Issue #9: November 2009 In this issue:
That phrase swirled around my thoughts as Senator Wallin spoke movingly about her recent trip to Afghanistan to visit the Canadian troops, their commitment to the mission and the ethical aspects of Canada’s planned withdrawal from the region. It was clear from her emotional stories that our Canadian troops have been instrumental in providing an environment where many Afghani people have regained a sense of self-worth that far exceeds the net worth of the schools and jobs they’ve helped create. As the festive season begins, we have much to ponder and be grateful for as Canadians. Dr. Gilbert Wilkes takes over Ralph Klein Chair in Media Studies
The Robertson/Wood Public Relations Scholarship
Mount Royal University’s first graduating class
Taking Mount Royal Across the Atlantic By PR Alumna: Chad Cummins
Living the Dream – PR for the Stars By PR Alumnus: Natalie Harper
New events are being added this year. On November 12th, a mentorship gathering was held in the Liberty Lounge at Mount Royal. Alumni, senior students and junior students attended from public relations, broadcasting and journalism. Thanks so much to Paul Hagel and Craig Ware who met with their student partners and then stayed to chat with many other public relations students anxious to ask questions and chat about working in the field. The Job Seekers Network began a number of years ago when Jim Wood, instructor, started spreading the word about openings in the field of public relations. It quickly grew and became an important avenue for businesses to find practitioners with the best training available. Where else but at Mount Royal! This network is now the responsibility of Elizabeth Lennox who accepts postings by e-mail and sends them out every Friday to over 200 alumni on the network. Send your postings to elennox@mtroyal.ca. Interested applicants will contact you directly. Alumni Snapshot – Where are they now? Jennifer Lo Lori Coté (formerly Grant) Graduation Year – 1996 Organization and job title - Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Regional Director - Canada's Western Mountain Region Location - Banff, Alberta Contact info: lori.cote@fairmont.com Anything else of interest - marriage, children, new degrees, published works
The Notice Board section was added to offer alumni an opportunity to post events, promote your business (on a one time basis only) or invite alumni to check out something of interest to all. If you would like to post something in this section of the newsletter, please send in your piece by early March 2010 for the next edition of the newsletter. It will be reviewed and you will be advised if it’s acceptable for our audience. There will be a limit to the number of items posted. Send to elennox@mtroyal.ca Remember to let us know when you move or change jobs so we can keep in touch and let you know about all the great things that are happening in our program. The Public Relations Alumni E-Newsletter is produced once each semester and sent electronically to graduates of the Public Relations Program at Mount Royal. The next issue is due in March 2010. If you have a story to tell, send it to elennox@mtroyal.ca. Photos are encouraged. |
While on my way to a recent luncheon presentation with Senator Pamela Wallin at the University of Calgary, I caught the very end of a radio talk show conversation on the role of ethics in recent investment scandals. The closing remark was ‘In the final analysis your net worth does not equal your self worth’- a phrase attributed to the authors of the classic Your Money or Your Life.
Dr. Gilbert Vanburen Wilkes IV, the new Ralph Klein Chair in Media Studies at Mount Royal University, was honored in a ceremony at Mount Royal on October 19th. Dr. Wilkes is a professor at Royal Roads University in Victoria where he teaches in the Faculty of Communication and Culture. His area of interest is the impact of social media on modern culture.
The annual Faculty of Communication Studies Scholarship event was held on November 17th in the Ross Glen Hall. This year, the first Robertson/Wood Public Relations Scholarship was presented to a very worthy recipient, Ben Silcox. Janice Robertson was there to present the award to Ben, a senior student completing his final year in the program. Ben received several awards at the ceremony. 
Forty Five public relations graduates crossed the stage on November 6th celebrating as the first Mount Royal University graduates. As Mount Royal has grown, two ceremonies are required to accommodate all of the students completing their studies at the university. Most of the public relations students cross the stage in November after completing their final workterm in August. Keep your eyes open for these new graduates as they enter the public relations community in Calgary and beyond. I’m sure they will appreciate knowing you are there to support them as they begin their new life as PR professionals.
You live, you learn. That phrase is much more than just a simple mantra, or lyrics to an Alanis Morisette song. It is a profound truth that helps to explain how people acquire knowledge from the experiences that life presents them. In that sense I have been very fortunate to have lived a lot in my 23 years, learning many things from people, places, successes and failures. Recently, thanks to Mount Royal University’s study abroad program and the confidence of the teachers and coordinators there, I was granted a life changing opportunity to represent Mount Royal overseas and attend school in Nice, France for the fall semester. 
Since I was about 10-years-old, I used to watch all the flashy awards shows on TV and loved seeing the celebs walk the red carpet. I had dreams of being on that red carpet, which was riddled with reporters screaming at the stars as they’d walk by. But, at no point in time did I ever want to be the one in the spotlight. Instead, I dreamed of helping to shine a spotlight on the celeb, and be the person taking him or her from interview to interview while carefully keeping my face out of view of the cameras.
The Faculty of Communication Studies Mentorship Program continues to grow and flourish. This year, with the inclusion of alumni and students in journalism and broadcasting, the number of participants has grown to 94. In January, the program will be expanded once again to include Information Design students and alumni. That will complete the scope of participants in the program.
Elizabeth Lennox