PRomo

Public Relations Society of America l Rowan University l Glassboro, NJ l December 2018

President’s Piece
By Anya Mourovannyi, AJF-PRSSA President

H
appy December! This semester was a success, and it would not be
possible without our members. We started the year off strong by
attending ten freshman orientations during the summer. In October
a group of PRSSA members and advisors flew across the country to Austin,
Texas for the 2018 PRSSA National Conference. Humbly, we returned with
the National Teahan Award for University Service.
During the semester PRSSA started our Mentorship program, toured
Neff Associates Agency, attended PRSA-Philly and PPRA networking
events, volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House in South Jersey, hosted
fundraising events at Pancheros, Playa Bowls, and Cookie Munchers, and
our PRaction team has done great things for their clients.
I am very proud of everything we accomplished, and I am excited to see Anya Mourovannyi
where next semester takes us. I want to thank the PRSSA E-board and our
fantastic advisors for working so hard and making all of this possible! In the
meantime, enjoy your winter break and catch up on that much-needed sleep! Editor’s Note
By Carlo Lingesso, Publications Editor

H
ere we are, headed towards the
I am very proud of everything we accomplished, end of our fall semester! I hope
you all are perservering through
and I am excited to see where next semester takes finals, I know it’s a stressful time. But I
us. In the meantime, enjoy your winter break and know we can all get through it.
catch up on that much-needed sleep! Earlier this month, we inducted
several wonderful, new members
into our PRSSA family at this year’s
Induction Brunch. To the new in-
ductees, I promise you made a great
decision.
In the December issue of PRomo, we
In this issue... have articles on possible minor options,
internship experiences, reasons to join
Optimize Your Major with a Journalism Minor 2 PRSSA and stories and tips for winter
My PRSSA Story 3 break!
I hope everyone uses their break for
My Fall Internship Experience 4
rest and relaxation. It is important to give
Five Reasons to Join PRSSA 5 yourselves time to recharge to ensure a
Staying Active Over Break 6 successful spring semester. Enjoy your
What I’m Doing Over Break! 7 breaks everybody!

1
Optimize Your Major with a Journalism Minor
By Professor Lynn

P
R practitioners interface with journalists throughout their careers. What
better way to learn more about the industry and see how journalists think,
write and work than by adding a journalism minor? Skills in journalism
classes mirror those taught in many PR courses: drafting crisp, active-voice
copy, using Associated Press (AP) style and researching and backing up your
findings with data come to mind. So taking journalism courses will enhance
your writing, editing and critical thinking skills — potentially setting you apart
from your peers.
The Journalism minor consists of six total courses, which breaks down to three
required courses and three electives. The required courses provide a solid founda-
tion in the both the basics and what’s new and what’s next in journalism today: Christina Lynn
Journalism Principles and Practices
JPP offers a comprehensive journalism introduction. This course covers every-
thing from journalism history, law and ethics to the media’s relationship with PR
and advertising and the future of news. Connect with PRSSA!
Journalistic Writing
This course walks non-Journalism majors through how to effectively write
news and feature stories, opinion, social media posts, and audio and video scripts. Twitter
Online Journalism @RowanPRssa
Students launch their own news blogs with original content, photos and videos. @RowanPRaction
They use social media to promote their blogs and enhance their reporting. They
can then showcase their work at internship and job interviews.
You only need to take three electives to fulfill the Journalism minor’s require- Facebook
ments. And since PR majors are required to take Publication Layout and Design, Facebook.com/RowanPrssa
you actually only need to take two. There are more than 25 courses you can Facebook.com/RowanPraction
choose from, spanning long form feature and magazine writing to broadcast news.
Here are a few other electives you could consider:
Impact of PR on the News Instagram
This course explores the symbiotic and sometimes adversarial relationship PRSSA - AJFPRSSA
between the press and practitioners when disseminating news.
PRaction-RowanPraction
Photojournalism
A working photojournalist shows how to compose quality photos, use DSLR
digital cameras and retouch images in Photoshop. Both photography and photo Email
editing skills are highly valuable and would look attractive on your resume. As an ajfprssa@gmail.com
added bonus: this class also goes on a field trip to Washington, DC each semester.
Sports Journalism
Students report on Rowan sports teams and learn how to file game stories and
columns. They also track professional sports journalists to uncover best practices in
the field. Those with an interest in Rowan’s new Sports Communication and Media
(or Sports CAM) program should look at this class to complement their coursework.
With less than six courses to complete (if you’ve taken Publication Layout and
Design), you can add another degree with a Journalism minor. If you’d like to sign
up, contact Mark Berkey-Gerard, department chair, at berkey-gerard@rowan.edu.
For more information on the Journalism department, go to rowanujournalism.net.

2
My PRSSA Story
By Sammy Ma, Philanthropy Chair

C
oming into the public relations field, I didn’t know what to expect. I had
recently changed my major from a Bachelor of Science to a Bachelor
of Arts knowing little to nothing about what I was getting myself into.
Excited to get involved and to find out more about my future field, I attended
my first PRSSA meeting. There I ran into classmates and familiar faces. There I
felt like home.
Soon, I realized that I wanted to take hold of any opportunity that PRSSA
had and joined the philanthropy committee. Through this committee I gained
hands on experience in planning, fundraising, and executing philanthropy
events. Dance Away Cystic Fibrosis and Organ Donor Day gave me opportuni-
ties to grow as a PR professional and gave me insight of the nonprofit world.
Now, I am the current philanthropy chairman of PRSSA. I have attended Sammy Ma
the National Conference in Austin, TX where our chapter received the Teahan
Chapter Award for University Service. I led a team in planning, fundraising,
and executing Dance Away Cystic Fibrosis this year where we doubled our goal Why We Love
and overshot the expected attendance. I have been given all these opportunities the Holidays
through PRSSA and the community it has created for me.
PRSSA has helped me expand my network, experience working with clients,
and grow into a better PR professional. I am grateful for my time in PRSSA and
Nicole Traeger
look forward to my last semester with all of those who have made my experi- Food.
ence in PRSSA what it is.
Ronnie Fante
The Hallmark movies to make
me emotional.

Jeremy Tsonton
I love the pig roast my family
makes for Christmas!

Clauderson Desinor
“Chillin’”

Carlo Lingesso
Family time!
Dance Away Cystic Fibrosis was a huge success!

“PRSSA has helped me expand my

network, experience working with clients,
and grow into a better PR professional.”

3
My Fall Internship Experience
By Ronnie Fante, Assistant Firm Director

D
uring my fall semester, I had the pleasure of interning at WebMax. I was
a marketing intern for them, and that included being involved in a lot of
social media post and other marketing initiatives. This experience was
not only extremely helpful, hands-on, and interesting — it was a lot of fun.
I am thankful to have had the chance to discover and experience working with
the social media/marketing department. Seeing what it was like behind the scenes
working with social media interested me from the very beginning. My internship
entailed creating social media posts on Photoshop, ghost writing blogs for the
company website, social media takeovers for clients and our CEO, scheduling
tweets and Facebook posts on a social media calendar, and much more.
I learned a lot about social media throughout this internship. Things that I Ronnie Fante
wouldn’t normally know, even though I am active on all different social media
platforms. This included scheduling posts through websites such as Tweetdeck,
and learning how to use Wordpress when I was writing the blogs for the com- Where Else Did
pany. The main thing that I gained from this internship was time management. I E-Board Intern?
had to learn with completing assignments within a tight time window.
This is a lesson that I can bring to any future job, and I thank Webmax for
teaching me! My personal experience with the marketing department was amaz-
ing and I learned a lot about advertising, social media, and marketing. I would
Gianna Intile
love to have the opportunity to take this internship again and would definitely
recommend it to future students. The Mainland - Holiday Inn
(Event planning)

“This experience was not only extremely helpful, Jeremy Tsonton

hands-on and interesting — it was a lot of fun.”
Anne Klein
Communications Group

Lauren Bradley
Nexus Properties

Sammy Ma
Rowan Campus Recreation

Ron’s first day at WebMax!

4
Five Reasons To Join PRSSA
By Alexander Belli, Co-Director of Recruitment

A
s a college student, you’re looking ahead towards the day you graduate
and can claim your diploma – the piece of paper that represents years
of dedication, hard work and focus. However, what will your college
career tell potential employers about you? Will your resume solely focus on the
classes you’ve taken, or will it house internships, student organization involve-
ment and awards? PRSSA provides students with the opportunities that prepare
you for the professional world, as well as, occasions to win some awards. Here
are five reasons why you need to join PRSSA:
Scholarships and Awards:
By participating in PRSSA you are given the chance to receive various
scholarships and awards. There is over $37,000 in scholarship money that stu- Alexander Belli
dents are awarded annually through PRSSA and PRSA (the parent foundation).
Each year PRSSA also hosts two ceremonies to honor those members who have
shown exceptional dedication to the organization – this could be your chance to
show off the work you’ve done in PRSSA to potential employers.
About PRomo
Exclusive Internship Center Access
When you become a dues-paying member you gain access to the organiza- The Anthony J. Fulginiti
tion’s online internship database. A home for employers to post any internship Chapter of the Public Relations
openings they have, and a source for students to apply to those internships. You Student Society of America
can never have enough resources when regarding internship opportunities. publishes PRomo as a
Expand Your Portfolio monthly newsletter.
A key benefit to joining PRSSA centers around your ability to highlight your
involvement on your resume and during interviews. The organization provides
an array of opportunities for you to utilize the skills you’re passionate about in- Editors:
cluding writing, designing, photography, publication, event planning, and many Carlo Lingesso,
more. The experience you have in PRSSA can become what you make it. Professor Lynn,
Networking with Professionals and Dr. FitzGerald
PRSSA hosts a series of professional panels throughout the year and an
annual career networking event in the Spring. The professional panels allow Contributing Writers:
members to hear about the public relations industry from current professionals, Anya Mourovannyi
and the industries discussed during the panels vary from sports to medicine. The Professor Lynn
annual career networking event held during the Spring semester gives students
Sammy Ma
the opportunity to find internships or even a job after graduation within the
South Jersey/Philadelphia area. Ronnie Fante
Alexander Belli
Create Lasting Friendships
The last reason could be considered cliché or overly-sentimental. However,
Clauderson Desinor
it’s one of the most important reasons to join any organization. When involving
yourself with PRSSA you’ll be surrounded by other like-minded individuals Advisors:
with similar goals and aspirations, and through these connections you’ll gain Dr. Novak, Dr. FitzGerald,
more experiences and different perspective on things. PRSSA provides a safe Professor Schoenstein
and fun atmosphere for students to prepare themselves for the professional
and Gloria Barone Rosiano
world – make sure to take every advantage of it.

5
Staying Active Over Break
By Clauderson Desinor, Fundraising Chair

Y
ES! The semester’s over and winter break is here. Now it’s time for
some well needed recovery. Although this time is well needed, we still
have to keep our minds and bodies sharp and fresh for the impending
semester. Here are some ideas to keep you fresh for Spring:
Winter classes.
I know, I know. Why should I take a winter class? I just finished class!
Taking a winter course over winter break is an excellent way to improve your
grades or finish a course you didn’t take in the past. This is a great way to get
ahead or catch up! One course I highly recommend is Portfolio Preparation
taught by Professor Rodolico.
Get a part-time job.
A lot of us end up being low on funds this semester due to expenses. Having
a job over break allows students to earn money for the incoming semester. You Clauderson Desinor
never know what you need to spend it on so it’s best to have it.
Internships. Join a pre-professional
There are winter internships available for students to take on to enhance their
experiences. Employers take advantage of bringing on students to give them a organization dedicated
run-down of what they do and they are incredible learning opportunities. If you to jump starting your
would like to see internship listings, contact our advisor Mrs. Lori Block. PR career!
Improve your work.
Winter break is the perfect time to make the right corrections on your work.
Maybe you’re in PR and need to tighten up some writing, or Advertising and
need to fix a campaign. Definitely use this as an opportunity to get better. PRSSA
Exercise.
A healthier, cleaner body equals a sharper mind. Spend this time to work on Gives YOU
your wellbeing. There are different ways to achieve this by stretching, jogging,
and healthy eating habits. Incorporate more greens and grains in your diet to get
the most out of your meals.
These ideas will make you better and sharpen your skills as you grow into a
Opportunities
budding professional. To all the seniors, we have one last ride, make the most of
it! This is where the fun begins. Hope you have a Happy Holidays and a restful
to ENHANCE
New Year!
Your Education
“Although this time is well needed, we still have to
EXPAND
keep our minds and bodies sharp and fresh for the Your Network
impending semester.”

And LAUNCH
Interested in writing for our next issue of PRomo?
Please email Carlo Lingesso at lingessoc6@students.rowan.edu YOUR CAREER!
for more information!

6
What I’m Doing Over Break! Internship Opportunities
By Anya Mourovannyi, AJF-PRSSA President

W
inter break is here! I cannot wait to catch up on sleep and take some Central Jersey:
personal time recharge emotionally, physically and spiritually. Al-
though relaxing is a winter break must, this is a great time to get ahead! Adrenaline PR
With graduation around the corner, I wanted to take my free time to visit a Dandelion PR
few agencies in Philadelphia and NYC. So far I plan on visiting Lou Hammond
Group, a travel agency in NYC, and Brian Communications, a full-service Princeton Partners Inc.
agency near Philadelphia. I am excited to learn more about the PR agency world MRB Public Relations
and take the opportunity to explore the city! Aside from agency visits, I have a
personal goal of becoming Google Analytics Certified!
At last year’s PRSSA Speed Networking event, one of the employers gave
me a piece of advice: “Stand out by showing that you invested your own time
toward your professional development.” Often I think back, and their advice North Jersey:
encourages me to continue working hard. Also, I am going on a spontaneous
trip to Jamaica once the new year hits, and I am READY! I hope that everyone Evergreen PR Inc.
takes some time to themselves and spends sometimes with those you love. The Marcus Group
R&J Public Relations, LLC
The S3 Agency

South Jersey:

Alice Paul Institute

Anne Klein Communications
Borough of Collingswood
Cookie Munchers
E-Board at this year’s Induction Brunch!

Looking for an internship?

In addition to PRaction Assistant Firm Director,
Ronnie Fante is the Internship Coordinating Assistant
to Lori Block!

Contact Ron at fanter9@students.rowan.edu

7
Looking Ahead to the Spring Semester...

Our first three meetings are:

Jan. 23 - CSC 127

Feb. 6 - CSC 127
Feb. 20 - CSC 127

Unable to make a meeting?

Keep up with PRSSA on our social media or visit:
www.rowanprssa.org