Shannon Ryker | Oct. 9, 2008
 |
| Photo by Shannon Ryker |
| Public relations students are creating campaigns for the school’s 100th anniversary. From left are Ana Livia Campoy Coelho, Joanna Pinker and Lauren Perri. |
Well, almost.
In 2011, the Indiana University School of Journalism will turn 100 and the school is recruiting its own students to help plan the celebration.
The students in Ralph Winslow Professor Jim Bright’s J429 Public Relations Campaign class are creating a campaign for the school’s centennial. Dean Brad Hamm and Director of Communications Beth Moellers will choose the winning campaign at the end of the semester.
In conjunction with the School of Journalism Alumni Board, Hamm and Moellers hope to use multiple ideas from all the campaigns.
“We are looking for a campaign that intelligently and creatively links the history of the school and past generations to how we can contribute to the next 100 years of the school,” said Hamm.
To start, students are conducting research.
“We have been in contact with a lot of alumni,” said Casey Baksa, a senior majoring in journalism. “We want to know what we would have to do to make them want come back for the Centennial.”
Along with hours of phone calls, some students had the chance to meet alumni in person at the recent Student Publications Alumni Association gathering at the school in September.
“I think the school is really utilizing the resources they have by having the students help plan the centennial,” said Jaime Boswell, a senior majoring in Communication and Culture. “It makes me feel more a part of IU, that I had a hand in something great.”
Not only will this project benefit the school, but it also incorporates many useful skills for the students graduating in the spring.
 |
| Photo by Chris Pickrell |
| At a recent gathering of student publications alumni, students Joanna Pinker and Lauren Perri (center left and right) chatted with Marge Blewett, B.A. ’48, left, and Martie Dietz, B.A. ’52. |
“This decision has made the class very competitive. It really makes the students perform at their best,” said Bright.
Anna Schilawski, a senior majoring in Communication and Culture, said she likes the professional aspect of the project.
“It allows us networking opportunities and it helped me demonstrate my leadership skills,” she said.
She is one of four account executives in the class. All the account executives had to apply, and when chosen, were instructed to choose team members.
“The centennial will be a good reference tool for the future and something you can use to build your resume,” Baksa said.
In three years, the students will have moved on to their professional careers, but Bright said they’ll remain an important part of the centennial in 2011.
“We want this celebration to feel like a family reunion,” he said. “It is important for the students to have the feeling that they had a special role in something truly special.”
Questions? Comments? Email the Web editor.
