salute - january 2005
DESCRIPTION
A publication of the James S. Measell Chapter of PRSSA at Wayne State UniversityTRANSCRIPT
Don’t Be Afraid toGet Active
1
An Offer from anAlumnus
2
WSU/PRSSACelebrates theHoliday Season
2
Learning Aboutthe World
Around Me3
WSU StudentsTour the Town
3
Airfoil Reps LeadMock Interview
Session4
EMU StudentDevelopment
Conference ‘045
PUBLIC RELATIONS STUDENT SOCIETY OF AMERICA
JANUARY 2005
Don’t be afraid to get activeBy Shannon Komondy
Mary Henige,director of communicationsfor Pontiac GMC and WSUPRSSA’s professionaladvisor came back to visitand check in with our group.
She was veryexcited and encouraged tohear from Faculty AdvisorShelly Najor, that the WayneState University chapter ofPRSSA added about 70 newnames to the active memberslist thanks to the most recentmembership drive.
“Now that you’vejoined, don’t be afraid to getactive within the group,”Henige said. “Go tomeetings, try to be at asmany PRSSA events as youcan and offer to help whereyou can.” Henige also saidthat she wishes that she hadbeen more active when shewas a member of the group,but confessed that lack ofconfidence prevented herfrom taking on leadershippositions as a student.Because writtencommunication is suchanimportant part of publicrelations, students shouldtake as many opportunities to
SEE GET ACTIVE, PG. 4Mary Henige, APR, speaks to PRSSA students about the importance ofvisibility in the organization. Photo by Matthew Wisotsky.
WSU PRSSACHAPTER
Executive Board2004-2005
Faculty AdvisorShelly Najor, PhD
Professional AdvisorMary Henige, APR
PresidentBridgette LaRose
Vice PresidentScott Kefgen
TreasurerKrystal Miller
Special EventsCoordinatorNellie Shin
Membership CoordinatorJamessa Reed
Internship CoordinatorBeth Walker
Marketing LiaisonMatthew [email protected]
Newsletter EditorNicole Young
Assistant NewsletterEditor
Dave [email protected]
An offer of advice froman alumnus
WSU/ PRSSA JANUARY 2005 Page 2
by Dawn Wegner
“Dress to impressand read the news.” Theseare just two of the many tipsthat Shaun Wilson, Presidentand CEO of Wilson PublicRelations offered WayneState University students atthe November 17, 2004PRSSA meeting. Some ofthe other tips included hav-ing a role model, being ac-tive in PRSSA, knowinghow to write correctly andeffectively and becoming fa-miliar with the key players inthe field. When discussingyoung professionals, Wilsonsuggested networking,knowing and thinking likethe media, knowing the
Shaun Wilson speaks to students at recent PRSSA meeting.Photo by Matthew Wisotsky.
industry and your client.Wilson also emphasized tothe students the importanceof a strong personality andthe “make it happen” atti-tude. He pointed out thatfocusing on teamwork ismore important than workingindividually.
The meeting was acombination of Wilsonspeaking and the studentsresponding with questions.The discussion ended withDr. Shelly Najor requestingsome personal stories fromWilson. He concluded themeeting by sharing with thestudents both a crisis storyand a positive situation thatleft him feeling proud andaccomplished of working inthe field of public relations.
WSU/PRSSAcelebrates theholiday season
by Beth Walker
On December 8,WSU PRSSA celebrated itsannual holiday party in theJapanese room ofManoogian Hall. Festivitiesran from 1:45 to 4:30 andseveral faculty members andstudents from othercommunication majorsattended. Everyone presentwas in the holiday spirit,donating gifts for, Toys ForTots of Detroit.
Refreshments wereserved, and E-boardmembers supplied pizza andsnacks. Nellie Shin,Wayne’s PRSSA specialevents coordinator, is to becongratulated for anotherjob well done. The party wasa great success and served asan excellent recognition ofthe season.
QUICKFACTS
PRSSA-Nationalswww.prssa.org
PRSA-Detroitwww.prsadetroit.org
PRSA-Nationalswww.prsa.org
WSU/ PRSSA JANUARY 2005 Page 3
Learning about the world around me:A personal account on networking at the PRSSA/PRSA Meet-N-Greet
by Suzanne Kaniewski
Networking, liba-tions, and hors d’oeuvreswere enjoyed by all at thePRSSA/PRSA Meet-N-Greet held November 23,2004 at Big Rock ChopHouse in Birmingham. Theevent was created so studentscould meet professionalsworking in the field of pub-lic relations. Professionals inattendance were from severalorganizations including Air-foil Public Relations,Bianchi Public RelationsJohn Bailey and Associates,Comerica and General Mo-tors. Students representingPRSSA chapters from East-ern Michigan University,Michigan State Universityand the University of Michi-gan-Dearborn were also inattendance.
It can be nerve-racking networking with
professionals for some stu-dents while others don’t hesi-tate to walk up and introducethemselves. I was of the stu-dents a little nervous, but Istill had success in meetinga few helpful people. I wasstanding by myself whenMike DeVilling, APR, Se-nior Vice President at JohnBailey & Associates was nice
enough to introduce himself.Because of how highly I ex-pressed my interest in work-ing in public relations once Igraduated, DeVilling gaveme some advice and a con-nection to a possible em-ployer. He encouraged meto join PRSA after graduat-ing from WSU because it’ssuch a great way to maintain
professional relationshipswithin. The Meet-N-Greetprovided students with agreat opportunity to networkin a nice atmosphere. Spe-cial thanks to Big Rock ChopHouse for sponsoring thisevent. For more informationon Big Rock Chop House,please visit their website atwww.bigrockchophouse.com.
Located at 245 S. Eton St. in Birmingham, Big Rock Chop Houserecently sponsored anetworking session for PRSSA and PRSA members.
by Bridgette LaRose andKrystal Miller
From the quaintwhite-trimmed office build-ing at the corner of SquareLake and Adams to the Topof Troy with a birds-eyeview, last semester WSU-PRSSA students visited threerespected and reputable PRagencies.
Eisbrenner PR,Bianchi PR and John Bailey& Associates are three Troy-
based PR firms with verysimilar clients but very dif-ferent internal cultures. Eachfirm has a unique and definedculture, hierarchy and way ofdoing things. The three com-peting firms invited studentsinto their workplace, gave atour of their facilities andtalked about the PR profes-sion.
The response fromWSU students astoundedeach firm. In previous tourshosted by each firm only a
handful of students had at-tended. When it came toWSU-PRSSA members;however, the response wasquite different. Approxi-mately 25 students attendedeach tour, many attendingmore than one agency. Theagency visits gave studentsthe opportunity to get out ofthe classroom and see the PRprofessionals in their atmo-sphere, culture and everydaywork environment.
During each tour,
the professionals recognizedPRSSA membership as agreat benefit to those activelyinvolved. Students who par-ticipate in the organizationnot only have a better under-standing of the PR profes-sion, but are also better pre-pared and more skilled whenentering the workforce. Be-cause of these important fac-tors, each firm expressed in-terest in taking on PRSSAmembers as interns. In fact,SEE TOUR, PG. 6
WSU students tour the town
WSU/ PRSSA JANUARY 2005 Page 4
by Lori Utash
As the Wayne StateUniversity chapter ofPRSSA grows, theopportunities for themembers grow as well. Witha record membership thisyear at WSU students areeager to seize theopportunities presented tothem. The PRSSA meetingon December 2, 2004 was noexception. Several membersgathered for a meeting in theRomanian Room inManoogian Hall, wherepublic relationsprofessionals Tim Wielandand Elin Spahr held a resumecritique and mock interviewsession.
After presentingfacts about Airfoil PublicRelations, where Wielandand Spahr are employed, andanswering the students’questions about AirfoilPublic Relations, Wieland
Elin Spahr and Tim Wieland reviews PRSSA members’ resumesand offers tips on how to have a successful interview. Photo byMatthew Wisotsky.
Airfoil representatives leadmock interview session
and Spahr held an impressivemock interview with PRSSAmember Shannon Komondy.“I thought it was a greatopportunity which helped meidentify what I need to workon the next time I interview,”Komondy said. AlthoughKomondy executed anextremely impressiveinterview, Wieland and Spahrprovided the PRSSAmembers with helpful hintson how to achieve asuccessful interview.
As graduation nearsfor some of the PRSSAmembers that attended, it wasan extremely insightful andhelpful workshop. Whetheryou are entering into theinternship or professionalworld in the near future, it isimportant to take advantageof the many opportunitiesthat PRSSA has to offer.
FROM GET ACTIVE,PG. 1
exercise these skills. Writefor the Salute. Write for theWSU student newspaper.Write for an organizationwhere you volunteer. Inmany situations, writtencommunication, even some-thing as small as an e-mailcan make an impression.The key is to be clear andcorrect.
Another subjectdiscussed at the meetingwas the networking oppor-tunities that are open toWSU PRSSA members.The Detroit Chapter of Pub-lic Relations Society ofAmerica- the parent organi-zation of PRSSA is the fifthlargest chapter in the UnitedStates.
As PRSSA mem-bers get closer to the transi-tion between College andthe professional world, stu-dents will have the oppor-tunity to join PRSA andhave their foot in the door.Mentors are availablewithin the community whoare willing to help and sup-port students as they worktowards their goals.
Finally, studentswere given some insidedetails about one ofHenige’s most recent andwell-known projects: ThePontiac G6 Giveaway onthe Oprah Winfrey show.
CALL TO
ALL
ALUMNI!
Are you working inthe PR industry? Doyou own a business?Are you still in the
area? We would liketo know what you’reup to! Please submitan update containingyour name, year of
graduation andcurrent job to
[email protected] dave.nielsen@
sbcglobal.net. Yourupdate will be
published in futureissues of the Salute!
WSU/ PRSSA JANUARY 2005 Page 5
NATIONAL BLACK PUBLIC RELATIONS SOCIETY
www.nbprs.org
PR NEWSWIRE
www.prnewswire.com
MARX LAYNE MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
www.marxlayne.com
WOMEN EXECUTIVES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
www.wepr.org
THE ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN IN COMMUNICATION
www.womcom.org
PR WATCH
www.prwatch.org
COUNCIL OF PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRMS
www.prfirms.org
THE INSTITUTE FOR PRwww.instituteforpr.com
INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION
www.ipra.org
THE PUBLIC RELATIONS MUSEUM/NYCwww.prmuseum.com
CO
MM
UN
ICAT
ION R
ESO
UR
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EMU Student Development Conference ‘04
by Nicole M. Young
On any normalSaturday morning studentseither choose to sleep in orcatch up on late assignments.On the morning of Saturday,November 13, 2004, PRstudents from across thestate attended the StudentDevelopment Conferencehosted by the EleanorWright chapter of PRSSA atEastern MichiganUniversity.
P r o f e s s i o n a l srepresenting variousbranches of public relationsincluding government/public affairs, sports/entertainment, non-profit,corporate and agencies werepresent to lend theirknowledge of the industry.David Weime, Director ofStrategic Communicationfor Palace Sports andEntertainment, was themorning keynote speaker.
He offered suggestions onhow to advance in the field.He encouraged students tohave and continue groomingfundamental skills.“Knowing you situation willhelp you 150 percent,” saidWeime. “Take writing andpublic speaking classes,anything that would developyour credibility.”
Weime alsosuggested keeping in contactwith former employees. Asa high school student,Weime worked as a statisticsrunner for the Pistons.Having that position helpedhim gain his current job. Notonly did he know theorganization as a participantand spectator, Weime knewthe people that would hirehim for a position.
Jennifer Day, the2005 president of theDetroichapter of PRSA andthe director of public affairsfor the Greak Lakes Division
the International Joint Com-mission, was the afternoonkeynote speaker. She empha-sized the importance of get-ting involved with PRSSA.“To be truly successful, getinvolved and stay involved,”said Day. “It is important tomake yourself visible in theorganization. There aremany reasons to stay in-volved with PRSSA includ-ing building professional andleadership skills, making aname for oneself in the fieldand networking with otherPR students and profession-als.”
Between the morn-ing and afternoon speakers,students had the opportunityto attend breakout sessions,a small sample of the typesof PR careers available.Breakout sessions includedspeakers from the SuperBowl XL Host Committee,Ford Motor Credit, Berg,Muirhead and Associates
and Olympia Entertainment.Special thanks to
the Eleanor Wright chapterof PRSSA for hosting theevent.
ARTICLESUBMISSIONS TO
THE SALUTE
Would you like to write for thenewsletter? The Salute is looking
for articles relating to a currentevent on campus or in the
metropolitan area relating topublic relations or on a PRSA/
PRSSA event. For articlesubmission guidelines, please
contactNicole Young at
[email protected] orDave Nielsen at
WSU/ PRSSA JANUARY 2005 Page 6
FROM TOUR, PG. 3
many of the employeesworking in the three agenciesare former interns.Eisbrenner PR has hired sev-eral former interns, one ofwhich is the vice president ofthe company.
The firms are simi-lar in that each firm has ateam-oriented atmospherewith highly focused employ-ees who truly enjoy the PRprofession. Also, the threeagencies have a strong tie tothe automotive industry. Al-though the link in clients issimilar, each firm’s internalculture is different.
Eisbrenner PublicRelations has a laidback,family atmosphere. The ma-jority of their clientele lies inthe automotive industry.With approximately 30 em-ployees, Eisbrenner offerstheir clients a full range ofPR and marketing services.Onsite PR teams, a specialevents group and a graphicdesign department allowsEisbrenner PR the ability tofulfill all of their clients’need. Some clients includeAutomotive Alley, Bosch,Dana and Motorola.
Bianchi Public Re-lations has a much differentatmosphere. With approxi-mately 10 employees, theenvironment is an extremelyclose-knit group. There is avery strong and obvious fam-ily atmosphere amongst‘Team Bianchi.’ Bianchi of-fers a wide range of servicesto their clients including
media relations and crisismanagement. Their clienteleis highly focused but not lim-ited to the automotive indus-try. Some of Bianchi’s cli-ents include: Johnson Con-trols, Inc.; Ricardo, Inc.; andTRW Automotive.
John Bailey & As-sociates is a very diversefirm. With approximately 30employees, John Bailey &Associates has a wide vari-ety of clients. JB&A serveclients such as MarshallFields, The North AmericanInternational Auto Show andAAA of Michigan. Thougheach team works on separateaccounts in different areas ofcommerce, the firm is veryteam-oriented.
The agency toursproved to be very successfulfor students. The studentswalked away with a betterunderstanding of PR as aprofession. The opportunityto experience the differencein atmospheres in three simi-lar but very different localPR firms was very helpfulfor the students. Now, weknow where to send our re-sumes.
Thank you toEisbrenner, John Bailey &Associates and Bianchi forhosting the WSU-PRSSAagency tours.
UPCOMING EVENTSSandy Hermanoff
“Get Your Creative Juices Flowin”
Monday, January 24, 2005
6 PM
150 Manoogian Hall
Agency Tour: Airfoil Public Relations1001 Woodward Avenue
Downtown Detroit
Friday, January 28, 20054 PM
For more information or to reserve a spot,please e-mail [email protected].
IN THE NEXT SALUTE...
Airfoil Public Relations Agency TourJennifer Day, the 2005 president of PRSA-Detroit
Sandy Hermanoff
Distribution Date: February 28, 2005Submission Deadline: February 14, 2005