PRESTIGEPRESTIGEbiannual newsletter • spring 2013

NASHVILLE PRSSA TRIP

SO LONG SENIORS

FRESHMAN FOCUS

FIRMBATEMAN CASE STUDY

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The International Public Relations Research Conference For a majority of the year, most college students anticipate the week of fun with their friends known as spring break. This year, instead of going on a spring break vacation, or spending quality time with my family, I had the opportunity to meet professionals and present research at a top-notch international conference. The International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC) has become one of the leading academic public relations research venues. This conference is usually attended by graduate students, professors and practitioners for collaboration between the academy and the profession. The theme of the 16th annual IPRRC was: Exploring the Strategic Use of New Media’s Impact on Change Management and Risk in Theory and Practice. The conference was held in Miami, Florida, March 6-10.

As a junior undergraduate student, I am thankful to have had the opportunity to experience this international conference. At this year’s conference, Dr. Alisa Agozzino and I presented our paper entitled Adding, deleting, and/or starting over: How social media has changed crisis communication plans in school systems. I enjoyed discussing our research with other professionals. I distinctly remember two military officials conversing on how they would handle a crisis situation on their bases and referencing the research we had shared.

Presenting at the IPRRC was not what I had expected. I imagined a large conference room with a stage. Presumably, I would present in front of a room filled with public relations professionals. To my surprise, I was wrong. Upon entering the conference room, I saw six large round tables surrounded with chairs. At any given time, presenter ssat at a table and discussed his or her research. The hour sessions were divided into four 15-minute presentations. Once the 15 minutes was up, participants would switch tables to listen to another presentation.

Presentations varied from international crisis research to brand loyalty and management. My favorite sessions were the crisis presentations, where I learned how both Toyota and Lowes handled crisis situations.

One of the highlights of attending the IPRRC was meeting the authors of two books I have read in class. The first “star struck” moment I had was meeting Don Stacks. Stacks is the author of Primer of Public Relations Research. As the director of IPRRC, Stacks walked around to everyone and asked how their conference experience was going. The second author I met was Doug Newsom, author of Public Relations Writing. I was excited to see who was behind the words I have read in two critical textbooks while in school.

In addition to networking with professionals, I also met other students. Originally from Indonesia, Desideria, or Desi, as Dr. Agozzino and I called her, is a graduate student at the University of Colorado. Not only did I listen to her presentation entitled Fed Ex delivery man on Web 2.0: The rhetoric of image repair strategy and the audience response analysis in corporate crisis on YouTube, but we also had the chance to visit South Beach one night after the conference activities. The water was warm, the sun was bright and the people were friendly.

Needless to say, I would not hesitate to go to another IPRRC. I had the chance to listen to innovative research and meet professionals from across the world. If you are interested in presenting research, take the leap of faith and submit your work to the IPRRC. You will have a memorable and invaluable experience. To sweeten the proposition even more, you would get the chance to experience South Beach and the incredible food the sunshine state has to offer!

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from the sunshine state

Candace Kaiser

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from the sunshine state to the land of enchantmentNational Assembly Nestled between the Sandia Mountains and valleys sits New Mexico’s largest city, Albuquerque. Known for its hot air balloons and the famous Route 66, Albuquerque was heavenly compared to the frigid Ohio weather. However, I did not travel almost 1,500 miles to sunbathe and ride hot air balloons. I went to represent the Ohio Northern University Public Relations Student Society of America Chapter at the 2013 PRSSA National Assembly.

PRSSA National Assembly is an annual event that brings together PRSSA students from across the United States. The event gathers to elect a new National Committee, make influential, long-term decisions about the future of PRSSA and review bylaws. Attendees also have the chance to attend leadership training and networking events.

Thankfully, I did not have to navigate through three airports and travel to Albuquerque alone. Junior public relations major Jeni Kmic and sophomore public relations major Amy Hood both accompanied me to National Assembly. Jeni and Amy were non-delegates, so they were roommates while I was paired with three other delegates. The four of us in the room were from all areas of the country. One was from the University of Alabama, another was from Syracuse University and my last roommate was from the University of Oregon. All three were from big universities, so I was able to see how the public relations departments functioned on a larger scale. Every night Christi, from the University of Alabama, and I would talk about the difficulties our Chapters have faced and how we could combat those problems. It was so exciting finding someone who loved public relations and PRSSA as much as I do!

The first event that I attended at National Assembly was the Day-of Competition. During the competition, groups of six students were randomly paired up and given a challenge. The challenge this year focused on Duck® brand Printed EZ Start® Packaging Tapes. My group had to create and plan an entire awareness campaign for Duck® brand Printed EZ Start® Packaging Tapes in under an hour. Although we did not win, I met six phenomenal students all the way from Alabama to Michigan.

The second day consisted of leadership workshops. The three workshops were: Act Ethically and Carry On, Spreading the Word and How to Plan a Sensational Semester. My favorite was How to Plan a Sensational Semester. During this session, groups of five students discussed what strengths and weaknesses their own chapter had. It was at this time that I realized how lucky every public relations student is here at Northern. I was able to give advice to other Chapters based on what ONU PRSSA has offered me.

The third day was the National Assembly meeting. It was on this day that the 2013-2014 National Committee members were elected. As the delegate, I had the opportunity to vote for who I thought would make the best executive board member. Although the day consisted of sitting in a banquet hall for eight hours, I had the opportunity to listen to exceptional speeches and bring back innovative ideas to our own chapter.

The final event scheduled for the conference was a keynote speaker. This year’s keynote speaker was Tom Garrity, President and CEO of The Garrity Group, which is a PR firm based in Albuquerque. During his presentation, Garrity compared famous movies to the public relations industry. We also got a preview of the 2013 National Conference in Philadelphia.

Not only did we attend leadership sessions, develop a campaign and gain valuable knowledge to bring back to ONU PRSSA, but we also networked with students. Jeni, Amy and I met students from all across the country. We ate dinner together, explored Albuquerque in our off time and we even had a group text message with all of us!

I would never take back my experience at National Assembly. In fact, I wish I could go back right now! I have so many new friends (not just on Facebook and Twitter), but friends I know I can rely on. I have already made plans to attend Central Ohio PRSA meetings this summer with the PRSSA chapter president at Otterbein.

I highly encourage everyone to attend at least one National Assembly. It is a great place to network, make friends and gain valuable information to take back to your own Chapter.

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Nashville, Tennessee is known by several names including Titan Town, Music City and Smashville. The city’s many claims to fame and rich history made it an ideal choice for the out-of-state PRSSA trip Ohio Northern PRSSA takes each spring. While there, public relations students experienced the rich history of the state capitol through visits with communications professionals in a variety of fields.

The three-day trip, including travel time, was brief. Every hour was accounted for on a detailed schedule so we could make the most of our visit. In this short amount of time we managed to visit six different firms: McNeely, Pigott and Fox, The Nashville Symphony Orchestra, The Tennessee Titans, The Tennessee State House, CMT and Bridgestone.

The first day we stopped at McNeely, Pigott and Fox, an award winning public relations firm. Here we learned about working in a firm setting and we spoke with professionals at each level of employment, from an intern all the way up to partner Mike Pigott. The biggest piece of advice Pigott was able to give was how imperative it is that we developed our writing skills now. At MP&F, potential employees are required to pass an AP Style test before being offered a place at the agency.

After lunch at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, we walked over to the Nashville Symphony Orchestra for what would be my favorite stop of the trip. Here we met with their four-person communications team to talk about nonprofit PR. Not only did they talk to us about their innovative fundraising efforts through celebrity collaborations, they also gave us a detailed tour of their state-of-the-art building. They stressed the importance of building relationships and seizing opportunities as they come.

The final stop of the day was at the Tennessee Titans, the namesake of Titan Town. Here we had the opportunity to learn about sports PR. The public relations team for the Titans explained how team communications efforts overlap with NFL communications. The only other time I heard from a communications professional in the sports industry was at a Central Ohio PRSA luncheon where OSU Associate Athletics Communications Director, Jerry Emig spoke, so this visit was of particular interest to me.

We ended the day in Smashville at the Predators game in the Bridgestone Arena.

Our last day in Nashville was spent at three more public relations settings. We started out with a morning tour of the historic Nashville State House. This was an interesting stop because we learned about PR and Tennessee history. For example, did you know the Tennessee State House was a Union fort in the Civil War? After the tour we met with Alexia Poe, The Director of Communications for Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. Poe shared her experiences in government PR and about the time she spent working in Washington, D.C. as a young professional.

After our visit at the State House, we headed to one of the leading media outlets for country music: CMT. In addition to a tour of CMT, our group had the privilege of a question and answer session with Director of Corporate Communications Amanda Murphy and two other employees who had been with the company for varying lengths of time. We discussed ways to set ourselves apart from other job candidates before and during the interview process and gained insight from an intern-turned-employee about her experience at CMT.

Our trip to Nashville concluded at Bridgestone, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. We met with Jeremy Smith, the manager of Corporate and Community Relations, and learned about the barriers Bridgestone must overcome when communicating with its many publics, from Japanese partners to local storefront owners. Smith also discussed the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the positive impact Bridgestone is having on fair business practices, the environment and society.

The drive back to Ada was a long one. I had seven hours to think about the things I learned from each PR stop we toured. Trips like these are the best opportunity many of us have to get a feel for PR across a wide range of fields. I certainly feel as though I have a better understanding of what I want to do in the future.

PRSSA Trip to Music City. Julie Eley

Every year PRSSA National hosts the Bateman Case Study Competition. The Bateman Competition is the top-notch campaign competition for PRSSA and tasks students with creating, implementing and evaluating a campaign on a topic of PRSSA National’s choosing. This year, the topic was childhood and teenage bullying, and Ohio Northern put together two teams to enter the competition. I, along side of Lauren Tennet, Katie Hozan and Candace Kaiser, created the “I Am” campaign; a viral campaign focusing on using a website to communicate our information.

The goal of our campaign was to raise awareness about the causes and effects of childhood bullying. Our team also partnered with three local YMCAs to help reach our goal by setting up tables at the YMCAs and engaging in conversation with children and parents. By speaking with these children and parents, we encouraged them to visit our website and become interactive with the website by viewing the uploaded videos and read the content we provided. The videos were of college students and professors sharing their experiences with bullying and our written content was about the signs, causes, effects and solutions to combat bullying. We also encouraged people to download our “I Am” heart logo and write an inspirational adjective beneath the “I Am” before uploading the picture of them with the heart to our website. We wanted people to come self-inspired.

Our campaign was mostly met with success. We wish we could have done better in certain areas of the campaign, such as uploading pictures and testimonials, but for the most part, we were pleased with how the campaign turned out.

I have been part of two Bateman teams, and I cannot say enough about how much the experience helps in learning the campaign process. Yes, it may be extremely frustrating at times and you want to give up, pull your hair out or hate your life, but I can say that I am now significantly more confident in my ability to run a campaign. Speaking for myself, and the rest of the “I Am” team, we feel lucky to be given the opportunity do be able to put our knowledge and skills to the test in this competition. Everyone coming through the ONU PR program should participate in at least one Bateman Competition.

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BATEMAN: I AM Jacob Schwerer

Team “I Am:” Katie Hozan, Lauren Tennet and Candace Kaiser. Missing: Jacob Schwerer

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The 2013 Bateman Competition was a great learning experience for five new participants: Lauren Stahl, Julie Eley, Kelsi Rupersburg, Jordan Leigh and myself. Our team, “Unbreakable” faced a number of challenges throughout our campaign. However, in the end, we were able to successfully apply our classroom education and various public relations experiences to produce a detailed public relations campaign.

Our team partnered with the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library and Benjamin Logan High School to present two programs for junior high and high school students with the theme “Unbreakable: Link up against bullying.” Our goal was to inspire confidence in students’ ability to handle bullying situations. We wanted to increase their knowledge of the various resources they could use and people they could link up with to prevent both traditional and cyberbullying situations. Both of the programs were tailored to the needs of our clients: The Findlay-Hancock County Public Library program concentrated on traditional bullying and the Benjamin Logan High School program concentrated on cyberbullying. However, both programs specifically targeted bystanders. Both programs involved team-building activities, small-group discussions, interactive bingo and a creative competition.

Implementing a Bateman campaign entails just about every aspect of PR: research, writing, strategic planning, event planning, advertising, community relations, media relations, social media and much more. Some of these aspects we performed better than others. As mentioned, our team faced some unexpected challenges. We initially struggled to secure partnerships. When we did secure partnerships, we found it difficult at times to communicate with them timely and efficiently. The lack of well-organized communication resulted in our team not having all of the equipment we were expecting for our program at Benjamin Logan High School. Attending our after-school program at the Findlay-Hancock County Library was not required for any area students and our team struggled to think of unique ways to promote our program in order to increase attendance. Our goal was 30 students, but attendance did not meet our expectations. In spite of these challenges, post-surveys showed we were effective in increasing students’ confidence levels in terms of handling bullying situations. And by the end of our programs, the teens were able to identify several resources they could use to combat bullying in their schools and online.

Overall, I think our team created a respectable campaign for a team of five new Bateman participants. We were not selected as finalists nor did we get honorable mention, but I think we gained the experience necessary to excel in future Bateman competitions. We spent numerous team meetings in Dr. Fleck’s office seeking guidance and fretting about not knowing how to handle some of the unanticipated obstacles. But looking back, Bateman is not something that could be taught; the only way to really learn was to go through the process ourselves. Dr. Fleck reassured us time and time again, “It will all come together in the end!” She was right. The entire process was challenging and stressful at times, but I think all participants would agree that the Bateman competition is a great opportunity to gain real public relations experience.

BATEMAN: I AM Jacob Schwerer BATEMAN: UNBREAKABLE Katee Johnson

Team “Unbreakable:” Kelsi Rupersburg, Jordan Leigh, Julie Eley and Lauren Stahl. Missing: Katee Johnson

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I wish that my mom came to college with me. Not because I want her here to cook my meals or make my bed or do my laundry (OK, I do actually want her here to do that), but because I wish she was here to pick me up from class everyday and ask me “What did you learn at school today?” When I was younger, I hated that question. I always responded exasperatedly: “Nothing. I sat in class all day and messed around with my friends and started a food fight*. Can I have my snack now?” If my mom came to Ohio Northern with me, though, she wouldn’t learn about the daily, tangible things I slave away producing in the PAC lab. She wouldn’t learn about Katie Paine’s measurement principles, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs or the RACE model. I would tell my mom about the big picture things – the messages that keep repeating and repeating that I can’t seem to escape. My personal “Three B’s” of Public Relations. 1) Build relationships. I know you read that and said… “DUH LAUREN.” I have had so many opportunities to actually build relationships here at Ohio Northern, not just learn about how to build them through my textbooks. First, I have made so many friends in this program. I feel like the bonds we have with each other are a testament to the work ethic and closeness this department has at its advantage. I know that the relationship building skills I’ve developed at ONU will help me work in teams and through tough situations in the real world.

Second, I’ve had numerous opportunities to meet professionals and other PR students through department funded trips, conferences and PRSA luncheons. Without this experience, I wouldn’t have met some truly wonderful people and understood what the PR profession is and what it will be in the future. These trips also taught me with whom to NOT build relationships. It’s true that there are PR “spin-doctors” out there and it’s pretty obvious who they are. They’re the ones at conference who just want a handshake and your business card. I’ve learned how to search out and effectively develop relationships with the people who do matter – who can help me achieve or learn something valuable that I can apply to my job field. 2) You BETTA work. I don’t think anyone disagrees with the fact that we are worked to the bone as PR students at ONU. This field requires toughness, creativity and a fierce determination to succeed. The classes I’ve taken at ONU have all prepared me with the time management skills I’ll need for a real world of constant work and responsibility. Again, my professors helped me develop these skills by pushing me to focus on WHAT matters. Working isn’t just about what we do in the office or the classroom, but about our professional development as well! As new professionals, we need to not only manage our workload, but also be on the lookout for the best practices in our field. At ONU, I was pushed to research and network (point 1) with those in my field to expand my understanding of the public

relations profession. Following blogs, going to conferences and networking are all necessary to succeed. 3) Be passionate. I think this is the most important aspect of our profession that I have learned from attending ONU. Our professors are primary examples of how passion makes you a successful individual. Dr. Fleck and Dr. Aggie LOVE their jobs and they love us (most times, I hope). They have afforded us every opportunity to explore and develop our passions as we pursue this field. The glorious thing about PR is that you can take your individual passions and turn them into a job. Do you like entertainment? Government? Corporations? Fashion? Every single industry needs a good communicator on its side, so it’s up to us to use our passions for developing causes we believe in. We have more job flexibility and choice than any other profession with so much impact. I think that is pretty darn neat.While my mom would get an earful about how much I’ve learned from this department, I think she would more glean the understanding of how much I love it. I have so much respect for my peers and my professors. I cannot imagine a better place to have spent my short three years of college life. I feel entirely prepared for the real world and I have the ONU public relations department to thank for that. I hope to make all of you proud and carry ONU’s rockstar PR name with me into the future. *I have never ACTUALLY started a food fight.

wisdom from our elders

lauren tennet

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People say you find out who you truly are in while you are in college, and I completely agree with them. The person I am today, as a senior in college, is completely different from the person I was four years ago. Coming into my freshman year I thought I was going to be a civil engineer who played on the varsity baseball team. Now I am a PR major who played men’s club volleyball - quite the 180 switch! Over the past four years I have grown and learned so much from my experiences, some of which are:

1. Be open to new experiences. Take classes that may be weird or outside of the norm; you may like them. Try something new. If it’s different from your usual, try it out.

2. Take risks. This coincides with being open, but most importantly do not be afraid to fail. If you never fail you will never know the true taste of success.

3. Spend a little time and money on yourself. Do not get so wrapped up in the world around you that you forget about yourself.

4. Go to class! You really do need to study in college. It does not matter how smart you were in high school; college is a whole new animal. Plus we pay a lot of money to attend ONU so if you are not going to class you are just wasting money.

5. Go Greek. This may put some people off, but I feel going Greek was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only do I have my PRSSA network, I have a whole brotherhood who

has my back. If you are apprehensive about going Greek, at least check it out - you might be surprised.

6. Join multiple organizations. Do not limit yourself to just PRSSA. Get involved in other groups on campus.

7. Have a good relationship with your adviser and professors. This can be a life-saver! The better your relationship with these folks, the better your college experience will be.

8. Travel/take a road trip. Through PRSSA I have been extremely fortunate to have traveled as much as I have. Take these opportunities now because you never know if you will be able to when you graduate.

9. You will become a nerd. Accept the fact now. By your junior year, or even before, you will enjoy editing, you will geek out over seeing how your research paper turned out and you will admit to joining the PR Nerd Club.

10. Don’t take life too seriously. College is the best four years of your life, and it goes by fast! Have fun, go with the flow, be spontaneous and live it up for all it’s worth. Do not sweat the petty things because eventually they will not matter. Four years is a short time span in the grand scheme of life, and you do not want to worry about having regrets.

This is just a small taste of what I have learned these past four years. The opportunities at ONU are endless, you just have to be willing to go out and grab them!

1. Lin always has crackers in her office for starving students.2. There are not many times in PR when it’s okay to cry, Kathie’s office is one place it is.3. The people you see every day in class will not only become some of your most valuable connections, but some of your closest friends.4. Even if you’re not a competitive person when you join the department, by the end you will be “in it to win it.”5. You can travel the U.S. with PRSSA. If you utilize

their resources, you’ll grow as a person and a pre-professional. 6. One of the scariest – and greatest feelings – is getting a paper back with no edits.7. We have one of the greatest departments/programs in the nation! However, you still have to work hard. 8. Go to socials and hang out with other PRSSA people outside of class.9. If you can’t finish this you’re in trouble: “The creating and maintaining…”10. Yes, you are a nerd.

wisdom from our elders jacob schwerer

katie hozan

WHY KIM JONG-UN IS REALLY BAD AT PR The standoff between the United States and North Korea has been a staple in the news. While nuclear weapons are no laughing matter, citizens of the Unit-ed States have taken this opportunity to make light of the situation on social media. Similarly, CNN report-ed that North Koreans are more concerned with the release of Psy’s new single. As with most situations, something can be gleaned from North Korea’s attempt to frighten the United States. Here are five reasons Kim Jong-un is really bad at PR.

1. Kim Jong-un ignored everyone for two weeks. Saying nothing in public relations is the ultimate no-no. If you aren’t saying anything that means someone else will. Why let someone else make up illegitimate facts about you? Why let people speculate and create stories that aren’t true? Kim Jong-un, you have to say something. You cannot just run around threatening nuclear bombs and then hide for two weeks.

2. Kim Jong-un only celebrated the good things. OK, great. He’s out of hiding, but why? To celebrate the birthday of his grandfather, Kim II-sung, of course. Flanked by North Korean military Kim Jong-un made his appearance. Never mind that he threatened nations across the world with nuclear disaster, celebrate good times.

3. Kim Jong-un likes to surprise people. According to CNN, North Korea said in its latest threat that it would not give any warning before any attack on South Korea. Maybe in war this is OK, but a definite no in

public relations. Most people do not handle surprises well. Being a strategic public relations professional means being tactful and deliberative while making strategic moves.

4. Kim Jong-un does what his boss (or father) told him to do. The New York Times reports that Kim Jong-un is simply attempting to carry out a plan set in place by his father, despite the fact that he is young and inexperienced. Bosses and plans are in place for a reason, but if the necessary skills and experience is not there, the plan is going to fail.

5. Kim Jong-un is spending time, money and effort and no one is taking North Korea seriously. Mr. Kim’s threat is not quite having the effect he had hoped. The New York Times reports that American officials “believe they can wait out Mr. Kim’s threats until he realizes his belligerent behavior will not force South Korea or the United States into making any concessions.” Clearly American officials are not all that concerned. If no one is concerned with your time, effort or money, then you’re probably preaching to the wrong audience, preaching the wrong way or preaching the wrong message.

It is quite evident that the 29-year-old Kim Jong-un is going through some growing pains. Trying to prove himself to an entire nation may be stressful, but pub-lic relations professionals thrive under pressure. Kim Jong-un is obviously not cut out for public relations.

“If no one is concerned with your time, effort or money, you’re probably preaching to the wrong audience, preaching the wrong way or preaching the wrong message.”

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Jeni Kmic

FRESHMAN FOCUS I chose to major in public relations because the ever-changing nature of the job really appealed to me. A job that is new and fresh each and every day is something that is hard to pass up. Although this may sound demanding, I have always tended to thrive under stressful situations, making this even more appealing as a career opportunity. There were many areas in public relations I had much to learn about.

This year started out on a fast track as I delved into what would soon become my favorite class, Styles of PR Writing. I had no idea such an extensive use of writing was needed in this field – I merely wanted to give public presentations. The level of difficulty asked of me in my first public relations class was great, but I had many people offering me help when I needed it. I learned how much attention to detail, meticulous writing and

time management is expected of me as a future professional.

At the end of my first semester, I completed my first case study on the topic of how Make-A-Wish Foundation used its news releases in 2012 to encourage donating. Styles of PR Writing gave me the opportunity to work with Dr. Agozzino to submit my case study to the National Communication Association (NCA) for the opportunity to present it at a conference next fall.

Overall, my first step toward becoming a public relations professional was difficult, but it made me realize how much I love the profession. No other path is as suited for me as this one. Each public relations class I take makes me more certain of my future in this career. Though the road may not always be smooth, it is the road I am prepared, and excited, to take.

Alexa Lammers

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT It’s hard to believe that four years of college have come and gone so fast. I came to Ohio Northern University (ONU) knowing no one and with no clue what I wanted to do. Soon, I found the PR department and things seemed to fall into place. After working hard in firm and classes, I landed an internship with a company back home, Westfield Insurance. At Westfield, I worked with the change management group where my primary task was internal communications. Additionally, I was responsible for event planning and preventing crises. I continued to work with the company throughout the school year and accepted a position with them in February.

Starting in May, I will continue to work on internal communications and also training, a position I’m excited to begin. One of the main things I’ve learned is good internal communications are essential to a company. Without the support of your company, every plan will fail. You need

people throughout the company to advocate for you. If not, they will resist change and bring down the project. An important aspect of this is building relationships. Just because you say a project will be wonderful doesn’t mean people will trust you right away. This level of trust takes months of transparency, openness, communication and follow-through among other things. Although this can be a challenge, it’s one I am excited to begin.

Graduation can be scary, but I feel prepared. Not only do I have an entire department standing behind me, but I also know that my experiences have adequately prepared me for the “real world.” The projects that I was able to work on in firm throughout my time at ONU juxtaposed with my internship allowed me to have a variety of experiences. These positions also helped me to think ahead and increase my skills, giving me confidence that I can excel at any position.

Katie Hozan

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What’s up, Firm?Jordan Leigh

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There’s always something going on here at True North PR. Recently, Helms Motorsports sought out the help of our talented PR student’s to assist them in a publicity campaign. Our overall goal is to make sure the team gets more attention and possibly sponsorships from ONU and surrounding businesses. Led by sophomore Katee Johnson, our team has been working to ensure that Helms Motorsports - and their driver Caleb Helms - are names to remember.

Helms Motorsports is a 410 sprint car team based out of Findlay, Ohio. The Helms Motorsports team has well over 50 years-worth of racing experience between them and finds a common strength through their devotion to Jesus Christ. The team’s driver, Caleb Helms, is a third generation sprint car driver with five seasons worth of racing experience. One reason why Caleb’s future is important to the ONU PR department is because he’s one of our own. Caleb is a 21-year-old junior, currently studying civil engineering right here at Ohio Northern University.

Caleb and the Helms Motorsports team has already proven they have the talent to warrant more attention. Caleb has managed to place in the top 10 in over 30 races and in the top 5 in over 13. He has two feature wins under his belt and two Hard Charger Awards. However, our team has been working on quite a few things to help him and his team get the attention they deserve.

We have written a series of different news releases to be used whenever Caleb does well in a particular race. True North PR has also created a website that includes bios, schedules, results and videos for Caleb’s team. We have also been preparing a proposal that would see ONU promote Caleb’s talents through a sponsorship. We’ve seen this kind of sponsorship from other colleges near us, including the University of Northwestern Ohio. This has prompted us to believe that with his ties to the ONU engineering department, Caleb would be an ideal candidate for an ONU sponsorship.

The adventure of a new city can be a major attraction for many public relations students seeking summer internships and first jobs, especially those living and studying in small, close-knit communities. Conversely, the comfort and security of students’ hometowns can be equally as alluring. Familiarity with a city does not always equal lack of opportunity, how-ever, as shown by two Polar Bears who will be returning home after the school year ends—and I don’t mean back to the Arctic Circle. Anna Hoard, a sophomore public relations and political science double major from Kalamazoo, Mich., will be intern-ing at Congressman Fred Upton’s district office. She will spend the summer learning about constituent and community relations, improving her writing skills and gaining valuable event planning experience. Anna’s reasons for returning to Kalamazoo this summer are simple: she can work another job and rehabilitate a foot injury while still developing a deeper understanding of the political world she wants to be a part in the future.

Senior public relations major / history and Spanish double minor Lauren Tennet will return home to Houston, Texas, af-ter graduation. She has found full-time employment with the Black Sheep Agency, a Houston-based progressive marketing agency that emphasizes non-traditional publicity and strives to help nonprofit and small business clients stand out in the crowd. Lauren will specialize in client services and hopes to gain a better understanding of how to interact with her clients instead of strictly producing for them. Lauren chose to return to Houston after graduation because the city, a growing me-tropolis, offers a prime environment for young professionals. She plans to remain at the Black Sheep Agency as long as she is invested in their work and hopes to eventually become an integral part of the management team.

Whether you choose to delve into the opportunities available in a new city or explore the options your hometown may offer, remember to utilize the skills learned at Ohio Northern and network as much as possible. You never know – a fellow Polar Bear could be working right next door!

Home, Sweet Home Kelsi Rupersburg