ex(PR)essed

Now that a few days (and more importantly, a few nights of sleep) have passed, I feel a bit more equipped to talk about The Compassion Forum, and the incredible opportunities that have plastered a nearly permanent smile on this PR girl’s face. New York Times. Wall Street Journal. Washington Post. All talked about The Compassion Forum and Messiah College on Monday. What a thrill! And, when the cashier at Barnes & Noble asked me in a somewhat puzzled tone whether I could actually read all those newspapers in one sitting, I simply grinned and told her that I worked for Messiah College. She didn’t ask any more questions.

Interestingly, for me, the biggest media thrill of the week didn’t come from one of the big national newspapers that every college PR staff covets coverage from. It came from our local Harrisburg Patriot-News who said things like “President Kim Phipps and the entire Messiah College community proved they were more than up to the challenge;” “the program went off without a hitch;” “Faith in Public Life…had sought out Messiah College for the nationally televised forum. It would have had a difficult time finding a better choice;” “Dr. Phipps…is to be credited for leading the college to new heights in almost every aspect of academics and campus life.” Wow. What an awesome endorsement from a newspaper that we truly enjoy working with and respect greatly.

Many days, planning for The Compassion Forum was all-consuming. It was frustrating and exhilarating. Exhausting and invigorating. Unlike anything I have ever experienced. There were times when I questioned whether I had the physical, mental, or emotional strength to trudge on towards the goal, and, it was at those moments that the grace of God was clearly evident in the smiles and encouragement of this great Messiah College team.

Now, looking back, I wouldn’t trade one single stressful moment that got us to this point. The reward of seeing Messiah College and the faith community take the national stage for such a momentous and important event is unmatched.

And, now it’s back to life, back to reality. (80s song…anyone? maybe it was a 90s song. Hmmm…) I still have plenty to do at work, including Compassion Forum follow-up stuff. Home? Well, things are in a state of neglect, and I must spend some time this weekend cleaning. I might even contemplate making dinner…from scratch! I also hope to do some “War and Peace” reading. The book didn’t get totally neglected during Compassion Forum planning; last night I started section eight and passed into the 500s.