local churches, businesses and civic organizations who have not participated in Relay in the past would send representatives to the kickoff and find out what Relay is all about,” said Nutt. “I would like to see an even larger segment of Baldwin County join others around the globe to make a world with less cancer and more birthdays a reality.”

The Tipping Point

2009-10-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point provides historical examples of how the smallest of changes can shatter an epidemic's equilibrium. The book proves that there is more than one way to "tip" an epidemic by discussing three laws and three types of people in society. The Law of the Few says that one rare and exceptional person can find out about a trend and spread the word through energetic and enthusiastic social connections. Within this Law of the Few, there are three types of people: connectors, mavens, and salesmen. The Stickiness Factor says that there are specific ways to make a message memorable, and that simple changes in presentation and information structure can make a big difference. The Power of Context simply states that people are a lot more sensitive to their environment than they may seem.

So how does this relate to my PR Journey? In the field of public relations, knowing how little things can make a big difference is vital. If you are promoting a new product or planning an event, knowing how to "tip" your campaign can change the outcome from ordinary to extraordinary. One little thing may make the difference in the amount of products you sell, the number of people who attend your event, or the number of people who choose your company over the competition. In reading this book, a PR professional can apply the three rules mentioned above as well as find their "type," learning to play off their strengths and weakness, and even team up with others of different types.

In reading The Tipping Point, I realized that I am Connector, an intensely social person who knows not only a LOT of people, but lots of DIFFERENT people. I, as the book says, occupy many different worlds, meaning I have a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Growing up in the hospitality industry, I learned early that I had an interest in people...young, old, rich, poor, red, yellow, black, white...anyone and everyone. I wanted to meet people and learn things; I was and still am fascinated by new cultures and ideas. My grandparents used to joke that I never met a stranger, and in the rare event that I did, they didn't stay a stranger for long. The key to being a Connector in my opinion, is having the ability to bond with anyone. In my job with the GCSU Phonathon, I call complete strangers and talk with them on the phone. We talk about college, the weather, their grandkids, life in 1957, chicken biscuits, whatever, and by the end of the conversation these people feel as though we have known each other all our lives. The ability to connect is really as simple as finding common ground and building a relationship. Also, in today's world, things like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogging have made it so easy to get connected and stay connected. Its easy to check up on old friends by glancing at status updates or checking their latest blog entry. And who knows where maintaining these connections will take you. In my life, I have made connections with people everywhere I have traveled; I believe the more people you know, the better off you are. The world is as small as you make it, and you should never underestimate the power of "knowing someone who knows someone who knows someone." The hands you shake today may no doubt be the ones opening doors for you down the road.

My last thought when reading The Tipping Point was: How can I use what I learned to help "tip" our Relay for Life Kickoff. My answer to this comes from both the Law of the Few and the Stickiness Factor. As part of the media team, my job is to write a press release to promote the kickoff. With the Law of the Few, its as simple as just getting the word out...letting people know about the event: the simple who, what, when, where, why's. Getting the word out to local radio stations, newspapers, and community leaders will help spread the word, and by simple word-of-mouth publicity, help make the event a success. With the Stickiness Factor, its all about making the message memorable. This will be done through creative and enticing writing in the press release: a lead that will grab the reader's attention, and a well written story that will stick in readers minds long after they have finished their morning paper and put down their cup of joe.

Blog Action Day: Climate Change

2009-10-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

The choices that humans make today no doubt have a profound affect on the world that future generations will live in. Today, we are dealing with the repercussions of years of pollution and mistreatment of Earth that occurred before Environmental Laws were passed. Things like smog, excessive waste in landfills, and global climate change are all outcomes of pollution, and sadly, many of these things would not be such big issues now had we all decided to "go green" sooner. I would like to think that in this day and age, people are more aware of the impact that one single person can have on the Earth, but this is not always the case. For this reason, I have chosen to participate in Blog Action Day 2009. Climate change in particular, is a direct result of human choices to our environment. Even things like travel, geography, business decisions, politics, and agriculture play a large part in climate change, and it is our duty to take responsibility and know how the choices we make can impact the future of the Earth and the future generations who live here. After doing some research about how climate change, I became inspired to find ways of reducing my own carbon footprint. Here are a few easy ones that I intend to do and encourage you to do also: 1) wash your clothes with cold water instead of warm...they won't mind :) 2) use the dishwasher because hand washing actually uses more hot water 3) unplug electronics and turn off lights and computers when they are not in use, even if you will be back soon. 4) regulate your home temperature, replace air filters often, and use compact florescent light bulbs to cut down on energy use These things all came from a list of over 50 ways to reduce your carbon footprint and there are numerous other websites devoted to making people aware of their impact on the world. If there is one thing I learned from reading them, it is that simple changes in daily routines can make a big difference in the future. For example, did you know that by turning off the water while you brush your teeth you can save up to 25 gallons a month?

The First of Many

2009-10-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

Last week, my PR classmates and I conducted the first pitch of our PR careers. We were told to come up with a theme, logo, invitation, table centerpiece, and menu for the Baldwin County Relay for Life kickoff banquet to be held at Northside Baptist Church on November 4...and the real catch, we were given a budget of $0. Our class split up into five groups of three and competed against each other. In the end, ideas were taken from all of the pitches, and my classmates and I walked away with numerous lessons learned. Here are a few that really stuck with me:

1) Attention to detail is essential. With our menus, we were expected to include EVERY single item we wished to have, who would be donating it, the types and colors of dinnerware we would use, and even how our buffet line would be displayed. Also, we had to explain in detail why we chose the theme we chose, how our centerpieces would look, and what the photo area would encompass. Simple things like creating and sticking to a select color scheme, make a big difference in adding to the overall feel of the event.

2)In order to succeed, everyone must be on board. In the beginning, my team was unsure about the direction we wanted to go in. We were debating on doing a fiesta theme, or sticking to our original slogan "Every day is a gift. Celebrate the Present." Even as things were getting down to the wire, a few times we looked back and thought, oh no, maybe we should have done the other thing after all. This really showed me that team support is crucial. Diverse ideas are good, but after one thing is agreed upon, the support of all team members is key.

3) Confidence is everything. Since this was our first pitch, many of my classmates were nervous about what to expect. My teammates and I actually even practiced our pitch in front of my roommate so that we would be more comfortable when presenting the real thing. I have always thought that if you are nervous, people will know. Then, they are focused on the fact that you are nervous and therefore are not getting the most out of what you are saying. A confident speaking voice and a smile can go a long way.

2009-09-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

In honor of PRSA ethics month I am posting today about my own standing on ethics. In the simplest of terms, I believe in doing the right thing. Even as a child, I was that one kid who could never lie to my mother, not because I was afraid of the consequences, but because I knew it would weigh on my conscience causing a way worse punishment than my mother ever could. I believe that these early moral values have no doubt stayed with me and shaped me into the individual that I am today.

My views on ethics in the workplace are quite simple as well. When working for a particular organization, one must be familiar with their specific code of ethics, but there will always be issues in that grey area. This is why it is important (as stated in my previous post) to know who you are and what you stand for. If someone within the company is committing fraud, do you tell? If you have the opportunity to receive kickbacks under the table, do you accept? When having to answer these questions or any other similar ones that may arise I think of two things: my mother, and the New York Times. While this is certainly a strange combination, its effective. Basically, I think is this something that would make that same mother that I could never lie to as a child proud, and secondly, would I want this on the front page of the New York Times with my picture beside it. I feel that if everyone in the world did this before making crucial decisions, the world would be a much better place. Here's an example:

Years ago, the Pinto car company discovered that 1% of their vehicles, when hit from a specific angle during a collision, would burst into flames. From a business standpoint, it would cost between 10 and 20 million dollars to settle with the families of those who would certainly be killed or between 100 and 200 million dollars to recall the cars. The decision was made to leave the vehicles on the market. When I think of this occurrence, I ask myself: when the meeting to decide this occurred, did no one in the group think to speak out on the issue of ethics. Or at the least, think of their mother or the New York Times?

Learning the Ropes of Media Pitching

2009-09-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

In a recent article I found in PRSSA Issues and Trends, Josef Adalian, editor of TheWrap.com, discusses the cardinal sins of media pitching. As a college senior, this article is of importance to me because although I know all about actually writing press releases, I feel like actually getting pitches out there is something that needs to be discussed. In the article, Adalian says that "good PR professionals turn themselves into sources rather than gatekeepers." He then goes on to discuss three important tips to help PR professionals build and maintain a positive relationship with the media. Step one is to respond quickly. This is becoming increasingly important as many news outlets post information online and want current information to be available to the public as soon as possible. Second, Adalian tells us that although facebook and twitter are great ways to reach large audiences, pitches are better off being sent via e-mail or even personal telephone calls. This way it can be more specific. Lastly, he tells of the importance of credibility. He stands by what his grandmother told him as a child, "honestly is the best policy." Lying or hiding information destroys trust, so it is important that PR professionals are honest. Ethics are a huge issue in many fields, but they become especially important in PR. Often times, one is faced with the decision to do what is right or to do what is easy. The truth is not always the easiest route, but ethically, it is the right thing to do. I believe that one has to know who they are and what they stand for, so that when they get into tough situations, they make the right decision, which always pays off in the long run.

My Skills as a PR Professional

2009-09-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

After reading an article by Dave Fleet about the skills up and coming PR professionals need, I began to reflect on my own strengths and weaknesses. I feel that my strongest capabilities come from my writing skills, communication skills, and work ethic, while my weaknesses are mostly in the technology department.

Writing Skills: I believe that writing skills are a key advantage in almost any profession, not just PR. In college, my writing has helped me tremendously in all of my classes, even in environmental science, where my A+ on a research paper end up getting me an A in the class. Writing has always been a passion of mine, and I have had experience in lots of different areas, from being my high school yearbook editor, to writing sports, news, and features for the GCSU Colonnade.

Communication Skills: My skills as a communicator stem from the fact that I have grown up in the world of hospitality management. My parents own hotels, so I have constantly been around employees and guests, interacting with people of all ages and backgrounds. My job at Georgia College is actually centered around communication skills. As a freshman, I began working at the GCSU phonathon, calling parents and alumni and encouraging them to donate to the school. Since then, I have been promoted to phonathon manager, training and motivating our student callers to reach this year's goal of $175,000. I feel that I am a strong communicator because I not only talk, I listen.

Work Ethic: I am person who gives 100% in all that I do. I strive to be the best in any and all of my activities from my job to classes and sports. Quite simply, I like work. I enjoy being productive, and I hate free time. I have had a job since the day I turned 15 and have worked as an office assistant in a print shop, a gymnastics instructor, a nanny, an assistant to a real estate agent, and a phonathon caller and manager. Basically, I will do what it takes to get the job done.

Technology: AAAHHHHH!! I must say that before last week, I was an e-mail and Facebook only kind of girl. Expanding into the world of blogging and twitter has been a big adjustment to say the least. On my first day of blogging, I sent my teacher a Facebook message announcing the fact that i was basically blog illiterate. After four hours of what I would call "Ging's Twitter and Blogspot for Dummies," I now feel that I am on the road mastering social networking. I mean, I'm a year away from a college degree, I can figure this out :)

2009-08-30T14:02:00.000-07:00

Why am I in PR?

From the time I was a sophomore in high school, I knew that I would major in mass communication. Communication in our world is constantly growing and changing, and though I didn't know what exactly I wanted to do with the major, I knew that's what I wanted to do. I came into GCSU as a freshman pre-mass comm with no idea what concentration I wanted. I took the class Mass Media in Society and it was there that I decided what I wanted to be "when i grow up." The class was assigned two papers during the semester: one interviewing someone who has a job that we would like to do upon graduation, and the other about a "hero" in the mass comm field. The person I chose to interview was Lea Anne McBride, communications director for Vice President Dick Cheney. I loved hearing about her job and how no two days were ever the same and how she was constantly traveling around the world assisting with press conferences and attending meetings with world leaders. This made me think that PR may be the place for me. The second assignment of the class, the "hero" paper, sealed the deal so to speak. I researched a man by the name of Edward Bernays, a father of Public Relations. During his 103 years, he had a major impact on the world of mass communication in terms of journalism, advertising, and public relations. He is most well known for his campaigns for Ivory Soap and Lucky Strike cigarettes along with the three books he published throughout his career Crystallizing Public Opinion (1923), Public Relations (1952), and The Engineering of Consent (1955). Reading about how Mr. Bernays paved the way in the field of PR inspired me, and talking with Ms. McBride personally gave me a first hand insight to what, in my opinion, is one of the most exciting jobs available, a career in public relations.