PRSSA PROFILE FEBRUARY 2016

GROUNDHOG EDITION

Everything You Didnt Know About

Groundhogs Day
Every year on Feb. 2, a
groundhog predicts whether
or not there will be a second
winter or early spring. The
newspaper, known as the
Punxsutawney Groundhog
Club started this tradition in
1887 at Gobblers Knob, Pa.
The Punxsutawney Groundhog
Club named a hilltop near town
Gobblers Knob because from
this hill, the groundhog could
accurately predict the weather.
This groundhog is now known
as Punxsutawney Phil and he
gathers crowds as large as 40,000
people for an annual celebration.
The myth is, if Punxsutawney
Phil crawls out and sees his
shadow there will be six more
weeks of winter, but if he doesnt
see it that means an early spring
is on its way.

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Punxsutawney Phil isnt the

only ground hog in America
that has been predicting when
spring will be here. States such as
Ohio, Georgia, New York, North
Carolina and Alabama all have
their own state groundhog too.

Ohio

Buckeye Chuck
The Ohio General Assembly
declared the groundhog from
Marion the official State
Groundhog in 1979

Georgia

General Beauregard Lee

The groundhog General
Beauregard Lee is located at the
Yellow River Game Ranch.

New York

Stated Island Chuck

New York City has everything

from bright lights and sleepless

nights, but they are also home
to the Stated Island Chuck and
host their own Groundhog Day
traditions.

North Carolina

Sir Walter Wally

This groundhog hosts his
celebrations at the North
Carolina Museum of Natural
Sciences in the beautiful,warm,
southern air.

Alabama

Smith Lake Jake

The latest groundhog prediction
takes place in Birmingham,
Alabama at the Birmingham
Zoo. Smith Lake Jake likes to
make an appearance a little later
than what is considered to be in
the norm.

PRSSA MEMBER OF THE MONTH: Isabella Krolikowski

Q: What are you involved in within
PRSSA?

do the theoretical things you learn in

class in real life.

A:I am currently in the publications Q: What advice would you give to

committee. Getting published
writing experience has been great.

Q:What's your favorite thing about

PRSSA?

A:My favorite thing about PRSSA

Q: How long have you been involved with PRSSA?

is the variety of opportunities.

Whether your skillset and interests
pertain to writing, event planning or
graphic design, there is a committee
for you to join. The work you do in
the committees comes to fruition,
which makes it possible for you to

new members of PRSSA?

A: Get a mentor and dont be afraid

to ask them questions. A formal

mentorship can be set up by telling
any Executive Board member that
you are interested in one. A mentor
can also be someone you just feel like
you connect with. Having someone
to ask about classes, internships,
portfolios and anything else eases
uncertainty.

A:This is my second semester in

PRSSA.

PRSSA ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Ann Marie Fortunate

Ann Marie Fortunate works as an account
supervisor at Franco Public Relations Group
in Detroit, Mich. She graduated from CMU
in 2004.

Q: Were you fearful about graduating and

transitioning from a student to having a
career?

A: I was very nervous transitioning from

full-time student to a full-time career - its

natural. I knew I had good internship
experience and that I had to be patient in
my job search, which helped ease some
of the anxiety. As students, when youre
interviewing - whether for an internship or
for a permanent position - youll know when
the company and the position are a good
fit - it will feel very natural and that will help
ease the transition.

Q: What was the most beneficial thing you

learned at CMU?

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A: The hands on experiences were definitely

the most beneficial; I had the opportunity

through the capstone course to further
develop my writing skills - both for print
and web, and also had the opportunity to
do some event planning - everything from
attendee recruitment for the Gus Macker 3
on 3 Tournament to staffing the event for the
weekend.

Q: What do you wish you could tell your

college self?

A: I would have been more involved. I was

A: Stay on top of trends within the

a member of PRSSA, but playing a more
PR
industry and the industry youre
active role within the organization would
interested
in pursuing a career. We
have helped to further hone my skills when I
are always impressed when students
graduated.
are familiar with our clients and our
Q: What advice would you give students projects Spending the extra time
researching the organization where
who are about to graduate?
youre interviewing will really help
put you at the top of the candidate
list.

AP STYLE PRO TIP

Groundhog Day is capitalized.
Punxsutawney Phil is the proper
name of the groundhog.
The seasons (fall, winter, spring and
summer) are never capitalized.

DESIGN PRO TIP

Play around with the
programs when you can.
The more time you spend,
the easier navigating the
programs become.

The Benefits of Being in PRSSA

Who we are & what we do:
CMU PRSSAs mission is to provide
members with the readiness and resources
need to succeed in the PR world. We
focus heavily on media, ethics, business/
marketing, leadership and networking.
We have biweekly meetings that welcome
visits/ Q&A sessions from PR pros and
CMU alumni working in the field. We also
have activities during meeting to practice
and learn a variety of essential PR skills.
What we offer:
PRSSA offers a wide variety of beneficial
events right here on campus! We hold
the annual Internship Fair where you
can present your best elevator pitch and
network for a possible internship with an

organization or company present. Also,

we have monthly socials for a way to get to
know your fellow members and have some
fun. PRSSA also holds many fundraiser
and volunteering opportunities if you want
to get more involved within the school and
help support our student-run organization.
Some other awesome events include
the annual spring conference and several
agency tours throughout each semester for
a more in depth PR experience.
How to get involved:
Join a committee! For general members,
there are five committees you are able
to get involved with if you so chose:
Publications, Fundraising, Social Media,
Professional Development and Chapter
events.

Becoming a part of a committee (or

multiple) provides for a more broadened
experience in PRSSA and will give you a
greater understanding of each essential
element in PR.
Whether youre in IPR 101 or another
course that overlaps with our general
meeting times, you can still participate
through weekly committees and monthly
socials. With a annual fee of $70 cash/$75
credit per year you get the bang for
your buck! Executive board members

are available to answer any of your

questions. Be sure to visit cmuprssa.com
for more information on how you can
get involved.

CREDITS
Writers: Samantha Meyer, Alyssa Tippens, Elise Hubel, Jennifer Eskridge, Natalie Campbell
and Nicole Roberts
Design: Drew Forrest

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