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Liberty PRSSA gathered Thursday, October 28 to discuss the Enneagram in the workplace and how it is useful when working in teams. The graduate student advisor of the club and assistant of a communications class at Liberty that focuses on models such as the enneagram, Allison Clark, was the speaker.
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Attendees were able to compare their numbers with one another before Clark went into depth on various strengths and weaknesses for each type that are typically prevalent in the workplace, particularly with regards to conflict. She offered insight based on her own personal experiences communicating with those of different Enneagram types along with the practices that she has taught to students in the course. The event allowed club members to gain a unique perspective into the minds of those they encounter on a regular basis.
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Members at the event also participated in activities in which they put their Enneagram knowledge to the test. Fun, fall snacks were provided, helping to make the event a success. Attendees enjoyed gaining more information about unique traits that people have and how they pertain to the way in which humans coordinate with one another.
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Liberty PRSSA's next event will be held on Thursday, November 10, and will involve how to make a more effective resume.
Written by: Emma Strudthoff
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Written for the Liberty Champion
Liberty’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) club is full of students pursuing degrees in interpersonal communication. Creating a club for seasoned communicators means events are characterized by stimulating, animated conversations. However, when clubs were required to change their events to honor COVID-19 restrictions, no one was quite sure how to continue those same conversations on a virtual platform.
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A shift to virtual events for PRSSA meant finding new ways to maintain interactivity and engagement online. While the transition was bumpy, recent virtual meetings have been successful. The club held a virtual pitch competition where groups had 10 minutes to create an inventive pitch for a product.
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“The truth is that the world is embracing this new work-from-home format,” Katelyn White, president of PRSSA, said. “While it has been a challenge learning how to hold our highly interactive events virtually, I am confident this will give our members another chance to prepare themselves for the future workplace.”
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Another student club, Fashion Design and Merchandising Association (FDMA) encourages stylistic creativity and serves as a springboard for students working toward a career in the fashion industry.
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FDMA responded to the COVID-19 restrictions by separating students into rooms and digitally streaming the speaker into each room. Combining in-person meetings with virtual technology both challenged and excited club directors.
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“Being able to execute the last-minute solution that our team came up with brought excitement and chaos as we all rushed around to make our solution happen,” FDMA President Kendra Hicks said. “It was all worth the chaos, though, when we hosted an excellent meeting.”
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Clubs will finish the semester by holding events in-person, as Virginia restrictions continue to loosen. However, PRSSA will still stream its events through Microsoft Teams for students who want to tune in virtually.
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More information regarding student clubs is available on Liberty SGA’s website.
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Lindsey Erickson is a Guest Writer.
Create-A-Thon
Starting on November 28th at 12p.m. Liberty’s Chapter of PRSSA will host its first ever Create-A-Thon in the Argo Tea Lounge.
PRSSA members encourage clubs around Liberty to come with their PR, marketing, social media, event planning, and fundraising needs.
Experienced members of PRSSA will be assisting the clubs helping to create solutions.
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Allana Dorestt, the Chapter President, said, “We are excited about this event because we can help better the clubs on Liberty’s campus and provide students with a chance to hone in their design, marketing, and event planning skills. This will be one of the most beneficial events PRSSA has held, and we hope to make it an annual event!”
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The Create-A-Thon is the first of what they plan to be an annual event, and it will be a valuable, resume-enhancing experience.
The event will run November 28th and 29th from 12-6p.m.
Written by Macie Delnay
Bagels & Branding
On the evening of October 25th, Liberty University’s Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America came together in the Jerry Falwell Library to attend the “Branding & Portfolio Workshop” with guest speaker Tim Gosnell – founder of DoubleTap Media.
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Gosnell spoke on how to make a living by doing and creating what you love, and he emphasized the importance of getting out and trying new things. “You have to do it, to know if you will love it,” Gosnell encouraged. He gave the audience his checklist on the secret to success: “Identify a discipline you love, pick a niche, consistently create, and build relationships.” Gosnell ended with a short Q&A session.
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Following our guest’s presentation, attendants were handed worksheets put together by our chapter’s Creative Committee they could use to help create their personal brand. They were also given an example of what a portfolio should look like.
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This was the first members only event of the semester. To welcome new and returning members, PRSSA’s Events Committee served coffee and Panera Bread bagels.
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The evening ended with a sneak peak of the next event, “Career Readiness Blitz.” At this event, PRSSA will come with the American Marketing Association and the Career Center on November 6th.
Written by Macie Delnay
A Real Winner: PRSSA's "Ethics Trivia Night"
Liberty University’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter came together for “Ethics Trivia Night” at Dublin 3 Coffeehouse outside of their normal meeting time, Tuesday, September 25.
September is the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Ethics Month. Liberty University’s student chapter kicked off their involvement with Ethics Month with a friendly, ethics-centered, trivia night at a local Lynchburg coffee shop.
The game consisted of yes/no and short answer questions about unethical situations in the workplace. With coffee and tea in hand, attendants participated in the competition in teams of their choosing.
“I went to PRSSA’s ethics trivia night and had a blast! I learned so much and felt welcomed immediately. I have been telling everyone about the next meeting and all that I learned from trivia!” new PRSSA member Hannah Patrick said.
The “Ginsburg Gals” were the winners of the evening, and all attendants left the event with a deeper understanding of ethics in the public relations industry.
PRSSA is hosting its next event, Cross Cultural Communications, on October 11 to kick off Diversity and Inclusion Month.
Written by Allison Heise
Hot Seat Meet & Greet Kickoff
Liberty University’s Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) had its kickoff event of the semester, “Hot Seat Meet & Greet,” last Thursday evening in the Divinity Tower complete with Chipotle.
The event, open to both members and non-members, had a “build your own bowl” station for attendants to enjoy during the evening.
The 2018-2019 executive board members introduced themselves as the event began, and they were later put on the “hot seat” to answer PR related question, both silly and serious. During the meeting, attendants also heard general information about the organization and upcoming events.
“Hot Seat Meet & Greet” was originally scheduled to occur the previous Thursday in the Jerry Falwell Library, but due to Hurricane Florence, it was delayed a week and relocated to the Divinity Tower.
There are a wide variety of events to look forward to from PRSSA throughout the semester, including the upcoming Crisis Communication Workshop, which will occur September 27 in the JFL Active Learning Classroom.
Written by Allison Heise