Climate Change: 5 Simple Ways You Can Fight It

Let’s be honest with ourselves: climate change is real and happening. There is no denying it at this point. The latest reports on climate change and global warming are chilling. Some studies state that we only have till 2040 to stop the irreversible effects of climate change. That is only in 22 years. We are closer to the year 2040 than we are to the year 1995. Let that sink in for a moment.

You might be thinking, “I’m only one person, what can I do about this?” You might be surprised at the amount of waste one person like you and I produced yearly. I’m not asking you to adopt a completely vegan diet or stop using anything made of plastic. There are many little steps you can take to prevent climate change. Here are a few ways you can help the environment.

1. Turn off your lights. This is simple and easy to follow. Think of the number of times you leave your home with the lights on. How much energy could you have saved if you had turned off your desk lamp or unplugged the string lights above your bed? You can also switch to energy-efficient light bulbs. They are a great way to save some energy. Plus, it will lower your monthly electric bill!

2. Recycle. Recycle. Recycle. I cannot emphasize this enough. Most of us are college students living on or near campus. Almost every room at Temple University contains a recycling bin. Utilize it. Temple even hosts a free paper shredding event! The next one is held on Friday, October 26 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm on 12th street, right across the TECH Center Entrance. Help spread the word and take advantage of this!

3. Invest in wooden toothbrushes. Believe it or not, toothbrushes are one of the biggest waste products in our oceans right now. Buying wooden bamboo toothbrushes reduces waste significantly. Toothbrushes take a lot of time to decompose. Natural bamboo toothbrushes are a great investment. Plus, they are very aesthetically pleasing.

4. Reduce water waste. Think of how much water you waste when your brush your teeth. Try turning the faucet off when you brush your teeth. Or, try taking shorter showers. Using less water reduces carbon pollution, too.

5. Invest in reusable grocery bags. I bet all of us have taken a hike to Fresh Grocer at least once while being on Temple’s campus. Wouldn’t your trip be a lot easier if you had a grocery bag that didn’t rip all the time? Fresh Grocer and most grocery stores sell reusable grocery bags. They’re usually only a dollar or less. Think of all the plastic bags you can save in just one of your trips! Reusable grocery bags are eco-friendly and help reduce some much unnecessary plastic waste. Be sure to pick up a reusable bag on your next trip to Fresh Grocer!

These are just some of the simple ways you can help. Climate change is a serious and real issue. As good citizens let’s make sure we are taking care of our environment. There is no plan B. Earth is the only home we have. Let’s take care of it.

This blog post was written by Freya Christian, Treasurer

The Art of PR - National Conference Recap

Representatives from Temple's PRSSA attending the PRSSA National Conference in Austin.

This year’s PRSSA National Conference took place in Austin, TX from October 5-9. Temple’s Chapter of PRSSA sent nine representatives. Through the weekend, we had the opportunity to pick and choose from a dozen different sessions.

On Friday, the main event occurred in the evening and was a great way to meet and network with several different chapters around the country. PRSSA National consists of more than 300 chapters, and many were at the conference. The night was all about networking with all the other chapters.

Saturday's session started off with Katie Lowery as the Keynote speaker. Ms. Lowery leads the global public relations efforts for HomeAway. Lowery shared her public relations journey and talked about HomeAway receives global news coverage. I was very interested in Ms. Lowery’s session due to my interest in the international market. A key takeaway I got from Ms. Lowery was to discover your true colors and find your passion, it will help you succeed in your career.

The second session I attended on Saturday was by Temple Alumni, Jason Mollica. Mr. Mollica discussed the importance of branding yourself on social media. There are several different tools a person can utilize to analyze a brand and a personal social media account. These tools allow you to discover what is and is not effective. I have used these tools before for a company but I never considered using them for my own personal use. Mr. Mollica described the benefits of using social media tools to be better engaged with your followers.

On Sunday, several more sessions were open throughout the day. My favorite was attending the Officer Discussion Workshop held at the end of the day. I always enjoy attending sessions with other Chapter Leaders. I find it interesting to hear about what they do in their chapters. Each PRSSA chapter does things differently and it's interesting to hear about those differences. Speaking with these other Chapter Leaders gives me ideas I want to bring back and do with our chapter. These sessions are almost always too short and the conversations last longer than the session.

The highlight on Monday was the Capital Gala Dinner at night. This dinner was a conclusion to the amazing conference. It also served as a way to celebrate all the Chapter’s accomplishments. Our own chapter received the Star Chapter Award for the second year in a row! It is a great opportunity for our chapter to showcase our accomplishment and get recognized by PRSSA National.

PRSSA National Conference is a great conference put on each year by the National Conference Committee. PRSSA National does a great job in organizing and putting this conference together each year. Next year’s conference will be held in San Diego, CA, so if you're interested in attending start saving now! In the meantime get ready for our own Regional Conference to be held in March 2019!

This blog post was written by Chelsea Seidel, President

Speaker Recap - Jennifer Robinson

One of the things that makes PRSSA so unique is the myriad of guest speakers that come in and provide guidance and advice to its members. The October 9 meeting was a phenomenal example of just what great information guest speakers provide when Jennifer Robinson, CEO of Purposeful Networking and FemCity Philadelphia President, came to speak to us.

Robinson began the lecture with having all of us perform an icebreaker. She asked us to turn to the person next to us and ask about one new thing you did this year. After we all broke up into pairs, she asked for a few volunteers to share their answers with the rest of the audience.

From the icebreaker, Robinson segued right into her topic: networking. Her first, and arguably most important, point was to make it personal. It was very stressed how important it was to have open-ended questions like “what’s a new thing you did this year?” or “what was the last show you binge-watched?” to begin a conversation. These kinds of inquiries open people up and often have them remember you.

Robinson carried on with some really great tips for how to navigate a networking event. A very prevalent suggestion was not to monopolize people’s time. Everyone is there for the same purpose, and it is not very fair to completely take a person’s attention away from the rest of the guests.

Another one of Robinson’s great tips for networking events was that we should always introduce ourselves if we enter a group of three or more people. It is best not to interrupt a two-person conversation while at these events. Robinson shared that the best way to enter a group without feeling awkward is to just be confident -- introduce yourself and say that you want to join in on the conversation. On the other side, the best way to exit a group gracefully is to give a natural conversation closer; “It has been great talking to you” or “I’ll be sure to follow up” are both great examples on how to leave a conversation without making it awkward.

After those helpful tips, we learned about following up after networking. As mentioned before, Robinson stressed that you should try and make the follow up as personal as possible. Mention something that you talked about at the event, and they will be more likely to remember you. Always follow up as soon as possible unless there are circumstances that don’t allow you to. Following up sooner is better than later because you are more likely to remember conversations the sooner you do it.

As someone who has never been to a networking event before, all of Robinson’s advice was extremely helpful. I never considered a lot of what she had to say, especially how to enter and leave a conversation gracefully. Robinson was a phenomenal guest speaker and gave us all some fantastic advice on how to navigate a networking event with poise and dignity.

This blog post was written by Alison Hopkins, General Body Member