PR Portfolio...so glad that's over

As a senior Mass Communications major everyone is required to turn in a senior portfolio. This is total H.E. double hockey sticks on all of us. The portfolio consists of all of our best work we have done throughout our college career and if that work is not good enough, then we don't pass our senior exit exam. And if you don't pass that, well you can guess what happens. My senior portfolio was due this past Monday and I hope that it will be good enough.

I incorporated three major projects I have done throughout the past two and a half years into my portfolio. The first is the work I did for habitat for Humanity, the second was my senior campaign Ladies Lawn Night and the third was GCSU Sustainability Council work. All of these projects were done as either a part of a class or as a Praticum (an on campus internship). At GCSU the professors not only teach you how to write a press release, do a time line, and write a PSA but they make you put all of that stuff to use through there classrooms or practicums. We get real world experience before ever even leave our campus. This experience is something that interviewers have been the most impressed with, they always ask me questions about what I have done with these different projects and leave the usual, boring questions, at the door. I am happy that I chose to come to this school and be a Mass Communication major because I know i am getting a good education and lots of experience.

PR Day

As a college student who is currently interviewing for internships PR Day speakers offered some great advice. Dress code is key for the job you are interviewing for. Always dress professional when going to an interview, even if the place you are interviewing at is a casual work environment. It is always better to be over dressed than under (but ladies leave your stilettos at home). Research the company and job (if possible) you will be interviewing for. Try to answer all questions in a professional manner as well as portraying what you want them to remember about you.

Keeping the Scene Green

If you have ever meet me you know I am all about environmental awareness. So it probably did not surprise you that I spent my summer picking up and sorting trash at music festivals nor does it surprise you that I am doing an on campus internship to make the GCSU campus a little bit "greener," and I bet it really doesn't surprise you that I'm about to give you 10 helpful ways to be green every day.

This is us after cleaning up Bonarroo!

1) Use your own grocery bags. They look prettier than those ugly plastic bags!
2) When you have to print something off of the computer, select an eco friendly font such as Sprang Eco Sans. And what better to use an eco friendly font on than eco friendly paper!
3) Turn your lights off! if your not in the room, don't leave the light on...it's that simple.
4)Keep your thermastat set to 78 degrees in the summer and 68 in the winter. Choosing to decreese the temp even one degre in the summer or increase one degree in the winter will add 3% to your power bill!
5) RECYCLE!!! There really is no reason not to recycle. Seperate your glass, cans, plastics, newspapers, white paper, cardboard and even electronic equiptment to be recycled.
6) Walk, run, ride your bike or skateboard to campus or downtown. This saves you money on gas and car maintenence as well as cuts down on the amount of carbon emitted into the air (smog=bad).
7)Do not take extended showers (unless your really dirty, then it's ok) or leave the faucet running when brushing your teeth and doing dishes.
8)Invest in a reusable water bottle and coffe mug. This saves you money in the long run, espically for you coffe drinkers because many coffe places, including starbucks, give you a discount if you bring your own mug. Oh, and if you want bonus points you can buy reusable bottles made from 100% recycled plastic!
9)Make a compost pile in your yard. Forget the pestisides and use a coffee ground compost to garden with. (if you don't drink coffee you can go to any local starbucks and they will give you a five bag pound of used coffe grounds for free as a part of their "Grounds for you Garden" project)
10) Clean Vibes LLC is a non profit oranization that cleans up during and after music festivals. Volunteering for them means that you get to go to music festivals all of the United States, for free, as long as you work during or after the event.

This semester my Public Relations campaigns class participated in the national Public Relations Student Society of America and CW television network campaign competition. The challenge was to create an on campus event that would promote the new Melrose Place and the new 90210, oh and did I mention that we only had a month to do it?

My group chose to do have an event that featured a fashion show and a band before we would screen episodes of Melrose Place and 90210. The band, the Jazz Bandits started off the evening and were followed by a fashion show. The band was great and he fashon show went well however, after the fashion show. In retrospect I would have had the fashion show in between the screening of the shows.

The actual planning and implementation of the event went very well. We were prepared for the day of the event and were able to set up without a problem. We promoted as well as we could for our college campus but to be completely honest, this is a school that does not get involved in many on campus events.

What?... Ethics?

Ethics is one of those things that changes from person to person. It does not mean that one is necessarily wrong, it just means different. Within societies there are many different codes of ethics used. Everyone has their own personal ethics as well as professional ethics. Sometimes personal ethics influence professional ethics and vice versa, it really just depends on the person. Personally my upbringing has a huge impact on the job I want to have.

My mother and father have greatly influenced how I view society as well as the role I would like to take in society. I would like to join the Peace Core after I graduate college, I would like to do PR for an NGO or a company that cares about environmental issues and social issues, not just how much money they can make in a year. I am not willing to work for a company that ignores these issues.

As the vice president of Bobcat PRSSA it is my responsibility to organize fundraisers. This semester I have decided to do a joint fundraiser with a friend of mine to help organize a s a series of events that will benefit the women who were involved in the Indian Independence Movement. The money raised will go toward an event that will be held in one year in India, the event is called "A Time for Peace." These women marched and worked closely with Gandhi to peacefully gain their independence from Great Britain. PRSSA chose to do this event because this is a message that needs to be "heard".