I know teachers – like parents – are not supposed to have favorites. And like parents, sometimes you can’t help but love one just a little more than the others.

The truth is, I try to love all my classes equally. Some demand more attention; some demand more time. But utimately, I want all of my students to succeed. I want them to leave Loyola prepared to face professional challenges.

Most students who’ve a class with me might say I like their class least. They’ll say I make a lot of demands on them, like reading and following directions or meeting deadlines, doing things over until they’re correct, telling them they have to get along…at least until the end of the semester. They’ll say I get excited and raise my voice (a lot) when I want them to pay attention to what I’m saying. They’ll say I rebuke them at times for not incorporating what they’ve learned in class into their assignments.

It’s at this time of year I get to see whether things have really clicked, if that lightbulb moment has occurred. Helen Keller’s “water” moment. Dr. Willis D. Weatherford’s “Eureka” moment.

While I’m not saying they’re my favorites, I have to brag a little about the CMMN A317 Writing for Public Relations class. A last-minute addition to the spring course offerings, this class has but 10 hardly souls. Instead of 20 people to share my red ink ravings, there’s only half that number. They were charged this semester with creating media/information kits for the New Orleans branch of the American Heart Association. And they’re risen to the challenge.

Working with this class has been an uplifting experience for me. We’ve had a great nonprofit liaison in Linzy Cotaya, who has introduced us to people working daily to help raise funds and awareness of the need for healthy lifestyles and better diets (even in NOLA). And the students have had a good time creating their own particular spins on the tried-and-true media project that each PR Writing class takes on. You’ve even seen some of their work here on MASS COMMents.They got it; they really got it.

It’s been fun. And productive. And challenging. But it was worth it. As we head into the summer, I want to say thanks to these students for being a great group this semester: Susana Aramburu, Aimee (Al) Brown, Charlene (Charlie) Bussat, Rob Hayden, Cameron Hill, Margi Kalbacher, James Lambert, Kamaria Monmouth, Lindsey Rousselle and Alden Woodhull.

And to my other classes: you’re all my favorites too!

So much goes on at the end of a semester, and even more transpires at year’s end. There are all the projects, exams, papers and last-minute academic responsibilities, along with those surprises – you want me to write a 50-page paper now? – that you can’t plan for.

It’s kind of hectic, a little exhilarating and maybe a bit scary. Can I really get all this done? Is that internship opportunity going to come through? Wouldn’t it be nice if I had a job waiting for me at the end of the graduation walk?

Things are no different in the SMC. We have A LOT going on. Our Ad Team just returned from District 7 AAF competition for the NSAC, presenting their campaign for Glidden Paint. District 7 is the SEC of ad districts, I like to say. There are many tough challengers, including LSU and Alabama. We salute their finishing in the top four.

Bateman team members are putting the finishing touches on their final presentation, having finished in the top three nationally. For the first time, the Bateman finalists will present their campaign ideas via Skype, so technology is adding a very interesting dimension to the already nerve-wracking experience of competing for top national honors. Hang in there, Batemans.

The Maroon staff has just returned from several awards presentations, laden as usual with honors in writing, editing, design and photography. Their last issue of the semester is out today, so they can breathe a sigh of relief and take a moment before they start planning for the fall.

And in the midst of all this, we’ve asked our seniors to dress up, get their best work together and participate in the SMC’s annual portfolio review. We invite media and communication professionals to sit down with our students to go over their portfolios, offering suggestions on how to improve this very important job search tool. It’s a bit mock interview, a bit final exam. Usually confident students can sometimes have a panicky moment heading in to Studio A.

Last night, almost 60 mass comm seniors headed into the lion’s den and sat down to talk about the achievements of their last four or five years and what their plans are for the future, which starts in two weeks! All survived, and they were able to find out what tweaks they need to make to have the best possible portfolio to help secure themselves a great job.

We are thankful for the professionals who give their time to the SMC all during the year. Without them, we could not have those moments of glory and walls full of awards. They add so much to the educational experience here at Loyola. Some do it because they are Loyola alums and want to give back. Some are bosses looking to identify – and possibly hire – the brightest and best. Some are just nice people who do it because we ask them to. We want to send up a big round of applause to these folks for sharing the evening and their expertise with us:
• Shaun Walker and Jason Taix – HEROfarm
• Jody Towers – Peter Mayer
• Dawn Harris Buckley and Drew Broach – Nola Media Group/The Times-Picayune/nola.com
• Christina Blanco – Moroch
• Brooke Neal and Lydia Mulero – FSC Interactive
• Katie Smith – Audubon Institute
• Stephen Schmitz – Zehnder
• Mary Mouton – Mouton Media
• Sarah Burnette – Gambel
• Allison Baznik Hjortsberg – Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation
• Lisa Collins – WDSU
• Christian Moises – Stewart Enterprises
• Keith Magill – Houma Courier
• Greg LaRose – New Orleans CityBusiness
• Bill Siegel and Triston Sanders – WWL

Now, seniors, get back to work! There’s still a few deadlines to meet before you get that diploma. Good luck.

Today’s post is from Lindsey Rousselle, who is part of the spring 2013 CMMN A317 Writing for Public Relations class.

When I was Facebook chatting Professor Andrews over this past Christmas break, she was explaining my public relations writing class service-learning client: American Heart Association New Orleans. I thought I knew about my heart health: watch your cholesterol amount and exercise. Simple, right? No way.

Within the first few classes, we were greeted with our contact for the semester. Ironically, her married name is Linzy Roussel Cotaya. My name is Lindsey Rousselle. How often to you find someone with the same name? Despite the different spellings, that was too crazy for me. I instantly thought this class couldn’t get more mindboggling. Boy, was I wrong.

Our final project is a media kit, and we didn’t hesitate to get started. Before Mardi Gras, a cup was passed around with names of those we were going to interview for our biography assignment. Some of the names were heart victims or a caretaker for heart patients. I took my paper with no expectations. Again, I was wrong. Gosh, I’m seeing a theme.

I emailed Toni Wild, and we set up a time to have a phone interview. I had some questions laid out: Where did you go to school? What is your profession? How long have you been said profession?

I get on the phone with her, and she answered my questions but said, “Lindsey, I need to tell you my story.”

I was a little shaken. But I said, “Yes, ma’am. I’m ready.”

She started with her breast cancer diagnosis at 27 years old. After defeating that first obstacle, she watched her first husband be struck by a car while he was changing a flat tire on the interstate. This was the point when I grabbed my tissue box.

She donated his organs, and one year after his death, her cancer returned. She knew chemo treatments had side effects; however, she did not expect to be diagnosed with cardio-toxic damage to her heart. Her heart was three times the size it should have been, and she needed maintenance medication to aid in her heart’s functions.

In the meantime, she did remarry and became a stepmom to two children in 2000. She played sports and the role of mom until 2009 when she was hit with a horrible cough and chest pains.

Despite her medication maintaining her heart’s upkeep, she was diagnosed with acute congestive heart failure in 2009. Her heart was functioning at a 10 percent capacity, which led to her being placed on the heart transplant list.

Isn’t that ironic that her first husband’s heart was donated, and she was now in need of one?

“And by the grace of God, I got a heart. This might not be the heart I was born with, but I feel like this is the heart that was made for me,” Wild said.

This woman, who I have never seen, never met, just changed my life. I cried with her, I laughed with her, and I wasn’t even sitting across with her. I would have never come across this woman had it not been for the service my PR writing class is providing for AHA NOLA.

Professor Andrews told me, “That is what service-learning is meant for. It did its job.”

Yes, it sure did. And no, I’m not wrong about that.

You can’t help but stop to read an article entitled “Professionalism 101: What Your Helicopter Parents Should Have Taught You.” I was amazed when the article stated that, in recent surveys of employers, 74 percent of the respondents said recent college graduates lack basic professional skills.

So when the Intern Pro posed the question “What are these important skills today’s young professionals seem to be missing?” to participants in a forum, I was curious to see the responses. Some said that even the simplest rules of etiquette, like saying “please” and “thank you,” have become rarities. So have a firm handshake and professional phone manners.

If today’s so-called helicopter parents aren’t teaching their children these basic skills, where are college students supposed to learn them? Several of the chatters said that internships might be the place.

As the former SMC internship coordinator and a veteran of dealing with students looking for and working internships – and as a former internship supervisor in several corporate PR departments – I can tell you the internship should be the LAST place these skills are taught. In fact, if a student doesn’t know how to perform these basic functions, they’ll never get accepted into internships, much less real-world, full-time jobs.

In the SMC, we spend a great deal of time in our upper-level courses talking about preparation for the professional arena: how to look for internships/jobs, what to wear in an interview, how to write the perfect résumé and build a killer portfolio. But we also talk about things my grandmother would’ve called common sense and common courtesy but that don’t seem to be very common these days.

We can’t undo 20+ years of bad habits, but we work hard to help each student present the best, most professional face to prospective employers, from the time that first query letter goes out until that new employee shows up to prove they’re the brightest and the best and that their hiring was a positive step for the company.

Writing an appropriate business letter is only one of the things Eva May Bourgeois drummed into us in 9th grade English. I channel Mrs. Bourgeois when I talk about drafting a compelling cover letter. Introducing yourself when you meet someone new? Every Southern child learned this along with their ABCs. We practice coming into that inner office for a job interview, ready with a smile, a sturdy handshake and a “Hi, I’m Valerie Andrews. Thank you for seeing me today.”

Miss Manners and I agree that cell phones will be the death of civilization as we know it, seemingly entitling people to scream personal information at any time or place, without regard to propriety or circumstance. That entitlement has led to complaints from employers about entry-level employees’ inability to answer their business phones professionally. Think about it. When was the last time you answered a call with, “Hi, this is Valerie. How can I help you?”

The mock interviews I’ve conducted with this semester’s Senior Seminar students have been a chance for me to see where we need to focus more attention when it comes to some of these basic common-sense values. And I’m pleased to say that, for the most part, Loyola students have better manners than the students these employers are talking about. As we wind up the semester, we’ll cover the all-important “thank you” note that might make the difference between getting hired and getting another one of those “thank you for your interest” letters.

Students, if your department doesn’t offer courses – like the SMC’s CMMN A495 Internship and CMMN A492 Senior Seminar – you can take advantage of the programs offered by the Career Development Center.

Helicopter parents, if you’re out there, you’re your child’s first teacher. Teaching them good manners will help them succeed, no matter what major they select or what career they pursue. (And by the way, it wouldn’t hurt to teach them how to manage their money and use a washing machine, while you’re at it.)

Today’s guest blogger is James Lambert, a junior in public relations.

With Spring Break over as quickly as it started, it’s easy to just start blowing off the rest of the semester. I can remember right before the break, I just started skipping class and worrying what I was going to do that night with my friends instead of what I needed to get done for class.

I’m here to tell you one thing: keep going! Get it out of your head now that life gets easier after you get a cap and gown, because graduation is just the beginning. Most of my friends in the School of Mass Communication have already graduated. While I am going to miss everyone I have met, I’m definitely looking for the light at the end of the tunnel myself. As I’m getting closer to graduating, I’m starting to reflect on how I’ve grown personally and mentally since my freshman year. I originally was as a psychology major, but that ended pretty quickly when my grades started to take a nosedive in my second semester. People aren’t that complicated anyways, either you’re crazy like the rest of us or you need a doctor because the voices in your head told you so.

That was also a time when I thought about dropping out, and a million other things were going on in my life where I just wanted to quit. Everything got too hard and I wanted to make excuses. Then I decided to give it one more shot. When I switched to mass communication, I felt like I had come home. Public relations seemed to be a natural fit for me and my grades started to quickly improve.
While I have certainly hit some lows in my life while in college, I’m reminded of one thing. No matter how bad my grades got, or how many friends may come or go, I still had Loyola. I still had the support from teachers and friends to get me where I am today. I am the first person in my family to go to college. For me to make it this far is an accomplishment in itself.

So remember, if this is your first year or last, make every minute count. Don’t give up. Trust me, I’ve tried.

Each semester in CMMN A317 Writing for Public Relations, I assign a blog project. We work on creating interesting blog posts related to some aspect of the course. This semester, Susana Aramburu had something really thought provoking to share.

This is not my first blog post ever, but it is my first blog post in English. I created a blog about a year ago, bought the domain, chose a theme, chose a font, basically made it look pretty. I was really excited at the beginning. Ideas kept popping into my head. I knew exactly what to write about and what kind of things would make the blog better.

But the inspiration did not last long enough. Actually, the inspiration ended right after I published my first two posts. I don’t know what happened. People were reading my blog; they liked it; they were even asking for more.

Kelly Williams Brown visited my Writing for Public Relations class recently and shared some of her thoughts and knowledge about blogging. Selling your ideas is all about selling yourself and you can’t lie to people about who you are. She said she started her blog as a place where she could write about random topics that everyone could relate to, like “how to use bleach.”

Her professionalism and enthusiasm got me excited. I realized that my inspiration didn’t just disappear; I pushed it away because I was so scared of not giving people what they were expecting. I am a graduating senior and just the thought of not doing what I love terrifies me.

Kelly’s advice inspired me to just START doing things. It is easy to think that people are not going to read what you write or that they are not going to find it interesting, but how would you know if you haven’t tried?

The first question Professors Andrews and Cal asked in Intro to Mass Communication was, “What is your sequence?” As I looked around the room, most people shrugged their shoulders unsure of an answer, but I was certain about the sequence I wanted to study. Professor Andrews and Dr. Cal called out, “Public Relations,” a couple hands went into the air; “Advertising,” a couple more, then the said, “Journalism.” My hand shot up, and a smile shined on my face. I wanted to be the next Diane Sawyer, reporting the news to millions of viewers. If that didn’t work out, I would gladly settle working as E!’s new red carpet correspondent! Little did I know my entire plan would change within a year.

As my first semester continued, I learned so much in my Intro class. In Intro to Mass Communication we learned about each sequence, and the basics we needed to know in order to better choose what sequence we wanted to study for the rest of our college career. Throughout the course, I started to realize I had another love…advertising.

I was stuck! What should I choose? Can I study both? What if I choose one and senior year I realize I hate it?! I had so many questions running through my head. (One thing you should know about me is I’m very overdramatic. I was STRESSING for weeks. I might have even shed a few tears…)

After many nights contemplating, I chose Advertising as my sequence. I’m very happy with my decision, and I’m positive I won’t hate it by the time I’m a senior! My decision was based off of the opportunities the Advertising sequence offers, and this is what really drew me in.

The School of Mass Communication has many opportunities for involvement, so I joined Loyola’s Ad Club my second semester to get my foot in the door. Ad Club provides many opportunities to volunteer for the Ad Club of New Orleans, as well as applying for ACNO’s scholarships. During the semester, several speakers from Peter Mayer Advertising Agency gave several presentations about advertising in the professional world. Students also attended AAF’s Houston Student Conference. Everyone can join Ad Club; it provides great opportunities and contacts for advertising!

Ad Club is a great experience and organization to be apart of, but Loyola’s Ad Team, Rebirth Advertising, was the deciding factor. Rebirth Advertising competes annually in American Advertising Federation’s student competition. A well-known corporation sponsors this national competition, and each ad team must create an advertising campaign for the company.

I was invited to watch a dress rehearsal of Rebirth’s campaign presentation for Nissan Americas, the 2012 competition sponsor. I was blown away, and I knew I wanted to be apart of this team someday. The presentation was so professional, I felt like Nissan’s advertising professionals that have been working in advertising for years gave the presentation! Rebirth Advertising placed fourth in their region, and has recently won Best In Show and Gold Awards at the New Orleans ADDY Awards. I have shoes to fill and accomplishments to uphold.

In the end, you receive a degree in Mass Communication. Your sequence is important, but the world will not end if you choose the wrong one.

Haley Humiston, today’s guest blogger, is a PR major and a member of Loyola’s 2013 Bateman team.  

When I applied for the Bateman team, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into: sleepless nights, no spring break and a complete rescheduling of priorities. As some of my most admired classmates had been on the team in the past, I knew how much work it would be. What I did not know was what I would get out of the experience.

I’m not writing this to explain the skills I have developed as part of this powerhouse team. I want to share the most important thing I have learned working on this campaign.

Given the restrictions of the campaign competition, we had only our own creativity and $300 to work with. As a team, we knew we needed to hold anti-bullying workshops, but the thought of having a professional–whether counselor, doctor or speaker–accompany us every day was out of the question. Instead, we used professionals as resources. We spoke with teachers, administrators, social workers and psychologists in the New Orleans area and they advised us what practices would be most efficient. Our research readied us for the hands-on aspect of our campaign, but it could have never prepared us enough.

We visited six schools to hold the workshop 21 times. Beyond just having a new respect for teachers after having woken up at 6 a.m. every day this month, I am more glad than ever that I switched my major from music education to mass communication. Being a teacher is hard work.

Not only is being a teacher hard work, but having conversations about bullying and its consequences did not seem like something I had signed up for. After the first two days, I had just about had it with 14-year-old boys defending violence and retaliation. They were not expressing the stubbornness of an average high-schooler; it was clear that their mindset was internalized. I felt I would rather talk to a brick wall than hear the arguments that were thrown back to me.

I knew that I shouldn’t be surprised by this, since a study in New Orleans last year reported more than 29 percent of students have seen assaults committed with weapons and nearly 14 percent have witnessed murder. (Read more here.) Nonetheless, I felt like I would never be able to get our message across.

In the second week, we were cleaning up after a workshop when one of the students approached us. A boy, who I remembered from the workshop as soft-spoken and sweet, told us that he had been bullied.

“They call me names and I don’t understand what they mean. I don’t know why they do it.”

My first instinct, to cry and wrap my arms around him, was quickly trumped by a sudden understanding that I had a purpose beyond creating an effective and measurable public relations campaign. From that point on, my definition of a “great public relations campaign” widened deeply.

What I have learned from the Bateman team is that as a public relations professional, you are not only a public relations professional. You may have to be a teacher, a sous chef, a counselor, a mascot or an actor. You’re going to wonder why you are these things, why you couldn’t have hired someone else or why you’re acting a role you think yourself unfit for. What you need to realize is that being this person will make you closer to your cause. It will be exhausting at first, but you will catch on. And you will see nothing but growth in your passion and determination, which will translate directly to your campaign.

You don’t need to trust me with this one, because you will learn it eventually. Just remember that when you’re frustrated, sleepless and feeling incapable of filling someone else’s shoes, you only need to break them in a little before they fit just right.

Toward the end of our campaign, I wasn’t afraid to have difficult conversations with students or challenge them. I felt obliged to. These conversations only made me recognize the success of our campaign in its fight against the bullying epidemic.

Today, a student called me over to look at his paper–the post-quiz we use to measure our effectiveness in teaching–with a grin from ear to ear.

“Look,” he exclaimed, smiling up at me.

Under “What can be done to prevent bullying?” the 10-year-old boy had written every one of our K.I.N.D.ness steps verbatim: Keep Others Included, Inform an Adult if You See Bullying, Never Bully Others and Decide to be More Than A Bystander.

We had gotten our message across after all.

Today’s guest blogger is Vannia Zelaya, a member of the 2013 Loyola Bateman team. Bateman is sponsored by PRSSA and advised by Dr. Cathy Rogers.

We’ve all been there: either we’ve been victims of bullying, have bullied others or have simply stood by the sidelines to watch — or maybe we’ve even been all of the above. Many consider bullying a fact of life, as though it’s an inevitable stage we must all go through and therefore, not a big deal. The reality, however, couldn’t be farther from that. In the United States today a child is bullied every seven minutes and the behavior outlives high school. To help the New Orleans community fight this, Loyola’s very own Bateman team has created the “Step Up, Reach Out!” campaign, an anti-bullying effort that is teaching New Orleanians how to “Geaux K.I.N.D.”

The Bateman team, made up of public relations students Dwayne Fontenette (account executive), Haley Humiston, Charlie LaRock, Leah Whitlock and myself, has created this campaign for the national Bateman Case Study competition of the Public Relations Student Society of America. Yet, it’s more than just a competition for all of us. We know that every person we encourage to be more than a bystander and teach to “Geaux K.I.N.D.” has the potential to save a life and change it for the better. Now that’s our true encouragement.

Every person we teach to step up to “Keep others included, Inform an adult if you see bullying, Never bully others and to Decide to be more than a bystander” will prevent someone from being miserable on a daily basis and maybe even from committing suicide. Being more than a bystander can even help the bully from becoming a criminal, given that bullies are more likely to be convicted of a crime by age 24 if their bullying behavior isn’t addressed. So, by getting New Orleanians to “Step Up, Reach Out,” and “Geaux K.I.N.D.” we’re not only stopping bullying but also helping the city attack crime at its roots.

However, the five of us can’t do this alone: everyone has equal responsibility and power to stop bullying and there’s certainly power in numbers. If you haven’t yet, make sure you stop by the One Loyola Room in the Danna Student Center to sign a pledge against bullying. You can also support the cause by liking our Facebook page, following our Twitter and Instagram and sharing our messages with your friends so they can “Geaux K.I.N.D.,” too. Stand in solidarity and wear purple Friday February 22 to show you’re willing to be more than a bystander. Know that every act of K.I.N.D.ness you perform, no matter how small, helps make New Orleans a kinder city for us all.

Nobody would argue the value of a good internship, especially if you’re headed into today’s extremely challenging job market. In the SMC, we think internships are so important that we mandate them. Each student in our new curriculum is required to have at least one for-credit internship before they graduate. And the truth is, most of them have several. And that’s a good thing.

Finding those internships can also be a bit challenging. So we put together an annual internship fair, bringing together students from Loyola and other area schools and professionals from local media, agencies, nonprofits and other communication-related businesses. I’m not sure where the name Networking Night at Loyola came from, and I was at all the meetings. But we’ve used it five times, so we’re going to keep it!

This year’s Networking Night at Loyola, which was also a hands-on learning experience for students in the CMMN A335 Strategic Event Planning and Promotions course, allowed students from Loyola, Dillard, Xavier and SUNO to mix and mingle with a plethora of professionals representing a wide spectrum of career options.

We want to send a big thanks to the 2012 sponsors, Dominic Massa, one of our very own mass comm alums, and WWL-TV.

And we couldn’t have a Networking Night without the busy professionals who attended and who provide great internship opportunities for students in the SMC and elsewhere:

Accent on Arrangements and FestiGals
ASI Federal Credit Union
Community Legal Defense & Services of New Orleans
The Ehrhardt Group
FSC Interactive
Gambel Communications
Girls on the Run New Orleans
Green Light New Orleans
Team Happy Foundation
il Stratega
Office of James Carville
King, Krebs & Jurgens
Pelican Publishing Company
Tales of the Cocktail
Touro Infirmary
Vivid Image Consulting
World Trade Center New Orleans
WWL-TV
Zehnder Communications