Chelsea Hoag, Campus Carrier Managing Editor
On Feb. 23, I went to Atlanta to the Viking Connections event with other Berry students to meet alumni who have succeeded in their fields. Earlier that day, I received an email from Rita Izaguirre, human resources director of one of the best public relation firms in the United States, Jackson Spalding.
I almost cried when I received the email asking to speak with me privately. I thought to myself, “Finally, all of my hard work is going to pay off.” Feeling confident, I tracked down Rita and she asked me why Jackson Spalding needed me. I told her I understand how to research target audiences’ wants and needs based off of cultural background both from a range of classes I’ve taken and a personal interest in human rights. Well, maybe not as concise, but I basically told her I want to help people through non-profit public relations work. Rita broke the news to me that Jackson Spalding might not be the best fit and recommended several places that she could help me get in contact.
While Rita spoke, all I could think about is how badly I just blew my chance to work at Jackson Spalding, which some might argue is the pinnacle of the public relations world. I soon promised myself to never mention anything about non-profits again if I ever wanted any real opportunity. I kept thinking about my screw up as the night went on.
Looking back, I don’t think Rita meant to make me upset or discourage me, but saw that my passion could be used more efficiently elsewhere.
In ethics class, my professor mentioned that if you knew more about what happened at the Oscar’s than the Ebola outbreak last fall, something is seriously wrong with you. I couldn’t agree more. I didn’t watch the 87th Academy Awards, but a post on Tumblr caught my eye highlighting all of the inspiring speeches given that night.
Director and producer of “Birdman,” Alejandro González Iñárritu, won Best Picture and dedicated the Oscar to Mexico’s reforming government. Patricia Arquette won Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Boyhood,” demanding income equality for women, leading to many cheers in the crowd.
John Legend and Common gave a powerful acceptance speech stating, “The struggle for freedom and justice is real. We live in the most incarcerated country in the world. There are more black men under correctional control today than were under slavery in 1850.” Their song, “Glory,” won Best Original Song for the movie “Selma.”
Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”) spoke about Alzheimer’s disease, Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory Of Everything”) explained the Oscar belongs to everyone struggling with ALS and the Hawking family, Graham Moore (“The Imitation Game”) told the world he’s a suicide survivor and encouraged young people to keep being weird and Laura Poitras (“CitizenFour”) complimented a journalist who exposed truth and thanked Edward Snowden for his whistleblowing.
Even in a tainted industry, there are people creating content to tell stories in order to give those less fortunate a voice. These people are all diverse in many aspects and publicly taking a stand for justice. Granted, more people watched the Oscar’s and the news is giving countless hours and space to its coverage instead of more pressing issues, but when I watched the speeches, it encouraged me and hopefully others to continue pressing onward.
For the first time in my job seeking process, I was presented with the choice to shape myself and skills to match a job position. In some aspects, I think that’s needed, but I’m glad to have experienced this early in the game.
But like the powerful speeches during the Academy Awards, every industry is jaded. It’s up to students like us, raised by the head, heart and the hands, to do what we’ve been taught and change the world we live in for the better.