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Special mention to our Spring 2020 PRSSA Kent graduates:
Jill Golden – VP of Professional Relations, Leah Marxen – Treasurer, Britanei Eason, Kayla Proctor, Kody Elsayed and Jess Skitzki By: Jill Golden Witnessing and experiencing a global pandemic is certainly not how I expected my senior year to end. Six weeks ago, I didn't think I would be in the situation I am in now. For four years I couldn't wait for my college graduation. I've always loved school, but I couldn't wait to start a new chapter in my life. I was excited to dress in my cap and gown, cross the stage alongside my friends and invite my family to watch me take the next step in my future. This built up excitement has been taken away because of COVID-19. Even though my graduation is supposed to be postponed to an alternate date, I am no longer as excited as I once was. I feel like it just won't feel right to celebrate my graduation after months of finishing school. I also couldn't wait to take professional photos in my cap and gown on campus. This has been taken away from me as well. Instead, I got my creative juices flowing with the increase in free time and started thinking of a way to still do something similar. I decided to recruit my sister to take photos of me in the backyard while wearing my cousin's college graduation cap and gown. I also took an extra step and found my white high school tassel and dyed it dark red with food coloring to mimic the crimson College of Communication and Information tassel. While this isn't what I had imagined, it'll certainly make for a fun story in the future. The other difficult part during this pandemic is how I didn't get the opportunity to say goodbye and good luck to classmates and professors, as well as take in the bittersweet feeling of experiencing my last day of school ever. Though for good reason, everything was halted so quickly, that I didn't get to take in my last moments at Kent State. As I type this I am trying to remember what my classes were like, and I am struggling to remember since I didn't know those classes would be the last. The end of my senior year is definitely not like what I was expecting, but it has given me a different perspective on life. I've started thinking about how thankful I am for the health of my family, easy access to food, water and medical care and a safe and happy home. So while my graduation experience isn't what I was initially hoping for, I've found the good in this situation and it’s shown me what to be thankful for.
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By: Lauryn Oglesby
Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic that has recently interfered with the livelihood of everyone since the virus reached the United States, the public relations world has had to majorly adjust to communicate appropriately. Optics, especially amongst a crisis, is one of the most telling ways for consumers to respond positively to a brand. Thus, there are a few things that can be done to ensure a positive response. Before diving further into those suggestions; the coronavirus, despite its drastic nature, should be seen as simply another public relations crisis and should be treated as such. Changing a company’s usual protocol has the potential to not only insinuate chaos but create panic as well. As public relations professionals, the best way to handle the coronavirus pandemic within your individual brand is to focus on just that - your individual brand. It is easy to become swept up in the global information that is being discussed on a daily basis. However, according to PR News, with all of the broad information being passed around, informing your consumers of what your brand is doing specifically to create less stress to their lives is the best way to handle a situation such as this. While it is important to make sure that you are speaking directly to your publics, ensuring that what you are communicating is the most relevant information to your audience is key. PR News also stresses the equal importance to make sure that your information is there to begin with. In a crisis, despite how much information may be out there, people like to feel as informed as possible in all areas of their lives. If your brand can assist your customers in a way that can bring relief or show signs of support and empathy, that will be what your audience will remember when they begin to feel comfortable enough to spend their money again. It is important to remember that outside of being an effective communicator, we are parents and citizens as well. Texting your audiences with updates should be the first consideration as it is the fastest point of contact. No one will feel as though they are receiving too much information during a crisis. When distributing information, it is important to remember that the most efficient way to do so is by making it easily accessible to your consumers. PR News suggests to think of yourself as a first-time user to experience both your brand and your website. Will the most relevant and important information be easy to find? If not, you may want to consider switching around your design. During a crisis, people are looking for readily available information. If it is hard to find, it will not be found. Place yourself in their shoes. Finally, according to PR News, the most important suggestion to keep in mind is do not lie. This is an overarching moral code of public relations, crisis or not; but it is especially important during times like these. Any ethical company knows that your consumers will be able to see right through a lie and it is simply better not to sugarcoat anything when it comes to people’s safety. Knowing the difference between a clever “kumbaya” moment and the truth is your responsibility as a company. For more information related to COVID-19 and the public relations industry, visit: PR News By: Amelia Workman
It’s like a scene out of a movie: Times Square is desolate, malls are vacant and animals are roaming the empty streets. Ever since COVID-19 made its way to the United States, it has affected every single citizen. Workers are being laid off, school is cancelled and most states are on a “stay- at-home-order”. As a college student, the virus has had drastic effects on not only my education, but my daily life. Kent State University announced the institution would be transitioning to all online courses March 13. Many students have returned to their homes, leaving friends and college life behind for the spring semester. The uncertainty has hit everyone hard; many of us don’t know when we will return and many students have found difficulty in online learning. We not only miss friends and college life, but also have a moral obligation to practice “social distancing.” During these unprecedented times, people are struggling not only financially, but mentally. Media has attacked a “selfish mentality,” suggesting to think about others first and stay positive. This often has made many of us wonder, “Is it okay to grieve?” and “Is it okay to feel frightened and stressed?” It is okay to be disappointed. Don’t feel guilty for being sad about missed opportunities. As someone who struggles with anxiety, this pandemic has been hard for me too. Most of the events and activities I was looking forward to are cancelled, and I often worry about the safety of my loved ones. It’s been hard for me to stay motivated, online school most days often feels like a choice. The constant structure of my daily life is gone and face-to-face contact with my closest friends is no longer an option. News channels are full of disappointing information and everyone seems to be on edge. Although, there seems to be a lot of light in the darkest of places. Many people have stepped up to help during this pandemic: food banks feeding families, musicians are live streaming concerts and people are writing letters to the elderly who are in isolation. People are bringing groceries to their family members and organizations have been starting to help laid off or furloughed employees. Being stuck in the house all day has caused me to reflect on not only the fear everyone is feeling, but how this virus has created unity across the world. It has caused many to step into other peoples’ shoes and experience loss and discomfort. We are living at home, no longer going out or experiencing our daily routines. As many of us stay inside with our families and friends, we seem to be making up for lost time. Over these past two weeks, I have cooked more family dinners and went on more bike rides with my dad than I ever have before. I took time to watch movies I‘ve always wanted to see and have bonded with friends over the same sadness we are feeling. These times are scary for everyone and it’s okay to be frightened. But there is something beautiful about everyone going through a similar situation. We are all unified in some way by this virus and we can use this time to rekindle lost relationships, self-awareness and hobbies. This virus is affecting life as we know it, but it will not break us. By: Sam Farland
New Year’s Eve New York City is the postcard to the rest of the world, which makes this 115-year- old event important to the NYC economy. “Our challenge is to make it new, different and fresh,” Witham said. Relationships with the media are important in this challenge. He says the planning starts a year in advance, so they always have notes to improve upon, even in December. They are constantly working on this event, but it becomes more intense in September. The day of the ball drop, TJ says, he is still working. He compares this event to the Superbowl, only one broadcast network covers that event. For New Year’s Eve in New York, every broadcast network can cover the event. He has to give credentials to the media and manage them during the event. The media riser, which is a platform near the stage, houses stations like Fox News, CBS, etc. He mentions how back in the day, this event ran for only 60 seconds. The event was scary and horrible because there wasn’t any security. Now, there is an abundance of security and safety precautions in place. The event is also much longer, spanning over a period of 30 days. Smaller Events Leading up to the Big Day There are smaller events leading up to NYE a lot of people don’t know about. There’s a confetti wishing wall, where people can write a wish and stick it on the wall. At midnight, all the wishes get hand tossed into the crowd, showering everyone with wishes for the new year. Good Riddance Day on December 28th is another small event leading up to the big day. On this day, people get rid of something from their past, and there’s a huge shredding machine to do so. (This is also more eco-friendly compared to burning them.) It’s a chance to cleanse yourself in preparation for the new year. What advice do you have for students wanting to move to NYC? If you want to live in NYC consider: Where do you want to be? TJ Witham lived in 3 of the 5 boroughs of New York, and it took some time for him to find his place. You will too! Consider where your favorite activities are housed in the city. His main hobby is theatre, so his community is in the center of the city. He says New York City is unlike any other city he has lived in before. What’s your favorite part about the job? The staff is remarkable. Essentially Time Square Alliance is a business improvement district, founded to keep Times Square safe. There is a whole safety and sanitation team. He says it’s a unique organization to work in. There are also 72 other business improvement districts, but Time Square is one of the largest ones. What’s your favorite part about living in NYC? It’s hard not to be cliche. There’s always something to do, and too many options sometimes. It’s an incredible, vast sea of cultural opportunities. It’s wonderful to be able to find community, and realize it’s such a small world in a huge city. By: Jorden Shevel
Two things go together for Kent State PRSSA and the national Bateman competition, putting out high-quality work and getting recognized for it. Bateman clients change annually and so do the objectives of the study but one thing has been the same since 2013. Kent State remains at the top of the judge’s list. The two teams Bateman Gold and Bateman Blue have 4 members of Kent PRSSA. Bateman Gold members are Linden Miller, Margaret Baah, Samantha Farland, and Katherine Null. Bateman Blue members are Kayla Proctor, Jorden Shevel, Jada Miles, and Hailey Barnett. This year the Bateman students will work with The Census to develop a PR plan to reach some of their more secluded audiences. The Census has a big responsibility so they rely on the help of a lot of third parties to do the communications and raise awareness about the Census. This effort, alongside their communications campaign, seems to be the most effective strategy for them up to this date. Kent State has had lots of success with Bateman over the past decade. One KSU team placed second in the nation in 2018. In 2019 and 2017, both KSU Bateman teams earned honorable mentions. In 2014 and 2016, one team received an honorable mention. In 2013, the Bateman Blue team placed second in the country out of 68 teams. All this success means good things to come after for participating students. Members of Bateman go on to do great work in internships and PR jobs because of their experience with Bateman. Creating and implementing a PR strategy is something students in the curriculum don’t often get to do. There are two classes in the four years PR students take at Kent State that touch on the actual strategy of public relations. The first, PR Case Studies is taken at the beginning of the curriculum and the last, PR campaigns is taken at the end of the curriculum. This is why Bateman is such a good opportunity for students in the middle of their time at Kent State. It’s a hands-on experience for sophomores and juniors to be able to put what they have learned about PR to the test. It also puts these students ahead of others when taking the final PR class because they have already had more experience implementing a PR campaign than their classmates. |
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