Wilma has put an indefinite hold of the announcement of national awards for Ball State Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). Eighteen students and two professors traveled to Miami on Thursday to attend the national PRSSA conference despite the hurricane threat.
After traveling by bus and plane all day, they found out after their arrival that the conference had been canceled.
"We knew it wasn't a good sign when we were driving from the airport to the hotel and there were business owners boarding up windows," junior public relations major Jennifer Rice said.
The Ball State chapter of PRSSA and Cardinal Communications was nominated for four of nine national Teahan awards that were to be announced at the conference. While senior public relations major Cris Dorman said the conference was being rescheduled for March to coincide with the National PRSSA Assembly, he does not know when they will find out about the awards.
Rice said faculty advisor Robert Pritchard, journalism professor, immediately began making phone calls and got everyone out of Miami by Saturday morning. Ten people left Thursday, seven left Friday and the last three left Saturday.
"As soon as we found out, [Pritchard] was on the phone," Rice said. "Miami airport was a zoo, but luckily, not a ton of people were going to Indiana."
Dorman, Pritchard and journalism professor Melvin Sharp were the last group to leave Saturday morning.
"I know the winds on Friday night definitely were starting to blow, rain was coming down in sheets, but we made the most out of it," Dorman said.
He said he spent the time networking with other students left at the conference, most who were part of the national committee for PRSSA.
"If something like this were to happen, or even if I'm working on a project or working on an event, I would make sure everyone is OK and remember safety is always first," Dorman said.
Rice said she was hopeful the group who went down to Miami would receive their money for the hotel back. While the conference attendees will not be able to receive reimbursement, registration for the next PRSSA conference or the PRSSA membership fee could possibly be waived, Dorman said.
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