Donald Trump, who is considered to
be a master of New York real estate and is often referred to as simply “The Donald,” spoke to 16 University of Iowa members of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) this semester.
“Although I didn’t leave the room a bigger fan of ‘The Donald,’ I was glad to have the rare opportunity to see such an icon and master of PR,” said PRSSA President Alison Baker, a senior from Bettendorf, Iowa.
Trump, who spoke to the group about dealing with negative publicity and 
creating a favorable image, was one of many guests at the National PRSSA Conference held in New York City from Oct. 22–26.
UI students were also exposed to professionals in multiple public relations areas including agency, corporate, entertainment, sports and event planning during PRSSA’s annual PR Day on Oct. 6.
These speakers offered advice to students, as well as gave those interested an opportunity to network with professionals.
One of these professionals was Jim Thebeau, the senior Vice President and Director of Public Relations at Henry Russell Bruce in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Thebeau spoke with students about corporate PR and said that the most important thing to remember is the necessity of building a good relationship with the media.
“You shouldn’t be pitching to anyone if you don’t know what they do,” Thebeau said.
Alissa O’Connor, senior from Fort Dodge, Iowa, and the PR director for the organization, was pleased with the turnout for PR Day.
“I just wanted people to come and get a feel for how important PR is and what opportunities PR can provide for them,” O’Connor said in describing her goal for the event.
“I definitely think this was accomplished.”
Baker was also optimistic about the event.
“Hopefully, PR Day helped a few students narrow down just what they’d like to do when they graduate, or for an internship,” Baker said.
“I also hope they left wanting to join PRSSA or get more involved with our organization.”
Another way that students are able to get involved in PRSSA is through fundraising efforts.
An annual fall fundraising event took place at Diamond Dave’s on Oct. 12. This event was not only fun for those participating as servers, but UI students were able to enjoy a meal served by their peers.
While fundraising is an important skill for any aspiring public relations student to master, UI Associate Professor Ann Haugland, faculty advisor for the organization, believes that events like
the National Conference and PR Day
are strengths.
“I think the best thing about PRSSA is that it links the academic world and the professional world,” she said.
“I know many PRSSA members make connections that are very helpful when
they graduate.”
Brad Sowell, senior from Woodridge, Ill., and the communications liaison for the group, feels the same way.
“I would say the best part of my involvement would be my interaction with members,” he said.
“Every member has different experiences in the field, and other members can then learn from those experiences.”
While these specific experiences are guaranteed to change in the future, it is clear that PRSSA will continue to provide great opportunities for UI students.
