controversy.. yikes.

Crisis management is just one thing that a Public Relations practitioner has to deal with. It is a lot of stress & a lot of sleepless nights I am sure. But what do PR agents do in situations such as this? International affairs are something I read about a lot, but I don't think I'd ever want to get involved in. Israel & the Gaza strip are in a sticky situation & have been for years.
Is lobbying the answer?
I don't think any PR Agent would be able to fix the problems that these two countries have caused themselves. But that's just my opinion.

Social Media & Public Relations

I read this today in my spare time.
& I think it is wonderful.
Some people think social media is just a fad.. but at this point it is revolutionizing the way we think about media. It used to be only reporters and businessmen who got their thoughts published anywhere... Suddenly any average, everyday person can post their thoughts, views & perspectives for the whole world to see. PR is essential for social media's success. Facebook groups are created to attract attention, Twitter updates given to increase awareness... it is everywhere & something that is becoming essential to a successful business.
Social media has changed the way public relations practitioners do their jobs. Incorporating social media into a PR agenda has proven to be incredibly successful for practitioners in the business today.
Some might look at it as getting paid to facebook... Is there anything better?? I knew there was a reason I picked PR as my future job title.
:]




In Logan news,
this weekend was absolutely fabulous. I had a great time with my closest Logan friends. Friday we had a campfire & roasted s'mores & Saturday we all just hung out at my place & had a rather large sleepover. Seriously, there were people everywhere.
Sunday Henry B. Eyring came to speak at the Spectrum. What a great opportunity! This is the second time in a month I have been able to see him speak live & he is one of my favorites. For more info on this great man, read about him here. Sunday night I watched Away We Go [which I do NOT recommend. It was an incredibly boring movie & the only reason I made it through was because John Krasinski looks fantastic with a beard.]
All in all it was a good time, & I've never dreaded Monday so badly.

obsession.

Music I've been  obsessed with as of lately.
Red Hot Chili Peppers.. honestly, does it get any better? No.. it does not. Explosions in the Sky is another instrumental post indie rock band that I've become obsessed with lately. I'm always looking for good music to study to & this is no exception. It is epic.
The Faint are fellow Nebraskans & I have always loved them. Wet From Birth is by far the best album.

I'm in need of new music ideas though. Pandora playlist suggestions anyone??

This weekend was a pretty good time. It was relaxing to hang out with some of my closest friends. Mondays always come too quickly!!!
Pictures soon.

my weekends consist of music & bonfires.

Hope everyone's weekend will be *fantastic*. My roommate & I are hosting a bonfire tonight, & tomorrow I get the awesome opportunity to interview libbie linton for an article for the Statesman! I'll be sure to post my findings tomorrow.
Tomorrow night she gets the opportunity to open for Willy Porter. He's a big name in folk music, so all of you folk lovers out there should probably attend. 7:30 at the USU Performance Hall.
It's going to be a good, but busy, weekend. Happy Friday!
.love.

thought of the week.

"The world is a drought when out of love."

-Brandon Boyd

So I may be biased and think that Brandon Boyd is the best person on Planet Earth. But really. His music is so powerful, I can't even handle it sometimes.
If you think about it, the world would truly be a different place if there was no love. All you have to do is read the headlines of the paper to see that there is a lot of hate as it is. Wars, death, violence, natural disasters.. signs of the times if you ask me.

And yet there are also so many good people in this world. People who have spent their entire lives to spreading love to anyone and everyone they know. Some of them have passed on while others are still spreading the word. Here are some people I have in mind:

Say what you want about Barack Obama, but I think he is brilliant.

in the world of PR..

Today I was reading online & this article really struck me. The fact that there are better times ahead is the first good thing I read. The second thing I read really hit home with me. In Public Relations we've been discussing crisis management & how to control a bad situation. The fact is that this WHOLE recession is one huge crisis! When we are finally able to wiggle our ways out of it (I've still got my fingers crossed for you, Obama) PR practitioning jobs are going to skyrocket. People who are good with crisis management are essential. They will be the ones who get the better jobs, the better pay, & have a better effect on the companies they represent.
There is a lot of hope over the next few years for people who are going into Public Relations. I, for one, can't wait to graduate & get out there to make a difference.

Another interesting PR thought of the day..

Now they're making video games based off the PR job title! Who knew that being a PR practitioner was something people found FUN?
I don't know about you guys, but I'm off to download the game here.
Happy Tuesday!
.love.

today i miss...

Today I did a bit of reminiscing.

Looking back on the past couple years of college, & where my life has been going.
& I came to the conclusion that I miss these people more than anything:

This is Aiden, Addison & Bryson.
I SO miss the adorable little family I used to nanny for last year. They are the cutest children alive!! I get to go visit them whenever I like, but I must admit it is hard not seeing their cute little faces every day.

I love them.


This is my best friend Kendra Clarisse.
She moved to Missouri this summer, & while I talk to her about once a week on the phone I must say it is not the same. Utah is just not as fun without a long-haired hippie friend to share the amazingness with. She is my outdoor adventure buddy. & I love her.

Zeus Nixon Caboose Brian Perengarvis.
This is my rottweiler, Zeusy. He had such a big heart [& a bit head, obviously] but he had a bit of an.... issue with other dogs. So he had to get put down. It broke my heart! I love this boy so so much. He was the greatest snuggle buddy on planet Earth.

My littlest sister, Kylie Camille.
She is seriously so cool. The other day she told me she wanted a guitar for Christmas. I asked why, & she said, "I want to learn to play Red Hot Chili Peppers."
I sense a rebellious side to her. She reminds me a little too much of myself.

I hope everyone's Monday was wonderful, & that your Tuesday is even better. I am going to hit the sack, because I've got class in t minus 8 hours.

.love.

PS Pandora is my latest obsession. I can't believe it took me so long to get into it... it's the greatest. If you haven't checked it out yet, you ought to.

Something PR related...

In PR related news, I've gained a lot of experience in Public Relations by working as a chairman for the Institute Publicity Committee. I'm hoping this will get me brownie points on resumes and in my portfolio. Working for IPC requires gathering information for what the members of Institute in Logan would like to do for activities as well as taking pictures at events, making posters & flyers for the events, etc. Here is my poster for the week:

this week in music.

First of all, here are my music picks for the week:

I've had a blast listening to God Is An Astronaut this week. Since it is all strictly instrumental indie rock, it is a great study partner during these late nights at the library. The Strokes are just alltogether feel good music: happy & fun!
Sia is an A M A Z I N G woman. I'm a bit obsessed with her actually. This week my good friend Taylor & I decided to finally do something we've been discussing for months: form a "band" of sorts, specialing in match-ups, or two songs mixing together to equal BEAUTIFUL reborn music. We received inspiration for our first song from Sia's "Breathe Me". It's a surprise what we are going to come up with... you will just have to wait & see. :]
I discovered a KEYBOARD in my basement storage this week so I was able to figure out how to play the song by ear. Now, let's just see if I can sing & play piano at the same time...

exciting news!

For those who haven't heard yet, there is AMAZING news for photographers out there:
I cannot wait for this.

LONG LIVE THE POLAROID!
Not only is this an amazing experience for photographers, but it could possibly be a chance for PR Agents to work with Polaroid to get some publicity. The Polaroid camera is considered a recurring trend, artsy, & fun! If I were a PR Agent I would put together events hosting some of the best Polaroid photos around. I would get people excited about the remaking of Polaroid film & would advertise it all over the Internet, television & news. The key to getting good publicity is to aim for the right audience. While Polaroid's seem to have been a thing of the 70's, college students are really excited about these. I would aim towards students aged 18-24. The Polaroid is a creative & fun way to express yourself, & with the right publicity, it can get just as big as it once was!
Here are some amazing Polaroids taken by myself, & friends:

This is me at Farmer's Market in LOGAN.

My beautiful dog Kiara.

Me & my best friend Emily, enjoying a warm day.


Clouds.. obviously.


Taken by Emily in Malad, ID.




These Polaroids are of John Allred, one of my favorite musicians.
He is an amazing composer & performer. Check him out HERE.

Happy Fall Break, all!

The progress continues...

We're finally getting somewhere with our project for Stokes Nature Center. Today we met with Troy & discussed how to go about doing a media kit. The fact that SNR is a nonprofit organization means we have to go about it in a different way than most companies.
However, I think we're making a lot of good progress. I am in charge of making a "suggestions" brochure for the center as well as continuing my surveys with families. What I've found thus far is that most parents know the location of the center but they aren't aware of the services & events offered there.
As a group, we're focusing on how to raise awareness of the events to the community. It's been a fun project so far; however we're all taking a break from it for Fall Break!
Reconvene on Monday.

lately.

Life has been really good for me as of lately, which is awesome because the past couple weeks were kind of rough. I've been super stressed financially. It sucks being in college because you're always POOR POOR POOR!!! I'm hoping to find a way to survive but as of now it's not looking like I'll be able to afford rent.
I also was stressed about boys. Ugh. Why boys are always on my mind is a mystery; the times when I actually have someone I don't especially want him. I do love being single but lately all the ooey gooey love pictures people have on facebook kind of makes me want to jump on the bandwagon. For some reason I always get stuck liking boys who are douches. Boys who use me for a piece & then peace out. Seems to be a common occurrence. So it's obvious I ought to just stay single, but that is always WAY easier said than done.

Despite these issues, life as of the past week or two has been amazing. I've met a lot of new people up at school & have gotten really involved: Institute Publicity Committee, LIFE [Love Is For Everyone], working for the Statesman as well as my nanny job, & just hanging out with a lot of new amazing people. I'm finally starting to rid myself of those who bring me down. This is SUCH a relief. While there are still a few people I need to rid myself of, I feel good about myself for those who I've finally let go of. It is so hard to let go of someone that you love so much, but who you just can't be around anymore. I recently had to go through this with a close friend of mine. I love the kid with all of my heart and I always will; he knows everything about me & greatly changed my life in just a few short months. However, he was not a good friend to me. He hurt me, lied to me, used me, & overall it was just a stressful experience. So as much as I will ALWAYS care for him & love him, I couldn't do it anymore.

Thanks to the changes I've been making, my life has been fabulous at the moment. Here are my most recent adventures:

This is from earlier today. Emily, Leah & I went up Logan Canyon to catch the last glimpse of the fall colors. I'm pretty sure by this time next week they will all be brown. :[ I am NOT a fan of winter.

perfect day.

I greatly enjoy Fridays. But this Friday was ESPECIALLY wonderful. Emily, the dog & I went up the canyon for a drive. The fall colors were absolutely AMAZING! Seriously. There is nothing like a fall drive to rejuvenate the soul if you ask me.

I love Logan Canyon.

After this we got to go to the Viewers Like You Show up on campus. For those who aren't aware, they are a ska band & an AWESOME one at that. What a lot of people may not know about me is that I LOVE TO SKANK DANCE. (Sounds scandalous, but it's simply the dance done during ska music.) It's so much fun! Aaron, Michael & I did some serious skanking & got a lot of people involved. It was a lot of fun, as always. VLY puts on such a good show!

This was the view I saw on the way to the show.

I LOVE LOGAN!

Stokes Nature Center

Today my group got in-depth with our midterm assignment. We're working with Stokes Nature Center to get them some publicity as well as help them plan ahead for their new center next summer. We met with Adria, the Program Coordinator today and she gave us some pretty good background info on the place. What they seem to be struggling with the most is getting people out there to the nature center. A lot of people don't even know where it is.
As a group, we came out with a few goals for the project:
1. Increase awareness of the center, where it's located, & what is offered
2. Target 3 audiences: families, college students, & Scouts. Survey them to see what they would like to see happen in the nature center.
3. Establish a program at the University; that way people can come out to the activities & are more likely to drive out to the nature center after they realize what it has to offer.

My job is to focus on the families of Cache County. At first I was a little unsure of how to go about doing this, but I've begun the process by emailing a woman at Logan City. I asked her if there was a way I could put a survey up ont he Logan City website or elsewhere where families of Cache County will see it. I've also contacted a few bishops in the community about getting in touch with the LDS community.
I've come up with a survey of questions for families to fill out:
1. Do you know where Stokes Nature Center is located?
2. How often do you visit the Center?
3. What interests you most about the outdoors?
4. What would you like your kids to be involved in & learn about concerning the outdoors?
5. What programs would you like SNC to offer in the future?
6. Other thoughts/comments

Adria said the overall goal for the center was community awareness. If the community is more aware of the center and it's programs, the center is going to thrive.

la musica.

All summer I went through an insane JAZZ phase: Michael Buble, Herbie Hancock, Amy Winehouse, Gabriela Cilmi, etc. etc.
It is safe to say that I have finally moved onto another phase.. which is good, because this summer was awful & now every time I hear jazz I kind of want to die.
The current phase I am going through:

Not sure how to classify this recent love for these bands. All I know is that I can't stop listening to Undisclosed Desires (Muse), Thunder (Matisyahu), All I Need (Radiohead), Us & Them (Pink Floyd), & Teardrop (Massive Attack).
I highly recommend all of these.

I am enjoying this phase of chill relaxing music before winter comes & I dip into my emo stage until the snow melts. Emo stage = Sigur Ros, Sufjan Stevens, Elliot Smith, Damien Rice, etc.
I call it my Hibernation Phase.

General Conference.

General Conference is a widely broadcasted, 2-day long meeting that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints holds every 6 months. Each April/October, millions of viewers from across the world tune in through radio, television, & sattelite to hear the words spoken by the leaders of their Church.
Whether you are Mormon or not, it is not hard to see how Public Relations may fall into category with such a largely broadcasted event. I am sure they have extensive marketing, public relations, & broadcasting efforts to make sure the weekend goes smoothly.
If I were a PR Agent for the Church I would communicate with the broadcast stations to make sure there would be no problems come Conference time. I would communicate with church leaders in the states as well as across the country to make sure they know what to tell the members of their wards & branches. I would issue a press release to those leaders detailing how everything is going to work that weekend.
This is something that requires months of preperation, something the Church understands, which is why the General Conference sessions always go so smoothly!

somewhat funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf-Wm5gf_mk&feature=related

I bet his PR Agents had quite the crisis to deal with after this.
Poor Conan.