More Than We Thought or Imagined

In the 1996 book, "It Takes a Village" written by former first lady Hilary Clinton, she communicated the importance of working together for a common good. The premise is for people from all different occupations coming together to uplift people to achieve things they might not think are possible.

The Bible also communicates this sentiment. My mind goes to Ephesians 3:20, where it reads, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."

The words of the Apostle Paul rang through my heart and mind last night at the Dayton Club during the Public Relations Society of America's (PRSA) PRism Awards ceremony. So did the title of Mrs. Clinton's book.

Cedarville University is blessed with exceptional faculty, strong leaders, and individuals who know how to get the job done--well. This truth was on display during the Public Relations Society of America's PRism Award Ceremony, where Dayton’s PRSA recognized the best PR leaders for their work in 2018.

In 2017, after attending the international public relations conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, the idea of creating a campus newsroom stirred in my mind. I had just heard a presentation from Katie Neal, Assistant Vice President of News and Communications at Wake Forest University, about a newsroom her school created.

Should Cedarville University follow down the same path?

We did, and last night at the Dayton's PRSA, Cedarville University was presented with a PRism award for its newsroom.

However, that was just the beginning of the excitement.

In the final award of the evening, emcee Grace Jones from Dayton Children's Hospital said, "We saved the best for last." What was she referring?

Traditionally, all of the PRism awards from the nine categories are reviewed, and the entry with the highest score is proclaimed to be the "Best of Show" winner. This honor is presented to the entry that matched the guidelines required for successful PR work, which is based on research, planning, implementation, and evaluation.

This honor went to Cedarville University for its successful newsroom. Jones said, according to the judges from Albany, New York, Cedarville's entry scored a 98 out of 100 points, making it one of the all-time highest PRism scores.

What a great accomplishment, but it just didn't happen on its own. It took a village to accomplish more than we ever thought or imagined.

In 2017, after gaining the support from Dr. Janice Supplee, vice president of marketing and communications, and Dr. Thomas White, president of the university, the marketing and communications division began planning for our newsroom. We located space for the facility, which was graciously donated by Lynn Brock and Centennial Library. Shawn Rifner took the "Wake Forest University plan" and modified it to work for our needs.

We then shared this vision with key academic department leaders, which proved beneficial. Dr. Mark Caleb Smith from History and Government, Dr. Marc Sweeney from the School of Pharmacy, and Dr. Jeff Haymond from the School of Business Administration, caught the vision, and contributed some of their budget to fund this project.

The marketing side of the MarComm Division, led by Chad Jackson, worked on room design, and several people from Dayton's TV industry provided complimentary consulting. The consulting allowed us to assure that we had quality sound, lighting, and other technical issues. It would be TV-ready once we went live in September 2017.

During the first 20 months in operation, the Cedarville newsroom has conducted 366 live or recorded television media interviews. The facility has also produced more than 100 academic videos, a monthly radio program, and a video blog.

The newsroom has exceeded the expectations of those who first dreamed of the facility on campus. It has been a huge success for Dayton’s media, as well as for media in markets like Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. It’s also been used by a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for media interviews with Fox News, Fox Business News, and CNN.

Moreover, last night's PRism awards is proof that it truly does take a village, and with God, all things are possible. So much so that he often blesses those who love Him more than we can possibly think or imagine.