Black Friday

Black Friday has become the biggest shopping day of the year. As we all gathered around on Thanksgiving Day at my husband's aunt's house, it wasn't sounds of laughter and praise, but of hollering and fighting. "You took my coupon!" "No, I didn't! You gave this one to me!" "We're leaving early, you better be ready!" Ok, so maybe everything said was out of fun and excitement for the big day, but needless to say, his family gets serious about their after Thanksgiving Day shopping.



Waking up at 3 a.m. to hit the stores at 4 a.m. is not really my forte, but we had a great time. I asked many people why, after being stuffed with turkey from the day before, do they get up at such an early hour to shop. I was curious as to how great the deals really were. Most of them replied that it is just a fun holiday tradition that brings their family closer together. I had a hard time believing that it actually brings the family closer after listening to my new family hoot and holler at one another over the sales catalog. One story in the LA Times back in 2008 tells the story of two men who shot each other dead after a fight erupted between their women at a Southern California Toys R Us store. Thankfully, this is very rare however. Most people just argue over who had the item in their hand first, or who got the best deals.



People shopping on Black Friday generally have only a couple specific things in mind in which they want to buy. The rest of the shopping is done for worthless pieces of junk that nobody needs, yet it is all about the deal that they received on that particular item.



As for the PR for Black Friday - who could resist the fun catalogs or the anticipation for the actual event itself? Store advertisements do a great job pulling people into this nationwide event by letting people in on their deals and pricebreakers. Some stores are known to give away gift cards or other merchandise to entice people to come to their place first. Overall, I believe that Black Friday is a fun-filled family event that will be around for many years to come!

Relay For Life Kickoff

The Relay For Life Kickoff Tuesday night was a great success. After much planning, our PR Admin team did an excellent job of putting everything together to pull it off. The decorations looked great and we had plenty of food! The only set back we faced was the fact that only three of the somewhat 15 people who were assigned to bake cupcakes failed to do so. Therefore, we were forced to frantically call around asking stores for cupcakes. Dr. Carter eventually went to Piggly Wiggly to pick up a few dozen. This just goes to prove that when planning events, you are not always capable of expecting others to hold up their end of the bargain. Sometimes you just have to do things yourself. People are not always reliable.

Other than that, we did not have any other issues. Everything ran very smoothly. I was very proud of my classmates and friends for their hard work! Great job ladies!

Cancer Survivor Story

Bo Sibilsky

Bo Sibilsky remembers lying on his couch the night he found out he had cancer. He pondered the thought of not being there to watch his son grow up. He thought about not being able to see his daughter get married. As you can imagine, he did not get much sleep that night.
It all started in July of 2007, when he noticed blood in his urine. Concerned, his wife mentioned that he needed to go see a doctor to get checked out. Bo eventually made his way to Oconee Regional Medical Center where they ran tests on his kidney. The test came back showing a golf ball sized tumor located near his bladder. He had the tumor removed on September 20, but doctors confirmed that the mass was malignant. Bo was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Thankfully, it had not spread to any other organ in his body, therefore, treatment was in reach.
On October 9, Bo and his wife, Nikki flew to Rochester, Minnesota to have more tests done at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Blute, who specializes in bladder reconstruction gave Bo and Nikki a few options. Bo decided to have surgery and replace his bladder with something known as a neobladder which would be constructed by using three feet of his small intestine. On Bo and Nikki’s 12 year wedding anniversary, they flew back to Rochester to have the procedure done. Tuesday, October 30, Bo had his bladder, his prostate, and his lymph nodes removed. The doctors then reconstructed his bladder. Bo remained in the hospital the following week recovering.
As time went on, Bo had to learn how to control the functioning of his new bladder which became very difficult at times. He remained in good spirits throughout the process however, which enabled him to make it through the traumatic experience. He recalls thinking, “I’m not gonna let this beat me!” Bo did not allow the cancer to beat him mentally or physically. He is able to tell his story today, even adding a few humorous stories to lighten up the mood. “A lot of people are a lot worse off than I am,” Bo says. Going through this, he realized “the things in life that are really meaningful – family, children, and friends.”
Bo blames his cancer on chewing tobacco, which he had chewed since he was 12 years old. He quit the day he was told he had cancer. “I didn’t do it for me,” Bo explained, “I did it for my kids.” Today, as Bo walks around talking to friends and customers at his gym, he is proud to say that he is cancer free. “Life is not a guarantee,” he says. “I’m just thankful my feet hit the floor in the morning.” Bo said that having cancer made him realize that the small things in life do matter. October 30, 2009, was Bo Sibilsky’s 2 year anniversary for being cancer free. Now, he will be there for his children as they grow up. In fact, he was taking off early that afternoon to watch his son’s baseball game.

What's Your Tipping Point?

Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, is full of examples that shows how change can happen quickly and unexpectantly such as the spreading of a virus. It's an epidemic. Gladwell uses the example of a child that comes to school with the measles. Even though it was just one child who had the virus, it quickly spread throughout the whole class, infecting them all. This can be true in the public relations world as well. It only takes one person to be at their "tipping point" to communicate to people you know who will in turn share it with the people they know (Connectors), to spread all the important information to all you come in contact with (Mavens), or to "sell" the idea to anyone (Salesmen).

According to PC Magazine, the term Tipping Point refers to "the point in time when a technology, procedurec, service, or philosophy has reached critical mass and becomes mainstream." Gladwell defines is as "the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point." It creates a sudden change, it's contagious. Gladwell uses the example of crime in New York. In 1993, the crime rate dramatically dropped because a small number of people began behaving differently and this behavior spread to would-be criminals. People were "'infected' with an anti-crime virus in short time" (8).

This epidemic can apply to PR in many ways. Since Tipping Points rely so heavily on word of mouth, PR professionals must become that word of mouth. Whether for a company or an event, the public relations specialist must use their social skills for the promotion of it. "...word-of-mouth appeals have become the only kind of persuasion that most of us respond to anymore" (32).

In order to apply The Tipping Point to our Relay For Life Kickoff project, we need to take a look at the budget. Here we are a bunch of college girls looking at ways to spend a little bit of money for a big cause. Gladwell tells the story of a nurse names Georgia Sadler who wanted to raise awareness in the black community of San Diego on diabetes and breast cancer. She realized that she must change the context in which she relayed the information in order to get the message across to these people. She didn't go to the National Cancer Institute or some other kind of big name corportation for help, she went to the local beauty shops. She didn't ask for tons of money to raise awareness, she was modest. She simply "took the small budget that she had and thought about how to use it more intelligently...She focused her efforts" (255).

We could take this example and run. We don't have much money for this event. We can't get all the people to donate all the things we had dreamed of at the beginning. However, we must implement well and have the right context. We must focus our efforts on what's really important - the cancer survivors. They are what the kickoff is all about. Not money. Not food. Not decorations. But the chance to celebrate life!

When it comes to the three "types" of people - the Connectors, the Mavens, and the Salesmen - I would have to say that I am a maven, especially when it comes to an economic standpoint. I am always looking for the best price at the store. I go into the store with a set price that I am willing to spend and will not go above that price, no matter what. I look for coupons, off-brand items, and discounts. If I can't find any of those, chances are, I will not buy the product. Kyle (my husband) will go to the store and spend $50 in groceries. However, I can go to the same store, get the same items, but pay only $30. Why is that? Because I am a maven.

My freshman year of college, my best friend (who lives in Colorado now) would always say, "Cassie, I'm about to go to the grocery store. Go with me so you can get me the good deals." I would always go simply because I wanted to help him. I wanted to see him pay less and be successful in his shopping experience. "The fact that Mavens want to help, for no other reason than because they like to help, turns out to be an awfully effective way of getting someone's attention" (67).

As a future event/wedding planner, I can use this skill when my clients begin looking for vendors. As "one who accumulates knowledge," I will be able to find the lowest prices for the best vendors (60).

And last but not least, The Tipping Point applies to social media in the fact that it has become a social epidemic. Social media such as facebook and twitter have spread like a virus with no end in sight. It started with one person believing in something and telling another about it (connector) who tells all their friends (maven) and then having someone sell it for millions of dollars (salesman).

Blog Action Day

Be Green For Your Wedding!
In our society today, it's very rare for people to be concientious about the Earth and the impact we make everyday on our environment. Especially when it comes to your "Big Day." As I begin my journey as a wedding planner, I plan to cut costs to the environment by encouraging Brides to think about how to make their wedding more environmentally friendly. This doesn't mean they must pull out their mother's dress from the attic and decorate in nothing but leaves. Green weddings are becoming more popular everyday, so there are tons of ideas and resources people can use to "Go Green" at their wedding including websites and books. Here are a few of the things I will suggest to my clients:

• Brides everywhere are printing save the date cards, invitations, programs, place settings, and labels for the wedding of their dreams. But, we must stop and take a look at all the things we are wasting. According to a 2002 study done by the Energy Information Administration, the paper industry emits the fourth highest level of carbon dioxide among manufacturers. The process of making paper begins with cutting down trees and then breaks down wood fibers to make the actual paper. This process requires a lot of energy. So, why not cut down on the amount of paper used for a wedding?
• Flowers come at high prices, especially when imported from exotic places. However, many of these florists use pesticides on their flowers to reduce the amount of bugs. Pesticides release chemicals into the air which harms the environment. Therefore, when choosing a florist, you should look no further than the local farmer's market where everything is fresh, and home grown. Most markets carry a huge variety of plants and flowers which will allow the bride many choices when it comes to the floral arrangements.
• Favors are a huge ordeal for most couples. There are many eco-friendly gifts to be given to guests. How about giving a seed to plant a tree or bulbs to plant some flowers? Or maybe donate money to a local charity in honor of each guest. You could even give Endangered Species Organic Chocolate to your friends and family.
• When the big day arrives, encourage family members to carpool or have a hotel booked close enough to the venue so it is in walking distance to the ceremony. Also, when thinking of a place to have the reception, try finding a place that will host both the ceremony and the reception.
• When thinking of decor for the reception, use sticks wound together, wild flowers, and some candles. A little goes a long way!

There are many ways a Bride and Groom can make their wedding day a day that celebrates not only their marriage, but also celebrates their Creator and the world that He made!

Relay For Life Pitch

Our Public Relations Admin class did the Relay for Life Kickoff Pitch to the Relay for Life Committee a couple weeks ago. Our class was divided into 5 groups of 3 people and were given the theme of this years kickoff. Each group was to come up with a slogan, an invitation, a logo, a menu, and table decorations. Our slogan was "Everyday is a Gift, Celebrate the Present." Every group did a great job coming up with ideas for the kickoff. The slogan that was chosen was "Celebrate a Memory."

Even though my group was not chosen, we still did a great job! We had some creative ideas and worked very well together. All in all, this project was a great experience. It allowed individuals to put their minds together and create one final product.

I am excited to get to work on the kickoff. We're expecting many donations from places all over town thanks to great people! Looking forward to the actual event!

Passion or Poor Sport?

"Last night everyone could truly see the passion I have for my job. Now that I have had time to gain my composure I can see that while I don't agree with the unfair line call, in the heat of the battle I let my passion and emotion get the better of me and as a result handled the situation poorly."

Serena Williams let more than passion for her so called "job" get in the way of a bad call during the U.S. Open on Saturday, September 13th. She expressed anger and frustration, letting it all out on the line judge during her match against unranked Kim Clijsters.

Yelling obsenities to the judge such as "...I swear to God I'm #@?!ing going to take this #@?!ing ball and shove it down your #@?!ing throat..."

When asked if she was going to usher an apology to the poor line judge, Serena commented, "An apology? From me? Well, how many people yell at linespeople? Players, athletes get frustrated. I don't know how many times I've seen that."

So, no apology in sight. No sympathy. No remorse. Is this a role model? Or just another poor sported athlete who's been put in the limelight? I for one am disgusted at her reaction. Growing up as an athlete in high school, I was tempted to let tempers flare, but I always kept in mind that integrity is more important than winning a game...especially if I still got a paycheck even if I lost.

Growing up to PR

As a student in the public relations concentration, I feel it is important to condition the skills I have already achieved and learn and practice the skills I lack. I believe that I have attained (in one way or another) the "traditional" attributes which is why I chose public relations as a major.

• Writing - I have always been fond of writing and believe it is one of my strongest skills.




• Communication Skills - I enjoy meeting new people. I enjoy communicating with new and old acquaintances. I look forward to meeting people in order to advance my career as a public relations specialist.




• Attention to detail - I like detail. I like putting in that special touch. When it comes to event planning, this is something I will have to pay great attention to. But, it will be details that will always please the client.




• Media Relations - This will be something I will have to work on. Since we are planning on moving out to Colorado, I will have to get out there and make my name known to the media and the people int the community. However, good media relations will be the key!




• Proactiveness - I must admit, I struggle somewhat with proactiveness. I always get the job done, however I sometimes wait until the last minute to do things. Until it comes to my job. With school work, (yes, Dr. Miller, it's true) it is pretty much a guarantee that I will do something at the last minute. But, when I am on the job, (I have worked at a builder's office doing invoices and now as a waitress) I always see how fast I can get something done. I want to be finished and see the final product. I plan to carry this over into my PR profession.




• Work Ethic - This might be my strongest attribute. I like to help people, I want to see people happy. When I am at the restaurant working, I always help the other waitresses when I can see that they need it. I like being a servant.

Now, onto the new attributes - I don't posses as many of these qualities. I am new to blogging, and as of right now, I haven't seen the importance of the whole blog world. But, I know it is very useful and I hope that it can be used to my advantage one day...Twitter as well. I will have to use it more often (and thanks to Dr. Miller I will be)! I have accomplished facebook, though. I mean, what college student hasn't?

All in all, I believe that I can be a good public relations specialist. I have skills that can get me into the profession, but it never hurts to learn new things as well.

Why Public Relations?

Starting Out

After graduating high school in 2006, I thought that I had my whole life planned out. I was going to attend a two year college then transfer to Aiken Technical College in Aiken, South Carolina where I would pursue a radiography technician position. However, after living in Milledgeville for one year, plans changed. I had met many people. I just knew that Milledgeville would be the place for me for the next 3 years.

Why Public Relations?

I have always enjoyed meeting new people and stepping out of my comfort zone to do so, therefore I knew that mass communication would probably be the right area for me to search out. Once I got into the program (now department of Mass Comm!) I started my journey just taking courses that I needed in order to graduate. In the mean time, however my boyfriend had proposed to me and I had begun the process of planning a wedding. I absolutely loved planning every aspect of the event. From the flowers to the cake, the dress to the venue, I knew from that moment on that I could enjoy doing that as a profession. I love making people happy and working hard to achieve that goal.

Where to Next?

As of right now, I am looking at doing my internship with Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs where I would work alongside the Human Relations Administrator to plan meetings, weddings, and other special events held at the resort.

I hope to meet many people along the way who will be able to assist me in making my dreams come true! ~Cassie