Meryl B: PRSSA Conference “Looking Back to Move Forward” Summary

Students interested in pursuing a career in communications can meet with established business and industry professionals at the PRSSA Conference for PR Advanced: “Looking Back to Move Forward.” BU PRSSA has been hosting this event for 16 years, covering topics including CSR, DEI, media relations, agency versus in-house PR and more. I attended the DEI Panel and In-House versus Agency Panel.

The DEI Panel consisted of Aisha Hudson, VP of True MOSAIC and Corporate Reputation at Fleishman Hillard, Cynthia Issac, Managing Director at Syeneos Health, and Cat Colella-Graham, Employee Engagement and DEI Consultant/Founder of Cheers Partners. They discussed how the time of racial reckoning is now, and organizations must commit to justice. A question answered was: What does equity mean to you? Hudson responded that it is the removal of systemic/systematic oppression. It does not mean the same as “equal.” Organizations should be responsible for creating and providing opportunities for those who have not been as fortunate and have dealt with racial bias. Isaac responded that equity could be giving leadership training or mentorship to those who need it. Graham explained that equity means providing opportunities, mutual accountability and career mobility.

Each panelist discussed their goals arouond DEI. Hudson said the clients she has worked with usually have diversity goals within their team. Isaac stated that DEI goals are reasonable, but setting goals and holding yourself accountable is better. A quote from Graham perfectly sums up the above statement: “make sure the audio matches the video.” Training for DEI sets the foundation, but is not the journey’s end.

The In-House versus Agency Panel consisted of Emma Mulvaney, Director of the Media Department at Allison + Partners, and Abha Gallewale, Senior Manager of Digital Demand Generation at ASICS. Mulvaney described no right or wrong way to enter the workforce regarding agency and in-house. It is crucial to get experience, and any experience is a good one. Gallewale explained how when she worked at Digitas, she felt that while at the agency, she did not get the full scope of why something does not work because it is so fast-paced. In an in-house role, she believes you get more insight into why campaigns do/do not work. Mulvaney enjoys how diverse the work is in an agency and how “no day is ever the same.”

Work-life balance varies in each role. Gallewale feels that while at an agency, it is hard to set boundaries and that she was constantly working over eight-hour days. However, in her position at ASICS, she can set limits. Mulvaney explained how the media consumed her life 24/7 and that achieving a good work-life balance is hard.

Overall, I really enjoyed the conference and the panel. In classes at BU, we read a lot about DEI and agency versus in-house, but it is beneficial to hear about it through people’s first-hand experiences. Additionally, I was able to meet new people and network with other PR professionals.

Amanda W: The Ultimate Guide to Making Friends and Networking in College

Making friends and networking in college can seem overwhelming at first, but it's actually a pretty fun experience! Don’t be scared by how large the BU campus is. No matter you're an extrovert or introvert, there are plenty of ways to connect with people and build relationships that can last a lifetime. Grab a cup of coffee, relax, and let's get started!

1. Join clubs and organizations

One of the easiest ways to make friends in college is by joining clubs and organizations. These groups are a great occasion to meet people who share similar interests and passions as you. You can always have fun at meetings, events, and social gatherings and make friends. 

2. Attend campus events

BU hosts a variety of events throughout the year, from concerts and movie screenings to guest lectures and networking events. Attending these events is a great way to meet new people and expand your social circle. Keep an eye on the event calendar and make a point to attend events that interest you. By the way, you will always find exciting raffles at most campus events. 

3. Participate in class

Participating in class is not only important for your academic success, but it can also help you make friends. Engage in class discussions and group projects, and don't be afraid to ask questions or offer your opinion. This will show your classmates that you are interested in the course material and can help you build relationships with your peers.

4. Attend office hours

Make an effort to attend your professors’ office hours, even if you don't have any specific questions or concerns. This is a great opportunity to get to know your professors on a more personal level and build a professional relationship with them. You never know when your professors might have valuable connections or job opportunities to share with you.

5. Volunteer

Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community while also meeting new people. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities on campus and in Boston. This can be a great way to connect with people who share your values.

6. Be yourself

Lastly, it is important to be yourself when trying to make friends and network in college. Don't try to be someone you're not, and don't be afraid to share your passions and interests with others. Authenticity is key to building meaningful relationships that will last beyond your college years.

Mia P: Best Bagels in the Boston University Area

Coming to college on the East Coast, I didn’t realize how prevalent the bagel scene truly is. Back in my hometown, bagels aren’t a staple breakfast food like they are in Boston or New York City. Since coming to BU, I’ve come to love bagels and have one almost every day! I’ve tried a variety of coffee shops and bagel spots, so I thought I’d share some of my favorites in the BU area!

  1. PAVEMENT COFFEEHOUSE

Pavement is a Boston University classic! They have locations all around Boston, but also one that sits in the middle of BU’s campus. While I’m not the biggest fan of their coffee, their bagels are some of the best I’ve ever had. You can opt for a traditional bagel and cream cheese, or try one of their breakfast or lunch bagel sandwich options. 

My go-to: an everything bagel with cream cheese!

  1. EINSTEIN’S BAGELS

Einstein’s is a popular bagel chain and students can find one on campus in the basement of the College of Arts and Sciences. BU students can also use dining points here, so it’s super convenient if you’re on the dining plan! Einstein’s also has a variety of coffee and pastry options, and some seating if you’re looking for a study spot. 

My go-to: an asiago bagel with cream cheese!

  1. KUPEL’S BAKERY

Kupel’s is a little farther away from BU’s main campus, about a 15-minute walk from West Campus into the Brookline area. However, it’s definitely worth the walk! If you’ve got some free time, definitely head over and enjoy their vast array of bagel options. It’s also a small business, which is great to support! 

My go-to: the “Coolidge Corner” bagel sandwich!

  1. STARBUCKS/DUNKIN

I choose to lump Starbucks and Dunkin together because they aren’t exactly known for their bagels, but if you’re in a crunch and need a quick breakfast, they’ll definitely do! You can also use dining points at the West Campus Dunkin and GSU, Warren Towers, and Questrom Starbucks locations, so it’s also super convenient. 

My go-to: a plain bagel with cream cheese

Diya S: My Experience on BU’s Premier Garba and Raas Dance Team

I am a dancer on Boston University's premier Garba and Raas dance team, BU Fatakada, so I wanted to tell you all a little bit about it! To start, I would like to answer the question that many of you probably have right now, What is Garba and Raas? Garba and Raas is the traditional folk dance style of a certain state in India, this state is called Gujarat. These dance styles are popularly performed in Gujarat during the Hindu festival/holiday of Navratri and both are very high energy and fast paced dance styles where the dancers are dancing in a circle around a religious idol usually. Raas specifically, is done with sticks in the dancers hands and these sticks are called Dandiya. On the collegiate level, Garba and Raas has been taken to a whole new extent with faster choreography and extravagant themes! For our team, Fatakada, which means firework in the language of Gujarati which is spoken in Gujarat, (which is very fitting because our energetic and lively dancing which resembles the symbolism of a firework) our theme this year was based on the movie Home Alone for our competition season which means we included certain gimmicks and allusions to the movie with different dialogues and scenes into our set. After sending an audition video to a few competitions we got into three and attended two of them this year! One of our competitions was in Tampa Florida and the next one was at the University of Maryland in College Park! While we unfortunately did not take home any trophies this year, we had a whole lot of fun at our competitions where we met teams from all around the country and we sure will take home trophies in the years to come! 

Sara H: Reasons Why I Think Everyone Should Study Abroad

1. You could meet some of your best friends 

I went into my study abroad program in London knowing only one person and I came out with a new set of best friends. Most study abroad programs are mixed with students from BU and other universities across the country so you can meet people you would have never met on campus or at other schools. 

2. You get to learn a new culture or maybe even a new language 

Since I studied abroad in London I did not need to learn a new language but I had friends who studied in non-English-speaking countries that got to learn a brand new language and expand their skills. I learned to know and appreciate a whole new culture while being in the UK and traveling to Europe. The times people eat dinner are different, the food they eat, the way they work, and so many other things. The pub culture was brand new to me and was something I ended up loving while in London. One thing that was super crazy to me was that they don’t really drink iced coffee there, and coming from the US where we love iced coffee and I am a huge Dunkin’ fan, not having iced coffee was a shock for me. 

3. You get to travel a lot and for cheap 

Skyscanner will be your best friend for good and cheap flights. The beauty of being in the UK or Europe is that you can get flights to so many cities for a good price. I will warn you that traveling can get very tiring and you shouldn’t feel pressured to travel every weekend or very often. Some of the places I traveled to were: Dublin, Edinburgh, Paris, Brighton (in the UK), Malaga, and Madrid. 

4. COM gives amazing opportunities and has many specialized study-abroad programs

As an advertising major, I had a few options for study abroad programs that had major-specific classes available. The London Internship Program provided me with the opportunity to take classes and have an internship in another country. It was really easy for me to find classes that fit into my schedule and that I needed for HUB credits so that I was not behind in credits or classes needed for my major. I also had the opportunity to network and make great connections through my internship and I got to learn a lot about the difference in work culture and the type of work in the advertising industry. 

Donna C: Where to go in Boston?

Hello terriers!

As winter ends and we are approaching nicer weather here in Boston, here are my top recommendations of places to check out!

  1. Boston Public Gardens– the gardens is a beautiful place to go to with the ducks swimming in the pond and the flowers blooming. My favorite thing to do there is to go on the swan boat rides because you are able to see the whole garden and it's a classic tourist attraction! It costs $4.50 for a twelve to fifteen minute ride and it reopens April 15. But, the garden is also good to go to just with friends to relax or have a picnic at and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
  2. Newbury Street– this has a variety of places to shop and eat! My favorite place to go here is Trident Book Store, where you can have a meal and also look around and buy one of the books there. For shopping, it has a variety of stores, from Urban Outfitters, to TJ Maxx, to Zara. It is also home to the first Newbury Comics, where you can buy records and shirts of your favorite artist and band! You can take the T to Hynes Convention Center or to Copley.
  3. North End– if you’re looking for a place to have Italian food, take a trip to Government Center and walk around the North End. Most restaurants don’t take reservations in advance, but it’s easy to find a place that has open seats available. Also in the North End is the iconic Bova’s Bakery. The long line may be daunting, but it moves fast and the pastries that it offers are worth the wait.

Take advantage of the warm weather that is coming and explore Boston as much as possible before the end of the semester!

Mia C: My PRoBono Experience

In the Fall of 2022, I had the opportunity to partake in PRoBono, a hack-a-thon style communication charity event hosted by Boston University’s PRLab, a student-staffed public relations agency. Students volunteer to stay overnight at the College of Communication to work on creating, developing, and designing deliverables for non-profit organizations. The annual event was held on November 4, 2022 from 6pm-10am and featured five different Boston local charities. 

Students are assigned to teams of approximately eleven students and then given a client to work with. The groups are also overseen by two to three students, from PRLab and the PRoBono leadership team, who serve as account executives. My team was given the Dress For Success Boston Nonprofit as a client. Dress for Success is a worldwide organization whose purpose is to help give women the tools they need to become financially independent and break the cycle of poverty. They primarily provide professional attire and interview preparation to those in need. 

At the beginning of the night after the opening ceremony, we were able to meet with our client to discuss what they were looking to get out of this experience. Dress for Success wanted to primarily focus on their social media strategy and media relations coverage to increase their nonprofit awareness to reach women who may need their services. The client was also interested in developing a newsletter for their investors in order to thank and maintain a positive relationship with their donors. Each organization and PRoBono experience is unique depending on your client and their needs. The other non-profit organizations featured at the event were Boston Cares, Food for Free Boston, Minds Matter Boston, and the Science Club for Girls.

While we worked, the 16-hour day was packed to the brim with guest speakers, prizes, and activities at every hour to keep us alert and awake. The event also provided participants with plenty of delicious food such as banh mi sandwiches, pizza, and ice cream for dinner and then catering Canes fries and chicken tenders as a midnight snack.

In between the events at the start of every hour, our team was further divided into subcommittees to work on the different deliverables we were going to present to the client. Then the next morning at 8:00 AM we met with “coaches” or working professionals in the communications industry who gave us constructive feedback on our presentations before we presented to the client at 9:00 AM.

Overall, PRoBono was an incredibly rewarding but exhausting experience. Seeing the reaction of our outwardly grateful and appreciative reaction of our client during the presentation made the entire experience worthwhile. Knowing in such a short amount of time that my team truly helped make a difference in this organization that does so much for others, is what PRoBono truly is about. I am incredibly thankful for my PRoBono experience and I cannot wait to do it again in the fall.

Jonathan M: My Three(Unconventional) Boston Must Haves

Hey there Terriers!

As a Boston native, I know firsthand the essentials you need to survive as a student in this city. From the unpredictable weather to the surprising(but necessary!) abundance of Dunkin' Donuts locations, a few items are crucial for any Boston-based student. Here are some of my favorites that you might nice always think of:

1. Sports Gear and some Sports Pride- Boston is a sports town, and as a college student here, you'll want to represent these teams. Not only is it an easy way to make friends, but having good sports teams in the city helps us forget about the harsh winter weather. When the Red Sox won the World Series in 2018, the entire city felt wrapped up in a warm blanket…until it snowed the following week. So, make sure you have some sports gear to show off your Boston pride, and who knows, your team will win a championship while you're here. (Go BU, by the way!!)

2. A Nice Pen - I love pens; while it may seem old-fashioned, having a nice pen can make all the difference when taking notes or signing important documents(or drawing stick figures during class).  Plus, you'll never have to ask to borrow a pen in class again. Just make sure to keep it in a secure place, or else you'll end up like me, searching for your favorite pen in your backpack's bottomless pit.

3. A Sense of Humor - Boston is known for its sarcastic and dry humor, and as a college student here, you'll need to have a good sense of humor to survive. From the T delays to the crowded streets, there will be plenty of moments where you'll need to laugh it off. So, don't forget to pack your sense of humor in your backpack along with your textbooks.

If you're a college student in Boston, have some sports gear to show off your Boston pride, a nice pen, and a good sense of humor to survive the city. And always remember, as a Bostonian, it's always "wicked awesome" to be prepared.

Toby P: The Hidden Magic of Overloading

So, you’re signing up for classes. You’ve got all four mapped out, some for your major, maybe a language, a hub class, maybe you even have one for your minor. You’re all set and ready to go, but then you remember that, as a sophomore and above, you’re allowed to take up to 20 credits per semester. A lot of people wouldn’t give it any second thought and would go ahead with the standard four classes, but I’m here to tell you that there’s hidden magic in overloading.

Of course, you can graduate early if you overload, but I’m not here to talk about that. Instead, I’m here to talk about how taking a class outside of the HUB and the required coursework for your degree can actually help you understand the classes you already have to take even better. Let me explain.

This semester, I’m taking a slew of classes, one of which being the beloved FT 310, or Storytelling for Film. It’s a great class, and I’m learning a ton about how to tell an effective story and how to translate that into an effective script. At the same time, I’m taking a class in Wheelock, known as DE 351, or Deaf Literature and Visual Arts. As someone who is hard of hearing, I knew I would be interested in a Deaf Studies class, but I didn’t expect Deaf Literature and Storytelling for Film to mix so beautifully. If you’ve ever seen Ratatouille, you know the scene where Remy eats a strawberry and a piece of cheese at the same time, savoring how they blend into perfect harmony and complement each other in all the right ways. That’s what’s going on in my brain in FT 310 and DE 351.

On Mondays, I’ll walk into the Data Science building (lucky me!) and learn about the beholder’s share, or how an audience has lots of control over what the world of a book is like, but little control over what the world of an ASL poem is. The next evening, I’ll sit down in CAS and learn about how screenwriters can force a film’s audience to suspend their disbelief by providing a reason why some insane solution is the only one that could possibly work. Together, these individual lessons have combined in my mind, showing me how much power I have as a screenwriter to tell the audience what to believe, but also how I can back off and let the audience fill in the gaps.

Maybe you aren’t interested in Deaf Studies, and that’s completely fine! My goal in this short blog post is to encourage you to take another look at the course search before you register for classes. You never know, you might find that taking psychology classes could help you develop better advertising strategies, or that learning about anthropology will help you write better profiles for your journalism classes. It just requires believing in the magic of overloading.

Chloe P: Major Clubs at COM

Blog

No matter what, coming to college leads to adjustment, anxiety and excitement! One of the things I was most excited for when coming to BU was all the different extracurricular opportunities that BU has to offer, but specifically, all that COM has. Here, I’ll try to share all the varying activities you can join in COM. While there is some overlap, each department has numerous options to practice what you’re learning while connecting with others interested in the same things. Personally, I’ve made some of my best friends through my extracurriculars!

Mass Communication (Advertising, Public Relations, Media Science)

The most prominent Mass Communcation clubs are AdLab and PRLab. While these are technically classes that you can take as you advance through your degree, they are each great opportunities to work in an agency setting while in undergrad. Before AdLab, AdClub is a great option for young professionals to learn so much about what it’s like to be part of an agency. Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) helps PR students gain important knowledge and experience for a successful career in PR.

Journalism

One of the most prominent clubs for journalists is The Daily Free Press, BU’s independent student-run newspaper. There is something for everyone on the FreeP, whether it’s news, feature or lifestyle writing, writing an opinion column, covering a sports team, photography, or working on social media.

Another major publication at BU is the Boston University News Service (BUNS). This publication promotes student work and is run through submissions, meaning content you produce for class has the chance to be published through BUNS.

WTBU is Boston University’s student radio station. A fully operational radio station that broadcasts live music, news, and sports for 20 hours a day, WTBU is a great organization to dip your toes into radio with.

There are numerous other publications that focus on a more niche audience. These include Strike Magazine, which cultivates creative communities across numerous college campuses; BU Buzz, an editorial lifestyle magazine; The Bunion, a multimedia satirical publication; and Off the Cuff, another fashion, arts, and culture magazine.

Film and Television

The most prominent club for FTV students is butv10, a student produced and managed content distribution network. The network has everything ranging from news to sports to dramas to comedy to even game shows! Another film club is The Redlist, which specializes in short films. The Film Society, which is, self-proclaimed, “as much a social club as it is a movie club.”

Miscellaneous

There are two groups that COM also has that don’t necessarily fit into a specific department. One of them is the College of Communication Student Government, which serves as a liaison for students, faculty, administration, and alumni.

The final group is COM Ambassadors, which provides tours to prospective students and mentor first-year and transfer students during their first year!