Family

So for my final blog post of junior year, I wanted to reflect on the past nine months of my life. I've spent a lot of time thinking about words that come to mind when I think of my junior year in college. I think I landed on the perfect word: family.

As a public relations student, I direct a lot of attention to the relationships in my life and use those relationships to keep me focused and driven. I always say how fortunate I am to have such amazing people and mentors in my life. Outside of my immediate family, I have many people who I consider family because of the unconditional support and guidance they've given me and how positively they've influenced my life. 

This year has been chaotic, but I am confident that I have persevered because of the support from all of my families. This blog is dedicated to all of those who have made this year as successful for me as it was and who have had such an amazing impact on my life.

1. The Immediate Family

Those of you who know me can attest to the fact that the only two people I love more than myself are my parents. It's impossible for me to express how grateful I am for their unconditional love and support. I would not be the person I am today if it weren't for their mentorship the past 21 years. I've always said that I've had two of the best role models to look up to, and I attribute my work ethic, drive and leadership  ability to them. 

2. The Dysfunctional Family

When I arrived at Ohio Northern three years ago, I found the three biggest idiots and decided it would be a great idea to become best friends with them. So please meet my three best friends: dumb, dumber and dumbest. Which one is which? Your guess is as good as mine. 

You could argue that these three have been large contributors to the increase in the amount of gray hair on my head. Even though they stress me out to no end, I really wouldn't have it any other way. Believe it or not, these three nimrods are three of the most loyal, trustworthy, caring and fun people I've ever met. They're good for me. I know these three will always have a strong presence in my life. They're special people, who I really care about. 

But I really wish they were smarter sometimes...

3. The Chapter Family

Last year, ONU PRSSA was a group of Ohio Northern public relations students. This year, ONU PRSSA was a family of Ohio Northern public relations students. In reflection of my junior year, I spent more time in the PAC lab with these incredible people, than I did with my girlfriend and roommates. I realized this year how important PRSSA was to me and how passionate I was about the chapter, and I attribute that to the amazing chapter members I was privileged to work with this year.

My ONU PRSSA family pushed me to be better on a local and national level, supported me throughout my many PRSSA endeavors and most importantly brightened my day every time I was around them. I am so proud and honored to be a member of ONU PRSSA, and I know that I will always remain close with these chapter members. It was a great year, and I thank all of you for making it so special.

4. The Volleyball Family

For those of you who have read my blog at all this year, you know that last season was not the greatest for ONU men's volleyball. We rebounded in a big way this year. Last year, we played as a unit of individuals. This year, we played as a team all focused on the same goal. We became a family, and that was a major factor in our success.

This season reminded me of the reason I play volleyball: my passion for the game and how much fun I have when I'm playing volleyball. I'm so proud of the team and what we accomplished this year. These guys have made me a better player, leader and person. We experienced so much together as a family, and I'm so excited for what's in store for the future.

5. The New Family

This April, I ran and was elected to the 2011-12 PRSSA National Committee. This year's committee commented on how close they became as a committee and how they considered one another brothers and sisters. At first, I was skeptical. However, I have a feeling that I'm going to have one of the best years of my life with these nine PR rockstars. 

We haven't yet started our term yet, and I already feel like I've known these guys forever. I'm so excited to work with nine individuals from across the country who are as passionate and excited about PRSSA as I am. I'm confident that we're going to have a successful and memorable year.

6. Lost Family

This January, my grandfather passed away at 90 years-old. My grandfather was a jack of all trades, and he could do it all. He was a teacher, a coach, an artist, a soldier and most importantly a loving husband and father. Grandpa Ralph was a no nonsense man, who experienced so much during his life. The most admirable characteristic that my grandfather possessed was his commitment, loyalty and love for his family. He was a great man.

Some don't consider dogs family members. I completely disagree. This January, my dog Smith had to be put down. Smith was my right hand man. He never had a bad day and was always looking out for me. Smith lived a great long life and was a family and community favorite. I miss him, but I feel so fortunate that Smith was a part of my childhood.

A family friend and personal role model of mine lost her seven year battle with brain cancer two weeks ago. Erin was a remarkable person, who embodied the word fighter. Throughout all the adversity and turmoil, she fought through with sheer bravery and a smile on her face. She was inspirational to hundreds of people. She will be missed, but her legacy will live on forever

Death is a dark and scary word. However from each passing, we have the opportunity to reflect on the qualities that make these people special. Grandpa Ralph, Smith and Erin all possessed qualities that made the people around them better, which is why they were so loved. I will miss them, but will always remember and love them.

7. Graduated Family- Every year, hundreds of students walk across the stage in the field house to receive their college degrees. The past two years, I've said goodbye to several friends. However, this year, I have to say goodbye to four best friends.

Ladies and gentlemen Brittany Bogart. She has either served as the best or worst influence of my college career. Either way, she's one of my best friends. Brit is probably one of the most selfless people I have ever met. Brit always puts everyone else in front of herself. She is loving, caring and most importantly a TON of fun. Some of my most memorable and enjoyable nights have been spent with Brit. 

If you know public relations, you know Renee LeGendre. If you know Renee LeGendre, you like Renee LeGendre. Renee is one of the most genuine, caring, intelligent and thoughtful people I have ever met. She has made me a better practitioner, student, leader and person. I am so thankful for the three years I got to spend with Renee, and I know that our friendship won't end here.

Abby Schaller was the first girl I met at Ohio Northern. As soon as she walked through the door of the men's volleyball house during my overnight, I knew that we were going to be friends. Sure enough, I was right. Abby is one of those exceptional human beings who never has a bad day and you always have fun with. I look up to Abby and admire her optimistic and laid back approach to life. She's a gem, one that I'm really happy I came across.

Everyone has a partner in crime, mine happens to be Ellen Keough. You want to talk about always being on the same wavelength, this pretty much sums up my relationship with Ellen. I can always count on Ellen to take a trip to the nearest fast food establishment with me. She's stood by my side and has supported me during the good times and the tough times. Ellen is a good person and a good friend, and I am so grateful to have her in my life.

The four girls are those quality friends who you just hope that you come across in life. I'm a better person for knowing them. Next year won't be the same without them, but I know that they will always be important people in my life.

8. The Woman

They say behind every good man is a great woman. I'm not sure if I'd call me good, but I do know that my girlfriend is incredible. For those of you who know me, you can attest to the fact that I can be a lot to handle, but she seems to do it extremely well. I would be completely sunk without her. She is my rock.  She is the type of person who I strive to be like. I could go on forever, but this blog is getting a little long: she's a special person.

As you can see, I have some great people in my life who I owe everything to. This blog is my way of thanking all of you for aiding in my personal success and happiness. I have a big and great family and that family has made this year as great as it has been.

Blog or be blogged

The following is a passage from Paul Gillin's The New Influencers: 

Blog or be blogged. If people are already talking about you online, you need a way to respond. Choosing to remain silent will make it look like you're stonewalling. If you don't blog, you're not even in the game.

Until I enrolled in Dr. Alisa Agozzino's social media course, I was completely oblivious to this fact. I don't think that I had a complete appreciation for the blogging population. Just how a majority of professionals and organizations have Facebook and Twitter accounts, to be competitive in the market, blogging is a must. 

Blogging is a controlled way for an organization to communicate and interact with their publics. I also thought that blogging was strictly informal and didn't possess much credibility. In actuality, external publics go to organizational blogs as their first line of resource.

The New Influencers and my personal experience have helped me understand the importance of blogging. Gillin is right on track when he says that to be competitive, you must blog. I appreciate this more now, and I fully plan on continuing to blog after the quarter is over.

Stronger opening paragraphs in PRess releases

As I was rummaging around through Twitter this afternoon, I came across this interesting article that Bill Stoller posted on Thursday. I think this article is extremely important and relevant for public relations students, and I wish I could've read this before I took my Advanced Public Relations Writing course this winter.

Last quarter, I struggled with this aspect of my writing, and Dr. I stressed this points that are touched on by ereleases.

1. Identify the story's news hook- The article talks about how using the "announces" doesn't make a story newsworthy. As public relations practitioners, we need to clearly determine if the story is newsworthy and identify the news hook to keep the readers engaged.

2. Answer the basic details- At the beginning of the year, I tried to cram every little detail in the opening paragraphs. Not the most efficient way of developing a good lead. It's important to answer the five Ws and how. The reader doesn't need to know everything after reading the opening paragraph, he or she needs to know why he or she should care.

3. Cut the crap- Frequently you will read opening paragraphs that include flashy titles or buzzwords. As younger writers, I think we tend to incorporate buzzwords in our opening paragraphs, because we think that it gives our story more appeal and credibility. In reality, it clogs the press release, and writing becomes sensationalized.

4. Ditch the template- If every opening paragraph is identical, stories cannot be differentiated. I love how ereleases stress keep things new and fresh. I think this is crucial in keeping the readers engaged.

5.  Slash unnecessary words- As a younger preprofessional, I wrote as if to impress people. Excessive words were my thing. As much as we love two point words, they don't help in strengthening the opening paragraph of a lead. No need for clutter, just get straight to it.

I didn't realize until this year how much of an art writing as a public relations practitioner is. Every day, I learn something new and evolve into a stronger writer. Pieces like this from ereleases are essential to preprofessionals who continually need to educate themselves in becoming stronger practitioners.

Honor's Day

Everyone has that favorite time of the year. That one holiday, week, weekend or day that you just really look forward to. Some say Christmas or their birthday. For me, there's a tie:

1. Thanksgiving
2. ONU Honor's Day

This weekend, I had the opportunity to relish in Honor's Day of my junior year. This year, I was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, the leadership honorary at Ohio Northern. As honored and excited as I was, Honor's Day means more to me than simple recognition. The following are the reasons why I love Honor's Day:

1. Mama and Papa C- A majority of students at Ohio Northern have the luxury of seeing their parents at least once a month. Being from Central Pennsylvania, I do not share in the same luxury. Since my freshman year, my parents have come to Ada for Honor's Day. It means a lot to spend time with my parents, especially during this stressful time of the year.

2. PolaR Bear PRide- Honor's Day always falls on the climax of the OAC Tournament season. For the past two years, the ONU softball team has hosted the OAC Tournament. I get to enjoy some great games and watch my best friends play softball. I love being apart of that innate Polar Bear pride that fills the stadium.

3. ONU Pride- Every ceremony, every meal, every walk, ONU pride just fills the air. I'm a firm believer that this university nurtures excellence. Honor's Day recognizes the people who maintain the level of excellence within the university. It's a celebratory weekend, that I enjoy being apart.

I will always remember my experiences with Honor's Day, and I am upset that my experiences will end next year. I love this university, and I could not be happier about my decision to continue my education here in Ada. 

RIP Erin Dodson

It's amazing the amount of support and love that social media has the ability to generate. I witnessed this first hand last night:

In Fall 2004, Erin Dodson traveled down the road from Altoona, PA to begin her college career at Juniata College. She was the top recruit for Juniata's perennial volleyball team and was expected to immediately make an impact. After complaining about serious migraines, a CT scan revealed that Erin had a tumor on her brain the size of a golf ball. She immediately underwent surgery and began chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Three months later, Erin wheeled into the convention center in Rochester, MN to be with her teammates in their quest for a national championship after just completing her treatments. I tear up and instantly get goosebumps when I think about that weekend. It was truly a miraculous thing to have been a part of. After making it to the NCAA semifinals 19 times, Juniata won their first title by sweeping Washington University (Mo.).

Since that memorable night in Minnesota, Erin battled through several reoccurrences with cancer. Her #12 jersey was retired in 2008. Erin's passion and love of life was contagious. Through all of the adversity and obstacles, she always remained positive and optimistic with a huge smile on her face.

On Sunday morning, Erin lost her seven year battle with brain cancer.

So what does this have to do with social media? It makes me so happy to see all of the love and support that has flooded Facebook and Twitter. Hundreds of people have commented on Erin's sisters Facebook walls to express their grievances and support. Hundreds of Juniata alumni and students have changed their profile pictures to Erin. Social media has evolved into something so much more than a networking tool. Sunday demonstrated the community dimension of social media. The emotional and loving side of social media.

RIP Erin Dodson - You will always be my hero. I hope someday I can lead a life with as much passion, strength, bravery and heart as you possessed. You have impacted my life more than you could ever imagine. Love you #12.

#twitter

@HunterPR- In preparation for my internship this summer, I deemed it necessary to start tracking the agency's tweets. I would say Hunter uses Twitter as a liaison tool to provide their followers with further information. This week, Hunter tweeted 12 times. Eleven of their tweets had links within the tweet. The agency is also great about incorporating their client's handle within their tweets. Hashtags were only including in one of the tweets. I'm a huge fan of the approach Hunter has with its Twitter account. I think the agency tweets at a healthy rate and uses the account as a reference for their clients. I don't think the absence of hashtags has a negative affect on the agency.

@Snapple- Love me some Snapple. Their Twitter handle, not as much. Snapple is currently promoting the Pursuit of Bestness initiative, which rewards "Snapplys" for drinking Snapple and supporting the organization. This week, Snapple tweeted frequently to say the least. Snapple tweeted at each of their new followers with a link to the Pursuit of Bestness page, where they could redeem their caps and earn points. Snapples replies to pretty much anyone who tweets them. Needless to say, the account is a little cluttered. Snapple incorporates links in many of their tweets, but practically no hashtags. It's clear that Snapple is using their twitter handle as a way of interacting with their customers, instead of an informational platform. Personally, I feel like the handle is cluttered and poorly organized and handled.

@prtini- Heather Whaling is a Columbus practitioner and the president of Geben Communications. Heather is a social media wiz, and her account is the perfect balance of personal and professional. Heather is also the director of the #pr20chat, so hashtags are frequently incorporated in her tweets. She is extremely good about using popular trends, so her hashtags are being used. With such a strong network of fellow professionals and clients, Heather frequently mentions them in her tweets. Heather has a mix of everything in her tweets. She utilizes links, @ mentions and hashtags. I think Heather understands that there isn't a definitive method for communicating with publics via twitter, so tweeters need to be versatile. She accesses Twitter exceptionally well, and with almost 9,000 followers, I would say she's doing a great job.

@PublicityGuru- Bill Stoller is a PR pro from New Jersey, who specializes in social media. Bill has almost 120,000 followers. Needless to say, he's a big deal in the Twitter world. The proclaimed publicity guru is an influencer and the primary focus of his tweets are to serve as a reference for practitioners on how to be successful within the field and how to utilize social media correctly. In his tweets this week, there were no hashtags and only a few mentions. However, almost every tweet had a link. Some of his tweets this week that caught my eye included: 5 words that will get U followed on Twitter, 7 reasons why your press release suck, 5 words that will get you unfollowed on Twitter, 5 PR campaigns that changed the world, etc. @PublicityGuru is the Twitter encyclopedia for public relations practitioners. Bill is such a helpful reference via Twitter. In his personal brief it says "helping others get their share of publicity & social media" and that he does. He uses explosive and attractive words in his tweets, tweets at a healthy rate and provides links to enhance his credibility. Bill is a public relations ambassador, and I know that practitioners are extremely grateful for his help and guidance.

Main Stream vs. Social Media

Paul Gillin uses a great quote from social media influencer Eric Schwartzman in The New Influencers:

"'When it comes to reaching a wide audience, mainstream media may still be the way to go,' he says. 'But to reach an underserved niche audience, social media really has something to offer.'"

This quote is an example of why I have really enjoyed The New Influencers. I think Gillin incorporates basic social facts and principles that social media users are aware of, but aren't being sensitive to. While I was in Seattle for PRSSA National Assembly, we talked about social media and how we need to be sensitive to how we're appropriately using the sites. As practitioners, I think we forget that not everyone is accessing social media and traditional media still needs our undivided attention and must serve as the primary tool for disseminating messages.

I had never really looked at social media as a medium to reach public in an underserved niche, but it completely makes sense. I'm beginning to understand more and more about the usefulness of blogging. Special interest blogs are a great way to identify and communicate with publics.

I appreciate that Gillin draws attention to the importance of mainstream media. As practitioners, we still need to be prepared to develop strong press releases and news materials. Even though our lives have been simplified to 140 characters recently, we still must consider the mainstream media as our primary channel.