The Medium: Spring 2016

8/17/2019 The Medium: Spring 2016

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THE MEDIUM Virginia Tech PRSSA | Spring 2016 | Vol. 25, Is


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If you Google “diversity at Virginia

Tech” the result is a number of websites

discussing the culture here, and that

speaks volumes for this University.

According to CollegeFactual.com,Virginia Tech is ranked 811th in ethnic

diversity nationwide, with a student

body composition that is similar to the

national average. With this being said,

the university is not settling with this

ranking. They are working on a daily

basis to continue accepting more and

more diverse students to make our student

body stand out and stand together.

As part of the new InclusiveVT approach,

the university’s deans, vice presidents,

and other senior leaders were asked to

identify initiatives designed to advance

inclusion and diversity within their scope

of responsibility. The initiatives were

strongly inuenced by the suggestions

offered at the information forum held

in September 2014. Leaders submitted

the ideas to the President’s Inclusion

and Diversity Executive Council in latefall 2014. We adopt and practice the

following principles as fundamental to

our on-going efforts to increase access

and inclusion and to create a community

that nurtures learning and growth for all

of its members.

In October of 2014, President Timothy

Sands unveiled Tech’s expanded anti-

discrimination policy and announced

a broad restructuring of diversity

initiatives to about 400 employee

the Inn at Virginia Tech. Virginia

has joined four other state univer

in banning discrimination ag

transgender students, faculty and and has mounted a new effort to inc

the school’s overall diversity. Sands

said including transgender people i

university’s policy is an important

in “changing perceptions of Tech, w

is often stereotyped because of its

location, its engineering and tech

focus and its history as a predomin

white school.” (Roanoke Times) T

changes speak greatly to the len

Virginia Tech goes to in order tinclusive. If an applicant gets adm

to the university then they should be

to attend comfortably and without

sort of discrimination.

Even more recently, Sands shared p

for additional investments in fa

recruitment and student scholar

and a series of strategic next steps

members of the President’s Inclu

and Diversity Executive Council.

become the leading global land

university in the world we must at

the best students from all backgrou

regardless of ability to pay, and re

and retain talented faculty members

will prepare our students to be lea

and engaged citizens with the cul

competence to work in diverse team

solve complex problems,” Sands

These new initiatives further supporgoals that Sands laid forth in 2014.

Virginia Tech is more determ

than ever to build an inclusive cam

climate. The university is workin

continuously provide an environme

which anyone can grow and prep

scholars to be leaders in their eld.

will increase its commitment to dive

and inclusion to keep up the momen

of InclusiveVT and its initiatives.

Hokies Encourage InclusiveVTby Rachael Downs

PRSSA, The Medium

N THIS ISSUE:

okies EncourageclusiveVT by Rachael

owns, pg. 2

hat in the World? : How toarket Your Time Abroad

Casey Parrett, pg. 3

ember of the Semester. 3

&A with Dr. Corneliusatt by Melanie Ford, pg. 4

eating Facebook Events:orth It or Wasted? by

uren Etheridge, pg. 5

ke It From a Senior byannon O’Dowd, pg. 6

ational Assembly RecapPat Rouleau, pg. 7

D&P Spring Agency Tour TJ Davis, pg. 7

nline Connections Caneneft Your Job Search byrley Armentrout, pg. 8

EMO: Virginia Tech’semier Co-Ed A Cappella

roup by Anna Pendleton,. 8

16 - 2017 Executiveommittee pg. 9

oodbye from theesident pg. 9

mmer Jobs pg. 10

#HokiePR

rector of Publications, tharina Elbertipy Editor, Melanie Ford

Irving L. Peddrew III [lef] was the first black studentadmitted to VT in 1953 [pictured in 2016

with President Sands]


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urtesy of career.vt.eduing 2016

Member of the Semester: Neeka Eghbali Year and major? Freshman public relations and consumer studies double major

Why did you get involved in PRSSA? Before coming to Virginia Tech, I knew I wanted to join PRgain experience in the eld of PR. I was so excited to attend the rst meeting, and that exciteme

never leave me. PRSSA is comprised of the most amazing people I have ever met, and I wouldn’it for the world. I have learned so much about how to be successful in the industry while also lemore about myself.

Where do you one day hope to be career-wise? In the near future, I hope to be working for a PR the DC Metro area. However, I am open to any opportunities that may come my way.

What has PRSSA done for you? PRSSA has provided me with more than I could have ever imagined. I have not only gained a profetwork, but have also gained lifelong friends. As a newly elected Co-Director of the Ut Prosim PR rm, I am so excited to give backrganization that has given so much to me.

What’s one thing you would tell potential PRSSA members? Don’t be afraid to get super involved in PRSSA right away. There is som

r everyone, from the dierent committees (event planning, student-run rm, publications) to networking opportunities. It’s truou put in that determines what you get out of it, and PRSSA has so much to oer.

What in the World?: How to Market Your Time Abroady Casey Parrett

ccording to an IES Abroad research

udy, “90 percent of students who studied

road found their job within the rst six

onths after graduation.”

ess than 10 percent of Virginia Tech

udents study abroad. Studying abroad isgreat way to differentiate yourself from

her job candidates. When you spend

me in other cultures, you gain a new

rspective on the world around you. This

w perspective will allow you to bring a

nique mindset not only to your everyday

fe, but also to the work you do. You gain

new appreciation for your own cultures

d traditions by being removed from

em for a signicant period of time, and

ou learn new ways of thinking that mayplace some of your old beliefs. Studying

road stretches you and challenges you in

ery way. It will prepare you to work in a

constantly changing world and keep

your clients or organization relevant.

Studying abroad is a challenging and

wonderful experience. It pushes you

out of your comfort zone, forces you to

take risks and rewards you with some

of the most incredible experiences

you’ll ever have. Learning to

navigate outside of your comfort

zone and take reasonable risks are

great skills for public relations

professionals. The content you create

to represent your clients needs to be

accurate and enticing. Living in and

observing other cultures will exposeyou to new methods of marketing

and company/public interactions. It

will also give you a new appreciation

and understanding of how important

it is to know and speak directly to

your audience when communicating.

The smaller the audience and the

more direct the message can be, the

more effective the interaction will be.

Studying abroad requires planningand organization. Students plan their

own trips and travel, most often, with

others who are just as inexperienced

as they are. Plan A rarely

off without a hitch. There w

particular weekend I reached

D before ever leaving home

Making adjustments and bein

to adapt as plans change is impe

in any job today. Studying a

will give you plenty of opportu

to strengthen your exibility

adaptability muscles.

After studying abroad, you

have a better understanding

world and how to interact w

Communicating clearly with g

of people is a public rel

professional’s main puStudying abroad will prepar

to do just that by making you

aware of the world around you


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Social media outlets dominate the

communication world and are a key

part in successfully gaining supportand attention from today’s generation.

As of late 2015, there are 1.59 million

Facebook members worldwide. With

that growing number, it is uncommon

for an individual, especially

Millennials, not to have a Facebook

account.

That being said, if you have a

Facebook account, you have mostlikely received event invites through

the popular medium. Some pros for

using the good ole’ Facebook Event

invite for your next shindig include

no cost, anyone can do it (as long as

you have an account), it is quick and

easy, and the invitation can reach a

large audience.

Upon receiving the invitation, users

are given the options to RSVP with“yes,” “no,” “maybe,” or to not

respond at all. Whether you choose

to respond or not, the ability to see

who has responded is at all invitees

disposal.

But the question is, does it work?

I posed this question to my friends.

When asked if they were more likely

to go to an event they RSVP-ed to

over a Facebook invite, the general

consensus was a resounding yes.

Furthermore, having the option to

commit to the event gives the added

push for a person to decide as well as

a reminder to actually attend the event

after RSVP-ing.

No matter how great social media

platforms become, there are always

drawbacks. Everyday users of social

media are bombarded with push

notications and alerts of what’s

happening in the online world.

Facebook Event invites are anotherone of those many notications that

users will nd annoying, which

sashays in the big drawback of usi

them.

People lter through the informati

most important to them. Sometim

that means Facebook Event invit

do not make the cut, and they g

overlooked, leaving the host w

a small group of guests. It isn

necessarily that people would n

want to go to the event; it could ju

simply be it got lost in the many oth

notications received.

In any case, Facebook Event invit

are worth the little time and effo

to create. We as a generation are

virtually connected that the mo

efcient way, especially as a bro

college student, is deferring to

Facebook invite. Plus, you can alwa

send a complementary text to som

close friends to spread the word f

the party!

Creating Facebook Events: Worth It or Wasted?

Interested in joining? Email President Katie Pesek at [email protected] to receivelistserv emails, internship opportunities and meeting information.

Join the Chapter’s LinkedIn Group | enter ‘Virginia Tech Public Relations Student Society of America’

Faculty Adviser: Dr. Douglas Cannon | Professional Adviser: Lori Greiner | Local PRSA Chapter: Blue Ridg

Website: vtprssa.weebly.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/VTPRSSA | Twitter: @VTPRSSA

by Lauren Etheridge

ring 2016


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ing 2016

One of the thoughts going through

my head when I was in Austin was

“what a time to be alive.” Excuse

he Drake reference, but that’s what

was going through my head: it was a

wonderful time to be alive.

Austin is a truly amazing city and

’m so grateful I had the opportunity

o represent Virginia Tech, represent

he Virginia Tech Chapter of PRSSA,

and give back to an organization that

has meant a lot to me this year.

Getting to Austin was a lot of fun.

Between walking around airports

not really knowing where to go

and ying alone for the rst time,t was quite an experience. I had

heard good things about Austin but I

never expected to have as much fun

as I did. After getting to the hotel I

decided to take a stroll around the city.

My rst stop was Darrell K. Royal-

Texas Memorial Stadium, where theUniversity of Texas at Austin plays

football – it looked a lot different than

Lane Stadium. After walking around

and taking a lot of pictures, I walked

over to the State Capitol building

before heading back to the hotel

for a reception with all of the other

delegates and non-delegates. Not only

was this a great networking experience

but a really nice way of getting to

meet people my age who were all

so passionate about public relations.

Everyone from other Chapters that I

met was fun and genuine.

The second day I attended sessions

with topics such as tips on how to

improve your Chapter, improve your

personal brand, and how to get people

involved/what each Chapter does

to get people to become involved. Ilearned a lot from these sessions and

I hope some of the ideas that I he

and generated can be implemented

Virginia Tech. After the day’s sessi

were over I joined some fellow PRS

members for some of the best BBQ

because when you’re in Texas, yhave to have barbecue – at a restaur

called Cooper’s Old Time Pit BBQ

I’m so happy and blessed that I h

the opportunity to go to this eve

It was one of the highlights of

year and I really hope I have

opportunity to represent Virginia T

at more national events because

the networking opportunities, as w

as the chance to explore places tha

never thought I would get to see.

National Assembly Recapby Pat Rouleau

On Friday, April 15, eight PRSSA

tudents had the opportunity to do an

gency tour at Neathawk Debuque &

Packett (ND&P) in Roanoke. ND&P

pecializes in marketing, advertising,nd public relations and services

lients including VCU Medical Center,

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and

many more. We had the pleasure

of talking with ND&P Senior Vice

President, Mr. Thomas Becher. Becher

tarted off by telling us about his career

path – ranging from journalism to

marketing to public relations – and how

he ended up at ND&P.

After delving deeper into the

background of the agency, Becher told

us about one of their most effective

campaigns: increasing attendees at

the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,specically to view the Japanese

tattoo exhibit. Not only did ND&P

use traditional media to help reach

their audience, but they also took

more creative approaches as well.

One of the most effective strategies

they implemented was bringing in a

Japanese tattoo artist to paint the side

of the ND&P ofce building.

The tour concluded with Becher

showing us around the ofce. W

the Roanoke location for ND&P

less people working there than o

locations, it was still easy to see

the amazing work this agency creating. From graphic designer

marketing coordinators, ND&P

a skillful team who is working

collaborating public relations

advertising initiatives. VT PRSS

very thankful to Mr. Thomas Be

and the rest of ND&P for allowin

to have such a great experience

be able to learn more about diffe

job opportunities in public relatio

ND&P Spring Agency Tourby TJ Davis


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MEMO: Virginia Tech’s Premier Co-Ed A Cappella Groupy Anna Pendleton

Concert promotion, yer designs,

nniversary videos, and much more

Mixed Emotion client work kept the

rm committee members busy this

emester. The co-ed A Cappella group

s one of the newest clients for Ut

rosim PR and provided new projects

nd opportunities for members. This

ear marked the 20th anniversary of

he formation of Mixed Emotions, also

nown as MEMO. Firm members haveelped promote the 20th anniversary

latinum edition concert throughout

he semester and are excited to see it

ll come together. In preparation of the

vent, MEMO hosted percentage nights

t Café de Bangkok, Wicked Tacos and

enny’s. These events provided the

pportunity for rm members to create

raphics for social media promotion

sing InDesign and other Adobe

roducts. Additionally, table cards,

concert yers and other promotional

items have been made for the concert.

MEMO has decided to invite alumni

and family to celebrate with them

at this concert and requested the

assistance of the rm to make a video

honoring the past two decades. Firm

members interviewed members of

MEMO and asked them to detail their

favorite memories and gathered clips

of everyone saying, “We are Mixed

Emotions.” The video was sent to

alumni to create their own and to

thank everyone for their contributo the success of the group.

Working with MEMO this sem

was a new and exciting opport

for Ut Prosim PR. Members were

to expand portfolios, develop cre

graphics and create the alumni v

in conjunction with MEMO.

partnership has kept members bus

engaged with the client’s success

goals. The rm is anticipating f

collaborations with MEMO and ex

to see the partnership progress.

PRSSA, The Medium

ave you heard the saying It’s not what

ou know, it’s who you know? Well,

ometimes it can be the truth. Although

sounds unfair, it can be a huge bonus

get in touch with people in ofceshere you may want to have a job. Even

they aren’t exactly where you want to

ork, it can also be benecial to have

hose connections so that they can relay

our information down the line.

Many social media accounts now

make it easier than ever to make

hese connections. Fortunately for our

eneration, many employers are even

sing sites like LinkedIn to nd newcruits. It may sound intimidating

reach out to “big wigs,” but more

kely than not they have been in the

ame position as you and are more than

illing to help.

Online Connections Can Beneft Your Job Search y Carley Armentrout

David Cohen’s article “Job Hunting?

Both Weak and Strong Social Ties

Can Help” elaborates on how any ties

to the outside world can help when

starting the job search. Sometimeseven that friendship on Facebook

can help—even if you aren’t really

“friends.” Just the fact that you have

some sort of connection to a company

can boost your chances of getting a

certain job.

Initially nding these connections

can be tough, but if you put

yourself out there on connection

sites employers will start to notice.Sites like Hokies4Hire (for Virginia

Tech students), Internships.com,

and LinkedIn are all great tools to

start your professional job network.

According to the article “11 Reasons

Why Every College Student N

a LinkedIn Page” by Kelly W

students are highly encouraged to h

prole because of various reasons

connections to those in the eldreferrals, and possibly join groups

can help you gain information abou

eld you are going into. The easies

to capture employers’ attention

updating statuses, posting your res

and making sure that future emplo

are in the loop with what you are d

in the job market.

As a student and even post-graduati

is important to have these connectWhether these connections are

or strong, employers have no ide

adding someone to your page can

be a benecial move.


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The 2016-2017 Executive Board[from back to front]:

Co-Vice President, Megan FinkbeinerDirector of Publications, Anna PendletonChapter President, Katie PesekCommunity Outreach Chair, Addie OrrisonTreasurer, Melissa BuccinoDigital Account Executive, Pat Rouleau

Events Chair, Jordan HoggeFirm Co-Directors, Neeka Eghbali & Meagan Gray [Not Pictured] Co-Vice President, Casey Parrett

Goodbye from the Presidentear VT PRSSA:

can’t believe this is my last semester with our Chapter.

his Society and each of its members have come to mean

o much to me.

leave you with these 10 tips that have helped me to make

he most of the past four years as a Public Relations major:

We’re a pre-professional PR society…not a club! The

nly time it is acceptable to call PRSSA a club is when you

want to see Dr. Cannon’s reaction.

Ask someone who you admire in your eld

upperclassman, peer, or professional) to get coffee.

Help your peers to succeed as much as possible.

Get involved with a cause you care about: education,

uman rights, local community initiatives, food drives,

helters, farmers markets, or anything. Don’t get so

ogged-down in the here-and-now that you forget the big

icture: model Ut Prosim and give back.

Apply for A, B, and C-list jobs – just like how you

pplied for colleges. If you put all your eggs in one basket,

ou’re going to be disappointed, especially with a fast-aced industry like ours.

If a company doesn’t have job listings posted yet ask

for informational interviews. Connect with alumni at

companies using LinkedIn. Your job search starts i

fall.

7. Speaking of your job search, go to a PRSSA nat

event, such as conference or assembly…they are bothand career-changing!

8. Check out the awards and scholarship section of w

prssa.org – you have pretty good chances at winning

since they’re exclusive to PRSSA members!

9. RPIE/RACE/ROPE: pick your favorite and don’t f

it! The four-step PR process is life.

10. When someone says that PR is spinning informtell that person about the PRSA Code of Ethics and w

means to you.

Reach out to me anytime at melaniefordb@gmail

You will always be my PRSSbAes!

Best,

Melanie Ford

ing 2016

Chapter Statistics

dues-paying

members

graduating

seniors

clicks to our blog:

vtprssa.weebly.com/blog

cans collecte

charity


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* Melanie Ford

MSLGROUP

Public Relations Intern

* Kylie Rudder

The Prime Factory

Digital Communication Intern

* Ashlyn Davidson

Polymer Solutions

Marketing & Sales Specialist

Jaclyn Kincade

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.Talent Relations Intern

Taylor Fincik

Beliveau Winery

Event Planning Intern

Olivia Ciardi

Wunderman

Client Services Coordinator

* Katie Pesek

MullenLowe

Social Media & Public Relations Intern

MacKenzie Wine

Mainstream Engineering

Marketing Intern & Brand Ambassador

Maddie Doan

Nike Inc.

Sports Marketing Intern

Rebecca Robertson

Free Agents Marketing

Interactive Project Coordinator

* Marissa Handerhan

The Prime Factory

Content Strategy & Communications Inte

Taylor Martin

City of Norfolk Communication & Marketing Intern

* Elizabeth Coakey

The Prime Factory

Public Relations & Marketing Intern

* Jenna Sudol

College of Agriculture & Life Sciences

Public Relations Intern

Virginia Tech Alumni Association

Communications Intern

Morgan Monroe

National Transportation & Safety Board

Communications & Public Affairs Inter

Kaitlin Reese

Virginia Tech Athletics

Marketing Assistant

he Virginia Tech Chapter of PRSSA takes great pride in its members’ accomplishments, both academically

rofessionally. A Chapter is only as strong as its members, and we are fortunate enough to have incredibly dr

ndividuals who are passionate about everything they set their minds to. Take a look at what some of our members wi

pending their summer doing!

Bold means Senior with full-time position

PPRSSA, The Medium

* Member acquired internship through a PRSSA conn

The Medium: Spring 2016

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Transcript of The Medium: Spring 2016