Ana Livia Coelho | Feb. 16, 2009
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| Photos by Lydia Cox |
| Panelists at the PRSSA-Greek event included (from left) Phillip Summers, Matthew Ewing, Danielle Dravet and IU Dean of Students Dick McKaig. |
PRSSA hosted it second annual Greek Media Training session Wednesday at the Indiana Memorial Union to help Greek houses formulate such a plan. The event, “Reality Check: Perceptions of Greek Life,” featured a panel of professionals who offered ways fraternities and sororities may handle crisis communications.
“We want to use our public relations asset to benefit the Greek community,” said PRSSA vice president Katie Wickham, a junior majoring in journalism and an Alpha Phi member.
Panelists included IU Dean of Students Dick McKaig; psychology professor and Pi Kappa Phi alumnus Phillip Summers; IU Phi Delta Theta fraternity adviser Matthew Ewing; Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission public relations officer Danielle Dravet, who also was a panhellenic president at DePauw University; and School of Journalism adjunct instructor Jim Parham, chief operating officer of advertising and public relations from Hirons & Company, who moderated.
Panelists discussed two case studies from different campuses and their repercussions. The first one, “Greeks and Alcohol,” addressed fraternities while the second one dealt with negative perceptions associated to sorority members.
Only four attendees raise their hands when Parham asked the audience if their chapters have crisis management plans.
“The moment the microphone is in front of you, you are representing all of your brothers and sisters,” Parham said. To the people outside the Greek system, perceptions are the reality, “more damning than any other facts.”
Two Greek organizations, Beta Theta Pi fraternity and Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, won a raffle that awards them personalized training with Parham.
“I hope this event will open people’s eyes,” said panelist Matthew Ewing after the event. “I was impressed by the small number of hands up when we asked about crisis communications plan.”
Learning to address the media is essential not only when addressing problems, but also when supporting each chapter.
“I feel that it is also important to focus on promoting philanthropies and the activities for charities that fraternities and sororities host,” said Parham’s assistant and Alpha Omicron Pi member Sarah Mordis.
Wickham hopes to bring the event back next year.
“We want to offer the Greek community the best tools to represent their chapters,” she said.
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