High Times at the Art Museum

By Caroline Pollard

After a long trip to the Carter Center and a quick run-through of the King Center, the class split up into two groups to continue the second-to-last day, May 29, of our Atlanta experience. Because of a schedule mix-up, half of the class went to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the other half went to the High Museum of Art. I went with the group that got to go the museum.

We met with Manager of Public Relations Cassandra Streich and Public Relations Coordinator Jennifer Maley. We were taken to an auditorium where we were able to pick both ladies’ brains about their jobs and what goes on in the museum before walking around to look at the artwork. Cassandra did most of the talking and told us about what she does as manager of public relations of the museum. She talked about what she does on a day-to-day basis, like staying in contact with reporters, writing press releases about anything she can think of for publicity, working with other departments to organize and manage the image of the museum and researching people in other cities up to four hours away in order to reach out to visitors who drive from out of town for a tour.

We also found out that Cassandra had a personal hand in bringing “The Louvre Atlanta” to the High. She speaks French, so three months into her job she was asked to go to Paris, France to help communication and organization between the High Museum of Art and the Musee de Louvre. She spent a month helping coordinate what was going to happen when “The Louvre Atlanta” came to the United States and how the two museums were going to promote this innovative partnership. The drawings, sculptures, paintings and other antiquities were flown over from Paris to Atlanta. In Georgia, the art was taken out of its packaging and checked by curators for damages, then re-packed and transported by trucks to the museum.

To end the discussion, she gave us advice about getting internships, being interested in the job you are doing, reading several companies’ press releases to pull from their style and make your own, knowing a foreign language and how it helps public relations practitioners and being organized and able to multi-task.

Near the end of our time at the museum we were free to roam about and look at the artwork that the museum had on display. We saw American and European art from centuries ago through the present. It was a great way to end the day and our amazing experience.

USC at CDC

By Chris Harvie

As our last stop of the day on Thursday, May 29, half of the class headed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After going through security we were greeted and escorted to their press room. Divya Nair, Press Assistant for CDC, informed the class that this room was used for all of their press conferences; most information was communicated over satellite or telephone.

The first to speak to our class was Dr. Eileen Farron who was in the Special Pathogens Branch Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases. Dr. Farron told the class about some of the research CDC does in other countries, focusing on Ebola. Dr. Glen Nowak, Chief, Division of Media Relations, was a former public relations and advertising professor at UGA, and he earned his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin. He spoke to the class about working with reporters and communicating with the media. Our last speaker of the day was Von Roebuck, Senior Press Officer of Media Relations for CDC. Mr. Roebuck’s degree is from Purdue, and he spoke to the class about how CDC handles crisis communications.

The last stop at our visit to the CDC was a tour of DEOC. We were escorted up and down elevators and through security until we arrived at the start of our tour. Our tour included stopping at the JIC (joint information center) and ending in a large room filled with chairs, computers and televisions. The televisions in this room were all on a giant screen and called the standard information display. These screens give the people of the CDC a “snapshot of significance.” A few of the screens were used to monitor public health events like earthquakes and forest fires. The other screens were used to monitor other situations like global disease outbreaks.

Our time spent at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was very well spent and extremely informative. The opportunity to actually sit in CDC’s press room and tour their campus is once in a lifetime. After returning from our visit to CDC, everyone realized this trip would be one we would never forget.

Wednesday evening's alumni reception

By Lauren Fabian

Wednesday night we went to the Alumni Reception at the international law firm McKenna Long & Aldridge. Kathleen and Jeff Haidet hosted the reception, and we appreciate their willingness to let us spend the evening with them. We enjoyed decadent hors d’ourves and a breath-taking view of Atlanta from the 53^rd floor. We met a variety of USC alumni currently working in the area. Everyone was very welcoming and I enjoyed learning tips and tidbits from each of them.

Stephen Brown, senior vice president, media relations for Manning, Selvage & Lee, told us further about what a day in the life of a public relations agency is like. He stressed the importance of experience and finding enjoyment in what you do. His demeanor showed how passionate he was about the job he does and the industry he’s in.

Alison L. Carnes, edit operations supervisor for Turner Studios, drew us in with her contagious energy and gave us advice about entering the work world. It was interesting to hear advice from someone who works with television and works for such a large, successful corporation.

The other alumni were fun to talk with and eager to share their experiences with us as well. They offered advice for different types of professions in the public relations field. Aviva Hoffmann told us about her unexpected career path that went from being a real estate title searcher in Hawaii to working in broadcast at a government television station in Georgia. Many of us got to see Varion Hunt again the next day when we visited the CDC, where she works. Ms. Hunt earned her M.M.C. degree from the J-school.

The alumni were interesting to talk to and offered their experiences to help us prepare for and better understand the world we’re about to enter. They gave us unique and personal looks into the different public relations professions as well as the professions that deal with public relations.

I realized that career paths are unpredictable and can be very exciting. I learned that it’s good to be open to new possibilities, and every possibility. I learned to find and pursue what I’m passionate about (even if it changes) with determination and an open mind.

…And the dessert display wasn’t half-bad either!

Georgia Tech

By Adam Takach

Today our group arrived at Georgia Tech. It is Memorial Day and it is very hot—it is one of those days that when you step outside you are immediately covered in a glaze of sweat. The campus is absolutely gorgeous, especially for being located in a major metropolitan area. We are all glad to finally lie down and relax after a long day on the bus and at the zoo.

The food here at cafeteria is surprisingly delicious; they offer a wide variety of different foods to appeal to everyone. Our group decides to eat as a family at one big table, and the bonding begins. The drought in Atlanta means that we do not have trays to carry our food on, and the various fountains located on campus are not working.

Our group is staying in a residence hall, which was a great idea compared to staying in a hotel. It allows most of us to relive a lifestyle we hadn’t experienced for quite a few years. It really is the centerpiece for our bonding, with people coming and going out of rooms, sharing various items we had forgotten, and just being able to chill out with each other in the common areas. Georgia Tech is a beautiful campus that accommodates our group of characters to the utmost.

First Stop—Zoo Atlanta, Monday, May 26

By Adam Takach

Our group began our public relations adventures at Zoo Atlanta. Although we did not meet with someone who represented the Zoo, we all looked at things that we as a group could do in a public relations situation, from promoting various new attractions in the zoo, like crazy looking naked mole rats, to getting more people to attend the zoo in the Atlanta area.

The zoo had great things for us to look at from amazing animals to the not-so-amazing. What many of us found interesting were the gorillas. There were many of them in the gorilla exhibit and the main attraction for us was the twins. For the not-so-amazing there were many of the reptiles in the World of Reptiles exhibit. Not too many exciting things happened here, just a lot of lying around. Lastly there is just the plain weird, the naked mole rats. Our group came to the conclusion that they are the ugliest creatures that we ever encountered.

Zoo Atlanta was a great place for our group to explore, but the sun belting down on top of us tired us with each step forward. Though it was fun we had to board the bus to make our check-in time at Georgia Tech.

CNN--Tuesday, May 27

By Megan Dunn

After a long day of heat and waiting, we finally began our tour of CNN on Tuesday afternoon, May 27. We met our two tour guides, Nick and Chris. The adventure began on the world’s highest freestanding escalator. After the two-minute ride, we stepped off into the world-shaped dome. While viewing live footage from a theater inside the dome, we were informed of CNN’s history. Before it became a news center, the building was an indoor amusement park. The park had a human pin ball game in which people were launched through a human-sized pinball machine. However, for safety reasons, this did not last long. In addition to the game, there was a skating rink where the food court now is located. After the skating rink was removed, the food court was built. When viewed from above, the tiles form the shape of the world and gold plates mark the 39 bureaus.

After the theater, the group split up. Half went with Nick while the other toured with Chris. Chris’s group went behind the scenes and viewed Nancy Grace’s studio. The background of the set is the replica of the one that is used in her New York studio so she is able to shoot from New York or Atlanta. Her studio is smaller in person then it appears on screen, but a comfortable setting. Behind her desk, she has hairspray, make-up, and a brush in case she needs a quick fix before going on air. After the excitement of Nancy Grace’s studio, we were able to do more behind the scenes activity. We went into the newsroom where the on-air action occurs. People were rushing through the room from one desk to the next, while two news anchors were sitting on stage prepping to go on air. The atmosphere was exhilarating and more exciting in person then how it is depicted on television or movies.

Once we completed our tour, we gathered in a conference room with Nigel Pritchard and Paul Ferguson. Public relations vice president Nigel Pritchard commented about CNN. “Our proudest moments are what we keep out of the press.” CNN prides themselves on their dedication to the job and that the day of your everyday journalist is gone. Journalists now are on call 24 hours a day. Regardless of the topic, CNN is devoted to each subject. Even though one story may be more important then the next, CNN takes pride in their dedication to each subject.

Technology allows CNN to keep a steady pace in each story. The technology world is evolving at a fast pace and CNN is strategically keeping up with it. They claim that blogging is the future and it is here to stay. Through blogging, the world is able to express their thoughts and even teach the community and journalists at CNN. Through the changing society, CNN works hard to be able to craft stories for its people and maintain that they are the most trusted name in news.

We're Out of Order :(

By Lisa Sisk

We’ve run into some trouble with Internet connections, e-mail issues and uploading photos, but I think we have solved our problems. However, our entries will not appear in the order in which we experienced our adventures. I’ll add the dates of our visits to each entry, and I hope you can follow our progress easily.

Keep reading and checking back. We’ll cover each day’s schedule fully—from the first two weeks in the classroom, to our first stop at Zoo Atlanta, and all the way through our last exciting day at the Georgia Aquarium. In addition to information from each visit, we’ll even throw in some info on the alumni reception, the nightlife in Atlanta and a wrap-up of the total experience.

Thanks for reading!

Our Morning at Turner Studios

By Kelly Eisenhower

hour of 10 a.m.Anticipation was high as we headed to Turner Studios at the oh-so-early Wednesday. After passing by the building several times (both walking and driving) we all wondered what was behind the walls. From my experience and what I heard from everyone else, we all had a great time.

First thing, we had a quick five- minute marketing lesson that was extremely informative and interesting, which is a lot to say coming from a public relations major. After this, we quickly made our way to the studios where we toured in two separate groups. The group I was in went to the control room first. This room was surprisingly dark, filled with about twenty different television screens and what seemed like thousands of buttons. The two gentlemen spoke about our generation being one stuck between Hi- Def and SD TV. So until February 2009, some of our shows may not sync up between sound and picture. Either way, we thought it was very cool, although somewhat technologically advanced for us.

The next place we went were the sets of MLB on TBS and Dinner and a Makeover from TCM. It was all very apparent to us when we walked in, and of course we were all saying “ooh, ahh” and recognizing and remembering episodes of shows we had seen. The coolest part of this trip so far (in my opinion) was the set of the NBA show on TNT. It cost a total of about $5.2 million to build and was amazing. I got to sit in Charles Barkley’s chair! So of course I was extremely excited about this.

Next we broke up into three groups and saw various other parts of the studio. My particular group went to the Final Cut suites and editing rooms. One of the rooms showed us a project they had been working on since the previous day. It was an advertisement for the NBA playoffs on TNT and it was Madonna and Justin Timberlake video and clips of NBA games. It was a really well put together commercial, and I had NO idea that it took so much work to do something like that. The music library has 13,000 CDs in it, none of which are mainstream music, which I thought was really interesting. My group saw sound editing last and again, we were amazed at how much work it really takes for something that lasts about 30 seconds during a commercial break.
I know this is probably a longer blog than most, but I felt like there was so much to tell about Turner Studios. We all left saying how great it would be to work there because almost everyone had smiles on their faces. They also wore casual clothes, which was very attractive to all of us. Alison Carnes, an alumna of the J-school, was a fabulous hostess and we all got the opportunity to speak to her again later that night. This was definitely a great experience that I hope other classes will be able to have in the future.

Our First Visit

by Emily Ohnstad
Our Tuesday visits began at Manning, Selvage & Lee, one of the world’s leading public relations agencies. We met an alumnus of the University of South Carolina Honors College, Stephen Brown, Senior Vice President of Media Strategy. He described the past, present and future operations of the company, such as the recent launch of McDonald’s Southern Style Chicken Biscuit.

His down-to-earth attitude allowed for fluid conversation and intriguing questions from the class. With his advice, we are all encouraged to apply for as many internships as possible and network with local reporters.

The class participated in a brainstorm to create a headline for the new dark chocolate candy, Dark Knight Reese’s Cup. The candy will soon appear in stores to promote the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. Lauren Fabian’s example was “Now the chocolate is as dark as Gotham.” We then decided which medium was best for the new Reese’s. The exercise gave us a chance to participate in a real life example of what public relations professionals do as well as jump start our creative minds early in the morning after a long night of fun.

Overall, the students enjoyed the presentation and found Mr. Brown to be a helpful and charming professional. Many plan to contact him in the future.

Getting Ready in the Classroom

By Megan Richardson and Shelley Davis

No college student prefers school over the pool during the summer, but if you’re in Lisa Sisk’s Journalism 463 class you won’t mind at all. This class offers the thrills and frills of Atlanta, valuable hands-on experience, and class credit, too!

During the first two weeks of class we learned about different aspects of public relations. We each put together presentations about organizations we plan to visit in Atlanta. Each informative report helped us understand the background of each business. Some of the reports included Manning, Selvage & Lee, UPS, Atlanta Braves, Chick-fil-A, and Coca-Cola.

Beverly Dominick, the internship/placement coordinator for the journalism school, came by to give us good resume writing and interview tips, and shared some of her professional experiences with us. A research paper was due during the second week of class. We chose a topic and related a public relations case study to it. After a short presentation of our research papers, the second week of class was over and we headed home to start packing our bags for Atlanta.

The King Center, CNN, The Georgia Aquarium, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Turner Studios are just a few organizations we have the pleasure of visiting next week. We are all very excited about spending a week in Atlanta and taking a closer look inside each of these organizations and their public relations practices.

Atlanta, here we come! First stop: Zoo Atlanta.

Come Along to Atlanta!

By Lisa Sisk

It’s back by popular demand! Since 2006, a unique Maymester course has taken students to Atlanta to meet public relations professionals from major corporations, agencies and attractions, and this year’s promises to be the best ever.

I invite you to come along with us as we visit public relations practitioners at major Atlanta organizations. They share their insight and advice with the students, who soon will be embarking on public relations careers of their own. It’s wonderful to see how they relate to the students, giving them valuable tips, regaling them with “war stories,” and encouraging them to embrace the exciting world of public relations.

For the last several months, I’ve been busy making connections with an exciting array of people, including top-level professionals at CNN, Coca Cola, UPS, Turner Studios, The Carter Center, MS&L, The High Museum of Art, The CDC, Centennial Olympic Park and many more. I’m deeply humbled by their eagerness to give up time in their busy schedules to meet our students.

The arrangements haven't stopped with the itinerary, obviously. I've worked hard to arrange our transportation, lodging and meals as well. We are staying at Georgia Tech, in the apartment-style residence hall area originally built for the Olympic athletes, and we have two meals a day in the dining hall. Waaaaay back when I was in college, we didn’t have such healthy, delicious choices in our dining hall. I was hesitant about those meals the first year we went to Atlanta, but I was delightfully surprised at how much I enjoyed them! Where else can you get soft-serve ice cream at every meal?

For the past two weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching the 20 SJMC students enrolled in the class. They’re a very interesting group, and our class discussions have been thought-provoking, deep and lively. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it! Megan Richardson and Shelley Davis have written the next entry, which describes our class time before we take off for the booming metropolis.

Each day, students will post entries about our visits and the professionals who are hosting us. Check back every day to learn more about our adventures and see our photos! I’ll chime in periodically, too.

We sincerely hope you enjoy sharing our experiences.

Thanks!
Lisa