Three professors are assisting students in starting a new club to show how the field of public relations is different than how HBO's Sex and the City portrays it.
The public relations club delves into the crux of the career, emphasizing how the job encompasses a lot more than is depicted on television.
"We want to dispel the myth about public relations, that it's just writing press releases, throwing parties and entertaining celebrities like in Sex and the City," said Alaina G. Levine, club advisor and director of special programs in the College of Science.
With the final stages of becoming an official club on the horizon, club members will be provided opportunities for internship experience, networking, workshops and guest speakers, said D.J. Rodriguez, a journalism sophomore and club member.
The club originated when some professors noticed few opportunities existed on campus for students interested in public relations and created a public relations career listserv to let students know about events within PR communities on and off campus, Levine said.
Within a month the listserv received 200 subscribers, said Levine, president of the Southern Arizona chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
Levine said that after receiving such positive feedback, she and two other professors, Kenci Lewis, a lecturer and advisor in communications, and Sandra Hallenbeck, assistant director in UA advancement, suggested the students start a club.
"The response from the listserv showed that there is a market and demand for PR students, and this club will be valuable in serving that market," Levine said.
Shortly after, a planning meeting was held to recruit volunteers and to provide basic information such as how to start a club and how to develop a mission statement, Levine said.
"The club is a partnership between PRSA and UA with the PR club being the conduit for educational purposes," Levine said.
An executive board and committee groups have been formed; however, before the group is recognized as an official club, they must be approved by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, said Kendra Sagar, club treasurer.
Sagar, a communications senior, said the club has started the process and is busy filling out ASUA paperwork and developing a constitution.
Since the initial meeting, everything has gone as planned and the advisors and students are "anxious to get everything going," Rodriguez said.
Melissa Rueger, club president, said that regardless whether the club becomes official or not, their "goal is to be a hands-on club where we can learn PR skills and network with the professional community."
By having workshops with guest speakers from different PR fields, Rueger said club members will establish networking connections and will also see how public relations is different for each profession.
"We want to bring a broad range of professionals from all careers, including music, medical, media, science and automotive, to share their different experiences," and discuss how public relations is connected, Sagar said.
Since many students are not completely positive about what profession they want after graduation, Levine said the club will help them understand what PR is and if it is the right career choice.
Since there is only one PR class offered at the UA, solely for communication majors, Rodriguez and Levine said the club will be valuable for students in other majors such as journalism, marketing and political science.
Rodriguez said the club is a substitute for students interested in joining the Public Relations Student Society of America. A UA chapter of the PRSSA is unavailable because the group requires that a university must offer at least five PR classes.
"Our club will serve as an alternative to PRSSA, since we don't have enough PR classes at the U of A," Rueger said.