by Molly Chapple
The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) announced April 24 five University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) College of Journalism and Mass Communications (CoJMC) students received an honorable mention for their “Stack the Odds – Unite With Purpose to Conquer Childhood Cancer” campaign.
PRSSA awarded this national recognition as part of its annual Bateman Case Study Competition, which this year challenged college teams to develop a comprehensive PR campaign for With Purpose – a youth-led movement dedicated to making sure kids with cancer have better treatment options.
One of 84 collegiate teams, CoJMC ADPR seniors Azlin Armstrong (Des Moines, Iowa), Alexa Farewell (Chambers, Neb.), Nate Lemburg (Cairo, Neb.), Otis Seiler (Columbus, Neb.) and Megan Simonsen (Sutton, Neb.) designed their campaign to dispel the notion that childhood cancer is completely treatable and has sufficient research funding.
“Our campus research showed most students assumed childhood cancer advancements were already happening,”Lemburg said. “They were not aware that survival odds are not good for all types of childhood cancers. That’s what inspired Stack the Odds. We needed to address students’ misunderstanding and to clarify that their voices were needed to make a difference.”
The campaign focused on increasing understanding of the facts and awareness of the prevalence of childhood cancer in Nebraska, where per capita cases of the disease rank as the fifth highest in the country.
“We’re extremely proud of our students,” said CoJMC Lecturer Sheri Sallee. “The Bateman Competition is a lot like March Madness in basketball. The best of the best in collegiate PR participate. These social cause campaigns are another example of how the CoJMC contributes to UNL's mission of creative activity that has a close connection to the needs of Nebraska."
Sallee served as faculty adviser for the team, who participate in Bateman as part of a semester-and-a-half course (ADPR 439). Professor Phyllis Larsen who advises the CoJMC’s PRSSA chapter served as professional adviser for the competition.
PRSSA honored 20 campaigns with honorable mentions. The following schools were selected as finalists and will present their campaigns to a panel of PRSSA judges on May 15 in Charleston, South Carolina: California State University, Long Beach; Kent State University — KSU Gold; and Louisiana State University.
“While I had high expectations for the students and the campaigns, the creativity and quality of their work was astounding. The students put together thoughtful, well-evidenced and impactful messages that helped bring our mission to new audiences and communities across the country,” said With Purpose founder Erin Benson.
Each year, the Bateman Competition chooses a nonprofit client that allows college students to create a full public relations campaign that can have a positive impact on their community. Past campaigns have included topics such as mental health, student veterans and affordable housing. The CoJMC has earned numerous awards in its four years of Bateman participation. Last year’s team earned a third place finish and received top-16 national honors in 2015.
