My Great Awakening

"What do you want to do after you graduate?" That's the question I have been faced with and continuously struggled to answer throughout my college career. I have always known that a B.S. in Mass Communication was the right degree for me... However, partaking in a double concentration and thoroughly enjoying both is what left me confused about what I really wanted to do for the rest of my life. After brushing off that dreaded question for four years, something happened to me this summer that finally made me realize what I wanted to be. I had my great awakening!

Throughout college, I have worked at WMGZ 97.7, a Middle Georgia radio station. I started off doing mostly on-site promotions and production but have gradually progressed to become an on-air personality with my own show - Weekends with Tori. Music has always been a passion of mine, so working in the radio business never really seemed like "work" to me. I knew if I chose to pursue a career in radio, I would never be the person who dreaded going to work everyday. I would be poor... But happy!

If I wasn't doing something for broadcasting, that usually meant I was working on something for my other concentration - public relations. Our coursework mostly involved planning events and developing campaigns for local businesses and organizations. I was usually put in charge of promotion for each event - writing and recording PSAs for local radio stations, writing press releases for print, etc. It was hard work, but a successful event plus a happy client made it all worth it in the end. A job in the PR industry seemed like a good career choice as well...

As I mentioned earlier, I have always been very passionate about music. For some reason, however, I had never gone to many concerts, much less a festival. Of course, working in radio has its perks, and one perk I received last summer just so happened to be the ticket that led to my "Great Awakening" - tickets to Bonnaroo Music Festival. Not knowing what I was getting into, I left early Thursday morning confused and came home Monday afternoon determined.

Since Bonnaroo, I have spent most of my measly paychecks from Z97 on tickets to various concerts. The way music moves people inspires me more and more with each show. Since I am not musically inclined, I thought, why not be the person who makes all of this possible ? The person who books the talent, promotes the event, plans the show, and the best part of it all, gets to witness the crowd and the band have the best time of their lives! In the concert planning and promotions field, I would be able to use both of my degrees for a common goal - an amazing show with a sold out crowd.

Now that my undergraduate college career at GCSU is coming to a close, I am proud to say that I can finally answer that dreaded question of what I want to do after college. I am currently searching for an internship in the concert planning and promotion field that will give me valuable experience for my future career goals and aspire to eventually go back to school for a degree in music business. I hope to, one day, plan concerts and/or festivals that will inspire people the same way music has inspired me.

The Ins and Outs of PR

In the very first post in my blogging career, I talked about why I chose to become a public relations professional. I never dreamed of becoming the CEO of some huge PR firm in Atlanta... I wanted to be the first woman to walk on the moon. It was not until I was faced with the big decision of college that I discovered my dreams of becoming an astronaut were unrealistic. Then, my mom did what moms do best and helped me figure out which major best fit me. Socializing, party planning... Public Relations it was!

Since then, my perceptions on a career in PR have changed drastically, but I am still very pleased with my decision. I have enjoyed every class I have taken in the Mass Communication Department at GCSU and have learned a lot from each. Here is a list of the ten most important lessons I have learned throughout my college experience, both professional and "worldly" situations:

1. No matter how crazy and off the wall an idea is, don't be afraid to say it. For example, the candles that I made for our Relay For LIfe Kickoff event. It was something I said on a whim, but they ended up being a hit! I was recently informed that these candles were reused at later events hosted by the Relay For Life Committee.

2. Never wait until the last minute to get something done. Going into college, I had the mentality that I could wait until the night before to look over my notes for a test or finish up a project. I learned quickly, however, in my first year at Georgia College that this was impossible. In order to turn out quality work, you should get started well in advance (PR events take months of preparation).

3. Be an active listener. In the first campaign we were assigned in PR Campaigns, I had a really hard time understanding what our objectives were. I had to ask questions and listen actively to fully grasp the main goal our client wanted to reach. It is equally important to listen actively to all members of a group so that there is no confusion and an event is carried out to full potential.

4. Be on time. If you show up to ANYTHING late, it looks bad and unprofessional. Especially if you're late to a job interview... It is almost a waste of time to go in.

5. There is usually a cheaper option available. Never just call one place for a price. Whether it's for food, decorations, or even promotional items, you should be able to find at least one place that will offer the same product or service for cheaper. In some rare circumstances, you may even be able to get something for free (press releases in a newspaper, PSAs on the radio, etc).

6. No matter what happens, do not let it get you down! Our campaign was changed three different times this semester for one reason or another. Had our group let this get to us, we would have been unable to perform at the level we did for our final campaign. Our ability to remain calm and focused impressed the staff at Digital Bridges.

7. Connections, connections, connections. No matter what career or task you are pursuing, it is so important to have connections. Before college, I was worried about coming to a new town where I wouldn't be kin to or know everyone (Covington is a pretty small town). However, networking through my PR events and several jobs, as well as simply getting involved in my community has left me with a database of people from practically every background. No matter how hard or discouraging a task may seem, I am usually able to ask for and receive help from someone in my network of friends. This makes life much simpler.

8. Don't spend too much time sweatin' the small stuff. Life is too short.

9. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes, there is just too much to be done and not enough time. People actually appreciate when you ask them for help (as long as it's not too often)!

10. Lastly, never forget what you stand for. Having a strong set of personal values is essential to be successful in life.

One more semester until I am out into the real world. Georgia College and its wonderful teaching staff have taught me valuable life lessons and shaped me into who I am now. Overall, I made the right decision when I chose to be a mass communication major at Georgia College & State University.

Digital Bridges Open House

This semester was a crazy ride in PR Campaigns. In addition to it being our last public relations class EVER, our "senioritis" was intensified drastically after we had to change our campaign three times.

Originally, we were assigned the "Digital Inclusion" campaign. We were to spread awareness about the distribution of 250 discounted wireless accounts for families with low to moderate income. After working on this project for nearly three months, however, my group was informed that the city had not approved the accounts yet, and we were to be given a different campaign to carry out in less than one month.

Our second campaign was to coordinate a ribbon cutting ceremony for Digital Bridges with the Milledgeville Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce. Sounds fun, right? Negative. After planning around President Leland's calendar, we were able to narrow when we could have the event down to two days... Both being less than three weeks away. We selected the date that was the farthest away (only a little over two weeks) and began planning the event. The next week, we were informed that the university did not want students planning the ribbon cutting ceremony with the chamber, so our campaign was changed AGAIN.

Our third and final campaign was to plan an open house for the foundation. Our goal was to spread awareness about Digital Bridges and what they had to offer to the Milledgeville community. Instead of targeting the low to moderate income families or local business owners, this time, our main focus was to target the Milledgeville community (residents and college students). Through various forms of promotions, our event had a total turnout of 384 people ranging from college students to senior citizens.

Following is a quick summary of our strategy:

Media
Traditional

• Radio: A PSA was written and distributed to the three main radio stations in the Milledgeville area. We chose FM radio stations WKZR, WVKX and WMGZ, because each of these stations targeted a different demographic.

o WKZR-FM, Country 102.3: Country radio
• Ran three times a day from April 14 to April 21.
• The PSA was also run the same amount for the same period of time on WKZR’s AM station.

o WVKX-FM, Love 103.7: Urban contemporary radio

o WMGZ-FM, Z97.7: Hot adult contemporary radio
• Aired on Z97 Community Calendar weekdays from April 13 to April 21 at 7:50 a.m. and 3:50 p.m.
• Listed on Z97 Community Calendar on website – z97.us
• Discussed on radio show “Weekends with Tori” on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18.

• Newspaper: A press release was written and distributed to the two major newspapers in Milledgeville.

o The Union Recorder: The newspaper is published five days each week. Circulation of approximately 7,416 copies.
• Published on April 21, 2010

o The Baldwin Bulletin: This newspaper runs once a week with a circulation of about 3,600.
• The Baldwin Bulletin was unable to run our press release due to lack of space available in the paper.

o The Colonnade: The Georgia College & State University student newspaper. Published every Friday. Circulation of
approximately 6,000 students.
• Published a review of the Digital Bridges Open House in their Friday, April 30 edition.

Social

• Digital Bridges’ Open House was promoted on the two major social networks used by college students.

o Facebook: An event was created on Facebook to notify students and other users of the Open House. It gave detailed information about the event and information about Digital Bridges, including the location and mission statement. There were 1,040 people invited with 89 confirmed guests. Messages were sent to the guest list informing them of the Twitter competition and reminders of the event.

o Twitter: Ten tweets were tweeted by Digital Bridges informing their followers of the event and Twitter competition. In addition, members of our group tweeted about the event and competition several times on our own Twitter accounts.

Non-Traditional

• To help get the word out about the event, 300 quarter-page flyers were distributed around campus. Group members passed out flyers directly, left several at the GCSU Bookstore, and placed them on the windshields of cars parked around campus.
• In addition, 15 11x17 inch flyers were distributed and hung at local businesses in Downtown Milledgeville, the GCSU Bookstore, and on bulletin boards scattered around campus.
• 100 table tents were placed on the tables in the GCSU Dining Hall.
Promotions
• Free food: At the open house, guests were able to enjoy free Dominos pizza, hot wings from Amici Italian Café, Edy’s Ice Cream with toppings, and lemonade.
• Jump drives: The first 100 guests received a free 1 GB jump drive courtesy of Digital Bridges. The jump drives were decorated with the Digital Bridges logo and tied with a ribbon. The ribbons had a letter attached giving the foundation’s website and gave gratitude to guests that came out to the event.
• Twitter contest: A Twitter contest began one week prior to the event. The competition stated: “Give one tweet explaining how Digital Bridges can improve your quality of life. Best answer wins a $25 iTunes Gift Card!” The winner, Sarah Applebury, picked up her prize at the event.
• Z97 live remote: The Z97 “prize patrol” van was parked in front of Digital Bridges for the entire duration of the event. A member of the Z-Crew was present and broadcasted live from the event.


The staff at Digital Bridges was extremely pleased with the turnout and the overall success of the event. Although it was extremely stressful at times, it was all worth it in the end!

NASCAR Corporate Social Responsibility

Since 1948, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing remains a family-owned and operated corporation dedicated to serving communities. Following closely behind football, NASCAR “is one of the most viewed professional sports in terms of television ratings in the United States” (Alderink). Races are held at 23 NASCAR stadiums across the United States that can hold up to 170,000 spectators – far more than any other sport in North America, and often enjoy sold out crowds. In fact, “17 of the top 20 most-attended sports or entertainment events in the world are NASCAR events” (Teal). To show their appreciation and dedication to its communities, NASCAR exhibits corporate social responsibility through three major projects, each with a unique purpose: The NASCAR Foundation, Drive for Diversity and The Green Initiative.

The NASCAR Foundation was founded in 2006. Its mission “is to support a wide range of charitable initiatives that reflect the core values of the entire NASCAR Family” (“The NASCAR Foundation Disclosure…”). The foundation partners with “fans, corporations, schools and organizations across the country” to put on special events that raise money “to help thousands of children live better lives” (“The NASCAR Foundation Annual…”). As of January 2009, the foundation had saved more than 35,000 lives through its National Blood and Marrow Drive, granted 275 NASCAR-themed wishes, sent more than 500 children to Victory Junction (a camp for children suffering with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses), recruited more than 9,000 fans to become part of NASCAR’s volunteer network, and donated over 6.25 million dollars in donations and non-profit programming (“The NASCAR Foundation Annual…”). The foundation made this possible by putting on special events like the annual NASCAR Day, which alone “has raised nearly $8 million for charity” (“NASCAR Day…”).

Drive for Diversity is another NASCAR project that exhibits corporate social responsibility. It is “the industry’s leading development program for minority and female drivers and crew members” (“The Initiative”). Since it began in 2004, the program has enabled “31 drivers (to compete) under the Drive for Diversity banner, winning 34 races” (“The Initiative”). Crew Members have also been given the opportunity to compete in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series. While being coached by current and former NASCAR drivers, Drive for Diversity drivers receive “extended evaluation and training… and are located in the nerve center of NASCAR with greater access to industry resources, technology, training, testing, and shop experience” (“Drive…”).

The third project being undertaken by NASCAR is its Green Initiative, “an ambitious five-year plan to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of NASCAR, while raising awareness of conservation among fans” (“NASCAR Announces…”). This initiative includes its recycling program, “which began one year ago in collaboration with Coca-Cola Recycling, and already is the largest in sports” (“NASCAR Sponsors…”). In 2009, the program recycled over 80 tons and 2.5 million containers, and expectations for the upcoming year are even higher after expanding to join forces with Office Depot, Coors Light and UPS (“NASCAR Gone Green”). Next year, the NASCAR industry is expanding its “bottle and can recycling from the grandstands, concourse, suites and garage to the campgrounds, while also including cardboard and ink cartridge recycling” (“NASCAR Sponsors…”).

The Green Initiative also includes the “NASCAR Green Clean Air” program. At each Cup Series race, NASCAR plants 10 new trees, which, in turn, reduces carbon emissions released by the 43 racecars throughout the race (“NASCAR Announces…”). Although only 11 of the tracks participated in its first year, all 23 NASCAR stadiums plan to partake in the program in 2010. “Over time, rolled out across all three national series, NASCAR and its partners will be planting approximately 20 acres of new trees each year” (“NASCAR Announces…”).

In addition to the recycling and “NASCAR Green Clean Air” programs, the corporation is also reducing its carbon footprint through the construction of solar farms to provide power to their air-conditioned suites rather than the traditional consumption of electric power. NASCAR is also “exploring the replacement of its carburetors with more efficient fuel injection (perhaps as early as 2011) and the use of alternative fuels in at least one of its national series” (Ryan). In addition, the official tire of NASCAR, Goodyear, “shreds and recycles nearly all the used stock car tires” (Giacomini).

NASCAR continues to remain dedicated to its more than 75 million fans (“NASCAR Demographics”) through the active carrying out of its three main projects: The NASCAR Foundation, Drive for Diversity and The Green Initiative. They continue to exhibit corporate social responsibility by raising money for various children’s causes, making aspiring drivers’ dreams come true, reducing their carbon footprint, and simply enriching the lives of NASCAR families. The corporation will continue to seek and develop new ways to carry on its tradition of being dedicated to its communities.

Works Cited

Alderink, Kiley. “All About NASCAR.” Shave Magazine. Web. 25 April 2010 http://www.shavemagazine.com/cars/090601.

“Drive For Diversity Introduces 2010 Driver Lineup.” NASCAR. 25 April 2010 http://hometracks.nascar.com/node/4336.

Giacomini, Dan. “NASCAR Getting on Track.” The Element Agency. 25 April 2010 http://www.mygreenelement.com/p=452.

“NASCAR Announces Tree Planting Program at Tracks.” NASCAR. 25 April 2010 http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/official/06/12/tree.planting.program/index.html.

“NASCAR Day to Highlight Community Service.” NASCAR. 25 April 2010
http://www.nascar.com/2010/news/headlines/official/03/10/foundation.NASCAR.day.community.projects/index.html.

“NASCAR Demographics.” Hlg Licensing. 25 April 2010 http://www.hlglicensing.com/nascar.htm.

“NASCAR Gone Green.” The Winkler Post. 25 April 2010
http://www.winklerpost.com/postnews/2010/wp20100415/wp20100415_sports2.php.

“NASCAR Sponsors Join Forces in Recycling Project.” NASCAR. 25 April 2010
http://www.nascar.com/2010/news/business/04/15/earth.day.recycling/index.html.

Ryan, Nate. “NASCAR, Rooted in Fossil Fuels, Turning Over New, Green Leaf.”
USA Today. 25 April 2010 http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2009-10-28-green-cover_N.htm.

Teal, Kelly M. “On the Move- NASCAR’s Security Director Coordinates Consistent Program for Traveling Show.” Public Venue
Security. 25 April 2010 http://www.publicvenuesecurity.com/articles/411feat3.html.

“The Initiative.” Drive for Diversity. 25 April 2010 http://drivefordiversity.info/content/.

“The NASCAR Foundation Annual Report.” The NASCAR Foundation. 25 April 2010
http://foundation.nascar.com/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=135.

“The NASCAR Foundation Disclosure Statement.” The NASCAR Foundation. 25 April 2010
http://foundation.nascar.com/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=638.

Parking at GCSU

In addition to being a public relations major, I am also working on my double concentration in telecommunications. For my Broadcast Production I class, we were assigned the task of creating a "Guerilla Video" about an issue that affected us directly.

A Guerilla Video is an "underground, counter-culture movement. It is not a documentary film, but takes on certain topics that documentaries would" (Steve Price).

Since I have received two parking tickets in the past month (simply for staying on campus doing schoolwork for too long), I decided to do my TV field project on the parking issue around campus here at Georgia College. Let me know what you think (keep in mind this was my first attempt at movie making).

PR Goes Mobile

On my previous birthday, my parents finally gave in and bought me what I had been wanting for two years - an iPhone. Now, I frequently find myself asking the same question: "How in the world did I ever survive without this phone?". On average, I would say that I spend about three hours on my phone each day. In addition to the applications that came with my phone (email, calendar, etc.), I have downloaded several other applications to meet my everyday needs - games, news, navaigation and social media.

According to PR News Online, "Americans now spend an average of 2.7 hours per day on the mobile Internet," and it is time for PR professionals to "begin formulating a mobile PR strategy and... Start on the path toward integration."

Accessing Facebook, Twitter, and other social media on the go has been made easy with smartphones. Facebook and Twitter can now be accessed from anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds through applications they have developed specifically for mobile devices. Several other businesses have already created applications as well, including: CNN, Fox News, and PR agencies like WordHampton Public Relations.


Times are changing folks! PR agencies need to start developing mobile sites for their clients. By doing so, people will be able to access the information more easily than before. This is the way I think about it... I always have my phone on me, but I do not always have my computer on me. In addition, my smartphone can access the internet anywhere without having to purchase an air card or any other wireless accessory (these are very expensive).

Society is becoming more and more fast-paced and on the go. It's important that businesses (including PR) adapt to the environment!

Roethlisberger Ruining GC&SU Reputation?

Last Thursday night, I saw Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback, at a local bar here in Milledgeville. Most of my friends were surprised that he was "partying" in such a small town. However, since I used to work at Reynolds Plantation, I knew about his house on Lake Oconee- located about 30 minutes from Milledgeville.

Early Friday morning, a 20 year old female informed Milledgeville police that she had been "sexually assaulted" while at Capital City, a dance club downtown. Although she did not give Roethlisberger's name to officials, she described her attacker as a man standing six foot five and weighing 241 pounds (much larger than the majority of college students at GCSU).

Since the incident, Roethlisberger is denying all charges brought against him. The GBI is working alongside the Milledgeville Police Department to investigate the accusations further.

After class today, I was walking across front campus and noticed a group of high school students with their parents getting a tour of the college. As a member of SGA explained the different buildings and landmarks on campus, a visitor watched as another news network parked their van alongside the five other vans in the police department parking lot.

In addition, the Atlanta Journal Constitution published an article about the incident and portrayed GCSU as, what I gathered, an awful place to send your kids. The reporter made our school out to be one of the biggest party schools around by reporting on someone vomiting out the window of a moving vehicle after leaving the "club district"... Wherever that is!

If I was still a senior in high school, struggling with the decision of where I wanted to go to college, my parents probably would not want to send me to a school where girls were getting "sexually assaulted" and students were getting alcohol poisoning. Of course, all colleges have students who drink and enjoy partying. However, not all colleges have been named one of "America's Best Colleges" several years in a row-in addition to several other national recognitions.

Colleges nationwide face sexual assault charges regularly. However, the vast majority of these cases do not involve celebrities. The small town of Milledgeville was the only college lucky enough to get one of these so far this year.

This situation has taught me a lot about how to handle a crisis in public relations. On behalf of the university, I found it very responsible that they did not get involved. If you were not directly involved in a situation, it is very important just to STAY OUT OF IT (this was the main thing that I learned from the situation). It is also important to talk to the press the least amount as possible. The media has blown this whole situation out of proportion, causing the victim of a crime to drop out of college. They even came into where I work to ask questions after they had been told several times that Roethlisberger never even set foot in that particular bar. Also, never accept bribes from the media.

As a senior, I can honestly say that GCSU is an amazing university. The students and faculty here are some of the best the university system has to offer. What happened last weekend is awful. However, in my seven semesters in Milledgeville, I have never felt unsafe. Compared to when I was admitted to Georgia College, the standards have risen tremendously to get accepted into the university. I hope that this incident does not affect the big decision of choosing a college for upcoming freshmen.