PRomo

Anthony J. Fulginiti
PRSSA Chapter Newsletter

Presidents Piece

By Katarina DeFelice, AJF-PRSSA President

Boo to You, and Happy October!
I dont know about you, but I use
the month of September as an adjustment period-- getting used to a new
class schedule, new teachers, new social
groups and new routines! In October, I
can really dig into what Ive committed
myself to and start making progress toward my end goal. This years end goal?
For Rowan to win Outstanding Chapter
at PRSSAs National Conference next
year. This October, were taking great
strides toward that goal. I challenge you
to progress your story with PRSSA and
get involved!
Our biggest event is National Conference and I couldnt be more excited! If
youre going, I hope youll have as much
fun as I did the last three years. If youre
not going, I hope you get involved with
us so youre still a part of the trip. Come
to our practice runs for our Chapter Development Session presentation, help us
create a roll call chant and tune into the
live stream of our presentation October
21. You can even engage in Twitter chats
with PRSSA National!
Were also gearing up for a big philanthropic event in December: Dance
Away Cystic Fibrosis (DACF)! This

winter wonderland of an event

needs your help
in planning,
fundraising, and Katti DeFelice
recruiting performers. Its an amazing event for an
even more amazing cause. DACF
honors the memory of Colette Bleistine, who passed away several years
ago in her junior year at Rowan from
a lifelong battle with Cystic Fibrosis.
Throughout her life, she worked tirelessly to raise money and awareness
for this incurable disease. We continue the tradition and hope to take
the event national in a few years to
expand her legacy to every PRSSA
chapter in the nation.
If these activities arent your cup
of pumpkin spice latte, dont worry!
We have loads of other opportunities,
including agency tours, bake sales,
fundraisers, special event planning,
the Speaker Series and so much more.
Please dont hesitate to contact me if
you feel like you cant find your niche
in the club. Together, well begin your
progress in PRSSA and find where
you belong.

Conquering Crises through Social Media

By Nicole Baglivo, PR & Advertising Dual Major

October 2016
PRogressing
through PR

In todays world, its necessary for

brands to have a strong presence in social media. Today, a great deal of communication happens through social
media. Brands now communicate directly with their audiences through social media platforms including Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.
From a public relations standpoint,
social media platforms represent multifaceted communication tools. Public
relations practitioners can establish
closer relationships with their stake-

holders and publics through social

media, while acting proactively to prepare for and address issues before they
break out online. Due to how accessible everything is online, messages
spread like wildfire through all social
media outlets.
Although managing a crisis
through social media may seem near
impossible, Chipotle Mexican Grill
overcame this adversity.
Through the public struggles the

See Social Media, page 2

Social Media, from page 1

PRogressing
through PR

fast food venue faced in the past

year, Chipotle figured a way to
keep a close stream of communication with its customers through
Twitter. Public opinion surfaced
quickly. To efficiently communicate
with Chipotles publics and avoid
further issues, a Chipotle representative went on a tweeting streak.
By using social media as a tool
to for crisis management, Chipotle

regained its credibility. Through its personal connections with customers and
maintaining strong relationships with its
stakeholders and publics, Chipotle successfully restored its brand image.
Through the entire crisis life cycle,
Chipotle preserved hundreds of thousands
of relationships with its followers on Twitter alone, and set a great example for other
brands to follow.

Member of the Month

By Samantha Richmond, Director of Recruitment

Believe it or not, you
deal with public
relations on a daily
basis. Whether it be in
class, at work or on a
social networking app,
youre costantly
communicating
and building
relationships with
those around you.
Public relations
involves getting your
name out there and
showcasing the skills
and benefits you have
to offer.

volved with PRSSA as much as posAJF-PRSSA congratulates

sible. With a father from Dublin, IreRachel Walsh as its October
land, Rachel not only values the hard
Member of the Month. To add to
work ethic he instilled, but she also
her honors, PRSSA would like to
takes pride in her Irish heritage and
congratulate Rachel on her new
dual citizenship. Rachel loves Ireland
position on the executive board as
so much that she and
Fundraising Chair. In
her family plan a trip
her new position,
there every year.
Rachel will coordinate
Upon receiving her
money-generating opPR degree, Rachel
portunities for the
seeks to purse a career
chapter to donate to
in the sports field while
specific organizations.
also doing some adverRachel enters her
tising on the side. She
senior year as a public
sees herself PRogressrelations major with a
ing in every aspect of
minor in advertising.
the
business from
After showing great
Rachel Walsh
media planning to copyinterest in the organizawriting. To top it all off, Rachel
tion from volunteer work to attendhopes to have a family, complete
ing this years National Conference,
with a French bulldog puppy.
Rachel demonstrated to PRSSA that
When not working hard at school
her enthusiasm is infectious, and
and for PRSSA, Rachel loves to read
that her dreams of making strides in
approximately three books per week
PRSSA are genuine.
and train for the 5k race she particiAfter her mother completed a
pates in with her parents.
degree at Rowan in 2006, Rachel
PRSSA again congratulates
knew the land of the Profs would
Rachel on her hard work and
suit her perfectly. While at Rowan,
involvement with the chapter!
Rachel seeks to immerse herself in
the college culture and get in-

Profs Corner

By Bridget Mertrud, Publications Chair

University officials continue to carve

Rowans path of growth and
development, benefitting both the Rowan
and Glassboro communities.
On Sept. 14, 2016 South Jersey Technology Park at Rowan University held its
grand opening ceremony for
CREATEs, a brand-new Center for
Research and Education in Advanced
Transportation Engineering system.
By using CREATEs, researchers can
mimic traffic conditions in order to
record their impact on asphalt, concrete
and other terrains. This allows
researchers to assess the potential of new
roadway materials and how they will
hold up to the wear and tear
of automobiles.
As we head into October, now is the
time to break out your brown and gold,
and get in spirit for Homecoming Week
2016! Whether you are a current student
or recent alum, Rowan Universitys
Homecoming Week includes an array of
PROFlympic themed events to suit your
interests. The weeklong campus festivity,
held Oct. 3-Oct. 9, allows students,

alumni and their families to enjoy themselves while displaying their Prof
Pride. The week starts off with an assortment of returning competitions including Homecoming Banner, Push
Cart, Lip Sync, Battleship, the Parade
and Float Competition and Rowans
first ever Wing-Eating Contest.
Towards the end of the week, the
fun continues with the PROFlympics
Block Party and Tailgate, Beer Garden,
College Corner and the Class of 66 Reunion. Come out Saturday Oct. 8 to
support the Rowan football team as
they go head to head with Salisbury
University. Dont forget to wear your
Prof colors and cheer on the home team
to victory.
Get your cameras ready! If you
share a picture on social media showing
your Prof Pride you will be entered to
win an assortment of prizes. Use the
hash tag #RowanPROUD with your
picture in order to enter. If you are interested in the full list of weeklong events,
visit the Rowan Homecoming page at
http://www.rowan.edu/homecoming/.

Building Your Professional Network

By Marisa Rugel, Junior PR/Ad. Major, Journalism Minor

To become successful in the PR industry, you need to have connections. It

might sound intimidating, but you
should start to build these connections
in your first year of college. An easy
and efficient way to start networking
with professionals is to create a
LinkedIn account.
LinkedIn, a social networking platform, allows you to create a profile
based on your education, skills, hobbies,
volunteer work, as well as job and in-

ternship experiences. LinkedIn allows

you to connect with professionals of
all ages, particularly with those whom
you share mutual interests. You can
connect with past professors, job supervisors and even classmates.
By connecting with these professionals, you will get your name out
there for prospective employers to see.
The more diverse your resume, the
more connections youll make!

See Network, page 4

#MyPRSSAstory
Erica Silver

This fall Erica returns to

Rowan for her senior year
as an advertising major. As
a recent transfer student,
she is excited to become
more involved on campus
and gain hands-on experience this semester by joining clubs such as PRSSA,
PRaction and AAF. When
Erica is not in class, she
works as a legal secretary
at Cresse and Carr, Counsellors at Law in Woodbury,
N.J., celebrating four years
with the company. In her
spare time, Erica loves to
hike and attend shows for
her boyfriends band.

#YouKnowYoure
aPRMajorWhen...

You constantly struggle

between pursuing
agency or corporate life.

Network from page 3

Another way to network is by getting involved on campus. Check out

Rowans Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and PRaction, Rowans student firm. These
organizations teach you all you need to
know about the public relations industry, and how to build a solid resume.
PRSSA meetings often include
presentations by guest speakers who
speak to students about their personal
experiences. Through their presenta-

tions, these professionals give students

advice on how to succeed in their career field choice. PRaction, Rowans
student run PR firm, provides students
the opportunity to work with real businesses in Glassboro. Through their connections with these business clients,
students work to develop public relations campaigns. Take advantage of
these great opportunities. Start building
your network today!

Alumni Advice

By Thomas Logue, AJF-PRSSA Vice President

PRomo Quote of
the Month:
"Regardless of how you
feel inside, always try to
look like a winner. Even
if you are behind, a
sustained look of control
and confidence can
give you a mental edge
that results in victory."

Arthur Ashe

This month, we interviewed

2015 AJF-PRSSA grad Jon Pepper.
As a student, he served as Chapter
PR Director and Chapter President.
Currently, Pepper works as Senior
Communications Specialist for
Pepperidge Farm in Norwalk, CT.

Q: What was the best PR experience you had outside of PRSSA in

your time as a student?

A: My capstone course junior year.

It was the first true application of
everything I learned and challenged
me professionally. I took the course
a year early so I could have Professor [Anthony J.] Fulginiti.
Throughout the course I kept
"Fulginitisms" (quotes from Professor Fulginiti) about PR, career advice and life in general. To this day,
his teachings stick with me.
Q: What PR skill did you feel most
unprepared for after graduating?
(What did you have to learn on-thejob?)
A: Understanding the
financial/business side of the cor-

poration. During my undergrad, I

never took business classes, but I
learned after graduating that it's a very
important skill. Whether you're pitching trade publications or working on
an internal communications plan, it's
valuable to be able to speak the language. You must understand how your
work and other forces impact the business to effectively approach your job.
Q: If you were interviewing a recent
PR grad, what would make him/her
stand out?

A: Confidence. I strongly believe you

find success through confidence in
your own abilities. Enter the interview
believing that your skills will better
the company. No recent grad is perfectly polished, and every single one
will have doubts along the way. As
clich as it sounds, you have to fake it
until you make it. As long as you have
the drive to learn along the way and
the hunger to succeed, you will grow.

Q: How can students stay in touch

with you and other alumni?

A: LinkedIn is the obvious go-to for

email, text or call me anytime. I love

Rowan University, and I love this chapter, so I'm always happy to give back.

Feel free to contact Pepper at

jon.m.pepper@gmail.com, and ask
our e-board about networking with
other alumni!

Interested in joining the Publications Committee?

m PRomo: PRSSA's award winning newsletter.

b Gives insights on aspects of the PR world
b Updates members on PRSSA's upcoming activities.
b Provides you with great portfolio pieces
If interested in joining this committee please contact:
Brittany Eifert at eifertb9@students.rowan.edu

50

wa

om

n Unive

YEARS

ty
rsi

Moreover, you must practice to

become more skilled in anything you
do like writing, and even communicating with those around you.
Although it may sound clich,
never ever give up on your goals. No
matter how challenging a project may
seem, keep in mind that it will only
benefit you in the long run. The more
challenges you accept, the more confident youll become in all that you do.
When it comes to competition in the
classroom or workplace, remember that
the only person you should compare
yourself to is the best version of yourself. Its important not to get discouraged if any of your co-workers or
fellow classmates receive better ratings
or grades than you.
Strive for the best in all that you do
and never look back. I hope that you all
have a great October, and remember, if
you are interested in writing for PRomo
please dont hesitate to contact me. I
look forward to seeing everyone soon!

fC
College o

Hi everyone, and happy fall! As

the leaves begin to change colors and
the air gets a little cooler, we prepare
for changes in our own lives.Whether
youre preparing to graduate and
enter the real world, or youre just
getting affiliated with the term public
relations, progression awaits you.
At first, PR may seem a bit overwhelming because of how competitive the field can be. Once you grasp
the key points of writing, dissecting
and communicating ideas, public relations will become much less intimidating and more second nature. In my
Basic PR Writing course last fall, I
remember the challenge of avoiding
weak verbs and passive voice for the
first time. I thought, How is it possible to write any other way?
After several of Dr. Bassos lectures on using AP style, strong verbs
and active voice I became much more
disciplined in how I wrote and edited
papers for every one of my classes.

Arts

By Brittany Eifert, Publications Editor

AJF-PRSSA Grad

ea
tive

Letter from the Editor

Jon Pepper

Ro

connecting with alumni. Take it a

step further and message them and
start a conversation. Be genuine and
authentic; I don't know a single
alumnus that wouldn't be willing to
help. For me personally, I'm always
open to help in any way I can. Feel
free to connect, follow, friend,

Cr
mun
ication &

Connect with Rowan PRSSA!

Twitter:
@RowanPRSSA
@RowanPRaction

Facebook:
facebook.com/RowanPRSSA
facebook.com/RowanPRaction
Instagram:
PRSSA: AJFPRSSA
PRaction: rowanpraction

Website:
www.rowanprssa.com
www.rowanpraction.com
Email:
ajfprssa@gmail.com
5

Three Things an Internship with

U.S. Senator Cory Booker Taught Me
By Amy Dennis, Senior PR Major, Journalism Minor

Amy Dennis (second from

right) and fellow interns pose
for a photo with U.S. Senator
Cory Booker.

About PRomo

The Anthony J. Fulginiti

Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of
America publishes PRomo as
a monthly newsletter.

Editors:
Brittany Eifert, Molly Brusser
and Bridget Mertrud

Contributing Writers:
Katarina DeFelice, Thomas
Logue, Nicole Baglivo, Marisa
Rugel, Amy Dennis, Bridget
Mertrud, Brittany Eifert &
Samantha Richmond

Advisors: Dr. Novak, Dr. FitzGerald, Dr. Basso, Professor

Schoenstein, Professor Lynn
and Gloria Barone
6

Completing an internship at
U.S. Senator Cory Bookers Camden office was nothing short of extraordinary. As an intern, I was able
to witness firsthand how the senator currently resolves issues in our
federal government. I even had the
opportunity to meet the senator
himself. The most important lessons I learned during my internship
at the Senators office include:
1. Know exactly who you're
working for.
When working for public figures,
especially ones with a high profile
like Cory Booker, it is important to
know their story! Listen to podcasts,
read news articles and watch
YouTube videos of their speeches.
Learn their key messages and goals.
From a PR standpoint, this is important because you want to make sure
you project an image that reflects
your organizations objectives.
2. Respect the people you work
for and don't be afraid to ask
questions.

Come in with an open mind and

be willing to learn. If you don't know
how to do something or are unfamiliar
with certain terms, always ask! Allow
professionals to mentor you, and be
genuine in accepting their advice.
Learn to take constructive criticism
and apply it to your professional life.

3. Build bridges.
Maintaining connections that
strengthen your professional network
is a valuable accomplishment. Internships brim with people knowledgeable in your desired career field, so
get to know them! If they are willing
to share their contact information,
continue to build that professional relationship long after the internship is
over. Letters of recommendation, future job prospects and next-step internships are just a few benefits of
staying in touch.

Although an internship is temporary, the relationships you build there

can last a lifetime.

Get Involved, Join a Committee!

PRSSA members are encouraged to join a committee to gain hands-on experience and become an become active in the Chapter. Each executive board member
leads a committee of general members to help plan chapter functions and events.
The committee leader also acts as the mentor for his or her committee members,
answering questions and helping guide members through PRSSA and the PR program at Rowan. If you would like to join a committee, please contact the
committee heads.

Liaison Committee
The Liaison Committee will plan visits
to PR firms and promote visits to all
members. We will keep PRSA National
informed of everything we do so they
have a good outlook on the Rowan

University PRSSA Chapter.

If interested in joining this committee
please contact Katarina DeFelice atdefelicek0@students.rowan.edu
Philanthropy Committee
Philanthropycommitteewill raise aware-

ness and fundraise toward various causes.

This committee will help plan, volunteer,
and create idea for fundraisers and events
PRSSA will host orparticipatein throughout the year.
If interested in joining this committee
please contact Amanda Smith
atsmitha2@students.rowan.edu
Special Events Committee
The committee of Special Events will help
plan the grad dinner and help set up. Also,
we will plan general meetings by booking
speakers and planning mixers, outside
workshops, and end of semester parties.
If interested in joining this committee
please contact Thomas Logue
atloguet9@students.rowan.edu
Communication Committee
The committee of Communication isresponsiblefor all chapter social mediaaccounts, fielding chapter questions and
concerns, and overseeing the website.

If interested in joining this committee

please contact Nicolette Giordano
atgiordanon9@students.rowan.edu
Financial Committee
Thecommitteeof Finance works together to keep the Chapters budget incheck. This is an integral part of the
chapter and allows us to have the money
we need to conduct our various events.
If interested in joining this committee
please contact Andrew Bove
atbovea0@students.rowan.edu
Recruitment Committee
The Recruitment committee works to
recruit rowan students to join PRSSA,
as well as prospective students from
county colleges. We will create and distribute promotional material, and recruit
at college fairs and Rowan events.
If interested in joining this committee
please contact Samantha Richmond
atrichmonds3@students.rowan.edu

#PRSSAThrowbacks

This year, AJF-PRSSA celebrates its 40th anniversary, the ruby year. In
honor of National Conference approaching, PRSSA throws it back to 1992
with its National Conference Roll Call.

Interested in
writing for PRomo?
Contact
Publications Editor
Brittany Eifert at:

eifertb9@students.rowan.edu

1992 National
Conference

The Rowan Bucks

introduce themselves.

It all pays off!

PRomo Photo of the Month

PRSSA members interact with one another during a workshop on how to

create an elevator pitch at PRSSAs Sept. 21 meeting.

Looking Ahead...

m October meetings:

Oct. 12 & 26 (PRaction), Oct. 19 (PRSSA)

Student Center Room 221 l 5 p.m.

m November meetings:

Nov. 2, 16, & 30 (PRSSA), Nov. 9 & 23 (PRaction)

Student Center Room 221 l 5 p.m.

Cant get to Bozorth or High Street? Not able to make a meeting? Visit our website
@ www.rowanprssa.com & click on PRomo for our digital newsletter!