The Tassel Was Worth the Hassle
Well, I am back in Nashville, Tn., living with the parents and searching for a job of some sort. I graduated from Auburn University on August 4th and have been on one interview and have another scheduled for the end of the month. I’ll let you know what happens with that one.
I’m still trying to get back in the swing of things around here. This includes putting my room back together. Never thought it would be so hard to mesh my childhood room with all my stuff from the past four years of college! But, I’m working on it and finally feel that I’m getting somewhere.
It’s still weird not having to worry about classes and homework, which party to go to and which outfit to wear, etc. I must say, it’s been nice not having to worry though. I’m finally getting my first taste of summer break since… well, since high school. I’ve either had a job, internship or summer school since I’ve been in college. (I’m going to try that one on my parents and see how it goes)
I just got back from visiting friends in Auburn and Montgomery this past weekend. It was great to see everyone, even though it hasn’t been that long. I can’t tell you how many times I was asked the same question every adult has asked me since 30 minutes after I placed the tassel to the left side of my cap, “So now what?†I’m thinking about making a decorative pin to wear on my shirt saying that “I’m back in Nashville, living with the parents, oh yeah, they are doing just fine, thanks for asking. I have a few interviews set up; sure, I’ll let you know how they turn out. Yes, I’m still thinking of traveling abroad in the spring, didn’t know you remembered.†Your thoughts??
But really, I do appreciate their concern for my life post-college. I just wish there was a way to get past that conversation. Guess I just have to hurry up and land something in the job-arena so I will have some new material to discuss the next time I visit.
Wish me luck! Until then, best wishes
Del.icio.us Is Down-Right…Delicious!
Okay, so one of my professors, Robert French, has been telling me about del.icio.us for three semesters now and I have just now gotten the message. I am working on a couple of final projects that require a lot of research, and my del.icio.us page has been so much help.
It’s a lot like bookmarks on any Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, but even better. You can log on and see every other users’ sites and surf through theirs to find topics relevant to what you are looking for. It has helped me find other articles and links that I would never be able to find on my own time.
Try it out, and might I suggest downloading the icons for your browser toolbar to help make it easier to add links to your page.
Internship Tips From the Pros
As I type and you read this, I am in the middle of looking for an internship for this summer. The curriculum of pubic relations requires each student to participate in a semester-long, public relations-driven internship before he or she graduates. It’s a great idea, but boy it can be hard work.
I had an internship the summer after my sophomore year in college with a great program called Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation. I learned sooo much there, but it didn’t count toward my internship credit (long story). So, now I am looking for another one in the Auburn/Opelika and Montgomery areas. And let me tell you, it’s going pretty slow.
Good news though, I do have an interview set for next week, so keep your fingers crossed for me. Since I am going through the interviewing process, and I know most of my fellow classmates are too, I thought it would be appropriate to post something about interviewing techniques.
I surfed the Web and found a couple of articles that I will try to put into use next week. So, look at them and hopefully you too can gleam some knowledge from them. Good luck in your search!
- Five Ways to Do Better in Phone Interviews -Penelope Trunk, “Brazen Careerist”
- Internship Help Information -Jennifer A. Shifler, “The Public Relations Internship Manual”
- Monster.com Internship Listing
Hokies As Crisis Case Study
First off, I want to send my prayers and sympathy to those affected by the horrible events of this week at Virginia Tech. As a college student at a similar campus, I would hope that I never have to experience even a fraction of what those students have.
But there is another side to the story, what happens after? This is a great example of what a public relations department does to save the reputation of an organization after a crisis hits.
According to Center and Jackson’s textbook, Principles of Public Relations, there are five steps of crisis management: detection, preparation, prevention, containment, and restoration. With these steps, a PR team looks for potential crises, prepares a plan for each, acts on the plan if the crisis arises, works to contain the problem from spreading into other areas of the organization, and finally, returning to business as usual.
Center and Jackson also have four categories of crises. They are: an act of God, mechanical error, human error and issues of management. Using all of this, we can analyze Virginia Tech as a case for crisis management.
So far, we (the public) have not been informed of a solid crisis management plan that was set up before the incident took place. However, they do seem to be acting in accordance with what could be a plan. For instance, they have been up-front and open with all media, and kept spokespeople updated and available to media. So, check off that box.
When it comes to what type of crisis this can be categorized, there are multiple answers. Some may see it as an act of God where this was always his plan. Others may see it as human error because teachers and students have come out saying they always thought the student was “weird” or “a bit off,” but nothing was done about him. And still others can say that it is a management’s inaction that caused the 33 fatalities.
In my opinion, I surely don’t think this was an act of God, and don’t think that this could be attributed to human error. I know some pretty “weird” kids, but I see no reason for turning them in as potential killers. I am going with an issue of management’s action taken, in other words, their inaction.
The saying goes, “you can never be too sure.” I know that the officials thought the first shooting was an isolated event, but you can never be too sure when dealing with students, and classes should have been canceled for the rest of the day while investigations went on.
Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion in this case. I think it will be interesting to watch the following weeks to see how it plays out for Virginia Tech. I wish them the best and am keeping them in my prayers
Scrapblog
A buzz is being made by the team at Nobox Marketing Group. They are about to release the newest 
version of thier groundbreaking program, Scrapblog.
According to their Web site, with the program, ”you can easily create stunning multimedia scrapbooks featuring your photos, videos, audio and a bunch of creative elements.” Scrapblog boasts “drag-and-drop” capabilities that make it easy for all users to create memories. All of the photos can be made into photo books or burned to DVDs to share with friends and family.
The creators are defining ’scrapblogging’ as “a new medium for self-expression. Our goal is that Scrapblog will empower everyday people to express themselves online and in the real world.” What I think is cool, is that not only will creative individuals be able to express themselves, but maybe a creative business-person can utilize this program for his or her benefit.
I think that having this as a link or something on a company’s Web site would enhance it ten-fold and attract potential customers or clients. You can visit the preview site and register to be informed when the program is made available. Best of all, it’s FREE and there is no program that needs to be downloaded in addition to Scrapbook.
Boston Bomb Scare
More than a week after Boston was under siege from little light-up cartoon characters, the
news is still having a frenzy with the story.
In January, small light-up signs depicting a character from Cartoon Network’s Aqua Teen Hunger Force were mistaken as bombs by the Boston Police Department. The light-up promo devices were placed almost three weeks before by Peter Berdovsky and Sean Stevens as a guerrilla marketing tactic by Interference Inc.
As a result, Berdovsky and Stevens have been charged with placing hoax devices in a way that results in panic, and disorderly conduct. The General Manager and Executive Vice President of Cartoon Network, Jim Samples, resigned from his position also.
This example brings about a point that can be overlooked when a campaign becomes a reality. In a textbook by Allen H. Center and Patrick Jackson titled “Public Relations Practices: Managerial Case Studies and Problems,” there is a list of seven common denominators that all PR practitioners must consider.
One of the common denominators is the ethical denominator. According to Center and Jackson, a practitioner must always consider the ethical and legal implications of your actions, or those of your agents/employees.
Obviously the team at Interference Inc. and Cartoon Network did not think of the ethical and legal implications of their campaign’s actions. Even though it was an imaginative approach to promotion in my opinion, the team would have been better served to target its audience better.
They could have done this by putting the light-up promos in areas that would have been heavily trafficked by members of their target audiences, and they should have set up a way to educate or inform the target audiences of what they were trying to do with the signs.
In conclusion, it seems that a person should make an exhaustive list of what all could go wrong and then address each issue individually. Think ahead and you can avoid situations like this one.
Take-out or No Take-out?
Hey there bloggers. I hope all is well with you. I just got back from the grocery store getting ingredients 
for a dinner that I plan on cooking for my boyfriend Valentine’s Day eve. By the way, a pound of lump crab meat is sooo expensive for a college student budget. Goodness! I found the recipe on “Everyday Italian” with Giada De Laurentiis on Food Network’s Web site. Giada is my favorite, even though I don’t see how she cooks all those delicious meals without gaining a pound. I love this Web site and find myself visiting it when I’m bored at work or at home.
Anyway, I’m cooking Crab and Ricotta Manicotti with asparagus. Sounds amazing, and has a ranking of medium from other viewers. The catch is, I’m not the most experienced chef around. We will see how this goes. I’m hoping this won’t turn into a Valentine’s disaster that ends up with us ordering take-out. I’ll let you know how its goes and if I end up in a heap of tears on the floor surrounded by take-out boxes. haha
Take a peek at the dish and be jealous, very jealous. Enjoy and here’s to a happy Valentines to you.
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UPDATE: Hey guys, just thought I’d let you know, the meal went great! He really enjoyed it and so did I. I highly recommend this recipe.
Salivating In Front of a Computer Screen
My main goal in PR is to become an event planner for a corporation (or anywhere that will take me for that matter). I’ve recently come across a new trend on the Internet that appeals to my event planning palette restaurants with blogs.
One in particular that I found interesting was Drago Ristorantes’ blog. (http://dragoristorante.blogspot.com) Located in Santa Monica, this Italian restaurant has taken blogging to the next level. They feature their menu for special occasions or holidays, announce new menu items, discuss parties that were catered by them, etc.
What a great way for a business to get their name out and bring in customers that otherwise might be timid to try the restaurant. More should hop aboard!
Ashes and Snow
In my first post I mentioned that I love art. Well I found this exhibit while surfing the Web and HAD to post it on here.
It’s called Ashes and Snow, and is by Gregory Colbert. The artwork is a combination of 50 large scale photograph stills, one-hour film and two nine-minutes haikus. None of the images have been digitally collaged or superimposed. All photos are printed in umber and sepia tones on handmade Japanese paper and hung without explanatory text to encourage open-ended interaction. The images capture some amazing interactions between humans and animals. Some of the animals used are even wild, while others have been domesticated.
According to the Web site, ashesandsnow.com, the purpose of the exhibition is to “condition the senses of the visitors to facilitate their psychological entry into the space of the photographs, to deliver the message that man is not, and cannot be, separate from the nature within which he evolved.”
Along with making beautiful artwork, Colbert is teaming up with the Nomadic Museum to create awareness among humans of the need for conservation and protection of the world’s most unique resource, it’s animals.
The Web site has so much to offer if you take a look around. Both the enhanced and basic sites are equally amazing and really give you a feel for what Colbert is trying to do.
Here is a video from CNN with Colbert that shows some of his beautiful photos:
It Pays to Study Kids
On Monday Jan. 29, new President and COO of the Public Relations Society of America, William Murray, joined our class for his first interview since taking his position.
Our teacher, Robert French, conducted the interview with the class listening in and commenting to Robert via Skype.
There were mixed feelings throughout the class about Murray’s virtual visit, but overall the interview went well I thought. We learned about his previous schooling and job with the Motion Picture Association.
The number one question on everyone’s mind seemed to be that now that he is in charge, what is he going to do to make the PRSA different? To this the class received interesting and what some might call dodging answers. Continue reading this entry »