T’was the night before finals,

And all through the college,

The students were praying

For last minute knowledge.

Most were quite sleepy,

But none touched their beds,

While visions of essays

Danced in their heads.

Snowman Out in the taverns,

A few were still drinking,

And hoping that liquor

Would get their brains thinking.

In my own apartment,

I had been pacing,

Dreading all those exams

I soon would be facing.

My roommate was speechless,

Her nose in her books,

And my comments to her

Drew unfriendly looks.

I drained all the coffee,

And brewed a new pot,

No longer caring

That my nerves were shot.

I stared at my notes,

But my thoughts were all muddy,

My eyes went a’blur,

I just couldn’t study.

“Some pizza might help,”

I said with a shiver,

But each place I called

Refused to deliver.

I’d pretty much concluded

Life is unfair and cruel,

Since our futures all depend

On grades made in school.

When all of a sudden,

Our door opened wide,

And Patron Saint Put-It-Off

Ambled inside.

Her spirit was careless,

Her manner was mellow,

She looked at the mess

And started to bellow:

“Why should us students

Make such a fuss,

About what those teachers

Toss out to us?”

“On Cliff Notes! On Crib Notes!

On Last Year’s Exams!

On Wingit and Slingit,

And Last Minute Crams!”

Her message delivered,

She vanished from sight,

But we heard her laughing

Outside in the night.

“Your teachers won’t flunk you,

So just do your best.

Happy Finals to All,

And to All, a good test.”

–author unknown, received in an e-mail chain! 

And, it’s that time of year again! But, for me, it’s the LAST one!! It is so hard to believe; I don’t think it has truly sunk in yet. Luckily, the biggest weight has been lifted from my shoulders (my public relations campaign presentation was yesterday!), so I’m looking forward to finishing the last few tests and counting down to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6! 

I will then graduate and begin my internship at Pineapple Public Relations. I am so excited about the opportunities that await me and cannot wait to begin the next phase of my life!

  Last semester, the term “Flip cam” seemed to be buzzing everywhere in the Grady PR department. A NY Times article states that the device’s claim to fame is its minimalism.

Flip cameras are close to the size of a digital camera and have a built-in USB port to both charge the device and upload videos. The recorders only have a few buttons, weigh a few ounces and have 1.5-inch screens.  According to Pure Video Technologies’ Web site, “the Flip video camcorders are the world’s first with on-board software to enable editing, organizing, and seamless video uploading to YouTube, MySpace, AOL Video and other video sharing sites.” Since 2007, more than two million cameras have been sold!

At Grady, Flip cams were used to create quick promo videos by fellow classmates. They were taken to the PRSSA national conference in Detroit to document the experience for peers back in Athens. And, I even had my first dabble with a Flip cam when I created this short infomercial for a class project (please excuse the terrible acting—I write for a reason! ).

Now, Flip cams have moved up in the world and are producing content for national entertainment!

CNN.com announced last month that a new reality show based on the lives of two freshman congressmen would be filmed with Flip cams. The two men will carry high-definition Flip cameras throughout their experiences and the segments will be uploaded to the Web throughout the year. Below is a sample of the show:

Embedded video from CNN Video 

While, I’m not sure how exciting this drama on Capitol Hill really is, it’s an innovative idea that may spark some other, more appealing ideas. In addition, Pure Digital Technology, the maker of Flip cameras, was recently bought by Cisco. With the new ownership, the Flip cam is expected to become even more mobile than it already is… potentially through the use of wireless Internet connections. With this concept leading the way, I think there are great things in store for the future of the Flip.

While I’ve always heard the saying “finding a job is a job in itself,” I never truly understood what it meant- until now. I’ll spare you the lamenting over the hours I’ve spent on the hunt and just share a neat job-searching story with you instead.

Jamie Varon, an avid Twitter user, developed a gutsy, yet incredibly creative campaign to get hired by Twitter. She developed an entire Web site about why the company should hire her. The site was spread virally through Twitter and according to the site, has acquired more than 28,000 hits in just a few days! She boldly states why she wants to work at Twitter and how she would be an asset to the organization. She also blogs about relevant ideas she has for Twitter, such as “4 Ways Twitter Can Make Money.” This out-of-the-box thinking has increased Jamie’s online presence no doubt. Do you think it has increased her chances of getting hired?

Along with many of her followers on Twitter, I think that the ingenuity and drive that she has displayed through this campaign should get her an interview at least. I think a passion for what you are doing is one of the most important attributes an employee can possess, and this girl clearly has passion. 

But, an interesting issue is what, if any, effect her passion and creativity will have on the job search for the rest of us. Do you think that this unique job application will become more common as social media platforms and Web development become more common? Will the standard cover letter and resume ever disappear? 

The traditionalist in me says no. But, I bet most people never thought a thank you note would be sent via e-mail either…

Pretty trees covered in snow…

Scott & I in the snow!

Chaos in the streets….so glad I live close enough to walk over to friends’ apartments!

My favorite part of the campaign is the creative, interactive event they held this past week. Students at Clarke Central High School were given the opportunity to submit an essay answering the prompt “Why do you think college students graduate with debt? How can you start early to avoid this situation?” to win a chance to play the College Track Game.

While their fellow students watched, essay finalists, Natalya Haas, Natalie Lett and Kalyn Breeding, competed as playing pieces on a life-sized board game modeled after the game of LIFE. The game simulated how good grades, high SAT scores and savings can reduce the cost of college.

Haas rolled her way to victory, earning a $500 scholarship from Horizon Staffing and other donors.

“I learned about saving money and how much college really costs,” said Alan Watson, a senior at Clarke Central who attended the assembly. “I’ve already applied for a good bit of scholarships, but I’m definitely going to look into a lot more now that y’all (ACT) have come and talked to us.”

The team of five students who developed the campaign will compete in the national Bateman Case Study Competition in April. Whether they win the competition or not, they are making a significant impact in the lives of many students in Athens-Clarke County, so that’s a win in my book!

Everyone says college isn’t quite like the “real world.” To give soon-to-be public relations professionals a taste of the real world, Georgia’s Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) chapter hosted its annual event, Real World PR 2009, last Friday.

As a participant, I was given the opportunity to attend four break-out sessions, have my resume critiqued, network with numerous professionals, meet students from other schools, visit recruiters at a career expo and mingle with PRSA members at lunch. Wow—all that and I got to miss class!  

But, honestly, every minute between my 4:30 a.m. wake up call and the 5 o’clock traffic on the way home was both educational and enjoyable. Below are a few of my favorite lessons from throughout the day:

• The one social media tool that advanced the most because of the 2008 campaign is Wi-Fi. Without 3-G networks, it would have been a very different campaign. –Impact of Social Media on Politics panel
• TV used to be considered a lean back activity while using the Internet was considered a lean forward activity—now, society is rocking back and forth, using the Internet while we watch TV. –Impact of Social Media on Politics panel
• Have an “elevator speech” and practice it! Be ready to give it to anyone, anywhere, anytime. –Make Yourself Marketable panel
• Think of an interview as a conversation! –Make Yourself Marketable panel
• Research, research, research—companies you want to work for, that is. –Seal the Deal: What You Need to Know to Land the Job panel
• It’s important to understand how media outlets work to understand why they publish the stories they do. –Media Relations panel
• If you can’t explain what your story is in 30 seconds or less, it’s not ready to pitch! –Media Relations panel
• Know what’s going on in the news and make your story relate to the national trends but with a local angle. –Media Relations panel
• Persistence pays off. –Travel, Tourism and Hospitality PR panel
• PR doesn’t stand for public relations, but personal relationships. –Travel, Tourism and Hospitality PR panel

In the conference program, the coordinators state that the goal of the event is for students to “enjoy today, make contacts you can use throughout yours career and leave as excited about working in public relations as we all are.” Job well done, PRSA Georgia, because I can say with confidence that statement is 100 percent true for me! 

However, this perfect plan is not as perfect as it seems.

According to this New York Times article, many movie theaters do not have the advanced technology required to play digital 3-D movies. While the $15,000 extra production cost doesn’t seem extravagant at first, when producers realize that their high-tech films are only able to play in “about 1,300 of North America’s 40,000 or so” theaters across the nation, it seems like a much less profitable investment. To upgrade theaters to the required equipment, it costs $100,000 per theater!

Because of the limited availability of 3-D technology, films are forced to release a traditional 2-D version in tandem with the anticipated 3-D versions. For instance, My Bloody Valentine, which was released Jan. 16, was only able to show the 3-D version on 900 screens, while the 2-D version opened on 1,600 screens, according to the NYT article. After looking at these numbers, I question whether it is worth the extra money and effort to develop 3-D films.

On the viewer’s side, the estimated cost per ticket is $25 each. I already avoid theaters because of the hike up to $10 a ticket at my local theaters! Do you think customers will pay the extra money to see a film in 3-D? Would you?

After a brief tour and several interesting facts about the company’s history, the group sat and chatted with three of the firm’s employees. I was so surprised at the amount of time they invested and the candor they displayed as we discussed everything from industry trends and new media to interview tips and vital skills.  The discussion was very informative and introduced me to a new perspective on several issues. One key take-away message I got from the discussion was that social media is awesome…but only if you can prove that it is increasing your client’s bottom line.

My generation is all about new media/social media (this entire blog is about it!) But, knowing how to use Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, blogs, wikis, iPhone apps and many others is not enough. Young professionals need to be able to measure the return on investment and know which tools are the best fit for each client and each situation.

From a PR stance, this article about the Phoenix Suns basketball franchise provides a creative example of how PR and digital media can be intertwined to engage target audiences. For this NBA franchise, Twitter has allowed them to connect on a personal level with many of their fans. Twitter has also aided in media relations for the communications/PR department- and, we all know that good media relations= good PR!