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.

I want to write about The Compassion Forum, about the craziness that has been my life the past few days, but I don’t know how to begin to adequately capture the mix of relief, sadness, weariness, overwhelming joy, and fondness of this place called Messiah College that I feel right now. A stream of consciousness is the best this tired mind and body can do for now — more cohesive thoughts are sure to follow after I’ve had some time to sleep and ponder what an incredible opportunity The Compassion Forum really was for me.

I work with the best team of people ever. It’s a privilege.

The heels of my feet are literally bruised.

I have had a total of about six hours of sleep in the past two days. I spent more time at Messiah College than at home for the last four days.

I will never get tired of seeing Messiah College on television in relation to The Compassion Forum.

The PR geek in me loved meeting reporters from the NY Times, NPR, CNN radio (they interviewed me!), and all the local writers that I correspond with over e-mail but have never met face-to-face before.

Hillary looks lovely in yellow.

I did three television interviews in two days and still haven’t seen any of the footage. But, when a senior vice president from CNN tells you that she saw you on television and thought you did a nice job, that’s good, right?!

The CNN bus is a nice addition to Messiah’s campus.

Check out the photos.

And, we have an event! Obama is confirmed for The Compassion Forum so it’s full speed ahead! The subject line of this post, “here we go,” has been the subject of several e-mails both received and sent today. We’re excited, working hard, and, well to be honest, ready for the weekend!

So, I’ve been on a bit of a blogging sabbatical, and not by my own choosing! Every day, since my last post on March 6, I have wanted to write and share any number of random thoughts with you. Time has not allowed, for reasons I’m about to divulge, so now you must withstand the deluge!

First, and this is big so you better sit down, it’s looking like Messiah is going to host all three presidential candidates for a Faith in Public Life-sponsored event called The Compassion Forum. It’s an exciting opportunity for the College and for me professionally. This event, which will bring not only the candidates and their entourages, but more than 500 journalists, will keep me quite busy for the next month or so. Worry not though, I’m up for the challenge! Bring on the caffeine!

Secondly, many of you have admitted that you’ve lost sleep over the unfinished business of the four pounds of bubblegum. Well, worry no further. Check it out:

The youth were very creative with their gum sculptures, don’t you agree? Jeff and I have been planning games and lessons for Wednesday nights the past few weeks while our fearless leader recovers from knee surgery. We’ve had fun, but I think we’re both ready to be relieved of our responsibilities for awhile.

Third, some of you will be intrigued to know that my dear husband has started a blog! His entries will focus mostly on his training and running schedule, but you’ll find that he has a quirky sense of humor that pervades some of his entries. Check him out at another mile.

The fourth thing you should know is that I’m zipping right through “War and Peace” these days. Because my mind is spinning with so many work-related details, the greatest novel of all time is my way of shutting down thoughts of candidates, tickets, branding, and broadband for happier thoughts of…well, you know: war and peace. Jeff is falling further behind; at last night’s count he was more than 70 pages behind me.

Finally, I have a confession to make. I have a new favorite television show. And, it’s on Fox. It will only be my favorite show until “Deadliest Catch” comes back with a new season in late April. But, for now, I’m getting my jollies watching “Don’t Forget the Lyrics.” It’s a shame I can’t carry a tune because I think I might kick some tush on that show!

It’s good to be back in touch with you, whoever you are. Peace out.

I can honestly say that we made the most of our Messiah College connections this weekend! On Friday night we went to Gettysburg with our good friends Matt and Anita to enjoy a fine dinner at the Dobbin House Tavern, in support of a fund-raising effort by the College’s department of family science. The dinner and worthy cause made for a nice double date!

(You’re not tired of seeing pictures of these cute girls are you?)

On Saturday, Jeff and I had the privilege (and I mean that!) of spending a few hours with Natalie and Emma. We picked them up at 11 a.m. and headed to “Old McDonald’s” (as coined by cute Natalie) for lunch. Then, we went to the Oakes Museum on campus. Emma, especially, loved the museum and all the animals. (”Don’t pet them,” she kept reminding me.) She just bounced around, pointing and exclaiming each time she saw something that delighted her. Jeff and I were smitten (as usual) and took such delight in her joy! Then, to cap our afternoon of fun, we took the girls to Larsen Student Union for cookies and chocolate milk. Natalie fell asleep on the way home, and Emma continued to enlighten us with stories about Shrek’s donkey. A think it’s safe to say that a grand time was had by all!

Yesterday, Jeff and I saw the closing performance of “Godspell” at Messiah. It was unbelievably good! Theatre at Messiah continues to impress the socks of me — they have to be the best around! They truly do outstanding work in area well-saturated with theatre options.

And, not to worry — my weekend included plenty of time for reading “War and Peace.” I have surged ahead to page 250!

…and you are so grateful that it just doesn’t matter.

In the PR world, you are bound to have “those days” that throw you a curve ball and leave you running all day. Today is such a day for this PR girl. You see, last night, a group from Messiah — 24 students and two faculty members — were returning from their three-week cross-cultural trip to the French West Indies when their airplane encountered difficulty. When I say difficulty, I mean smoke in the cockpit, a cracked windshield, and the distrinct smell of burning plastic…things that are not comforting when you’re 10,000+ feet in the air and 90 minutes from land. The flight attendants prepared the travelers for an evacuation and a water landing while they waited to see whether the plane could make it to West Palm Beach for an emergency landing.

Thankfully, the plane did make it to WPB and only a few members of the flight crew experienced minor injuries. At Messiah, we are absolutely celebrating the safety of our students; God was clearly with them. And, we hear that our students were an incredible, calming influence on the other passengers.

So, all this excitement definitely makes for news, and we are managing a fair amount of media attention today. I am happily coordinating as many interviews as I can, and this work has kept me from having lunch today (unless you count Cream of Wheat at 11:30 and peanut butter crackers at 2:30!). But, when I consider how drastically different the emergency landing could have gone, I am grateful for my vending machine lunch.

We’re only seven days into 2008, but it already feels like Christmas was eons ago. The routine of hurried mornings, work, housework, church activities, bed has washed over me in a way that is both comfortingly familar and annoyingly familar. I find that I am longing for more vacation while at the same time relaxing in the familarity of routine.

But, I must admit, if I have to be at work, I’m pretty glad that I spend my days at Messiah College. My colleagues and I already celebrating a huge media success on 2008 — Mike True, director of the Internship Center, is quoted in yesterday’s edition of “The New York Times.” This is huge! As the PR geek that you all know me to be, I spent a fair amount of time tracking down my own copy of the paper yesterday because I still get such a thrill when I see the College’s name in print. (Don’t even me get started about how ridiculous I think it is that Borders doesn’t carry the NY Times…)

In other good news, Yonette made delicious Starbucks coffee for us this morning. A good way to start the day! And, our office’s new promotional writer started today! Welcome, Laurie!

Every holiday season I look forward to watching “A Muppet Family Christmas.” Nothing puts me in the Christmas spirit like seeing the whole Muppets gang — including the crew from Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock — come together for Christmas caroling and general merriment. So, last night, after a day of partying with the gang from work and then partying with the youth group, Jeff and I settled in for our first “Muppet Family Christmas” viewing of the season. “First,” you say? Yep. Every Christmas requires multiple viewings of this classic for me.

Today is the last day of finals for the students, so I imagine the Christmas spirit is alive and well on campus as students pack up and prepare to head home for the holiday break. I know I’m looking forward to packing up and heading home for the holidays!

Let me tell you…it has been a banner week in the public relations office! First “Newsweek” and now, today, I receive word from the College’s very own, very talented Richard Hughes that one of his speeches was reprinted in “Vital Speeches of the Day.” In case you’re wondering, and I’m sure you are, this is a journal that features “the best thoughts of the best minds on national issues.” Richard’s speech, “A Vision for Christian Leaders of the Future: Christianity Was Never Designed as a Tool for War,” certainly meets that qualification!

I am so thankful for colleagues that celebrate these PR successes with me. What a joy to share a round of high fives with people who care so much about Messiah College!

You’ve heard/read me say it before…I am a total PR nerd at times. I am thrilled when Messiah College gets positive publicity. I love seeing our name in print. (Seriously, seeing an op-ed by Richard Hughes in the “Philadelphia Inquirer” was a highlight of my professional career.)

Well, today has brought one of the most significant Messiah College placements during my tenure — Messiah made the December 3 issue of “Newsweek!” No less than three million people will be leisurely browsing through their issue of “Newsweek” when they come across a short article, “Know What’s in Your Genes,” that quotes our very own Raeann Hamon!

Getting ink in “Newsweek” was a team effort between the public relations office and our national media consultant, Dick Jones Communications. Many thanks to Raeann Hamon for taking a last minute interview with such poise — let the celebrating commence!