A Career Path Worth Following

The Path I Wish to Take

Having interned at the Oklahoma City Thunder for two semesters and currently working part-time there, my dream job and ultimate goal through my Public Relations degree at The University of Oklahoma is to work full-time for the Thunder after graduation. Kaylee Losinger, a Guest Relations Specialist for the Oklahoma City Thunder, took the exact career path I wish to take.

How to Get the Job

Ms. Losinger, like myself, interned with the Oklahoma City Thunder the semester before she graduated. Although she graduated with one class left to take, she started working with the Thunder while finishing up her degree. Now, she works full time in the Guest Relations department.

“The first part of my job mainly revolves around communicating with the fans,” Losinger said.

Every day the Guest Relations department gets hundreds of emails from fans for variety of different reasons. Ms. Losinger’s job requires he to hold up the standards placed by the Thunder of responding to each email or request within one business day. This can include anything from sending Thunder memorabilia to fans, to responding to a question or problem.

The second part of her job is acting as a liaison between the arena staff and the staff at the Oklahoma City Thunder. During games, these groups of people constantly interact. Ms. Losinger helps them stay in contact through internal newsletters, conferences and other forms of communication.

Advice for an Aspiring Professional

When asked what her advice would be for someone wanting to go into her field of work, she simply responded, “stick with it and make all the connections you can.”

Her advice has directly affected me. While interning at the Thunder I have taken every opportunity to meet anyone I can. I get advice from anyone willing to give it and do not take for granted a single day. Hopefully, my future will lead me right where Kaylee’s led her.

Brenna Kent

November 10, 2011

Photo: Courtesy of Okeicentric

Tanna Vu, Director of Funds Development for Hospice of Southwest Oklahoma

Tanna Vu, Director of Funds Development for Hospice of Southwest Oklahoma

By: Amber Rogers

(Photo taken from Hospice of Southwest Oklahoma Web site.)

Tanna Vu is the Director of Funds Development for Hospice of Southwest Oklahoma. Hospice of Southwest Oklahoma is affiliated with the United Way of Lawton-Fort Sill. Vu always wanted a career that matched her personality.

"I chose the PR field because it appealed to my personality style," said Vu. "I'm a people person and enjoy interacting with groups and creating relationships."

Vu has been in the public relations industry for 15 years and has worked with many corporations.

"The PR field is very diverse, meaning it allows for many job opportunities and experiences through your lifetime," said Vu. "It is very rewarding and exciting to cultivate and interact with people and know you have a part in making the company you work for successful."

Vu graduated from the Cameron University in Lawton, Okla. with a bachelor's degree in Communication. She received her master's degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. Vu has an extensive PR professional background which includes: Southwest Medical Center, BancFirst and Springhill Suites and Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott. Vu had a personal connection with Hospice along with a working relationship from a previous job. She applied to Hospice for her current position for those reasons.

Plenty of responsibilities come with her title. Vu is responsible for ensuring funds, writing grants, holding special events, and writing donor appeal letters. She oversees marketing and education at the agency. Vu also creates brochures, creates and maintains social networking sites and creates other tools to help Hospice stay ahead of competitors. Vu is tasked with speaking on behalf of Hospice at civic groups and other venues about how Hospice impacts the communities they serve.

According to Vu, the top knowledge that is needed in the PR field is communication, marketing and human relations skills. She believes the skills necessary include the ability to relate to people on a personal level and the ability to articulate information to the community using various media such as print, radio, television or other groups.

The most rewarding part of Vu's position is knowing that she contributed to the success of continuing the legacy of Hospice by making sure the public is educated about Hospice's services. The advice she wants to give to students studying in the PR field is to look into a PR internship to ensure that PR is one's passion and to allow students to begin developing skills outside of the classroom.

"Be flexible" Becca says to future PR professionals

"Be flexible" Becca says to future PR professionals

Thursday March 25, 2010
By Joshua Fried

Becca Salmon has always had a knack for organization. As young as high school Becca was planning events for her community and church, truly developing a passion for events. While at OU Becca worked for museums publicizing events, statewide political campaigns, the Oklahoma National Democratic Party and the American Cancer Society. She was also a student intern for the OU Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering; helping plan joint conferences and maintain their scholarship database.

Becca received a B.A. in Planned Program and Organizational Studies and Social Sciences with a concentration in Communication and Criminology from the University of Oklahoma in May 2006.

Becca is currently in her forth year as an Event Coordinator at the Center for Public Management in the OU College of Continuing Education. Becca’s job involves creating events and awareness for state agencies such as the Department of Human Services .

Becca is responsible for all aspects of the events she contracts; from the location and the food served to the color scheme for the logo. Initially she meets with the customer to hear what kind of event will be held and then creates a proposal including various locations and their costs, speakers and breakout sessions, handouts and publicity.

In order to create a mutually beneficial relationship for the client and their public, Becca will analyze both the advantages and drawbacks of a certain speaker or giveaway and present this to the client. During the planning stages of an event “all of the problems end up on my desk to be fixed” she says. “Cleaning up the mess” as Becca refers to it is a specific skill of hers. Issues that arise during an event look bad for her customer and the OU department that she works for, thus, she always strives to create a positive image for both of them. After an event Becca uses surveys to create a report for the client on what was and was not successful.

“I love my job,” Becca says with a smile as she continues planning an event that will host over 500 people in the upcoming month. When asked for advice for future PR professionals, Becca immediately stressed the importance of flexibility.

This is the logo from the last event Becca organized.

Say "Bonjour" to a true People's Person.

March 10, 2010

By Jillian Manon Chopin

What can public relations do for you? Well, it can do several things including open you to an endless world of connections and possibilities and serve as the main avenue for which to reach your career goals. Angenene Gibbs Kendrick, mother of three and native of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, knows this very well.

Angenene, who is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, earned a degree in public relations from the Gaylord College of Journalism with a minor in French. Knowing Angenene personally, I have seen how welcoming she is to every person around her. She speaks French very well, and thus when she graduated I knew she was going to get any job for which she aspired.

Angenene currently serves as the City Reporter for the Sapulpa Daily Herald where she oversees several tasks including, but not limited to: producing the daily paper, generating news leads, writing various pieces, producing and gathering photography to be printed, and collaborating with the managing editor. Angenene also has the daily opportunity to use her greatly developed people skills, as she is also responsible for maintaining contact with the local publics, and keeping track of local government and sunshine laws. Angenene is most definitely fit for this position, seeing as she is quite the public relations pro and loves interacting with people on a daily basis.

On the other hand, having a career that is driven by public relations and journalism is surely a very time-consuming job, and when asked "What do you not so much love about PR?", Angenene responded by saying, "...the time away from my family."

Seeing as I will be graduating from OU in a mere two months, I asked Angenene for her best advice in jumping in to the public relations field. She urged the importance of developed skills such as formal news writing, research methods, and crisis planning; these skills being the most important and useful from which she gained at OU.

Angenene also advised me that when I do land that first job, I need to place emphasis on writing well (in AP style of course), know my media and their schedule, and always make my press releases completely relevant to the publication's public.

I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing Angenene and will implement her advice in every way possible as I begin to pursue my career post graduation. I wish my fellow classmates and Angenene the best of luck!

Busy All the Time but It's Fun

March 8, 2010

Busy All the Time but It's Fun

By: Matthew Wilson

When I came to the University of Oklahoma I didn’t know what major I wanted to choose. It was suggested to me that I check out Public Relations and when I saw the opportunities, it looked like a good idea.

When I saw that there were different fields to the PR profession and that one of those was sports PR, I got excited because Norman has one of the best sports PR offices in the nation.

Craig Moran is the assistant director contact for are women’s soccer, baseball of the OU Athletics Communications office.

Craig has been in the sports PR field for eight years and graduated for Bowling Green State University with a bachelor’s degree in sports information and a minor in journalism. He started his career as an intern for the University of Detroit-Mercy and with the Toledo Storm hockey team.

Craig started work at OU as the contact for the men’s and women’s gymnastics team and then was hired fulltime as the contact for women’s soccer and baseball.

“I was very excited to land my first full-time position at a large Division I university,” said Moran. “After working a few years at smaller schools and in minor league hockey, I felt like all of the hard work had finally paid off.”

When observing what he does for a brief period of time, it is clear that Craig works very hard with the day-to-day operations of the communications professional. SoonerSports.com is the key tool to get information out to the public for the OU Athletics Communications office.

According to Craig, “A lot of the old school methods continue to get weeded out. Instead of solely providing information for the media, we are becoming our own news source and trying to drive more and more traffic to our web site.”

For any future professional out there, Craig says that a sports PR professional always must be on the search for new ways to reach the public, like OU Athletics on Twitter and Facebook.

“I knew working as an intern at Oklahoma would lead to good things. That is exactly why I took the job in the first place,” added Moran. “But I didn’t see myself staying longer than a year or two, and never would have expected seven years now working in not only one of best communication offices in the nation, but one of the best athletics departments.”

Watching Craig I realized that each day Craig wakes up and gets to work around sports. Growing up in Norman, this is a job that could be a dream come true for me. If you are looking for a job that you could love, this would definitely be it.

The image of OU is courtesy of the University of Oklahoma Athletic Department

The Personal Side of Public Relations

The Personal Side of Public Relations

By Lacy Barnes

“Just keep trucking.”

This simple, yet direct and to the point statement was the best advice Cassie Gage had for graduating seniors wanting to pursue public relations careers. In the whirlwind that is my last semester college, it is comforting to hear something so easy. With graduation growing near, my final classes lingering over my head and multiple people asking what I plan to do with my life come May, simple advice is refreshing to say the least.

Gage is an Assistant Director of Communications at The University of Oklahoma where she works in OU’s athletic department in media relations. As the media contact for both volleyball and softball programs at OU, Gage is never in one place for long. Having my own career aspirations of working in athletics, getting the chance to sit down and talk with Gage was both encouraging and helpful.

Working in big-time Division I athletics, Gage has gained public relations experience unique to most other work environments. Cassie travels full-time with the softball team and part time with the volleyball team in order to cover their games and regulate media coverage. This type of public relations on the fly has taught Gage how to be efficient, thick-skinned and accepting of change.

The biggest changes during her career in public relations have been personal, in order to adapt to her environment.

“What surprised me the most about public relations was how much I had to change to survive,” Gage said. “Five years ago, people could run over me and make fun of me and I would just take it. I’ve had to learn how to step up, speak my mind and be confident in myself and my work.”

Growing up in a family surrounded by athletics, Gage said she always knew she wanted to work in sports.

“As a senior in high school I received the opportunity to write for a high school Web site network called iHigh.com which led to a position as a sports correspondent in the local paper,” Gage said. “From there I was offered a sports information scholarship to East Mississippi Community College and the rest they say is history.” Gage went on to earn her Bachelor of Art in Communication with an emphasis in public relations from Mississippi State University.

After being in the profession full-time for four years now, two at OU and two as the Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations at Mississippi State, Gage says the majority of her job involves writing.

According to Gage, “The top skills students who want to pursue public relations need are writing to get the job along with desire and passion to keep you there. It’s important to know your audiences as well because I need to write for an audience that’s critical of what I’m saying about my team.”

Gage also touched on the importance of timeliness in her career, “It’s really important to make deadlines in public relations. We live in a world where everyone wants information as soon as it happens.”

With all the technical advice that could be given about finding and starting a career in public relations, Gage finds it’s the simple life-lessons that are most useful when trying to succeed in a profession.

“If you want it, go for it and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t. When people knock you down, and they will, dust yourself off and keep going. And when you do fail, which you will, learn from it and make yourself better. I’ve always been a believer in remembering where you come from. There’s a difference between being arrogant and being confident and distinguishing that can be the difference in getting what you want or having everyone hate you.”

Picture of Cassie Gage is courtesy of the University of Oklahoma Athletic Department

My Time Has Come

My Time Has Come

by Erin Jackson

In August 2005, this time in my life seemed so extremely far away. Graduation day was definitely a goal I had in mind, but it was something I pushed to the back of my mind, behind all of the research papers, group projects and mid-term exams I currently had to focus on. Now, as I am a senior at the University of Oklahoma in my last semester, that day is becoming all the more real… as is the fact that in less than one week, I will have to face the real world. I have to admit that part of me if frightened by it all, especially in my search for a full time job. Will I do well? Will I be able to compete amongst all of the other recent college graduates?

During my time at Gaylord as a public relations student, I have been challenged in more ways than I originally imagined. I used to be hesitant to take on those challenges put before me, but I am now thankful for each one, as I know that it will only help to build my marketability when I enter the workforce. After I graduate from OU, I will head to Dallas, TX to pursue a career in public relations. I know that when I am going on interviews and when I eventually land a job, I will be prepared for whatever task I am handed.

I am very thankful for all of the experiences I have had at OU, especially in the Gaylord College. It has not always been easy of fun, but I know that every experience

Interning is the Key

Don't Be Afraid to Go Outside the Box

By Jason Bodin

My college experience at the University of Oklahoma has been one of a kind. I began my collegiate career as a public relations major, but I didn’t even know what a public relations practitioner was or did.

Since my freshman year I worked for an oil and gas company as a landman and lease buyer. Even though many of my professors and peers had explained to me the importance of internships I never considered quitting my job to begin my career in public relations. However, I searched for answers as to why I wanted to be in public relations and found them during my second semester of sophomore year. That semester I was enrolled in Kenny Mossman’s sports pr course.

After excelling in his course he asked me if I was interested in joining his staff as an intern. Like many I was skeptical of quitting my high-paying job for a non-paying internship. In the end I knew I needed to get my feet wet in public relations. I interviewed with the department staff and eventually got the job. Since joining the staff I have learned a world of information and have found my niche in public relations. Hopefully the information I learned will help many of you realize how important it is to intern early and often.

(1) Don’t be scared to quit your job and begin interning in public relations.

I have had to work throughout college and the thought of making little-to-no money is a scary thought, but it pays off in the long run. For the first semester of my internship I worked 30 hours a week for free, but after working hard I began making minimum wage. Even though it isn’t close to what I made when working in the oil and gas field I look at it as an investment for my future and so should you.

(2) Even though your internship may be non-paying give it your all.

Most internships are non-paying and most people slack-off because of it. Had I not worked my butt off I wouldn’t have been put in the position to make money. Also, these are the people that control your life, to a degree. If you work hard an employer is more likely to reference you for a high-profile job in the future. Make the most of every opportunity and it will payoff.

(3) Make the most of your dollar.

You pay a lot of money for your degree so make sure you’re getting your moneys worth. Use Gaylord college resources to get an internship. I found an internship by using the resources I had, my professor. I know there are a number of internships posted by Dr. C and a number of other professors.

Photo Courtesy of Mitch Heckart

Don't Let Your Passion for Public Relations be Led Astray

Don’t let your passion for public relations be led astray

Public relations professional, Pamela Gutel, APR, has been in the business for more than 15 years. With a wide array of strategic communications experiences that grace her resume, Gutel also teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of Oklahoma in the Public Relations department. Her love of PR is also evident in the list of activities she enjoys outside the work place. Former president of the Oklahoma chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Oklahoma City chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, Gutel’s passion for establishing relationships between whatever organization she happens to be working with and its publics is obvious.

When asked what she thinks the top skills of a public relations professional should be, Gutel said: “Be a good writer, take initiative, think strategically and have a good attitude.” She also said being naturally organized and detail oriented pays off in the profession.

Currently, Gutel serves as the Director of Public Affairs for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Oklahoma City Branch. She developed her strategic communications talents over the years by working in various public relations director capacities at companies like Cox Communications and Logix Communications. Before entering the workforce, Gutel earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Journalism/Public Relations from the University of Oklahoma.

In honor of her professional success, Gutel has received numerous civic and professional awards. In 2007, she was named one of the Journal Record’s “Achievers Under 40,” and one of OKCBusiness’ “Forty Under 40.” She has served in volunteer capacities for local organizations such as United Way of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation and Special Olympics.

Some valuable advice from a PR guru who has worked in the industry for more than a decade – “It is easy in public relations to get distracted by other careers…sales, meeting planning, graphics, HR, etc., because our degrees are so versatile and marketable. Plus, many people don’t understand that public relations is a lot more than working with people. If you really have a passion for public relations, then stay on course,” Gutel said. “The profession needs men and women who believe in what public relations can do for an organization and its many publics.”

It was refreshing having the opportunity to interview a professional who is the product of the same institution I am currently earning a degree from. The success she has enjoyed and the talent she exhibits in her professional and personal endeavors is illustrative of the growing need for sharp public relations professionals in this area. What a treat to have an established master of the trade so close at hand.

Photo courtesy of Facebook

“Fresh. New. Professional.”

“Fresh. New. Professional.”

By Kacie James

Emily Shipley graduated from the University of Oklahoma in May 2009, earning a bachelors in journalism and mass communications and a minor in political science. She recently found a job as the finance and fundraising coordinator at Sagac Public Affairs. Previously, she worked for Senator Tom Coburn in Washington, DC, the Norman Chamber of Commerce and for Capitol Gains lobbying firm in Oklahoma City.

Although Emily has a prestigious background, she explains her experience finding a job as “BRUTAL.” She claims she was looking for a job for almost three months. Through this process she realized how important it is to practice interviewing and to not only know and realize your strengths, but to be confident in them. She says “Finding a job isn't easy, and sometimes taking an interview for a job you don't necessarily want is okay. Practicing the interview is important. Always read the job description and think about how it can challenge you, how you can better the company and also how the job will help you with your future.”

Emily believes writing skills are essential. She also expressed that understanding how to edit properly using AP style and general grammar are vital. She admitted that even though research can be time consuming, it truly is the basis of any project or campaign. Her advice to the upcoming graduating students is to utilize your professors while still in school. She says, “They are the professionals you will seek out for advice in the future. Since public relations can be very broad, try to choose any area or subject you care about and figure out how public relations is related to that area. Then you will find your nitch and find a job. Good Luck.”

Sports PR

Sports PR

By Jason Bodin

A lot is required of those who want to be in public relations. Especially when trying to get into sports PR. Craig Moran, Assistant Director of Communications for the University of Oklahoma athletic department, has worked really hard to get where he is today. He knows what it takes to be apart of such a competitive and fulfilling industry.

Moran began his academic career getting his bachelors degree from Bowling Green University.

“I graduated from Bowling Green University with a bachelors in sports administration with an emphasis in communication and a minor in journalism,” said Moran.

After graduating college Moran says to getting an internship is key, if you have not already had one.

“I did my share of internships before I got hired full-time,” said Moran. “I was an intern at Bowling Green for three semesters and then I was in intern for the Toledo Storm, the Detroit Redwings minor league affiliate.”

From there he had a short stint at the University of Detroit where he was in charge of a number of different sports and responsibilities.

“At Detroit I was the sports information director for women’s soccer, softball, fencing, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s and women’s cross country and I traveled with men’s basketball,” said Moran. “From there I was hired here at OU, but I was still an intern here for a year.”

At OU Moran is in charge of soccer and baseball, while also working a number of other sports like football and basketball. But what does a day in the life of sports information director look like?

“On game day I arrive at the field two hours before the game,” said Moran. “Then I check with each radio team to make sure everything is set up properly and everything is working. From there you are getting lineups in order for both teams and making sure the media has everything.”

But that is not even the most stressful and tedious part of the job. Before each game he has to make flip-cards and game-notes.

“The game notes usually take roughly two days to produce,” said Moran.

As far as advice goes Moran had this to say.

“I think that interning is the most important,” said Moran. “You have to be willing to intern, even if it is non-paying. Going to grad school is important because it sets you apart from others.”

Another important bit of advice that a number of collegiate students hear is networking.

“Networking is key when trying to get into sports pr,” said Moran. “Especially at the collegiate level.”

Lastly, Moran says that getting the necessary training for desktop publishing software is key.

“One thing many people are lacking is having knowledge over desktop publishing software,” said Moran.

Now you know the necessary steps in order to make it in sports pr.

photo credited to googleimages via soonersports.com

Working with Little Budget, and the Power of Networking

By Natalie Beasley

Through out this course of Public Relations campaigns, we have constantly been working towards goals, to succeed for our clients, and to successfully pull off an event with little or no money. I began thinking about this more today when my group hosted a silent auction in the Oklahoma Memorial Union Molly Shi Ballroom benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cleveland county. A couple weeks ago, there was frustration and confusion, and at times just pure chaos. However, today when the event went flawless, and was a complete success, it all started making sense.
Every day agencies are faced with the challenge to put on events with little or no money. Before we were faced with this challenge I just believed that there was always money for the events to happen. Who would have guessed that a great event could be put on with such a low budget? As a group we were forced to work with the community, and work with local businesses in order to have items to auction off, as well as working with all local media to get publicity.
I feel like more than ever in this day and age, public relations and the success of a campaign can deal a great deal on who you know and who is willing to help out. Networking is the basis of success. Gaylord College has prepared all the students in the college to be successful through networking. I have been very impressed with all the people I have met through the University of Oklahoma’s journalism school.
Through the process of networking with the Norman community, and working with our client, as well as the Campus Activities Council, we were able to have great success, and have so many great things and entertainment that we got all for little or no cost. Public relations is not all about the money and events really can be successful without all the cash flow.

Jana Smith and the OU Research Cabinet

By: Dara Pickering



The University of Oklahoma is primarily known for athletics and followed secondly by academics. However, many people are unaware of the university’s desire to become a prominent research institution. I recently had the opportunity to visit with Jana Smith, Director of Strategic Communications for Research and Development about this issue.

Smith has always had a passion for research. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Oklahoma State University in public relations and mass communication, respectively. After school, Smith soon went to work for the Department of Energy and then for the OSU Vice President of Research. She has only been at OU a year, but has worked diligently to build an identity for the research programs.

OU is the first university to create a research cabinet. This unique proposition oversees all research opportunities at OU. According to the Web site, the University of Oklahoma Research Cabinet “coordinates and facilitates research-related activities with local, national, and governmental agencies and with many small and large businesses.”

Smith is responsible for updating the Web site for research communications, meeting with various deans throughout the main and satellite campuses to learn about research programs and promoting the OU research enterprise through various practices. Recently, Smith has worked in conjunction with a local advertising agency to conduct market research in order to develop a brand and identity for OU Research. I asked her to explain the hardest part of her job and she said, “It is challenging to develop a unified message across all three campuses, because there’s different research areas, focuses and initiatives.”

Smith, like many public relations professionals, is concerned with the rise of social media and the need to reach segmented audiences. Although she primarily reaches audiences through trade journals and publications, Smith is looking into new media practices. She also suggested hosting science cafes to bring information to students. However, the most important thing is to promote research through credible agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) in order to build credibility. No matter the avenue, Smith is determined to build a credible brand for OU Research.

Meet Stacey Murray

Meet Stacey Murray

by: Kristin Bussell

I chose to interview Stacey Murray, the Coordinator of Special Events and Projects for the University of Oklahoma’s Public Affairs Office. Stacey graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts from Gaylord College of Journalism. She was a Public Relations major and having completed classes recently, she and I actually discovered that we’ve had some of the same teachers. This was a fun talking point!

Stacey more or less began her Public Relations career as a volunteer for the Muscular Dystrophy Association while in school. As Stacey explained, this volunteering led to an internship opportunity which then led to a job. Working for the non-profit Muscular Dystrophy Association, or MDA, was her first job out of school. She worked for the MDA from May of 2006 until October of 2007, when she came to OU’s Public Affairs Office.

I asked her about the differences between her current position and her former job with the MDA and she essentially reiterated what other non-profit, public relations professionals have reported: You find yourself involved much more in every aspect of PR as opposed to just event planning, writing or designing. In a non-profit you do everything. For example, Stacey recounted her first summer working for the MDA and told me how she was made assistant summer camp director… just out of school, no less! (MDA Summer Camp photo at right)

Working for the OU Public Affairs Office, Stacey’s job is to help plan University events through coordination with other University offices’ event staffs. Frequently, however, their office plans events on its own. Some examples of events she participates in planning include donor dinners for the President’s Associates, all events that President Boren is involved in, groundbreakings, news conferences and the graduation commencement ceremonies. (She actually knew the speaker for this year’s May commencement ceremony already, as they’ve been planning for several weeks, but wouldn’t tell me! It’s meant to be a surprise.) Currently Stacey is working on the opening of OU’s Transportation Operations Center.

With her background of PR experience, which I think is very broad for less than three years, I asked Stacey what her advice would be for an aspiring PR professional. Stacey said organization was critical! She also explained the importance of people-skills.

“It’s essential to learn how to handle and listen to people,” Stacey said.

This seemed to be especially true when there is any type of crisis. Stacey said it’s really important to be honest. In other words, the people or clients affected by the crisis always appreciate an up-front explanation when things go wrong.

Also on the topic of dealing with crisis situations, Stacey told me what her boss, Catherine Bishop, always tells her, “I’d rather you make a decision and it be wrong than not make a decision at all.”

This says to me that in order to be a successful Public Relations professional, it’s necessary to be quick-thinking in addition to being organized. After this time spent interviewing Stacey I feel like I know more of what to expect in my first Public Relations position… handling something different every day!

Meet Aaron Lindley

by: Simone Fraid

During all four of my years here at OU I have had ties to Housing & Food Services. I was a customer my freshman year, and have worked in various aspects of the department for the past three years. I have seen firsthand how much work goes into making everything run smoothly in a department that serves thousands of residents.

Public relations is an important function that keeps the department thriving. The Marketing Department for H&F has the task of retaining residents as well showing Housing and Food Services in its best light. I spoke with Marketing and Public Relations Specialist and recent OU graduate Aaron Lindley.

Lindley graduated from OU with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with an emphasis in adverstising in December. During the last year and a half of school, he had a marketing and public relations internship. He said it was helpful to have an internship that related to his studies.

Lindley's duties as a specialist include overseeing marketing interns and prospective student guide staff, writing and editing copy, creating advertisements, buying and scheduling media, and responding to media inquiries. While these are his basic duties, he said he faces many different challenges due to the reactionary nature of public relations. He said things come up that can change his entire plan for the day.

It is easy to see, then, why he suggests these characteristics for public relations professionals: a sense of calm under pressure, as wele as an ability to juggle different situations that occur all at once. He also stressed the importance of writing and speaking skills for the profession.

Lindley provided me with the unique perspective of someone who is very new to the professional world of public relations. It was refreshing to get to hear his experiences as I prepare to head into the "real world" very soon!

Diversity at Kellogg's

By Christina Miner

Kellogg’s is a company that is doing its best to involve people of all kinds. Kellogg’s is an umbrella organization for many smaller companies such as Kashi and Keebler. Kellogg’s has a Corporate Responsibility Report that states Kellogg’s “has long sought to maintain a diverse work force, and has had a specific Diversity and Inclusion initiative for about 10 years.” Not only does Kellogg’s have a Diversity and Inclusion initiative in 2005 they also decided to create an Office of Diversity and Inclusion. According to their Corporate Responsibility Report, this office is in charge of devising diversity strategy and implemented this strategy. There are three keys in their plan to creating a diverse environment: 1) recruitment, 2) retention, and 3) development. Kellogg’s Corporate Responsibility Report also has charts that demonstrate the diversity of their Board of Directors and of their Global Leadership Team.

According to their website, Kellogg’s also has two diversity programs:
1. NAACP Law Fellows Program. We have been the primary funding source for the Law Fellows Program of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in its Baltimore, Maryland, headquarters.

2. Scholarships. In 2007, we contributed nearly $300,000 to scholarship programs that include diversity as a criterion, including: Historically Black Colleges and Universities, 100 Black Men of America, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Asian and Pacific Islander Scholarship Fund, National Black MBA Association, National Society of Hispanic MBAs, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Society of Women Engineers, and the University of Michigan Gay and Lesbian Alumni Society.

Kellogg’s also reached out to a diverse group with a variety of products. They have Special K that is targeted to women, Frosted Flakes, which uses Tony the Tiger to target children, and Kashi which targets health conscious people.

Not only do their products target different types of people but their company also has locations all over the world. Kellogg’s products are made in 19 countries and are marketed in 180 different countries. They promote their products in different languages including commercials.

Kellogg’s numerous products in numerous countries allows them to keep a diverse group of people buying their products and a diverse group of people working for their companies.

Life After College

Life after College
By Ashley Rahill

With graduation rapidly zooming into view, it has become apparent that there is life after college. What a tragic reality. It seems like yesterday I filled out my college applications, moved into the dorms and attended my first class. I cannot believe I am a senior graduating in less than a month! Getting a job scares me more than anything I can imagine, so law school is the natural alternative.

Throughout high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in law. When I enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, I had no idea which major would best prepare me for such a goal. However, I had spoken with several practicing attorneys, and they all offered similar suggestions: Choose a major that develops your writing skills. One piece of advice led me in the direction of public relations: you should simply pick a major that you will enjoy. From the beginning, I had no intention of pursuing a career in public relations, but the field itself fascinates me. Public relations is fast-paced, exciting and requires excellent writing skills. It has been a perfect solution for me.

This semester, I was accepted to the University of Oklahoma School of Law where I will spend the next three years of my life. The last couple of months, I have begun to contemplate what type of law I might specialize. I have heard numerous times that not having a distinct area of interest when beginning law school is okay, sometimes even preferable. That’s great for all the other students in my class, but I prefer to have a concrete objective. So, in all of my frenzy, I have been researching various types of attorneys.

Just last week, I came across a website for communications lawyers. This type of attorney typically represents clients who need help with cases involving the communications industry. They are also concerned with the regulation of radio and television broadcasting to ensure satisfactory service. Wow, what a novel idea for someone with an extensive communications background! It would be hard not to retain at least some communications skills after spending four years studying public relations.

Bottom line: I will continue to hone the exceptional writing and communications skills I have acquired from my public relations background, and I will certainly put these abilities to use in whatever area of the law I choose to pursue.

Increasing Awareness and Promoting Nostalgia

Our group, Innovative PR, was assigned Sooner yearbook as our capstone client. Sooner yearbook is a publication of Student Media, a department in the University of Oklahoma's division of Student Affairs and has been having a difficult time on the OU campus with sales.

Innovative PR began conducting research for the client with a focus on reaching their target audience of graduating seniors. We established specific colleges to target and distributed a survey to the colleges of education, atmospheric and geographic sciences, earth and energy and engineering.

Thus far, the survey results have revealed that many people are not aware of the Sooner yearbook and even more people are not likely to purchase a yearbook. We also discovered the Sooner yearbook suffers not only from lack of awareness, but that many college seniors do not view the yearbook as a necessity. In response to these results, Innovative PR decided to increase awareness and also promote nostalgia on the OU campus.

Promoting nostalgia and increasing awareness have proved to be difficult tasks with no budget and no superior support. However, we have decided to participate in an event that will accomplish both of our objectives. It is our belief that Sooner yearbook needs to become more involved with the rest of campus and to do so, we will be distributing stickers at the Big Event that say “Your smile is a Big Event in OU history.” We will also have a link to our MySpace page that we created specifically for the Sooner Yearbook. Our research suggests that MySpace is an excellent venue for the Sooner yearbook because it has a larger base population than Facebook and allows organizations to create a page instead of just individuals. The website contains information about the yearbook and, after the stickers are distributed, the page will feature Big Event participants wearing their stickers.

All in all, our client’s problem is simply that of belonging to a declining industry but we are confidant that our research and planning abilities will contribute to the success of the Sooner Yearbook.

Graphic from: http://www.library.appstate.edu/blog/news/categorylist_html?cat_id=2

The Bookies to host Sooner Art Gallery

The Bookies to host Sooner Art Gallery

Traci Reiserer

Our PR Campaigns group, “The Bookies,” has been given the Sooner yearbook as our client this semester. Rather than working on solely increasing yearbook sales, we have been given a task of increasing awareness, focusing on college nostalgia and how we can alter students’ perception of the OU yearbook in a more positive light.

Although the lack of yearbook sales is the main concern of the OU student media group and their supervisor, Lori Brooks, through our research we have also found that students feel a yearbook is not a necessity, and do not think the yearbook is an important part of the University of Oklahoma’s tradition. We have found that seniors associate “graduation” with caps and gowns, senior trips, class rings and walking the stage, not purchase a yearbook; a main problem for the yearbook staff trying to their hit sales quota.

Surprisingly, OU is not alone with it comes to low yearbook sales and a lack of awareness on campus. After researching and contacting the Big12 schools, over half of the Big 12 are struggling to keep their own university’s yearbook alive. Three of the Big 12 schools’ yearbooks have gone completely under and are now no longer a part of their university’s tradition.

In order to increase awareness and create a positive buzz about the yearbook, The Bookies will host a Sooner Art Gallery focusing on the yearbook’s content and layout of the 2008 book. We will hold the art gallery in three different locations: Price Hall, Gaylord Hall, and the Fine Arts building on April 15, 2008 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. We have chosen 20 (of what we think) are the most impressive spreads that students can relate to and will be showcasing them in all three buildings. Students will have a chance to stroll through the Sooner Art Gallery to learn more about the content of the yearbook as well as what the Sooner has to offer in terms of memories and keepsake items.

The Bookies have high hopes and aspirations that the Sooner Art Gallery will increase the awareness of the Sooner on campus, as well as modify how the students view the OU yearbook.

AN UPHILL BATTLE

AN UPHILL BATTLE

Amanda Miller

Our client, the OU Yearbook located in the Norman, Oklahoma is having a frustrating time. It's sales are incredible low not to mention the fact that over half of the student body does not even realize that we have a yearbook. The current media relations staff of Sooner Yearbook has tried all types of research to dissect the problem. The staff has research results from surveys, focus groups and current sales all conveying the same results. Students simply do not know and do not care about a college yearbook. 

My campaigns group feels like we have been fighting an uphill battle. Our research tells us that students do not find the yearbook interesting or exciting. The thought of a yearbook being a priceless memento of our college years holds no apply to the student body. Through our research my group has found that the only new approach to test out is to change the content of the Sooner Yearbook. Unfortunately, whenever we even mention suggestion to our client they do become defensive and do not want to discuss the possibility of change. 

So here we are, mid semester, and we are nowhere closer to a helpful solution to our clients' problem. Through our event of distributing a promotional piece during the University of Oklahoma's BigEvent T-shirt pass out we hope to discover new research to help improve our client's current situation of minimal sales and lack of awareness. I am confident that my group will have a successful event and with any hope we will have exciting results to share. 

Graphic from www.nlc.state.ne.us/publications/images/bookawardgsx.gif