A little bit about me

I've been tagged by my professor Kelli Matthews to blog a eight random facts about myself. (Picture to Left: Me and and the boyfriend hiking Spencers Butte)

Here's a little about me:

1. I started at the University of Oregon as a music major with emphasis in trumpet performance. Now I'm currently pursuing a journalism degree with emphasis in Public Relations. I've played for trumpet for 10 years now.

2. I've never owned a dog. I can't wait until I own my own home so I can actually have one!

3. My little sister, Kelsey Ivey, followed me to the University of Oregon and will start working towards a journalism degree in September.

4. I've always wanted to go to Australia. Once I graduate, I will find a way to move over there! (Even if only for a few years.)

5. At the end of spring term and beginning of summer, I was working three jobs and going to school. Yuck! (I'll never do that again.)

6. I love hiking- but only on sunny days and when there's a great view at the top!

7. I check my email and Facebook religiously, even when I'm on vacation! I think I'm addicted.

8. I cant wait to graduate! Only two more terms.

That's me!

Now I tag eight more bloggers: AJ Swoboda, Tyler Andersen, Jason Williams, Luke Sumner, Denny.

Mom, can I read a rated R blog?

Mingle2 has created a just-for-fun tool that determines the parental rating of your blog, website, Facebook profile, etc.

Apparently my blog is rated G. Hm, good to know. The tool reports that the word "stab" is written in my blog and is of concern. Interesting...

Not that this tool can be taken very seriously; however, imagine what this could mean in the future.

Check it out.

Mingle² - Online Dating

Always Talk to Strangers

This morning I listened to a great podcast on the Forward Blog about establishing your personal brand. The podcast interviews Mitch Joel, president of Twist Image. I highly recommend this podcast because of the great advice it offers PR students and new professionals.

Mitch Joel discusses the importance of talking to strangers with no hidden agenda or specific purpose. So introduce yourself and chat with neighbors, taxi drivers, friends, co-workers, church members, professors, baristas...anyone you come in contact with! These connections can help you down the road when you need a new job or need outside assistance for a PR campaign. He advices to invest in these relationships now. (I love it!)

So forget mom's advice and start talking to strangers!

(Mitch also outlines three action items for establishing your personal brand at the end of the podcast. It's excellent advice- check it out! I'm going to give it a shot and report back later.)

Summer in Eugene

Well summer is finally here, and this is my first summer in Eugene. So far the weather has been wonderful! (It's quite a bit warmer than Olympia, Washington). Now that I've moved, started a new internship and am back from church camp, I'm back to blogging world.

This summer I am working for United Way of Lane County helping to promote 211Lane.org. In the past, information and referral (I & R) was done by poking through the phone book or or person to person contact. As of yesterday, Lane County now has it's very own online information directory. Community members now can easily FIND HELP and also GIVE HELP. It's exciting.

Need assistance with a medical bill? Want to find an after school program for your kids? Struggling to pay the electric bills? 211Lane compiles contact information for hundreds social service agencies that help OUR community.

The other half of the database compiles local volunteer opportunities. Want to give back to community? Volunteer at a soup kitchen, chat with with the elderly, care for pets? Check out all the great opportunities. Help is needed!

Breaking outside of the blogging box

Blogs can take on many different forms. They can be used for rants, a forum for specific topics, be the primary website for a group, or be a useful tool for class projects.

Here are a few examples of non-traditional blog formats:

Eugene Faith Center Middle School Group has used Blogger to create it's primary web page. The blog contains information about meeting times, upcoming events, recent videos and even brochure downloads.

What I find great about this format is that it creates dialogue between middle schoolers, adults and leaders. Viewers can leave comments about any post, which are usually upcoming events. The site is fairly new, but comments are picking up.

Recently, I used Blogger for a online geology class assignment. The professor requested a Word document with hyperlinks embedded; however, I asked if a blog would meet the assignment objectives. It was easy to supply the information about Great Sand Dunes National Park, post pictures of the geographical features and supply outside links.

Blogs are easy to use, easy to update and provide great information. Businesses, groups or individuals who are technically challenged might find blogs easier to maintain than a full web site. Anyone can do it!

These are only two creative uses of blogs out there. What other non-traditional blogs have you seen? I'd love to check them out.

Playing indoors with Barbies...online?

The New York Times recently wrote an article noting the increase of interactive web sites targeted for children. Instead of playing outside or interacting with other children, kids are staying home and playing in virtual worlds, such as BarbieGirls and Cartoon Doll Emporium.

The article discusses child advocates' concerns over the amount of advertising being displayed on these sites and the amount of time children are spending on these sites.

With the increase usage of interactive web sites, will children participate less in physical activity?

I can see how these sites appeal to children, but I can see a few negative effects. Are there benefits as well? What do you think?

Ultimately, parents have the final decision on how much time their children can spend on these websites. Children and adults a like must find a balance between virtual worlds and the "real world."

On that note, I'm going to go play outside.

I love kids, books and PR work.

Recently, I've had the opportunity to help coordinate Springfield Public School's Gift of Literacy event. Over the last few months, every first grade student was read nine books from the Gift of Literacy collection. They each chose their favorite book, and last week they were presented with that book at a day long event held at Lane Community College. Every student received their favorite book with their name inside, a reusable book bag, and a handful of educational goodies. Local celebrities read out loud to small groups of children and then every child received a free lunch. Nearly 150 volunteers and $40,000 of donations made the day possible.

It was such a rewarding experience. Seeing the children's faces was worth the time at the office and in meetings.

Here's what I learned so far from this experience:

1. Take initiative: When assigned a task, just go for it. Get the information you need from your supervisor, and then just take a stab at it. You may not always know what the supervisor is looking for, but do the work and let him or her make changes and edits.
   
2. Network like crazy: In my case, I worked with a committee of 20 rotary members, teachers and district employees. Take every chance to get to know these people before or after the committee meetings. You might just have something in common with them.
3. Not everyone likes email: Emails are not everyone's preferred method of communication. Sometimes it takes a hard copy sent via snail mail to get your message through.
4. Stay organized: When dealing with a new project, start an organizational system from the very beginning and stick with it. It is time consuming to reorganize paperwork and emails later.
5. Memorize names quickly: It's easier to ask someone for assistance if you know who you are talking to.
   
6. Be passionate: Put heart into your work and hours will fly by.

These are just a few of the things I've learned during this process. I can't wait to start planning for next year's Gift of Literacy and see the kids' excitement when they open book bag with a cool, new book inside. It's amazing.

Check out the local news coverage here and here.

PR in the Garden of Eden

I'm fascinated by the new Creation Museum that opened last week in Ohio. What an interesting idea. The museum reminds me of a Christian version of The Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington.

The Creation Museum "brings the bible to life" and introduces visitors to the concept of creationism, while rejecting evolution. A. Larry Ross Communications, a Christian PR firm, headed up the PR campaign. The campaign will be measured on the number of visitors to the museum. The expect to see 300,000 visitors in the first year.

The commercials are visually appealing and well done. The media campaign has a newsroom with images, press releases and backgrounders, and the museum seems to have great coverage. Even with all the PR bases covered, how will the campaign hold up against critics? Many non-Christians are sneering at the idea.

I'm thinking the controversy behind the Creation Museum will only aid news coverage and increase the number of visitors.

What do you think? Will the news coverage help or hinder the number of people who visit the museum?

It pays off to slow down

It's the end of the school year and life is hectic. The three day weekend for Memorial Day was much needed, and I am ready to face the final weeks of school, begin a new internship, and put on a $40,000 event for Springfield Public Schools.

But if a three day weekend is not a possibility, this great post on Forward Blog reminds us to remember to slow down and enjoy the little things in life.

It's way too easy to get wrapped up in school, work, blogging, social networking and so on.

So, take Forward Blog's advice and remember to take a mental health day, pet your puppy, call home, write a letter and spend time with family.

No, these little things in life won't solve all of your work week problems, but after a relaxing, long weekend, I feel more productive, happier and excited to see what the week brings.

It really does pay to slow down.

Just Jott It!

Here is my quick "evangelical" post for the week--

This week I discovered the coolest new communication tool. It's been fun experimenting with Jott, a mobile note taking and hands free messaging service. I find it fascinating how communication techniques are quickly blending together.

Here's how Jott works:

1. Sign up online. (It's free!)
2. Call the Jott phone number 1-877-568-8486
3. Speak your message
4. Jott then translates your message into writing and sends either an email or a text message

How handy!

My favorite is Jotting myself. I can send reminders to myself and have them waiting in my inbox.

Instead of texting while driving, Jott can translate my messages and send text messages for me. (Washington state just passed a law prohibiting text messaging while driving by the way.)

Also, Jott allows you to send text messages and emails to groups. Record one message and everyone receives your message at one time.

What I love the most is that I don't need my laptop. I can now easily send emails and texts with my cell phone--hands free.

It just makes my life a little easier.

There's too much hugging going on!

I have to admit, the free hugs video on YouTube made me tear up the first few times I saw it. It's a touching and inspirational video, but now it's lost the sentimental value for me. I've seen the video posted on Facebook dozens of times, I've watched it with groups of friends, given free hugs to the guys on campus, seen a crew of free huggers in Portland, and even seen the video played at church on Sunday morning. It's being played over and over, and the sentiment is dying with every viewing. Check out the video below:



The guys who give free hugs on the U of O campus are friends of mine. Of course, I'll stop by and give them a hug. I love supporting them and hope they continue to give hugs. It's not that I don't like hugs.

Just last weekend, I went up to the Saturday Market in Portland and was bombarded with more free hugs signs. Thanks to YouTube, free hugs are everywhere, which is great--until I see those signs everywhere I go.

My concern is that I'm becoming numb to the gesture. It's not original anymore. It's the same feeling I have to an over played song on the radio. Once that song comes on three times in one hour, I never really want to hear it again.

Is YouTube and other online resources killing all sentiment and creativity? We all have access to the same music, the same videos, the same blogs. Will our difficult cultures and communities become all the same because we are virtually connected? Or will they become more diverse?

I suppose only time will tell.

Where's the dialogue?

ChemNutra, the company responsible for the recent contamination of pet food and death of thousands of pets, has started a blog in response to the recent crisis.

Props for this blogger for exposing the flaws in ChemNutra's blog.

ChemNutra's "blog" is merely a collection of press releases and does not allow readers to comment on each post. Check it out.

How cold can ChemNutra be? They are already responsible for the death of thousands of pets. Do they want to anger pet owners further by putting up communication barriers? These pet owners need answers, and they want to express their thoughts. ChemNutra needs to take responsibility for their actions, buck up and let the negative comments come.

I can see where ChemNutra is coming from, in the sense that they wanted to create controlled media; however, blogging requires two way communication with the blogger to the reader. So where's the dialogue?

They've made a mistake, but now is the time to be straightforward, honest and provide the affected parties the information they need.

In my opinion, no blog is better than a pathetic one.

The Blogging World Needs a Few Ghost Busters

Blogging takes time, thought and a bit of effort. Some people have taken the easy way out and have hired ghost bloggers to maintain and publish a blog in their name. An interesting article on Yahoo news examines this concept and a few implications of this method.

Blogs are edgy, raw and authentic. They expose personality, build character and distinctly portray human emotion and ideas.

"People do expect authenticity and transparency," says Debbie Weil, a Washington-based blogging consultant, and author of The Corporate Blogging Book. "If you violate basic rules of etiquette in the blogosphere, you're going to get burned."

I couldn't agree more.

Blogging is a fairly new method of communicating, and these relationships are fragile. My favorite bloggers have won my heart, but if I were discover they were using ghost writers to cut corners, I would have to say goodbye. That trust would be broken.

The PR world is already full of ghost writers who write speeches, publications, letters, and so on. Can't we please preserve the value and authenticity of the blogging world?

Bloggers-- Take the time to write your own blog. Your readers are putting their faith in you, not your ghost writer.

Pastors Make Great Presentations

I've concluded that the best presenters I've seen have been pastors. They speak to large audience for a living. They usually speak once, twice, three, four plus times each week. They've got this public speaking thing down to science.

My Advanced PR class is currently discussing how to deliver a great presentation. Earlier this week Margaret Parker spoke to our class and offered a few excellent presentation tips and objectives.

Here are just a few tips Margaret offered about sequence:

• To Joke or not to Joke- Are you comfortable telling the joke? If not, skip it.
• Tell the audience what's in it for you - Build a honest relationship with the audience.
• Tell the audience what's in it for them - Let them know they will benefit from listening.
• Tell 'em, Tell 'em, Told 'em - Repeat your point and drive it home.
• Keep a presentation pattern, such as historical, comparative, logical, or informational and stick to it!

At Eugene Faith Center last Sunday, our congregation had the pleasure of hearing Dee Dee Flores from West Salem Foursquare Church speak. I was captivated by her sermon and presentation. It was engaging, dynamic, fun and yet very relevant.

Why did I connect to her message and presentation so well? Was it simply because she is a woman? Was I captivated by the interesting scripture?

After this week's PR class, I realized there was more to it. Dee Dee was able to connect to us as audience members with her precise delivery.

Dee Dee immediately put the audience at ease by telling a light hearted joke. She went on to introduce herself, what her topic was for the morning and why it mattered to us as listeners. She read the scripture (presented her point), then went on to examine it into our daily lives, referencing back to the scripture periodically. This format helped us as listeners follow her point and helped her drive the point home. Her gestures were mild, yet emphasized her point.

Maybe I should start taking notes from the professionals every week.

Blending non-profit and corporate worlds

Sticking with the Generation Y theme...

So, I recently read an article which discussed Generation Y's eagerness to volunteer through the work place. A study found that nearly 2/3's of young adults would prefer to work for a company that offers opportunities to assist non-profits.

I found this no surprise. So many students (including myself) would love to work for non-profit organizations, but aren't willing to sacrifice big paychecks. With growing numbers of companies offering social responsibility programs, employees can now get the best of both worlds.

With the cost of living is getting so high, employees have no choice but to work for large companies who can provide benefits and salaries. Students also have large loans to pay off and entry level, non-profit work doesn't usually pay the bills.

It's exciting to see companies blending non-profit and corporate work environments. There is hope to make change in the world and get paid well!

We're All Narcissistic

A recent article and study determined Generation Y to be more narcissistic and self absorbed than any previous generation.

The Narcissistic Personality Inventory asked students to respond to statements such as "I like to be the center of attention" and "If I ruled the world, it would be a better place."

The study concluded that students of 2006 were much more self centered than students of 1982.

I'm not sure I buy this. Can researchers truly determine that my generation has a bigger ego than our predecessors?

Individualism and self absorption are characteristics of modernity, which began in the late 18th century. These are traits have encompassed our entire society for years.

Sure, I agree narcissism is a characteristic of my generation; however, technology has simply given us means of expressing ourselves quickly and easily. YouTube, Facebook, MySpace and Blogger give sociologists written, recorded and visual evidence of our self absorption.

In the past, autobiographies, paintings and theater were used to express internal human characteristics, but these arts took time and talent.

These days it only takes computer and an hour or two to publicly express our innate human qualities. Maybe these tools are making humans more narcissistic, but look at it this way:

We're advancing modernity, or perhaps defining another period in history. Blog on my friends, blog on!

Getting Hooked

I'm starting to catch onto this blogging thing, and honestly, I'm getting hooked.

Prior to taking the Intro to Public Relations course at the University of Oregon, I had never really heard of blogging or social media. Sure, I've seen a few Live Journals over the years but never realized how powerful blogging had become.

It was Christmas day. Presents had already been opened, dinner wasn't until 4pm, and I was bored. I tried just surfing the web, but I couldn't find anything of interest. Then I remembered my PR professor, Kelli Matthews, had started a blog called PRos in Training. I thought to myself, "I might as well check it out."

That was the end of me. I couldn't stop there. I started searching and found Church Marketing Sucks, Swerve, Spare Change and the list goes on.

I've been reading, and reading, and reading. I love this stuff.

But now the time has come to start my own blog. I'm officially hooked.

Am I ready? Probably not. Do I have much choice? No. Am I excited? Actually, yes.

So here it goes...

Enjoy the ride.