WEST LIBERTY, March 30, 2015 – West Liberty University public relations students engaged the campus this spring with a social media contest that served as their senior capstone project.
WLU’s new student-run public relations and advertising agency, Integrated Communications Collaborative (ICC), invited students and staff to participate in the contest dubbed, “Selfies with Topper” from March 16 – 26, that involved snapping and sharing photos with Topper the Bear (official WLU mascot), as he was sited on campus.
“This agency is a great place for students to apply their curriculum, like social media skills, and obtain real world experience. This final capstone presentation is their opportunity to showcase their talents one last time before they start their careers,” said Mike King, assistant professor of journalism and communication studies in the College of Arts and Communication.
“Topper the Bear spent Mondays and Wednesdays roaming campus with members of ICC. The agency used its Twitter and Instagram accounts to give out tips on where Topper was last sighted,” said senior Emily Unnone of Martinsburg, W.Va., who helped plan the contest, along with senior Kacie Murray of Lumberport, W.Va. Other students who are part of the agency include: Jennifer Mohney, Twinsburg, Ohio; Olivia Morgan, Shadyside, Ohio and Levi Smith, Ravenswood, W.Va. and Jeffrey Tice, Chester, W.Va.
The contest called for participants to upload a picture posing with Topper to their personal Twitter or Instagram to be entered into a drawing for a grand prize basket filled with Hilltopper merchandise and a Subway gift card. Participants used the hashtag “#trackingtopper” to ensure their selfie was entered. This also allows the capstone students to track their success.
Students also had to be friends with ICC on either Twitter or Instagram to ensure their photo can be viewed by the agency. The more selfies taken with Topper, the greater the chance for the student to win.
“I entered my picture twice,” said Christina Pauley, a medical laboratory science senior from Wheeling.
“I love it when Topper comes to hang out. It really brings out the Hilltopper spirit in all of us,” she said.
“This contest has been a great way to get the campus interested and excited about our new agency,” said Unnone. “I have learned so much from this whole experience already, and it has given me the confidence to take on any challenge my future career in event planning may throw at me.”
The winning student who participated in the contest was freshman Caleb Engle of Martinsburg, W.Va.
This social media contest is only one element of the public relations students’ capstone project, which will be presented to an audience of educators and peers during the last week of the semester. The group is planning a public relations workshop and a promotional tailgate for the baseball team later in the semester.
Follow the ICC on Instagram or Twitter by typing @ICC_WLU and Facebook by typing in Integrated Communications Collaborative.