TCNJ Remains Silent

By: Lauren Cibelli

On Wednesday, February 18^th, Ann Coulter—a radically conservative political commentator, syndicated columnist, and best-selling author—addressed the students of The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). It wasn’t until the end of her speech that the controversy began.

Michael Tracy, a political science major at TCNJ waited his turn to ask Coulter some questions after her speech. As he approached the stage, police officers ushered him off the stage and arrested him. In the midst of the arrest, Tracy admits the officers unnecessarily brutalized him. (There are many other details to the story I will let you read for yourselves, but I felt it was best to give a little background of the story before I raised my own questions)

Here is Tracy’s full account of the story, posted the day after the event.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/2/19/155659/800/272/699418

It wasn’t until I walked around Rowan’s campus yesterday that I knew anything of this event. Sidewalks and posters saying “Facebook Michael Tracy” and “Stand with Mike Tracy” but I didn’t think anything of it—I assumed it was something going on in the student center. When I opened up the Whit (Rowan’s weekly newspaper) I saw a photograph of the words I had previously seen on campus and my curiosity grew. As I read the article of Tracy’s I became somewhat frustrated that I had not already heard about this incident. The most appalling information I discovered in my reading was that the incident happened over a week ago.

What makes me most curious is how the public relations professionals at TCNJ are handling this situation. From my own personal research, I have only seen one statement from Matt Golden, executive director of Public Relations and Communications, said Tracey was "behaving in an unruly, and somewhat aggressive, manner.(The police) were forced to restrain him," Golden said. "He was not cooperating and therefore was arrested."

While I feel it was wise for Golden to keep things short and simple, a week after the event, Tracy is getting more and more press coverage, while TCNJ remains quiet. As a public relations student, I feel this is a bad example of what to do in a situation. TCNJ should find some way to protect their image when thousands of prospective students are hearing Tracy’s story of police brutality. This raises an issue of campus safety and security, something that has become a very big deal in New Jersey Universities after Donnie Farrell death at Rowan University and TCNJ’s death of John Fiocco.

Although I am just a student and can not begin to understand the immense stress that the public relations department at TCNJ is facing, I fear for other students like myself who are not getting an accurate demonstration on what to do in the midst of controversy.

Celebrity Twitter

As Twitter’s been the talk of the town lately, let’s not forget that although Karl Rove might get his fair share of followers, Celebrity Twitters seem to be the new thing to check daily (if you’re into a slow and constant feed of gossip).

I’m also a pretty staunch skeptic like Brianna, but after reading her blog, I decided to try to reform my opinion and look into it more.

TIME recently compiled a list of the Top 10 Celebrity Twitter Feeds and who was number one? Britney Spears, of course. It seems that the former pop princess and mother of two still has a substantial number of devoted followers that want to know what she’s up to 24/7.

Does this cancel out the effectiveness Twitter used in the political realm? What do you think people are more interested in reading or likely to click on first?

My guess is as good as any, but with that, I’ve got a haunch that Snoop Dog’s Twitter is a lot more popular than even David Gregory.

Rowan Parking Proposal Plausible?

I was told to pass this along from SGA to as many Rowan students as possible, so why not start here? At the last SGA senate meeting, a new parking proposal for the 2009-10 school year was brought to our attention.

The PowerPoint presentation was not distributed or posted online, so I am doing this from memory. First, I will cover the cost.

Residents, prepare to pay $200 per permit for a non-guaranteed parking spot. Commuters, a steep $100 will be added to your tuition if you want a spot. The reasons for the increase?

First, the school wants to build a new garage in front of the heating plant to supply parking for the residents living in the new apartments up Route 322. Second, part of the parking problem on campus is there are so many students who need a parking space. It is believed the large increase in price will deter a percentage of students from keeping their cars on campus. How is this idea backed up? I do not know.

Next, the parking lots will be re-assigned. In short, some commuter lots will be taken away, faculty parking will be increased, resident parking will be increased a little bit, and a metered parking area will be added.

There is more to come on this developing proposal. Anyone who is not graduating, keep your eyes and ears out for more information. If you have an opinion to voice, go to any SGA event, or post your comments on the Put Up or Shut Up board outside the SGA suite in the student center.

Washington gets busy with Twitter

As a skeptic to whether Twitter is really a useful tool, I found this story from Politico to be very interesting. They put together a list of the top 10 influential bloggers in D.C. .

Number one on the list is Karl Rove who Politico claims gave readers access to "what is going on inside Bush's head."

In fact, did you know over 60 members of Congress tweet!

Number 3 on the list, David Gregory, host of "Meet the Press", even tweets 16 times a day!

Touche, Twitter!

The Internet May Not Forget, But Neither Should You

Since Facebook has been such a topic of discussion, I have chosen to expand on Brianna's last post.

So, let's recap – in short, Facebook has claimed the rights to use any and all information posted on your account whether it is on there or not, meaning they archive all information posted at any given time.

My reaction: SO WHAT???

The internet may not forget, but people, don't forget about the internet. Facebook, like all other websites, is not some safe community where you can post personal information and things of that nature that you don't want to be made public or used for reasons other than for your friends to see.

First of all, Facebook aside, who says that some random person can't go on your Facebook page, steal your information, and use your information for malicious purposes? What if you post artwork, writings, or photos that you have spent time on and someone steals it and claims it as their own? Don't think that by making your page "private" that you are secure from the world seeing your page.

Also, what is preventing Facebook from archiving your information without you knowing about it? How do we know that they weren't doing it all along, and decided to squeeze it into the TOS to cover themselves in case of any suit filed against them? It's not like when you delete things on Facebook, you are wondering "Hmmm... Is Facebook archiving this? Should I have posted it in the first place?" No!

There are so many possibilities. Here is the moral of the story:

DON'T POST PERSONAL AND PRIVATE INFORMATION ON FACEBOOK, OR ANYWHERE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER.

Anyone can see it.

Anyone can use it.

The end.

The Internet Doesn't Forget

The latest uproar on Facebook, is the recent change in their terms of agreement. The agreement that users " may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content.”

This has left FB members skeptical as to what Facebook will do with this archived information if the User choses to cancel his or her account.Founder and CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, on the defense claims that Facebook will not do anything negative with the archived information.

Adam Ostrow of Mashable warns us to be more weary than ever of what information we put on the Web and that when we do post, it is permanant.

Reality TV: A False Reality

By: Meghan Mitchell

There are many things people think about reality television – it’s stupid, funny, interesting, educational and/or entertaining. But is reality TV today still what it originally set out to be?

MTV started reality TV with its hit show, The Real World. This show opened viewers’ eyes to different people and their realities. Today, reality TV shows have drastically changed. They seek out train wrecks to entertain viewers rather than cultured people from different backgrounds. For example, shows such as Rock of Love, A Shot at Love, Charm School and Paris Hilton’s New BFF exploit people for all the wrong reasons.

Competitive dating and celebrity personalities have taken reality TV and turned it into downward spiral towards bad scripts and poor acting. How much of what we see is even real? And what ideas and norms are being promoted through these shows? Charm School, a show that strives to better girls “gone wild”, has kicked girls off because there is no need for improvement. So, in other words, in order to win the actual competition you have to first hit rock bottom – what image does that portray? On Paris Hilton’s New BFF, girls worship Paris and serve her hand and foot to win. Is that the definition of a best friend, or an obsessed, fame hungry individual? Whether participants in reality TV are there for the real reason, according to the show, or just trying to get on TV, they end up embarrassing themselves and ruining their reputations in THE REAL WORLD.

I can sit here and rip apart these shows for hours, but the truth of the matter is, every time one ends, another pops up. What does this say about today’s entertainment culture, and us as its viewers? Almost every channel has at least one reality TV show, but is it just MTV and VH1 that degrade its participants? If these insane shows continue to prosper, I’m seriously worried for the future of teenagers that watch the programs. Some may view it as a car crash, “you don’t want to look, but you can’t turn away,” – these viewers probably find humor in reality TV; but, others may still view these shows as REALITY – one that, hopefully, never truly exists.

Job Market Survivors: Surviving the Job Market Tsunami

By: Erin Phillips

Outdress, outspeak, and outsmart your competition. PRSSA will be hosting Job Market Survivors Tuesday, February 17, 2009 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Student Center Pit. This event will give all Rowan students the opportunity to have their resumes critiqued and participate in mock job interviews with members of the CAP center. Also, every hour on the hour, the CAP center will give a brief presentation on all different aspects of resume building, job interviews, and even what to do at a career fair.

Unlike the College of Communication, many students don't have advisers willing to tirelessly critique students resumes. For many, they type up a list of their credentials, slap on a few references, and send it out tp a future employer. If they are lucky enough to even get a job interview after that, they go in totally unprepared. Job Market Survivors' goal is to make Rowan students to be confident walking through their future employer's office doors. We want them to surf (pun intended!) above the competition and stand out among the countless other applicants.

After attending the event, Rowan students will prepared for every type of question an interviewer can throw at them. They will be dressed appropriately and conservatively, and they will have stellar resumes. They will outdress, outspeak, and outsmart all of their competition.

Any questions about the event, contact Erin Phillips at ajfprssa@gmail.com.

'Coming up...cognitive dissonance.'

On Monday night's edition of the Daily Show, Jon Stewart pointed out the hypocracy in Bill O'Reilly's show about privacy.

O'Reilly believes that the paparazzi should stay out of the lives of celebrities, calling them, "the scum of the earth." But, when out for his own information O'Reilly ( and his staff) ambush politicians and celebrities digging for information.

Stewart points out this hypocracy, noting that when the Factor needs information or someone disagrees with the show, these people become the victim of ambush. Stewart says, "Coming up on 'The Factor,' cognitive dissonance."

What do you think? Lack of one united voice?

Old Habits Die Hard

By: Courtney Sizemore

A couple days ago, I was sitting on Facebook when my chat box popped up. This wouldn’t be strange for most college kids but IMing me was my 50 year old uncle.He’s new to the Facebook thing, he’s new to blog thing, and he’s just starting off on his new role in our family business. So needless to say, he’s lost.

My family owns a wicker furniture business in Philadelphia called Charles Schober and Co. Alfred Schober is my great great grandfather, who started the small business in 1892. Since then, my great grand father, Charles took over, and passes it down to my grandfather Alfred, and then finally to my three uncles, Richard, William, and Thomas. Everything runs in the family, everything remains constant, and change is unspoken of.

On their website it says, “We believe that a good business does not spring up overnight, but grows slowly, because it is rooted in the solid ground of customer satisfaction. That's why all orders are important to us. It is our hope that we can grow together in business and friendship.”

As much as I want to commend my uncles for their hard work and dedication to customer satisfaction, I could almost hear my uncle Bill shouting at me through Facebook IM asking for dire help in need of PR help.

With today’s economy, my uncle is realizing more than ever the need to keep up with competitors. Even if it means changing your old ways and adapting to things you aren’t comfortable with.Good PR is an art of sorts and requires some research, thought and planning at any level, not just grand scale businesses that we keep directing our attention to for jobs after school.

It’s incredibly beneficial to stick to the basics when applying the sources such has Facebook as my uncle has. Even large corporations often fail to realize who their audiences actually are. We all forget to do the small work and changes to see the greatest change and benefits to our careers.

I’ve found while researching over the last few months for our business that small business owners actually have opportunities and forums beyond the usual advertising and networking options. The only limitation is often money. But still then, even they can learn to be their own best promoters. Small businesses give the homey feel and the materials feel like you are buying quality products for a reasonable price. It’s a matter of finding of how to get that message out to the public that each company must wrestle with.It’s the M-A-C triad people! How good is the promotion without the message, the audience, and the channel all distributed properly through research. .

Super Bowl Ads Super Stunk

If I had a million dollars, well, I’d buy you a short commercial during the Super Bowl. In fact, you would need three million dollars to secure a 30-second spot during the big game this year. Some companies shouldn’t have wasted their money, or our time with some of the ads that came out.

They weren’t all bad. Each spot was posted on youtube and voted on by the public as part of the “Ad Blitz 2009” contest. Doritos came out on top with its “Free Doritos” ad. Basically, an office worker pretends he has a crystal ball (snow globe), predicts there will be free Doritos at the office, and hurls it through the glass of the vending machine. Other companies rated in the top five were E-Trade with the singing baby and CareerBuilder.com with, my personal favorite, a talking koala bear being punched in the face.

Some of the ads, though, did not convey a message. A good example would be Coke Zero’s attempt at recreating and putting a spin on the famous Mean Joe Brown Coke commercial (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, make sure to look it up). Some didn’t know what company it was for, confusing it for a Pepsi ad.

Some of the ads were interesting and unexpected. Cash4Gold typically advertises during daytime and late night television, promising cash for unused gold. They had a 60-second spot featuring Ed McMahon and MC Hammer, two notable, in-debt celebrities of the past. Also, Miller stuck its head in there with a one second spot of some guy who simply yells “High life!” – that’s all. The animated Coke commercial was also interesting and creative.

Overall, the Super Bowl ads this year were disappointing. Some were good, some were plain ugly, and some were repeats or old ideas, like the E-Trade babies or those horrid Sobe geckos. Many of the commercials were for movies or TV shows anyway. Let’s hope next year there is something to look forward to. I mean, the Super Bowl isn’t actually about football, right?

Obama yells, "Yabba-Dabba-Doo!"

While campaigning for the Whitehouse, Obama hosted massive events, kept in constant contact with his grassroots supporters via e-mail, and has thousands of people working for his cause. Upon entering the Whitehouse, his Blackberry seems the only thing Obama was allowed to keep.

As President Obama pushed his message for a new economic stimulus package, it lacks the same effectiveness of his many messages prior to entering office. Some critics blame the cave-man technology the Whitehouse embodies. The political blog, Politico compares this to a battle between the Jetsons and the Flinstones. Obama was cut off /blocked from his more than a million- person e-mail support. According to Politico, because of government ethics Obama’s grassroots organizations were forced to disassemble. As we all know, these grassroots organizations played a major role in the wide spread popularity in the Obama campaign. How does the Obama fortress hold in this Stone Age territory?

Politico see’s Obama currently loosing the “message war.” Without the large scaled events, Obama is having trouble making newsworthy events. Making the move from “ I” to “we” also seems to be plaguing the Obama camp. Politico sees the Whitehouse competing for attention right now. As Obama hosts important political figures at the White House, Hilary Clinton is sworn in as Secretary State--- immediately focus shifts away from the stimulus package.

Politico suggests isolating a presidential appearance for maximum impact--- something Obama’s PR team has no mastered yet.

The internet has struck an age of user-based content; advertisements, products, and services are now based on what the consumer wants. Is it time the government work on a more user-based model? Would it be unethical to allow grassroots Obama sectors to continue to work through the next four years?

Points to Ponder

By: Ashley Phillips

In 2004, Howard Stern made the move to Satellite Radio to embrace his freedom of speech. Five years ago Satellite Radio promised its audience a commercial free network of uncensored experiences and music. Still, personalities like Stern and Don Imus face consequences for what they say. Should they be held accountable for what they say? Or are they in fact entitled to their freedom of speech?

Further, have you recently listened to Satellite Radio? Noticed all the advertisements? Is Satellite Radio yet another company being hit hard in this economic recession?

Planning Ahead

Where do you see yourself next year? If you haven't created goals for 2009 yet...what are you waiting for? Land that internship, get that interview. Learn how to network and market yourself so you can obtain a position at your dream job. Most of all do your research and find your place in the corporate environment.

Check out Fourtune's 100 Best Companies to work for. These are companies that are hiring right now.

I know it's competitive out there in the job market, but I thought I'd pass this along to my fellow Rowan alums.

While you're tweaking your resume, pulling your best writing samples together for your portfolio and creating a professional image on all the social networking sites out there (PRSA Job Center, LinkedIn and Facebook) - don't forget the basics! Start with doing your homework on company cultures. Find a place to work that makes sense both economically and personally.  

A Rowan Alum's Journey: Dues and Don'ts

By: Dan Linn

As a recent graduate I must admit a college degree is not what it used to be. If you think about the amount of people who actually attend college nowadays, I like to think of it as a rich man’s high school diploma. This is why now more than ever, it’s important to pay your dues.

Work rarely goes unpaid. Even if there is no monetary compensation for work rendered, a positive outlook could change the way you view time spent. With all the money invested in proving your mental merit, it seems silly to avoid getting your hands dirty in a real world setting.

As an unemployed college grad (and by unemployed I mean a 9-5 job that does not include pushing papers at a nursing home) I fully expect my first real professional assignment to go unpaid.

*Cliché Alert!* With the economy in the state it is today, I’ve come to two realizations:

1: I have a powerful urge to strangle a banker.

2: I don't see my job hunt going far in the future without showcasing my abilities pro bono now. (That's bono, not Bono.)

If you see your future consisting of an office job, please get in an office right away. Even if it’s just secretarial work, an office setting tends to require a certain amount of discipline and self awareness not instituted at a college level. In other words, get your frat humor and fart jokes out now, before you get the real job you’re looking for.

But if getting paid is your main objective out of college, please beware. Your chosen major brings both the highly credentialed and the barely legitimate. As a rule of thumb I am weary of any business that responds to my resume through email. This is a tell tale sign of a company looking to pray on the innocent and impressionable. Most of these companies (which shall remain nameless, for libel is no friend of mine) hide under a marketing alias. But all they really are is commission based door to door selling, with you the employee incurring most operating expenses.

In short, I have found marketing firms that change their names regularly, trying to hid or shake the bad image they so justly deserve. Research a potential employer thoroughly, being a member of the Better Business Bureau means nothing. If an employer actually uses that as its main selling point, I’d think twice.

Bottom line, in this big world the smallest oceans can make the biggest waves. Any work rendered now, may lead to an opportunity later. When professors tell you contributing to PRSSA is a great way to network, listen to them, last time I checked they have real jobs. Personally I viewed those speeches as I viewed my father telling me to wear a seat belt or the TV telling me to quit smoking, but in reality, I work with old people….so make your move.