Had I thought of it sooner, I would have mimicked the titles of Friends episodes for my blog post subjects from the beginning, but sadly I wasn't. When I woke up this morning (and remembered I still needed to blog) a few things came to mind; this is my last Monday at ONU and then I started thinking about the other "lasts" from the past week and the ones that are rapidly approaching. Last Monday and Tuesday were the last final papers and presentations I'll ever have to give, Thursday was my last Comm Arts banquet and Friday was my last day of college classes ever. Wednesday and Thursday of this week will be the last two final exams I ever have to take and this weekend will be the last one I spend at Northern, at least as a student.
The best way for me to describe it is that I'm both excited and a little nervous. I guess that probably has something to do with the fact my life after graduation isn't completely set in stone yet. Instead of moving on, I'm kind of going back to the "this is only for the summer" state of mind as far as working goes and it will be because I know if I keep doing what I have been then something will come out of it sooner than later. About two weeks ago I knew I was excited to be graduating and going back home but as those two weeks passed I realized I was excited to be graduating (because who isn't?) but I was more excited to be done with school, not the leaving part. Like I wrote in a previous post, I've grown closer to everyone in the PRSSA chapter and I'll be sad to be leaving those who have a year or two left and just as sad that us seniors are parting ways for a while, but just as much as I want to stick around for them I want to do the same for all of my other friends who are coincidentally mostly Pharmacy majors.
That was something else that seems slightly surreal to me, the fact a good portion of the people I have been friends with since my freshman year are leaving too, but for them it's just another summer. My roommate from the last two years and two of my best friends from home are among them and they've told me the whole graduation thing is just as weird to them because next year the only people they will have to hang out with are other Pharmacy kids. Yeah, I know, what would they do without us? Even though I haven't put on my cap and gown and walked across that stage yet, I already have people telling me I need to come back next year, as if it was even a question. Of course I'm leaving ONU but it's not forever and when I do come back, whether it's for Homecoming or just to visit the friends who still have two years to go, it won't be as a student but as one of the very cool PR alumni that have passed through campus as well.
About Me
- Karlie
- I'm a senior PR major at Ohio Northern University, who is graduating in TWO WEEKS! I love sports (namely soccer and hockey) and somewhat fascinated by the entertainment industry. This blog started out as an assignment for my social media class and as it turns out, is my first time as a blogger. I wish I could say I'm a comedian, and I try, but I'm really not. But enjoy anyway.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Twitter: 1, Mainstream Media: 0
So while doing my weekly skim through of the happenings in the Twitter world, I came across this article retweeted by one of the professionals I follow. At the height that all that has happened since Monday, this was by far the most interesting read and I think it gives a whole new perspective on just how vast the world of Twitter can be and exactly how many people it can reach. For those who aren't quite as apt to read, the article's title basically sums the whole thing up: the news about Osama Bin Laden's death broke via Twitter before ever reaching any mainstream news media. This is like a whole new level for Twitter and #winning can easily be the appropriate hashtag for this news. The first person to even tweet that Obama was going to be addressing the nation was the communications director for the White House and shortly after that the former chief of staff tweeted the following: "So I'm told by a reputable person they have killed Osama Bin Laden. Hot damn." These two tweets were posted at 9:47 p.m. and 10:42 p.m. Know when the first newspaper released the story? 11:10 p.m., 30 minutes after the news broke via tweet. Very cool.
This was, I believe, around the same time that the president actually began his address to the nation, which confirmed what TV stations like CNN and Fox News had been telling us consistently for about 40 minutes. I definitely think this is a big stepping stone for social media and just shows another way it's on the rise, rather than dying off as people have claimed it to be doing. If I didn't think those people were fools before, I do even more so now. Even the night before, people in Abbottabad were tweeting that something was happening. One man even liveblogged the raid on Bin Laden without even knowing what was happening. This is also why I love Twitter the more and more I use it and read about it. I think it should become an integral part of every traditional news outlet, like CNN who tweeted updates at the same time their station was live broadcasting to viewers. Now not only were they reaching mom, dad, grandma and grandpa, but in a generational sense, they were also reaching you, me, sisters, brothers, friends and anyone else who is technologically and social media savvy.
So at least read the article, pass it on because if nothing else, the story is extremely cool and everyone should know the power of Twitter and we can sum it up as such: one small step for Twitter, one giant leap for social media!
This was, I believe, around the same time that the president actually began his address to the nation, which confirmed what TV stations like CNN and Fox News had been telling us consistently for about 40 minutes. I definitely think this is a big stepping stone for social media and just shows another way it's on the rise, rather than dying off as people have claimed it to be doing. If I didn't think those people were fools before, I do even more so now. Even the night before, people in Abbottabad were tweeting that something was happening. One man even liveblogged the raid on Bin Laden without even knowing what was happening. This is also why I love Twitter the more and more I use it and read about it. I think it should become an integral part of every traditional news outlet, like CNN who tweeted updates at the same time their station was live broadcasting to viewers. Now not only were they reaching mom, dad, grandma and grandpa, but in a generational sense, they were also reaching you, me, sisters, brothers, friends and anyone else who is technologically and social media savvy.
So at least read the article, pass it on because if nothing else, the story is extremely cool and everyone should know the power of Twitter and we can sum it up as such: one small step for Twitter, one giant leap for social media!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Karlie Franco: Most Likely to Drop a Bottle
It doesn't feel like seven months ago I woke up an hour late to get on the bus that would take us to Columbus, to hop on a plane and make our way to Washington DC for PRSSA National Conference where I would later prove myself to be the clumsiest person in our chapter. But after our very last PRSSA meeting on Thursday, the end of the year really began to sink in, and I'm ready for it. But on the other hand, I'm really not. I'll be happy when I don't have to study for exams or write research papers until my eyes cross from staring at my Mac screen for too long, but I'm going to miss the people I've met and become attached to over the last four years.
I can easily say that the people I will miss the most are my peers from the chapter. Within such a short amount of time I have gotten to know every single one of them in one way or another and realized that in each and every of their own ways, they are all talented, intelligent and unique people. I admire them all for what they have brought to the chapter and what they hope to bring in the future, and some I even secretly look to for my own aspirations... As creepy as that might sound. I suppose I'm just inspired to throw myself into everything I do, PR related or not, because I've seen what we all can do, individually and as a chapter. Like I said in my most recent Facebook status, be jealous that I'm part of THE best PRSSA chapter ever, because it's true and although I didn't get to spend as much time in the chapter as I would have liked or was only able to spend one year getting to know certain friends and peers instead of two or three, I can say my time with PRSSA has been incredible.
I'm sure last Thursday's tears won't be the last and May 22 won't be the last time ONU or PRSSA sees me. You can get rid of me, but not forever!
I can easily say that the people I will miss the most are my peers from the chapter. Within such a short amount of time I have gotten to know every single one of them in one way or another and realized that in each and every of their own ways, they are all talented, intelligent and unique people. I admire them all for what they have brought to the chapter and what they hope to bring in the future, and some I even secretly look to for my own aspirations... As creepy as that might sound. I suppose I'm just inspired to throw myself into everything I do, PR related or not, because I've seen what we all can do, individually and as a chapter. Like I said in my most recent Facebook status, be jealous that I'm part of THE best PRSSA chapter ever, because it's true and although I didn't get to spend as much time in the chapter as I would have liked or was only able to spend one year getting to know certain friends and peers instead of two or three, I can say my time with PRSSA has been incredible.
I'm sure last Thursday's tears won't be the last and May 22 won't be the last time ONU or PRSSA sees me. You can get rid of me, but not forever!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Time to Put the PUBLIC Back into PR, Through Social Media
Chapter 10 in Scott's book New Rules of PR and Marketing is all about the public and the consumer in public relations and marketing. In this field we're always talking about how to engage the public and how to keep them connected to our messages, but with social media capturing the attention of our target audiences has gained a lot more ground and has become easier with so many more outlets such as Twitter and blogs.
According to Scott, the best way to target an audience and maintain them is through building specific messages that pertain to each individual buyer, also known as the buyer persona. One of the most important ways to do that is through a blog! They're the best way of reaching organizational goals for reaching customers, and for helping to solve their problems. Having a blog is helpful (and in my opinion Twitter is helpful in this way) because it allows customers to become involved in a conversation with the organization by commenting -- or tweeting -- back and forth in order to answer questions and solve whatever problem a customer might have concerning a product, a company's message or that company in general.
This is where putting the public back into PR comes into play. Through social media we can hear more readily what the buyers are looking for and what they want to see on the company's end in the future. In this way, PR practitioners can tailor messages which in turn, helps create a more specific and accurate buyer persona, which was one of the main points emphasized in this chapter. By answering key questions such as "Where do they go first to a search engines?" "What blogs, chat rooms, online forums and news sites do they read?" and "Are they open to audio or video?" practitioners and marketers can effectively reach out to their public and monitor how effectively that public receives and adopts a specific message. I think this is one of the most important aspects for a successful PR and marketing campaign.
According to Scott, the best way to target an audience and maintain them is through building specific messages that pertain to each individual buyer, also known as the buyer persona. One of the most important ways to do that is through a blog! They're the best way of reaching organizational goals for reaching customers, and for helping to solve their problems. Having a blog is helpful (and in my opinion Twitter is helpful in this way) because it allows customers to become involved in a conversation with the organization by commenting -- or tweeting -- back and forth in order to answer questions and solve whatever problem a customer might have concerning a product, a company's message or that company in general.
This is where putting the public back into PR comes into play. Through social media we can hear more readily what the buyers are looking for and what they want to see on the company's end in the future. In this way, PR practitioners can tailor messages which in turn, helps create a more specific and accurate buyer persona, which was one of the main points emphasized in this chapter. By answering key questions such as "Where do they go first to a search engines?" "What blogs, chat rooms, online forums and news sites do they read?" and "Are they open to audio or video?" practitioners and marketers can effectively reach out to their public and monitor how effectively that public receives and adopts a specific message. I think this is one of the most important aspects for a successful PR and marketing campaign.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Twitter Assignment!
Twitter has become the trend for many of my blog posts lately, and I have to say I have no real problem with that. These things keep me motivated enough to continuously check Twitter feeds when I might normally forget, which was why I found this assignment for social media so helpful. For the class, we were assigned two PR professionals to follow and two company Twitters to follow for one week, all four of our own choosing. I chose to follow the accounts of TOMS shoes @TOMSshoes and soccer team Real Madrid C.F. @realmadrid because they are two of my favorite Twitters and organizations, so it would be easy to keep track of the things they post already. For my PR professionals I chose Erin Pope (@epope), who is a Media Relations Specialist at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, who I had met at PRSA luncheons and ONU's PaRtners conference, and Kelly Misevich (@KDMisevich), who is a the Partner Engagement and Communications Manager at American Express, and someone I had met last year at Otterbein's PaRtner's conference.
I found that both Erin and Kelly used their accounts for more personal reasons than professional. For Erin, many of her tweets involved quick updates about her day such as this tweet on April 29, which also included a picture of the lunch she attended. Erin does a great job of not simply tweeting about her day but including a visual aspect for her followers and throughout the week, I noticed that she is constantly retweeting people at replying back to them, one of which was our very own Renee LeGendre! She has a great connection to many of the students associated with Central Ohio PRSSA chapters as seen here and here concerning the Prism Awards that took place Thursday, April 21. What I also found was interesting about Erin's tweets was that often times they would be updates about how far she jogged that day and a convenient link to the Nike website that allows runners to track their mileage and I thought it was a unique way to use a Twitter account. In a similar manner to Erin, Kelly often tweeted about more personal things, such as something important she did that day or simply enjoying the sunshine. Also like many of Erin Pope's tweets, Kelly's feed involved many @reply conversations with a few of her followers, and probably friends or other professionals. More often than Erin throughout the week, Kelly updated with various articles she found that might be of interest to her followers and retweeted articles that others have previously posted, such as a helpful "how to" tweet about filtering out the #RoyalWedding hashtags all over your feed. That being said, both professionals utilize hashtags frequently and do so in a way that either describes how they're feeling, like Kelly's #goodmood hashtag and Erin's #tgif, or trending topics like the Royal Wedding or #PRSSA and #COPRSA which were tweeted by Erin. What I liked the most was that their hashtags were something that could easily be understood and not the random hashtags tweeters create but never take off through the Twitter-sphere. I also liked that both of these professionals didn't clog my feed with constant updates, they did a good job of spacing them out every few days.
The two company Twitters that I followed are on two completely different ends of the spectrum, one being an organization that promotes a cause and the other an organization that promotes a world class team, but both have very similar styles for tweeting. Naturally, everything both Real Madrid and TOMS Shoes tweets has something to do with their organization but what I like most about TOMS was the way in which they promoted themselves. Rather than tweeting typical offers and promotions in order to spread the word to their followers -- and then some -- TOMS frequently updates about what their employees are doing around the headquarters and how their fans and customers are wearing their TOMS across the world, which is also something the do on their website in a section called "How We Wear Our TOMS." I like that they can take something so simple, like a picture of someone wearing their TOMS shoes, and turn it into a global message in under 140 characters, because a picture is worth 1,000 words anyway, as they say. The social media specialist for TOMS also takes the time to answer the questions of the organization's followers, for instance providing a link to a TOMS store locator nearest to the tweeter and describing what exactly TOMS is all about. The TOMS Shoes Twitter also utilizes the site by tweeting links to the latest blog updates, which shows just one more way social media can be used on other social media sites.
My favorite soccer team on the other hand, updates similarly in the sense that they tweet frequently and with various links to articles concerning the team, pre-match and post-match updates and promotions for their official website and merchandise, however much of what they tweet involves starting lineups for upcoming games, as well as constant play-by-play updates during a match for those who can't tune in. That might seem bothersome to some but to me, I think it's a great way to use Twitter, especially for those who are constantly using the site and checking Real Madrid's feed during the match. The organization also tweets the same things in Spanish and English, which is helpful for both Spanish fans and fans who don't speak the native language. As a Spanish minor, it's fun for me to read them in that language instead of just in English. Like the linked tweet that asks how many goals has midfielder Angel di Maria scored for the team, this is just one of the many trivia questions el Madrid's Twitter posts and in my opinion, is useful with keeping your audience engaged in the conversation about the team, as well as promoting the team itself.
Hashtags are an important part of any company Twitter, in order to track who's talking about you, what they're saying and of course, to continue spreading whatever message said company wishes to promote. TOMS and Real Madrid are frequently using hashtags at the ends of their tweets that pertain to both the update posted and the organization itself, such as #TOMSCampus and #realmadrid and #laliga. Lately TOMS has only been using the hashtag mentioned every now and again, from what I saw last week, but in the past for "One Day Without Shoes," they used the hashtag #withoutshoes throughout the entire day. Real Madrid on the other hand, uses the hashtag of their team name at the end of every tweet they make. While they might not be striving to become a trending topic, the constant use of their hashtag makes it easier for followers to find out what the organization is saying in conjunction with other Madrid fans through the use of the search option on the site. And although TOMS is frequently linking back to their official website or their blog, I think they could utilize more with a simple #TOMS or #TOMSshoes hashtag outside of specific events that the organization is holding.
I found that both Erin and Kelly used their accounts for more personal reasons than professional. For Erin, many of her tweets involved quick updates about her day such as this tweet on April 29, which also included a picture of the lunch she attended. Erin does a great job of not simply tweeting about her day but including a visual aspect for her followers and throughout the week, I noticed that she is constantly retweeting people at replying back to them, one of which was our very own Renee LeGendre! She has a great connection to many of the students associated with Central Ohio PRSSA chapters as seen here and here concerning the Prism Awards that took place Thursday, April 21. What I also found was interesting about Erin's tweets was that often times they would be updates about how far she jogged that day and a convenient link to the Nike website that allows runners to track their mileage and I thought it was a unique way to use a Twitter account. In a similar manner to Erin, Kelly often tweeted about more personal things, such as something important she did that day or simply enjoying the sunshine. Also like many of Erin Pope's tweets, Kelly's feed involved many @reply conversations with a few of her followers, and probably friends or other professionals. More often than Erin throughout the week, Kelly updated with various articles she found that might be of interest to her followers and retweeted articles that others have previously posted, such as a helpful "how to" tweet about filtering out the #RoyalWedding hashtags all over your feed. That being said, both professionals utilize hashtags frequently and do so in a way that either describes how they're feeling, like Kelly's #goodmood hashtag and Erin's #tgif, or trending topics like the Royal Wedding or #PRSSA and #COPRSA which were tweeted by Erin. What I liked the most was that their hashtags were something that could easily be understood and not the random hashtags tweeters create but never take off through the Twitter-sphere. I also liked that both of these professionals didn't clog my feed with constant updates, they did a good job of spacing them out every few days.
The two company Twitters that I followed are on two completely different ends of the spectrum, one being an organization that promotes a cause and the other an organization that promotes a world class team, but both have very similar styles for tweeting. Naturally, everything both Real Madrid and TOMS Shoes tweets has something to do with their organization but what I like most about TOMS was the way in which they promoted themselves. Rather than tweeting typical offers and promotions in order to spread the word to their followers -- and then some -- TOMS frequently updates about what their employees are doing around the headquarters and how their fans and customers are wearing their TOMS across the world, which is also something the do on their website in a section called "How We Wear Our TOMS." I like that they can take something so simple, like a picture of someone wearing their TOMS shoes, and turn it into a global message in under 140 characters, because a picture is worth 1,000 words anyway, as they say. The social media specialist for TOMS also takes the time to answer the questions of the organization's followers, for instance providing a link to a TOMS store locator nearest to the tweeter and describing what exactly TOMS is all about. The TOMS Shoes Twitter also utilizes the site by tweeting links to the latest blog updates, which shows just one more way social media can be used on other social media sites.
My favorite soccer team on the other hand, updates similarly in the sense that they tweet frequently and with various links to articles concerning the team, pre-match and post-match updates and promotions for their official website and merchandise, however much of what they tweet involves starting lineups for upcoming games, as well as constant play-by-play updates during a match for those who can't tune in. That might seem bothersome to some but to me, I think it's a great way to use Twitter, especially for those who are constantly using the site and checking Real Madrid's feed during the match. The organization also tweets the same things in Spanish and English, which is helpful for both Spanish fans and fans who don't speak the native language. As a Spanish minor, it's fun for me to read them in that language instead of just in English. Like the linked tweet that asks how many goals has midfielder Angel di Maria scored for the team, this is just one of the many trivia questions el Madrid's Twitter posts and in my opinion, is useful with keeping your audience engaged in the conversation about the team, as well as promoting the team itself.
Hashtags are an important part of any company Twitter, in order to track who's talking about you, what they're saying and of course, to continue spreading whatever message said company wishes to promote. TOMS and Real Madrid are frequently using hashtags at the ends of their tweets that pertain to both the update posted and the organization itself, such as #TOMSCampus and #realmadrid and #laliga. Lately TOMS has only been using the hashtag mentioned every now and again, from what I saw last week, but in the past for "One Day Without Shoes," they used the hashtag #withoutshoes throughout the entire day. Real Madrid on the other hand, uses the hashtag of their team name at the end of every tweet they make. While they might not be striving to become a trending topic, the constant use of their hashtag makes it easier for followers to find out what the organization is saying in conjunction with other Madrid fans through the use of the search option on the site. And although TOMS is frequently linking back to their official website or their blog, I think they could utilize more with a simple #TOMS or #TOMSshoes hashtag outside of specific events that the organization is holding.
The Beardpocalypse is Upon Us!
With all of the recent talk we've had about Twitter and hashtags, I felt it was only appropriate to talk about something else that I'm a huge fan of: Conan O'Brien. Sometime last week I happened to tune in to one of my usual programs on USA as a commercial for Conan on TBS. Now in this commercial, you see Will Ferrell in a vlog threatening to shave Conan's beard in various ways that only Will Ferrell would know how, as can be seen here. I laughed but didn't really understand what it was all about despite the commercials being an entertaining form of promotion for both comedians and the talk show. However, at the end of the latest commercial I happened to see "Twitter: #beardpocalypse" and decided I was much more interested to find out about this than I thought.
When Conan O'Brien hit the Twitter scene back in February of 2010, he gained a couple thousand followers, according to The Huffington Post after ten minutes of his first tweet. After merely half an hour, he had 15,000 and an hour and a half after his first tweet, he had about 50,000 followers. Currently, his follower count remains at almost three million. I think it would be safe to say that Conan and Team Coco has a good grip on Twitter and the team behind his show definitely know what they're doing. But what exactly, is the Beardpocalypse? I decided it was time to investigate. The name is exactly what it sounds like, Will Ferrell is set to appear on Conan Monday May 2 and for the last couple of weeks has been threatening to shave Conan's glorious ginger beard during his appearance on the show. On behalf of Ferrell and his new movie Everything Must Go and Conan's show, this is a great promotional idea to spread the word about both. Conan's site, teamcoco.com even has an entire section dedicated to the "beardpocalypse" where contests have been held for the best photo shopped movie poster and frequent updates on the countdown to the event, including Twitpics from Conan himself and various videos streaming all over the Internet and broadcasted on television.
Very clever if you ask me and I expect nothing less from Conan O'Brien, who I believe is one of the more entertaining late night hosts that are on TV right now. And I like how the majority of the "beardpocalypse" has been maintained around social media. For instance, Conan's latest tweet reads "Was up all night building a small shark cage to protect my beard. Your move, Ferrell" and as mentioned before, the hashtag #beardpocalypse has been associated with everything Team Coco has done through Twitter and in all promotional updates and videos. Now, anyone who's interested in finding out more about it can head on over to Twitter and search that hashtag to find out what it is and what everyone else is saying about to. A job well done Team Coco, I'll be sure to tune in tomorrow night to find out what happens.
When Conan O'Brien hit the Twitter scene back in February of 2010, he gained a couple thousand followers, according to The Huffington Post after ten minutes of his first tweet. After merely half an hour, he had 15,000 and an hour and a half after his first tweet, he had about 50,000 followers. Currently, his follower count remains at almost three million. I think it would be safe to say that Conan and Team Coco has a good grip on Twitter and the team behind his show definitely know what they're doing. But what exactly, is the Beardpocalypse? I decided it was time to investigate. The name is exactly what it sounds like, Will Ferrell is set to appear on Conan Monday May 2 and for the last couple of weeks has been threatening to shave Conan's glorious ginger beard during his appearance on the show. On behalf of Ferrell and his new movie Everything Must Go and Conan's show, this is a great promotional idea to spread the word about both. Conan's site, teamcoco.com even has an entire section dedicated to the "beardpocalypse" where contests have been held for the best photo shopped movie poster and frequent updates on the countdown to the event, including Twitpics from Conan himself and various videos streaming all over the Internet and broadcasted on television.
Very clever if you ask me and I expect nothing less from Conan O'Brien, who I believe is one of the more entertaining late night hosts that are on TV right now. And I like how the majority of the "beardpocalypse" has been maintained around social media. For instance, Conan's latest tweet reads "Was up all night building a small shark cage to protect my beard. Your move, Ferrell" and as mentioned before, the hashtag #beardpocalypse has been associated with everything Team Coco has done through Twitter and in all promotional updates and videos. Now, anyone who's interested in finding out more about it can head on over to Twitter and search that hashtag to find out what it is and what everyone else is saying about to. A job well done Team Coco, I'll be sure to tune in tomorrow night to find out what happens.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.
This weekend (or as of 12 p.m. today) ONU's Relay for Life took place on the tundra from a 6 p.m. kick off on Friday until just a few hours ago when we announced the total money raised, took our closing lap around the track and began to tear down the tents and stage. I've been involved with the cause for three years now and for a lot of reasons in my family, it's something that is extremely important to me. My sophomore year, I was on a team called A Walk to Remember with many of my friends and roommates on campus and we ended up being the team who raised the most money while I was in at least the top five, if not three, for participants who raised the most individually. This year, I had the opportunity to be one of the chairs of the publicity team for ONU's Colleges Against Cancer committee. I was so excited to be able to do a lot more hands on work as far as PR and communications went, and outside of everything I've done for Firm already. But when I started going to meetings, I realized that it was a lot more unorganized than I had imagined, especially my own committee, which comprised of myself and one other person. It was my first true experience in a working situation with objectives, goals and deadlines to meet, where I had to pick up a lot of the slack for things that should have been done far in advanced, but had yet to be accomplished. Had I been informed of these meetings sooner (because said individual isn't very good with responding to emails) then I know I would have taken enough initiative to make sure our PR efforts didn't fall behind.
It was also an experience where at first, I felt as though I was lost and without much direction at all, which should only provoke that desire to take initiative, but it's difficult when it's your first year doing something new without the help of others. I had no idea where to even begin. I had all of these ideas to promote the cause and spread the word on campus, but it was like no one was listening to what I had to say, or they were so set in their ways of how they've done things in the past, that my ideas were being tossed out the window. I guess, too, that's something I'll need to get used to. But once I got into the groove of doing things on my own, because my co-chair was less than helpful throughout most of campaign, I found that the resources I did have were very helpful and very timely. That made me happy, being someone who tries to be as prompt as possible with responses. But by the time relay came around, I realized that while I was frustrated and didn't have the opportunity to do as much as I would have liked, the stress was worth it. We had a great turnout and I really enjoyed myself this year. I also wish this wouldn't be the only year that I was able to contribute to the committee, because now I know what I could and would have done, should I have been able to take over. My plan, however, is to recruit one of our very lovely PRSSA underclassmen to take over for me and hopefully I can pass along ideas that I had and see them put into place.
Like I said, the entire event was worth the hassle that everything seemed to be at times. While I amount of teams we had this year wasn't nearly as high as what it was in previous years, we were still about to raise $15,200 for the cause. And oddly enough, my role as the publicity co-chair and seeing the success we had this weekend, made me think that if I ever did work for a non-profit organization, the American Cancer Association would be the one.
It was also an experience where at first, I felt as though I was lost and without much direction at all, which should only provoke that desire to take initiative, but it's difficult when it's your first year doing something new without the help of others. I had no idea where to even begin. I had all of these ideas to promote the cause and spread the word on campus, but it was like no one was listening to what I had to say, or they were so set in their ways of how they've done things in the past, that my ideas were being tossed out the window. I guess, too, that's something I'll need to get used to. But once I got into the groove of doing things on my own, because my co-chair was less than helpful throughout most of campaign, I found that the resources I did have were very helpful and very timely. That made me happy, being someone who tries to be as prompt as possible with responses. But by the time relay came around, I realized that while I was frustrated and didn't have the opportunity to do as much as I would have liked, the stress was worth it. We had a great turnout and I really enjoyed myself this year. I also wish this wouldn't be the only year that I was able to contribute to the committee, because now I know what I could and would have done, should I have been able to take over. My plan, however, is to recruit one of our very lovely PRSSA underclassmen to take over for me and hopefully I can pass along ideas that I had and see them put into place.
Like I said, the entire event was worth the hassle that everything seemed to be at times. While I amount of teams we had this year wasn't nearly as high as what it was in previous years, we were still about to raise $15,200 for the cause. And oddly enough, my role as the publicity co-chair and seeing the success we had this weekend, made me think that if I ever did work for a non-profit organization, the American Cancer Association would be the one.
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