PRomo

Public Relations Society of America l Rowan University l Glassboro, NJ l February 2019

President’s Piece
By Anya Mourovannyi, AJF-PRSSA President

H
i everyone, I cannot believe February is almost over. Since Febru-
ary is Black History Month, I would love to share some interesting
Black History in Public Relations facts with you. I am grateful that
AJF-PRSSA continues to push for diversity and inclusion, and I hope that
we never stop!
PRSA National has a Twitter handle devoted to diversity in PR (@
PRSADiversity) where PRSA commits to promoting and advocating for
diversity and inclusion throughout the public relations profession. I follow
this account, and I would highly suggest for everyone to follow too.
Ofield Dukes, a name not found in many textbooks or spoken of in
classrooms, broke barriers against African-Americans in PR. He was the
founder of Ofield Dukes and Associates, one of the first Black-owned PR Anya Mourovannyi
firms. His first client was Motown records, an American record label that
worked with artists such as Micheal Jackson, The Jackson 5, Diana Ross,
Boys II Men, and Bruno Mars.
According to an article written by Natalie Tindall, on Reagen’s PR Dai-
Editor’s Note
ly, A 2010 census of PRSA’s 22,00 professional members shows that 14 By Carlo Lingesso, Publications Editor

H
percent of the membership self-identified as Hispanic, black/African Amer- ello everyone, I hope you are
ican, and Asian/Asian American, a percentage that has doubled since 2005. now finding your groove as
Hopefully, this percentage continues to grow, and agencies begin to adapt. the spring semester is begin-
Moving forward, we are starting executive board interviews in the up- ning to pick up. While the weather
coming weeks! If you want to develop yourself as a PR professional, stand says differently, summer will be here
out in interviews, and make a difference, you should consider applying to before you we know it!
be on PRSSA’s executive board. This month’s issue is focusing
Are you new to PRSSA? Welcome! PRSSA meets every other Wednes- on things to consider for the spring
day at 5 p.m. in the Chamberlain Student Center, alternating with PRaction, semester — from joining E-board to
a student-led PR firm that gives students the opportunity to work with real ways of reducing stress and anxiety.
clients. I am looking forward to seeing all of you at our meetings! In these cold winter months,
we should be working on bettering
In this issue... ourselves for the future. Whether
sharpening a resume, networking, or
applying for internships and jobs —
PRactice Makes Perfect 2 there is always something to be done.
What is Spring Gala? 3 Start prioritizing your time now
Nicole’s PRSSA Story 4 so you can better prepare yourself for
Why Join E-Board? 5 more success and relaxation in the
Reducing Stress and Anxiety 6 warmer months to come!

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PRactice Makes Perfect
By Sarah Jablonowski, PRaction Firm Director

W
hen it comes to public relations, you can never know too much. It is a
field that keeps you on your toes and never stops progressing. There
is always something new and unpredictable. A classroom environ-
ment can only teach you so much. Luckily for students, Rowan University
offers a student-run public relations firm called PRaction. This award winning
firm allows students to gain experience, work with real life clients and build on
the foundation of in-class education.
PRaction assists clients in meeting goals, while providing an array of services.
Students collaborate on a team and develop social media campaigns, conduct re-
search, write media kits, plan events, generate creative work and much more! This
agency gives students a better understanding of the PR field and how to transition
into the professional world. Sarah Jablonowski
The work done in PRaction helps students add a unique aspect to their re-
sumes. The firm leaders guide students in the right direction to produce client
ready materials. Each piece is a great way to build your portfolio, aiding in future
job interviews. PRaction helps students to get involved and to showcase their Connect with PRSSA!
skills and talents. Any major is welcome to join from the College of Engineering
to the College of Education. Each person brings something special to the table. Twitter
Connect with us every other Wednesday, from 5 p.m. - 6 p.m., in the Cham- @RowanPRssa
berlain Student Center Room 127. Follow our Instagram and Twitter to keep
informed about upcoming events and meetings, @rowanpraction. @RowanPRaction

Facebook
“This agency gives students a better under- Facebook.com/RowanPrssa
standing of the PR field and how to transition Facebook.com/RowanPraction
into the professional world.”
Instagram
PRSSA - AJFPRSSA
PRaction-RowanPraction

Email
ajfprssa@gmail.com

Sarah, strictly business at Fancy-A-Flick!

2
What is Spring Gala?
By Bree Fiber, Vice President of Special Events and Philanthropy

E
very spring, AJF — PRSSA holds a banquet on the last Sunday in April
to highlight the many achievements of Public Relations and Advertising
students throughout the year. The name of it? Spring Gala.
Gala is organized usually by the Vice President of Special Events, Special
Events chair, and their committee. The committee creates the promotional mate-
rial for the event, sends out invitations, as well as set up and clean up the day of,
similar to Induction Brunch. The banquet would be considered a larger, grander
event than Induction Brunch as it is usually held off campus, and includes not
only PRSSA but Ad club and AAF.
The banquet starts off with opening speeches from the VP of Special Events
and the President of Ad Club followed by remarks from Dean Tweedie. Next is
the speech from our Keynote Speaker, who this year will be Dr. Joe Trahan. The Bree Fiber
person then gets inducted into the PRSSA hall of fame.
Awards given at the event are broken up into four different categories. The
Tony’s highlight excellence from students in Public Relations, the Charlie’s high- E-Board Fun Facts:
light excellence from students in Advertising, Scholarships awarded by CCCA,
and Medallions awarded by the PR and AD department faculty. Not only does the Lauren Bradley
banquet honor all students but graduating seniors as well, since this is their send-
off. After lunch has been served and awards have been given, the changing of the Has never been to Landmark
guard commences from the current to future PRSSA executive board.
The goal for this year’s Spring Gala is to be executed as smoothly as pos- Ronnie Fante
sible. It is rewarding to oversee planning this banquet. I not only get to cele- Styles his hair after Bryce
brate fellow student’s success but top off senior year with a bittersweet ending.
Harper
Spring Gala is on April 28, 2019 from 12 — 3 PM this year at Scotland Run
Golf Club. We can’t wait to see you there! Jeremy Tsonton
Is a Cleveland Indians fan

Claude Desinor
Moonlights as an opera singer

Will you be joining us at Spring Gala?

3
My PRSSA Story
By Nicole Traeger

I
attended my first PRSSA meeting in spring of 2017. I just decided to declare
my major as a public relations and advertising major going into fall of junior
year. By second semester I was unsure if I made the right decision. The only
reason I decided to show up to PRSSA is because I could receive extra credit
for class. To this day I am still upset I did not take the opportunity to attend a
meeting sooner.
PRSSA is now a second family to me. Since joining PRSSA’s proved to be
the best decision I made in college. Everytime I walk into a meeting I know I
can expect to learn something I did not know beforehand. The members in this
organization have easily become some of my closest friends that I can look to
for guidance. Besides the friendship opportunities I have received, PRSSA also
offered me the chance to develop a networking career within the public relations
world. In the past three years I have traveled to Boston, Miami, and Austin with
PRSSA. Each club meeting and trip I have taken with PRSSA allowed me to Nicole Traeger
fall more in love with the communications world.
PRSSA offers me career opportunities that would never have been possi- Internship Opportunities
ble without it. Joining PRSSA convinced me not to change major and realize
I made the right decision. PRSSA not only offers you the guidance you need
to help you find a career path, but also the friends and fun that makes college
worth it. North Jersey:
Evergreen PR Inc.
The Marcus Group
R&J Public Relations, LLC
The S3 Agency

South Jersey:
Alice Paul Institute
Anne Klein Communications
Borough of Collingswood
Sammy Ma and Nicole all smiles at Fancy-A-Flick! Cookie Muncher

4
Why Join E-Board?
By Carlo Lingesso, Publications Editor

A
t first, the prospect of joining E-board last year made my head spin. As I
was new to PRSSA, I had the feeling that being an E-board member was
a very demanding and exaushting responsibility. With that being said,
while definitely demanding, being an E-board member is wildly rewarding. In
this article I’ll cover the thre main benefits I have observed since becoming an
E-board member.
Experiences
First of all, joining E-board has enhanced my experience as a college student.
Whether at an event, social outing or National Conference, being an E-board
member thrusts you into situations you normally wouldn’t find yourself in. I have
experienced so many wonderful things at this point in my tenure, I really can say Carlo Lingesso
a bunch of it is attributed to E-board. The most standout moment for sure was
going to Austin, Texas for National Conference. The only traveling I usually do is
out to California, so going to Texas for the first time was amazing. There, I grew About PRomo
closer to my fellow E-board members and experienced a city and conference that
I will never forget.
Friendships The Anthony J. Fulginiti
Branching off of my experience in Austin, E-board (and PRSSA in general) Chapter of the Public Relations
has really added great friendships into my life. Within the last year, the amount
Student Society of America
of friendships I’ve made primarily because of PRSSA is astounding. I came into
Rowan as a transfer student, so I didn’t have the same growing process as a tradi- publishes PRomo as a
tional freshman would with classmates or rooommates. However, I am glad to say monthly newsletter.
that because of PRSSA, I expedited that process and quickly made many genuine,
strong relationships that I am confident will last many years!
Editors:
Resume Builder Carlo Lingesso,
Lastly, the biggest benefit I’ve enjoyed since joining E-board is building my Professor Lynn,
resume. My position, Publications Editor, allows me to create and then archive
and Dr. FitzGerald
each issue of PRomo I produce — which I will eventually be able to bring with
me to job interviews! Additionally, it is no secret that employers are enthused to
see when students take initative and become seriously involved with extracur- Contributing Writers:
ricular activites. Being able to present pieces of work I produced for PRSSA as Anya Mourovannyi
well as say I was a part of our chapter’s executive board really will go a long way Sarah Jablonowski
when trying to sell myself to an employer.
Bree Fiber
Nicole Traeger
Carlo Lingesso
Griffin Gallagher

“I made many genuine, strong relations Advisors:

that I am confident will last many years!” Dr. Novak, Dr. FitzGerald,
Professor Schoenstein
and Gloria Barone Rosiano

5
Reducing Stress and Anxiety
By Griffin Gallagher, PRaction Communications Director

B
y this point in the semester, students may begin to notice their workload
starting to pick up, their extracurricular activities getting back in full
swing, and their schedules getting busier and busier. It’s easy to feel anx-
ious and stressed while juggling all of these different assignments and activities.
That being said, it’s important for students to find ways to de-stress and relax
during these busy times. These four suggestions may help do just that.
Don’t Think, Do
I oftentimes find myself starting my mornings off by worrying about the
things I have to do throughout the day. The more time I spend thinking about
these things, the more anxious and stressed I feel about them. This stress builds
throughout the day until I finish everything I need to do. Rather than constantly
thinking about the stressful things that lay ahead, it helps to get some of these
assignments done in the morning, this way they aren’t weighing on my mind Griffin Gallagher
all day. Overthinking builds stress and makes the assignments seem way more
challenging and stressful than they actually are.
Listen to Calming Music Join a pre-professional
Music has always helped me focus and relax when I’m feeling stressed out. organization dedicated
Everybody has their own definition of calming music (for me it’s usually any- to jump starting your
thing sung by Chris Stapleton), but what matters is that the music soothes you
and makes you feel less stressed. PR career!
Spend Time With Friends
Making time to hang out with friends is an essential part of not getting too
overwhelmed throughout the semester. I normally try to keep at least one day
during the weekend free so I have time to see my friends, but something as
PRSSA
simple as going to the cafeteria, a club meeting, or the library with a friend can
definitely take the mind off of anxious thoughts. Gives YOU
Laughter
I wanted to finish this list with the destresser that I find most effective,
laughter. If you take life too seriously, anxiety and stress will be impossible to
Opportunities
fight off. I’ve found that watching something funny or just surrounding my-
self with positive and funny people really takes my mind off of the negative to ENHANCE
thoughts and just puts me in an all around better mood.
Your Education
EXPAND
“If you take life too seriously, anxiety and Your Network
stress will be impossible to fight off.”
And LAUNCH
YOUR CAREER!

6
Get Involved!

Upcoming Meetings:

March 6 - CSC 127

April 3 - CSC 127
April 17 - CSC 127

Unable to make a meeting?

Keep up with PRSSA on our social media or visit:
www.rowanprssa.org