A Scary Light Right There

A Scary Light Right There
by Lacey Earls

The countdown to graduation on my refrigerator says that I have 49 days until I get my degree… not that I’m counting or anything. In those 49 days I know I still have presentations, papers, tests and this campaign for the City of Norman and their recycling initiative to complete. Even with those days ahead of me, I can’t help but be ever so excited and so extremely scared at the same time. I see that light at the end of the tunnel, brighter than ever, and scarier than I ever figured. Where do I go from here? What do I do next? There’s no syllabus for after graduation.
Finishing my degree is something that I couldn’t fathom just four short years ago. Even two years ago it seemed like I was trudging through a never-ending swamp of lower division gen-ed classes that I had absolutely no interest in. But here I am, ready to face the world with the knowledge I gained not only from those boring classes, but the ones I loved the most too. Luckily enough, the classes I love the most are the ones related to my major. I guess that would be how it’s supposed to work…
Entering the “real world” full of “grown-ups” is something I have looked forward to for a long time. Now, with that beaming light in my eyes telling me that the time is here, I’ll be looking for a job that is in either the sports, corporate or the non-profit world. I love sports and have my entire life. I really think the ever changing, always exciting world of sports combined with the love I have for Public Relations is the perfect combination. Sports teams beyond the college realm are where I would like to spread my wings. Professional teams like the Mavericks in Dallas, the Sonics in Seattle or even right here at home with my beloved Sooners are places I would feel right at home. Traveling and seeing the places these teams go would just be an added bonus to go along with a dream career.
Just as my fellow students have said before me, there are many career possibilities in everything from event planning to the music industry and even the federal government. I wouldn’t ever close myself off from the possibility of going into a job that has nothing to do with any of these fields I’ve decided to look into, but the possibilities are endless.

Events Extraordinaire

Events Extraordinaire

By: Kelsey Martin

Since I was little I have always had a knack for being well-organized and always planning things. My mom has many stories from my development portraying how my aptitudes now have shaped me to be the planner and perfectionist I am today, and hopefully one day it will pay off. As scheduling has always been an interest for me, it was not until my high school years that I found a career that fit me- event planning. I enjoy meeting people’s needs and having a good time at parties and with my planning skills I became very interested in the career. Since then I have worked in many jobs that are in the industry to gain more experience.

As I am now graduating in December and starting to look for jobs the event industry seems much bigger and difficult to get into. I have talked with many people about different jobs in the industry, read books, and even visited event association web pages. After much research, I have decided that I would love to be a top event planner for a prestigious golf club or corporate company. However, getting to that point is going to take some time.

I am now talking to more people in the Oklahoma City and Dallas areas in different venues and country clubs including trying to secure interviews and sending my impressive (hopefully) resume. I know that in the world of the event industry its all about who you know to help you get places. And I think I know a lot of people but lately its not getting me far.

Graduating with a degree in Public Relations well prepared me to conduct campaigns and to represent a company but only until this year in campaigns class have I ever used my event planning skills in a class. However, I feel that the skills I have learned with my Public Relations degree will help me in event planning and to spread my skills further into other career outlets if necessary.

As I now search to get my foot in the door of the event industry, I only hope that after a few years I will reach my way to the top and be in charge of many prominent events and get to use the skills I have developed since a young age and during college in Public Relations.

Sony BMG and RCA PR

As May 9 and graduation seems to creep closer and closer, the inevitable job search has begun. It is so strange to think of myself as a senior in college, as I never thought that this year would come. When I entered the college as a freshmen, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. It wasn’t until the second semester of my sophomore year that I decided the major of Public Relations. The initial glitz that attracted me to public relations was the promotional aspect of the major and future careers offered.

As the job search begins, I am first trying to decide where it is that I would like to live and my options seem endless. I know that I definietly plan on moving out of Oklahoma, as the music record labels in Oklahoma are very limited. I know for a fact that I want to be involved in the music business and my ideal job would be working for a record label doing promotions for the bands represented. This could take me anywhere, from New York to Los Angeles to Europe.

I have looked into Sony BMG Music Entertainment, as they have a variety of record labels across the country. The Sony music label that interests me the most is RCA Records. The RCA record label is intrigueing to me because it represents artists that I listen to on a daily basis. This tells me that I will be better at promoting these bands, since I genuinely enjoy the artists. Artists such as Imogen Heap, The Strokes, Velvet Revolver and Kasabian are all represented by the RCA music label.

The RCA music label is a label that has survived the test of time. This is very important when choosing a career. To be able to work in a stable environment is a factor that should not be taken lightly, as it could determine your job stability in the future. To be able to work in an industry that I love (music), would make every sacrifice and every hour spent completely worthwhile. I initially want to begin working in a record label and will do anything from an internship to being an assistant. I hope to eventually be able to work up to the head of the promotional department at the same record label.

Helping Families Have A Healthy Holiday Season

My blog is a little late this time, due to Oklahoma weather causing several asthma attacks on me last week. As I started to think about this blog, it made me realize what great things my client, CCFI does for children and families. I thought about how lucky I am to have the ability to see a doctor when I am not feeling well. So many families in the Norman community do not have the capabilities to go to the doctor when they or their family member is feeling sick. Many families simply do not have enough money to do this and they must choose between taking their child to the doctor or having enough money to pay for childcare that month. The Center for Children and Families is helping to make this an easier choice for these families.

CCFI has implemented several programs for underprivileged families making their lives a little easier. Something as simple as an after school program, where parents can send their children and know that they are safe after school while their parents work, shows that a little help can go a long way. After attending the official tour of CCFI, where I learned more about their organization, I now understand why people would want to work for a non-profit. Before, I never thought I could see myself working at a non-profit and now I do not understand why I wouldn’t want to work at a place like CCFI. The work that they are doing is touching so many lives for the better each day. Seeing a child and parent play together for the first time or see a troubled parent turn their path around and decide to get help would be some of the most rewarding work.

My group has struggled with what we could possibly do for our client, CCFI. We have gone back and forth between our contact at CCFI, Whitney Russell, who is in charge of communications there, and Dr. Carstarphen. For about the first 8 weeks of class it seemed like we could not catch a break. We would come up with what we thought was a brilliant idea for our campaign with CCFI, only to find out that they already had something like that being done or to find out that our idea would not work for this class. Talk about frustrating! It was only yesterday we finally got it set in stone what we will do for our event. Not only are we incredibly behind the other groups, but we all have so much work to do for other classes during midterms. I believe our group will be able to pull of a fantastic event for CCFI.

We plan to hold our own event inside of one of their events. During the annual CCFI Christmas Open House, we will hold a diaper drive. I believe this will be very successful seeing that we have a very influential minister helping us to promote the diaper drive. Jim Burns, who is a member of the Ministerial Alliance, and also on the Board of Directors at CCFI will announce our event at the monthly Ministerial Alliance meeting. The purpose of this is for him to get the other members to announce the diaper drive to their congregations. We will provide the information that Jim Burns will say as well as the information for each member to say when they announce the event. We are going to have a short story for them to tell their congregation about how badly CCFI needs their help and hopefully this will persuade them to bring donations.

My own personal goal for this campaign is that providing diapers to families in need will allow for them to have the resources needed to keep their family healthy this holiday season.

Come Fly With Me

Come Fly With Me
By: Lesha Boggess

My dream job in public relations would be to work at an airline such as Southwest Airlines, Delta Airlines, or American Airlines. I have always enjoyed traveling and would love to work for a company whose sole purpose is to see that its clients travel safely between destinations. I am pursuing a minor in Spanish and have considered seeking a career in International Public Relations. I feel that working with a worldwide airline would give me the chance to experience some international aspects of public relations here in the United States.

Working for a commercial airline would give me the chance to use the skills I have been learning thus far in college. I would ensure that members of the press were informed about information regarding the commercial airline. My day-to-day activities would include writing news releases, disturbing media kits, and working with the pr team on fact sheets and backgrounders.

The main reason that working for a commercial airline appeals to me is the wide range of issues that I would get to address each day. There is information regarding aircraft manufacturing that needs to be distributed to the right people. Public Relations Representatives for Airlines have a huge impact on consumers and providing people with information is crucial. Security Developments are changing every day, which is the reason that an airline needs a strong PR Team to keep the public aware of developments. I would get the chance to work with governmental organizations regarding safety regulations.

Working for a commercial airline would give me the chance to practice not only international public relations but also governmental public relations. I am passionate about my love for traveling; I want to help get information out to the general public to increase their opportunities to see the world.

The Beginning of a New Chapter

The Beginning of a New Chapter

By Melia Wright

As the time for graduation is nearing, applying and interviewing for jobs constantly weighs on the mind of graduating seniors. It should at this point in time for many, as for myself, I will have to put off a full-time career for a few more years of being a student.

I always viewed the ACT as the most important test I would take in my life, until now. Four years after taking the ACT I am now preparing for the GRE, something I had never even heard about in high school, in hopes to make the transition into graduate school.

Since I was a young girl I have always envisioned working in the world of sports. As I have learned more about the field and what I need to do in order to succeed in the world of sports, I have found that it is in my best interest to put off the “real world” for another two years and earn my master’s in Sports Management.

While earning my master’s I hope to gain experience by working in the Athletic Department of the university I attend. Once my master’s degree is completed and I have gained a few years experience, I hope to enter my dream job as the Director of Event Management in sports. It is a job in which I can use not only my master’s degree in Sports Management, but also my bachelor’s degree in Public Relations.

Because of my love for sports and goal of one day working in this field, I immediately began searching for internships in this field. As a public relations student, an internship is almost a must in order to get a job in this competitive field. I received an internship at the Oklahoma City All Sports Association and after a semester of working with them, my love for sports was reinforced and I knew the area of sports is where I had to be.

Earning my master’s is the next step I need to take in order to reach my goal and the University of San Francisco is where I hope to take this next step. It not only has one of the top sports management programs in the nation but the time and effort you put into earning your master’s at USF pays off well and almost guarantee’s each of its graduates a job in the field of sports.

I have found throughout my four years in college that many people do not enjoy, appreciate, or even use the degree they earned in college. I am not one of those people, for I am very excited to use not only my bachelor’s degree but also my master’s. I thoroughly enjoy the world of public relations and all that it entails and I look forward to using my public relations skills specifically in the world of sports. It would be a dream of mine to earn my master’s and enter the “real world” in an area that I love so much.

Let the transition begin

Let the transition begin

By Matthew Wall

It’s always a tough day after graduation. I mean after high school I knew I was heading off to college to start something new and exciting. But it was that first rush of sheer panic that really scared me; what was I going to do with my life. The good news is I found my direction, just as life tends to lead us. It took a while out of the gate, but things always tend to run the right course.

It’s sometimes interesting to look back and trace my path to the University of Oklahoma. Because I never thought I would be studying public relations. Funny enough, I was a finance major when I arrived here. So now once again I stand at the brink of transition.

In December I will face that troubling fear again. The fear of what am I going to do with my life. The good news is once again I have a plan and a direction. Following graduation this December, I plan on hopefully earning a commission in the United States Marine Corps or the United States Navy. In the military I want to work in the field of public affairs.

This would expectantly send me to Washington D.C. where I, ultimately, want to be. I also, one day, want to run for public office. This has long been an aspiration for me to serve this great country. I feel with the skills I have learned while at OU I could have a successful career in public service. I believe the best quality I have attained through the study of journalism and public relations is remembering to always to the honest thing, even if it is the unpopular thing.

The City of Norman: How classy is a city so trashy?

The City of Norman has a constant problem with litter on the streets and highways. It turns what could be a beautiful city into one that resembles something closer to a trash dump.

In a campaign aimed at changing this problem, we have decided to focus on the slogan, “Keep Norman Classy, Don’t be Trashy.” We want to change the perception attached to the city. Instead of people viewing Norman as a dumpy college town, the perception should transcend to that of a classy, beautiful town.

The City of Norman has a litter crew consisting of only five men to pick up the litter all over Norman. In 2003 the crew picked up 6.73 tons of trash per crew member. In the first six months of 2004, the crew picked up 1.8 tons per person, then the crew was abolished. The litter crew was reinstated August 1, 2007. It now consists of one full time staff member and four contract labor personnel. The primary cleanup areas are the portal entries of Norman, major arterial roads, major section line roads, and locations where special events are planned.

We are working on producing a special event that is an extended take on something the university group OUr Earth does. They hand out trash bags on game days to keep the littering down. We thought this could be a good way to hit a big audience with several of our publics. We are going to hand out trash bags along with flyers for the city to raise awareness of the problem. This will be done at the OU v. Texas A&M game on Saturday, November 3, 2007.

Because one of the special event that day, this is a key opportunity to help the problem and raise awareness. We’ll see how classy we can make Norman, because the goal is just that, “Keep Norman Classy, Don’t be Trashy.”

http://www.ou.edu/student/ourearth/

http://www.ci.norman.ok.us/

http://soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/okla-m-footbl-sched.html