Survival Tip #55 – Last Minute Reminders Before You Hit the Road to Happy Valley

As you pack up your things to head to Penn State’s Regional Activity this weekend, here are a few things that you should definitely not forget!

Packing List:

• A casual outfit on Friday (a T-shirt and jeans should be fine!)
• A business casual outfit and shoes for Saturday
• Copies of your resume/portfolio items (optional)
• A warm coat (you can never predict the weather of State College, and upon arrival, guests will be taking tours of campus on Friday)
• Your Operation Shoebox donation
• Any other overnight items you may need
• Questions you may have for any of the speakers
• Your PR trivia knowledge

Of course, you should also bring an open mind with you for the weekend, and be ready to learn a lot about many different realms of the public relations field.  We are all so excited for this weekend, and we hope that you are looking forward to it as much as we are!  See everyone on Friday!

Survival Tip #55 by Sarah Deem

Survival Tip # 22­­ – Channel Your Inner Explorer

Now that you’re registered for Penn State PRSSA’s Regional Activity, it’s time to plan for your trip to Penn State University!

Although you’ll be spending most of your time at the Regional Activity, you will have time to explore Penn State’s campus and downtown area. In order to ensure you have the best trip possible, here are my top things to do/see in the Happy Valley:

1. Go to the Creamery

This may be the #1 tradition for any one visiting Penn State. The Berkey Creamery is known for its delicious old fashioned ice cream and ices, from Peachy Paterno to WPSU Coffee Break.  Located on Curtain Road on the Penn State campus, the Creamery offers a towering cone or dish for only $2.75! Trust me- you won’t be disappointed.

 

2. Have a photo shoot at the Lion Shrine

The Nittany Lion Shrine may be the most photographed site on the Penn State campus. Presented as a gift from the Penn State class of 1940, this sculpture is a Penn State landmark, and definite must see during your visit. The Lion Shrine is located on Curtain Road by the Recreation Building on campus.

 

3. Meet Joe Pa

OK, the chances of you meeting the winningest football coach in college football history are slim, but here’s the next best option: visit the Joe Paterno statue (it’s more realistic than you think)! The statue is located outside of Beaver Stadium.

 

4. Go Souvenir Shopping

There’s more to Penn State than what’s on campus. Downtown State College has everything you’re looking for- specialty restaurants, boutiques, art, and entertainment. I recommend stopping in one of the many Penn State clothing stores to pick up some PSU gear! For information on what’s Downtown, visit http://www.downtownstatecollege.com.

 

5. Canyon Pizza

$1 slices, need I say more? No trip is complete without getting a slice of Canyon Pizza. Most Penn Staters agree that this is the best place to get quality pizza for a little cash. Canyon Pizza is located on 260 East Beaver Avenue.

Survival Tip #22 by Chelsea Sweithelm

Survival Tip #32 – Give Back with Philanthropy

If you’re one of the faithful who’s been checking out our site (thanks!), then you know that Penn State PRSSA’s Regional Activity’s community service initiative is Operation Shoebox. If not (we forgive you), then let’s get you up to speed!

Founded in 2003, Operation Shoebox sends support, snacks and much needed personal care items to American troops deployed overseas. These care packages include items ranging from shampoo to Girl Scout cookies and act as a huge morale boost for our soldiers!

Any donation is greatly appreciated, but the more, the better! Help us give the men and women who fight for our country everyday what they deserve. After all, it can’t be that difficult to pick up a toothbrush next time you’re at the store, right?

Still need a reason to collect items for Operation Shoebox? How about this — to add to our already awesome contests (have you entered yet?), we’re hosting a third competition — Keepin’ It Fresh!

We all know how great it feels to be fresh and clean, and on the other end of the spectrum, we all know how terrible it feels to be tired and dirty. Lucky for us, we can hop in the shower whenever we need. But for our troops abroad, they might not have that luxury. If they do, they probably don’t have the simple items needed to keep it fresh – so let’s help them out!

The rules are simple: collect the most items, and win! A complete list of items can be found here, but to keep with our theme, try to stick to personal hygiene products. Ladies (and any brave men out there), also keep in mind that there is desperate need for feminine hygiene products, so please try to throw a few of those into your donation as well!

Thanks in advance to those of you who collect items for this great cause. We hope that you participate, and be sure to encourage your chapter members to do the same!

Survival Tip #32 by Carley Lang

Survival Tip #12 – Having Ethics: Learn them at the Ben Bronstein Lecture in Ethics

By now you’ve heard all about the Regional Activity. The rotations, the speakers, the awesome etiquette lunch that will finally give you confidence at dinner meetings. And you may have heard about the Ben Bronstein Lecture in Ethics and Public Communications that will be held at the end of the Regional Activity.

Alright, sounds good. Now what exactly is the Bronstein Lecture?

Like its name suggests, the Bronstein Lecture was created to emphasize the importance of credibility, fairness and ethics in the public relations field.

This year’s lecture is entitled “The Public Relations Professional: The Conscience of the Organization?” and will be presented by Patricia Whalen of DePaul University. Whalen is a member of the Board of Ethics and Professional Standars of the Public Relations Society of America.

The annual series is sponsored by Ben Bronstein, a Penn State alumni and former he founding director of public relations at the Penn State College of Medicine and Hershey Medical Center.

Past lectures have included topics ranging from political campaigns to news ethics. We believe that this year’s speech with be a great one to help you focus on the building blocks of your professional career and ways of tackling difficult situations.

The event will be held in the Mitrani Lecture Hall (121 Sparks Building) starting at 3:30 p.m. and is open to all students.

For more information visit http://comm.psu.edu/about/bronstein-lecture

Survival Tip #12 by Brittany Thomas

Survival Tip # 29 – About: Lawrence G. Foster Chapter of PRSSA

As you know, Penn State PRSSA will be hosting a Regional Activity at the end of March. Since the event is quickly approaching we thought it would be fun for everyone else to get to know a little more about the chapter, how it came about and what its goals are.

The namesake of Penn State PRSSA is alumnus Lawrence G. Foster, who was the Vice President of Public Relations for Johnson & Johnson during the Tylenol crisis in 1986. He led the company through the crisis and his efforts are now studied in the textbook case.

Penn State’s chapter was formed in September of 1997 and grew to be one of the largest chapters in the nation in four years. It is currently the second largest PRSSA chapter in the nation.

The chapter today is composed of four different committees: Fundraising, Event Planning, Communications, and THON. The committees provide hands-on experience to the members and helps them work in teams to produce events, and write for the daily newsletter. The THON committee operates to raise money for the Penn State Dance Marathon, which helps fight pediatric cancer.

The chapter also brings in a ton of professionals throughout the year to talk about the different areas of public relations and to educate the members on the professional world. A series of workshops are also held to prepare members for interviews, work with programs like Photoshop and InDesign, and also to learn about the inner-workings of social media.

Penn State PRSSA is dedicated to educating its members and preparing them for the professional world. The chapter is exciting to have the region join us for a great day of speakers, workshops, networking and fun on March 26.

Survival Tip #29 by Stephanie Williams

Survival Tip # 7 – Regional Activities: What’s in it for You?

So you’re an active member of your PRSSA chapter and you hear about the opportunity to attend a Regional Activity. Is it worth your time and money? How can you be sure that the events and activities will be beneficial to your goals as a public relations student?

As you become familiar with the public relations industry, you will learn that one of the most beneficial skills you can possess is the ability to effectively network. Regional Activities bring together hundreds of students with similar interests from several states and many colleges and universities. Keep in mind that while the professional speakers at Regional Activities have a wealth of knowledge about the public relations industry, it is equally important and beneficial for you to interact with other public relations students, maintain contact with them as you enter the work force and broaden your contact network.

Take full advantage of the activities and programs offered by the Regional Activity because they are the reason you have to pay a fee. Each university and college’s Regional Activity Board spends hours upon hours planning fun, informative and beneficial programs and events for Regional Activity attendees, and you will most likely walk away with more knowledge about the public relations industry and more contacts to add to your network. The Reality of PR: A Survivor’s Guide to the Public Relations World Regional Activity will offer a variety of activities for its attendees including tours of the Penn State University Park campus, dinner and a social Friday night with PR Jeopardy, an etiquette luncheon in-between breakout sessions and a special opportunity to attend the Bronstein Lecture in Ethics on Saturday afternoon.

Regional Activities also give you the opportunity to attend sessions pertaining to your specific public relations interests. Penn State’s 2011 Regional Activity will include speakers from several states who specialize in public relations dealing with sports, non-profits, health care, the environment, social media, in-house, agency and tourism.  A Regional Activity is an unsurpassable opportunity to learn more about your industry of interest and ask professionals the questions you really want to be answered.

Along with networking, fun experiences and professional development, Regional Activities are a great way to promote camaraderie within your PRSSA chapter. Only a few members are able to attend the National Conferences because of expense, but the low cost of Regional Activities allow many members to attend and bond during the weekend.

Do yourself, your chapter and your future public relations career a favor and take advantage of Penn State’s 2011 Regional Activity!

Survival Tip #7 by Cait Gossert

Survival Tip #45 – Promoting the Regional Activity to Your Members

It’s a new semester and as things start to get busy, it is important to remind your members about Penn State’s Regional Activity!

There are many ways to inform your members about the Regional Activity and what is all about.

First, check out our website: https://prsurvivorpsu.wordpress.com/. Feel free to browse the sight to get as much information as you can.

Here you will find all kinds of information from directions to the speakers attending the event. The website also provides as schedule of events for the day so members can see if the speakers represent the area of PR they are interested in.

At your next general meeting, show the regional activity video to your chapter. Although the video is brief, it shows what we are all about and previews how exciting the weekend will be.

The video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa3yrtiRsxY

There will also be more videos in the future to share with your members to help learn more about the Regional Activity!

In addition to finding out more information from the website and videos, members can follow the Regional Activity on Twitter and Facebook. These sites provide the most up-to-date information about the Activity and are updated on a daily basis with any new announcements that are made for the Regional Activity.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PRSurvivorPSU

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/PR-Survivor-PSU-Regional-Activity/156918081005335

Anyone can also email us questions at PRSurvivorPSU@gmail.com.

Good luck with the promotions! Please let us know if we can give you any additional information or promotional materials. We hope to see your group in a few months at 2011 PRSSA Regional Activity- The Reality of PR: A Survivors Guide to the Public Relations World!

Survival Tip #45 by Stephanie Williams

Survival Tip #19 – How to Prepare for Registration

Winter break is the time to plan which events your chapter will be attending in the spring. It’s also the perfect time to register for regional activities! “The Reality of PR: A Survivor’s Guide to the Public Relations World” is just around the corner and registration forms will be available on January 24, 2010. For a sneak peak on what to expect during registration, read on!

Event dates: PR Survivor will be held Saturday, March 26, with an optional social on Friday, March 25.

Registration dates: Registration begins January 24. To qualify for early registration prices, registration forms need to be postmarked by February 23. Regular registration forms need to be postmarked by March 9.

Costs:

• $40 registration for PRSSA members; $30 for early registration
• $50 registration for non-PRSSA members; $40 for early registration

How to pay: Payments can be made by check to Penn State PRSSA

Registration forms will be e-mailed to PRSSA chapters in early January. Not a chapter? Don’t worry! Forms will also be available online at the PR Survivor website.

Where to Stay:

Penn State will be offering home-stays with our members to help, but your chapter may want to stay in a hotel. If so you should begin researching hotels and transportation out to State College. To make it easier, we have put together a list of hotels in the area.

• Days Inn: 240 South Pugh Street, State College, PA 16801; Phone: (814) 238-8454
• Nittany Lion Inn: 200 West Park Avenue, State College, PA 16803; Phone: (814) 865-8500
• Atherton Hotel: 125 S. Atherton Street, State College, PA 16801; Phone: (814) 231-2100
• Ramada Inn: 1450 S. Atherton Street, State College, PA 16801; Phone: (814) 238-3001
• Hampton Inn: 1101 East College Avenue, State College, PA 16801; Phone: (814) 231-1590

Your chapter will be able to drive or take a bus into State College. For directions to State College, visit Directions to Happy Valley.

Survival Tip #19 by Brittany Greff

Survival Tip #37 – How to Prepare for and Survive Your First Internship

You can go to as many classes as your school offers and read all of the textbooks on the shelf, but having the real world experience of an internship is incomparable to anything taught in the classroom.  Because it is such a different environment than academia, getting your first internship can feel quite intimidating.  After all, real professionals will now supervise you and they will be assigning you tasks that have material value with the company.  But this doesn’t mean that pursuing this challenge does not have to be an unnerving experience.  Internships are the best learning opportunities for and without them you will not become as knowledgeable as you could be.  See some of the guidelines below to be a successful internship survivor!

Tips for Preparing for an Interview:

1.) Go online and learn about the company and the position for which you are interviewing.

2.) Attend a mock interview to practice your responses to all types of potential questions (especially focus on situational questions, for example: Tell me about a time when you used your creativity to accomplish a goal).

3.) Prepare and bring questions that you have for the interviewer.  This shows your interest in the company and the position!

4.) Relax and Be You! Employers can tell if you are just putting on a façade.

Once you get the Internship:

1.) Always assert yourself and ask for new projects once you finish the task at hand

• Your supervisor may be extremely busy and giving you enough work to do may not always be his/her top priority – take the initiative to find projects of your own!

2.) Don’t be afraid to clarify instructions or ask for advice from an employee.

• Your supervisor will be happier if something is done correctly with help than if something is done wrong independently.  Your co-workers are there to help you learn and grow as a young professional!

Survival Tip #37 by Sarah Deem

Survival Tip #11 – Dress for Success

It’s finally Thanksgiving break and a time for much needed relaxation and lots of yummy home-cooked food. Many of you will also be hitting up the stores for Black Friday shopping and one of the best deals to look for is professional clothing. Here are some tips on what to look for to help you dress for success.

Ladies:

• Make sure you have comfortable and practical shoes. While those bright red peep-toes may be super cute with your outfit Saturday night, try something more conservative for interviews and business affairs. Try a low pump in a black or brown. Also, make sure they’re polished!
• Suits should be a conservative color such as black, gray, dark blue or tan. They should also have button down blouse underneath, preferably in white, but pastels are fine as well as long as it’s buttoned the whole way – cleavage is a big no-no!
• Skirts should be no more than two inches above the knee. If you are wearing a skirt make sure you have pantyhose without runs in them.
• Jewelry should also be limited. Stick to one pair of simple earrings – posts are best – and one ring. Most other jewelry should be limited and tactful.
• Keep make-up light and natural looking, have your hair clean and make sure your nails are clean and trimmed.

Gentlemen:

• Sorry guys, as great as you look in polos and khakis, make sure you have a tailored suit in black, gray or navy for interviews and professional dress. The suit should be wrinkle-free.
• Your dress shoes should be clean and polished. Both your shoes and your belt should match your suit. Matching dark dress socks with your outfit is a must as well.
• Pick a button down shirt that matches your suit and select a tie that goes along with your outfit.
• As far as physical appearance, have a clean haircut, a fresh shave and clean well kept fingernails.

And most important for everyone is a confident smile!

So as your Thanksgiving holiday comes to an end and you head out for some Black Friday shopping be sure to follow these tips when looking to increase your professional wardrobe.

Survival Tip #11 by Andrea Crawford