FORUM Fall 2017 Vol. 50 Issue 1

ADVANCING THE PROFESSION AND THE FUTURE PROFESSIONAL FALL 2017 Vol. 50, Issue 1 www.prssa.prsa.org/forum Five Reasons to Attend #PRSSANC PRSSA By Cayli Allen National Belmont University hosts a wide variety of events each year. From National Conference to National Assembly and Regional Conferences, PRSSA members have many opportunities to travel, meet professionals and connect with students. If you’re thinking of attending a national event, you should! And here’s why ... you attend any 1. When event sponsored by PRSSA National, you get the chance to hear from some of the most influential leaders in the public relations industry. 2. Peer networking is very important while in college. These large events help you meet students from across the country with many different interests and previous experiences. These students will someday be your colleagues. support network of students to brainstorm ideas and work together on events. fun! These 5. They’re events are not these events 3. Attending is inspiring! Hearing from successful professionals and being around students with the same interests as you helps you feel motivated for the rest of the school year! 4. Attending PRSSA National events help your Chapter grow. After connecting with so many #PRSSbAes you create a only educational and great opportunities for professional development but also a chance to visit a new city, connect more with members of your Chapter and grow as a professional. The deadline to register is Sept. 8. Building Community Through Giving By Marley Vawter Vice President of Chapter Development Every PRSSA member’s favorite event of the year is here — National Conference. During Conference, students gather to learn from successful speakers, gain new mentors and create lifelong friendships, all while exploring a new city and making memories that will last a lifetime. Conference attendees are also encouraged to support an organization important to the community hosting Conference through the Community Service Initiative. This year, PRSSA is partnering with Rosie’s Place, a shelter for women in need that helps more than 12,000 women a year. Rosie’s Place, founded in 1974, was the first women’s shelter in the United States. Today it not only provides meals and shelter, but also provides solutions for women through wide- ranging support, housing and education services. Open FORUM Rosie’s Place relies solely on the generous support of individuals, foundations and corporations. It does not accept any city, state or federal funding. Conference attendees can participate in the Community Service Initiative by bringing donations for women in need in the Boston area. These items include feminine hygiene products, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, soap, socks, toilet paper, toothbrushes and toothpaste. There are a variety of ways in which your Chapter can participate: If your Chapter is driving to Conference, consider having a donation drive. ● Encourage members to bring donations to every meeting leading up to Conference. ● Put a box in your PRSSA/ Nationally Affiliated Student- run Firm office or meeting space to remind people of the drive and to make the box accessible at any time of 3 POST-INTERN CONNECTIONS Just finished an internship? Follow these steps to reconnect with your supervisor. Always a Student : From the President’s Desk By Andrew Cook PRSSA National President During my time at PRSSA, I’ve seen students take different approaches to their PRSSA experience. My experience has taught me that the students that Photo courtesy of Andrew Cook are the happiest and most successful are those that learn to “be an eternal student,” as Betsy Plank, the “Godmother of Public Relations” used to say. Here are three lessons I’ve learned recently as I’ve developed my own network of friends, mentors and peer professionals. Treat people like people. This summer I was introduced to a professional in Washington D.C., who I reached out and we picked a time and place to lunch as I followed my usual “habit” of connecting with a professional: I did the customary background check on LinkedIn, searched her name on Google and even looked up her bio on her company website. See Student, Page 2 day for donations. ● Call on your advisers/ teachers to help spread the word about the drive. Some professors may even add an incentive to encourage donations. For those Chapters flying to Boston, collect money at your university and purchase the donations in Boston. ● Pass a donations box around during your Chapter meetings leading up to Conference. ● Ask your professors if you can pass a collection box around before class. Women and families represent the fastest growing groups of the homeless population in the United States. Help Rosie’s Place combat homelessness and help PRSSA give back as a Society. For more information on what to donate, visit PRSSA,org/nc. 4 WHAT TO DO IN BOSTON The top 10 fall activities to do in Boston during the PRSSA 2017 National Conference. For more information on the service initiative, visit the National Conference website. 6 OVERVIEW OF UBER’S CRISIS Review the timeline of Uber’s current crisis from a public relations crisis communicator’s perspective.