PRSSA
chapter gets good ink of its own
By Chantel Crockett
A UNO student group shares a common thread of community support
with several local and national non-profit organizations, including the Omaha
Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity. UNO's chapter of the Public Relations
Student Society of America has woven this support into an example of nationally
recognized community service excellence.
Honored for its achievements at the 2006 PRSSA National Conference
in Salt Lake City in November, UNO's PRSSA chapter continues to build a
national reputation for its public relations planning while evolving into one
of UNO's most active and 
successful student groups.
"It's a very proactive chapter," says Lindsay Cosimano, president
of the Nebraska chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, PRSSA's
parent organization. "For events, we always have many volunteers from the
chapter come out to help. It provides good PR for Nebraska and the chapter . .
. it's very visible in the community."
UNO's PRSSA chapter brought back to campus three national
conference awards, including first place in the National Organ Donor Awareness
Competition (NODAC) for its "License to Give: We Card" campaign. The chapter
promoted organ donor awareness on campus through special events encouraging
student donations. That included a "Spring into Awareness Barbecue" and a
presentation by Brian Holcomb, a 23-year-old liver transplant recipient and
Utah president of Donor Dudes.
"After our campaign was all said and done, we released nearly 100
green balloons — a symbol of our efforts to 'raise' awareness for organ
donation," says Sally Gutschow, NODAC media relations director and former PRSSA
publications director. "Watching the balloons go and realizing what a great job
my team had done was really priceless. I never would have had that opportunity
without the help of Karen [Weber] and PRSSA."
Weber, faculty adviser for UNO's PRSSA chapter, has been
instrumental in encouraging the group's success during her eight years as
adviser. Weber says she is proud of PRSSA's accomplishments and national
presence, especially considering the chapter's relatively smaller size with
about 40 members. The chapter also earned the first-place National F.H. Teahan
award for community and university service, and the third-place PRSSA National
Ethics Advocacy award for development of crisis communication plans.
"I'm most proud of the process," Weber says. "As faculty adviser,
I get to see the process unfold. From the first seeds of brainstorming to the
end of the campaign, I see how hard the students work. I see how they're
equipping themselves with experience you can't get in a classroom."
Chapter members have raised funds for non-profit organizations
through special events on campus and in the community. Weber says this
involvement is invaluable because students can take their portfolios to
interviews for more tangible hiring. Gutschow experienced this when applying
for a recent internship.
"The first interview was mostly all talk about my involvement in
the campaign," Gutschow says. "They were so impressed that I already had real
experience writing and sending press releases, putting together and delivering
media kits, and being in front of a TV camera."
Weber says hands-on practical experience through PRSSA extends not
only to media relations but also to fundraising and event planning. PRSSA
raised more than $1,600 for The Omaha Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity
through special events last year, including the Kids 'N' Cans Carnival and the
"Raise the Roof" roof-decorating contest and forum.
"The School of Communication is extremely proud of Karen and PRSSA
for the role they play in elevating the quality of academic experiences for UNO
students," says Dr. Jeremy Lipschultz, director of the School of Communication.
"PRSSA's numerous awards, their dominance over all other Nebraska campuses in
state competition, and their important service to the community are truly
appreciated."
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2007 CFAM Outstanding Undergraduate Student Awards
The following students will be honored at the CFAM Outstanding
Student Honors reception Friday, April 6, and at the 2007 UNO Honors
Convocation Friday, April 13.
Sarah Brogren, art education, will graduate in December with a BA in studio art
and K-12 certification. After graduation she plans to pursue a graduate degree
in fine art or art education. Her hometown is Norfolk, Neb.
Sally Gutschow, journalism, will graduate in August with BS. She would like to
continue working for Envoy Inc., where she currently interns in public
relations. Gutschow's hometown is South Sioux City, Neb.
John Herzinger, art history, will graduate with a BA in art history. He plans to
go to graduate school in pursuit of a master's/doctorate in art history or
museum studies. His hometown is Omaha.
Fran Higgins, Writer's Workshop, graduated in December 2006 with her BFA in
creative writing. She plans to complete work on and publish her memoir and
pursue either the advanced writing certificate program in English or the
Writer's Workshop MFA program at UNO. Her hometown is Bellevue.
Todd Reischl, speech communication, will graduate with a BS in August. After
graduation he plans to pursue a graduate degree in communication at UNO.
Reischl's hometown is Fort Calhoun, Neb.
Anna Speed, music performance, will graduate in May with a BM. After
graduation she plans to attend graduate school. Her hometown is Grand Island,
Neb.
Maria Vacha, theatre, will graduate in August with a BA in theatre. Future
plans include her upcoming marriage this summer and graduate school at UNO in
pursuit of her master of arts in theatre. Vacha's hometown is Omaha.
Bart Vargas, studio art, will graduate with a BFA in May. In the near future
he plans to attend graduate school in pursuit of an MFA and to work as an
artist and art educator. His hometown is Bellevue, Neb.
Laura Wapelhorst, broadcasting, will graduate with a BS in the 2007-2008 school
year. After graduation she plans to become a television news reporter and,
eventually, a news anchor. Wapelhorst's hometown is Scribner, Neb.
Alex Wimmer, music education, will graduate in May with a BM and K-12
certification. After graduation he hopes to become a teacher and band director
in the Omaha area and, in the future, earn a master of music in conducting,
then a Ph.D. Wimmer's hometown is Gretna, Neb.
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