Less than two months ago, Waynesburg University’s PRSSA Chapter was awarded the Chapter of the Year award. This recognition not only gave them the distinction of having won the award for the chapter’s  sixth consecutive year but it also gave the chapter the opportunity to host its own District Conference.

The conference will be held virtually on Zoom Friday, March 25, through  Saturday, March 26.^. 

On Friday, the event will begin at 5 p.m. and will last for an hour with three sessions in that span. On Saturday, the event will begin at 10 a.m. and last about five hours  with four sessions in that span. 

The two-day event will cost $15 , and sign-ups can be made on the form found on the chapter’s website. 

The Chapter’s President Emma Herrle and Vice President Emma Hardacre were quick to emphasize the speakers that are involved with the event. According to Herrle and Hardacre, the event will have individuals representing the Presidents Athletic Conference, the Washington Wild Things, the Pittsburgh River hounds and the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

When deciding if the event would be in-person or virtual, Hardacre said they considered these high profile individuals and the challenges that travel would impose on them and the attendees.

Even though Herrle pointed out that despite “Nationals tries not to award the same universities for awards in back-to-back years” which could indicate not seeing another district conference for some time, there are plenty more events that the Waynesburg PRSSA plans on hosting for the coming school year. 

Herrle and Hardacre mentioned the chapter hosting its own conferences and PR Week as just a couple of examples that could see more publicity for the chapter, and subsequently, greater student interest to join the chapter.

Despite the success of the chapter over the course of nearly a decade, it will face a challenge to replace the leadership that is in place, as both Herrle and Hardacre, as well as Paige Livingston, the Chapter’s PR Director , are all part of a “very good” senior class that will be leaving according to the Chapter’s Faculty Advisor  Richard Krause.

“When you lose talented people, especially at the top like what we’ve had here with the two Emma’s, that’s hard to replace. Paige Livingston, hard to replace. Ivy Allen, hard to replace. You have to make up for those people,” Krause said.

Following the election that the PRSSA recently held to appoint new leadership, which saw Jesse Cain being named as the new President for PRSSA, Krause said that  those who assume the leadership for the chapter next year will have some “big shoes to fill.”

“I think they [opposing PRSSA Chapters] will be highly motivated to come after us, and we have to stay ahead of that,” Krause said.