It’s Comcastic!

A week and a half ago I had fuzzy flashes on my TV. I like fuzzy towels, fuzzy  stuffed animals on Valentine’s Day and fuzzy blankets on cold rainy days, but I hate fuzzy food, fuzzy hair and I especially hate fuzzy television!

This situation was particularly stressful because I was about to go out of town for the weekend. I would only have a day and a half when I got back to harass my community director about getting my cable fixed before American Idol on Tuesday. This was a problem.

So, as I packed, I committed the crime that I should have recognized as a PR professional’s nightmare. Instead of complaining to Comcast, I complained to everyone else:

Somebody’s Listening

Fortunately for Comcast, someone was watching. Within minutes I received this message:

ComcastBill showed up to save the day. He proceeded to send me a direct message, apparently fully prepared to pull up my account and fix my problem.

Important fact: I’m in Alabama. ComcastBill is in Philadelphia.

The account is not in my name (I will live in the dorms as long as The University will pay for it!) so there was nothing ComcastBill could do, but he suggested what the source of the problem might be and said that I should talk to the community director.

Of course, this conversation put me right back at square one, but I felt helped, anyway.

What Comcast Did Right

1. Monitored the product. I haven’t done any research on this, but I imagine that people get most upset about A/C not working in the summer, a broken hot water heater and fuzzy cable in that order. I know I hear more complaints about utility and cable companies than any other. Comcast cut the negative publicity off at the pass by paying attention to customer complaints online.

2. Gave the company a name. Comcast has its own twitter account, but Bill contacted me. I wasn’t talking to a computer, I was talking to a person, making online communication more personal and less creepy!

3. Gave the name the authority to do something. ComcastBill couldn’t do anything for me because I am not in charge of my Comcast account, but it certainly seemed as if he could have fixed my cable from Philadelphia! His immediate response and intention of doing something made me feel like my problem mattered to Comcast and they were committed to solving my problem as soon as possible.

How My Story Ended

Apparently the problem affected all of north campus, and the cable was not fixed until Wednesday. I watched American Idol at Moe’s, which was actually a lot of fun.

I’ve heard horror stories about dealing with Comcast from my friends, but I’m not worried for myself when I (finally) move out of the dorms. I’ve got friends at Comcast!

Connect With Comcast

If you’re on twitter, say hello to @ComcastBill or @ComcastBonnie. They could help you out someday!

Something To Run For

Everyone has a cancer story.

Sometimes cancer has affected someone close and sometimes they themselves have battled the disease, but everyone has a cancer story.

Not one story is fun or fun to read, except maybe the stories that end with, “(Name) has been cancer-free for X years, is living in (place) and regularly (does favorite activity) with (specific dear family or friends).”

Unfortunately, well over 500,000 cancer stories don’t end like that every year. That is why I started Crimson for a Cure at The University of Alabama. I’m not particularly talented, but I can put one foot in front of the other a lot of times in a row, and I can encourage others doing the same.

The Goal of Crimson for a Cure

Crimson for a Cure will raise money for the American Cancer Society’s efforts in breast cancer research and awareness through pledges participants receive as they train for and run a half-marathon. Participants will ask at least three people to pledge to donate a minimum of five cents per mile run. This method provides motivation for the runners, but we certainly won’t turn away any donation!

Training begins February 17!

The Story Behind Crimson for a Cure

In high school I organized a fundraiser for hurricane victims in south Florida in which donors sponsored members of the school tennis team in a manner similar to Crimson for a Cure as the team competed in the district tournament. When I started running in college I had the idea for a project like Crimson for a Cure, but it was nothing more than that, just an idea.

Last fall, as my world was turned upside down by the death of a dearly loved one after a six-year battle with cancer, I frequently ran with tears streaming down my face. It was through these tears that I determined to do something that would make a difference and honor her memory. The idea came back to me.

Things immediately began to fall into place. I discovered that a student I had gotten to know through a class, Kristin McDonald, was president of Colleges Against Cancer, so I met with her to figure out how to get Crimson for a Cure off the ground. We decided that Crimson for a Cure would be registered as a Relay for Life team, giving me credibility and giving her numbers.

My next task was to recruit captains. Kristin and I immediately thought of the same person to help us out: J Bruhn, a triathlete and phenomenal guy. I met with J at the sorority house the next day, and he was over-the-top excited about helping out. One of the Chi Omega new members, Hallie Paul, was sitting with us during the meeting and she couldn’t wait to get started, either. I hadn’t expected to find two, much less three captains in one day, but Hallie and Jacob Summers both got on board immediately. We now have six captains, excluding myself, which was my original goal!

We’re now recruiting participants, so if you know anyone who would be interested, pass the info along!

If you or someone you know would like to sponsor a runner or donate, e-mail me at crimsonforacure@gmail.com or donate online here.

I’ll post updates here as things kick off in the coming weeks!

Taking Stock Part Two: A Terrifying 2009

Someone once told me, “If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not living.” After taking stock of the past 20 years, I have confirmed my idea that the track I’m on is one of pushing. I push limits, I push to go faster, I push to be different, I push to challenge myself and I push to challenge others.

In 2009, I will graduate a year early, spend another summer overseas, figure out what the coming years will hold, and push a lot in my last semester at The University of Alabama. Here are a few of the most important projects currently terrifying me:

Crimson for a Cure

Crimson for a Cure is a project I’m heading up that will combine my love for running with my passion for finding a cure for breast cancer. Runners will form a team that will be registered with UA’s Relay for Life event, but this team will fundraise differently from all other teams. Each participant will commit to completing a 10-week training program and Nashville’s Country Music Half-Marathon on April 25. Runners will be asked to recruit at least three sponsors who will pledge a minimum of five cents per mile that runner completes. All money raised will go to the American Cancer Society’s efforts in breast cancer research.

This project has been the root of a lot of stress so far, but everything is falling into place! Last night was the first captains’ meeting, and I am happy to say that participants will be led by six well-qualified and enthusiastic captains. Two informational meetings will take place over the next several weeks, so hopefully I will be able to report good news on the level of interest very soon!

PR(evolution)

PR(evolution) exposes PR in social media, explaining the role of technology in 21st century relationships to public relations students through a series of short presentations. The program covers the definition of social media; closed, semi-open and open media; and its applications to the field of public relations.

Jacob Summers and I received the inspiration for this program while working on the Platform Magazine staff last semester. When trying to recruit help in the PR efforts for the magazine, we were blown away by the ignorance about social media that was rampant among our peers in the PR department. Not ones to sit idly by, Jacob and I immediately found this solution and will be implementing our plan this semester.

Running

This will be short and sweet: I’ll be running at least two marathons (one scheduled), at least one half marathon (one scheduled), and this is my year for the ultramarathon. I’m not sure which one or how far, but I’m hoping to call myself an ultramarathoner this fall.

And The Other Stuff

Between classes, extra-curriculars, running, American Idol and these activities, I’d love to connect with as many people as possible in 2009! Drop me a comment here or connect with me on twitter. I look forward to hearing from you!

Taking Stock Part One: My Life’s Been A Country Song

“I’ve read a few books, wrote a few songs, looked at my life – where it’s going, where it’s gone.” – Kenny Chesney

My December resolution was to do no work after finishing exams, and – hard as it was – I did pretty well! All of the relaxing allowed quite a bit of time for reflection on my crazy life.

And I’m serious when I say “crazy.”

I’ve done a lot in 20 years, so the following is me taking stock of where I’ve been so that I can decide where to go from here. Because so much of this is priceless, hilarious, and sometimes ridiculous, I thought I would share it.

“I might be a little bit loco, but it keeps me from losing my mind! Hey, half insane, that’s ok, a little bit crazy’s all right.” – David Lee Murphy

I broke my finger playing football with teenagers I couldn’t understand and painted faces red, white and blue for eight hours straight on the Fourth of July in Ukraine. I coached an Armenian waiter at a Greek restaurant in St. Petersburg, Russia on how to make southern-style sweet tea. I overcame my fear of heights and jumped down all 27 waterfalls of the Rio Damajagua in the Dominican Republic.

“If I had a dime for half the things I did that didn’t make no sense at all, I’d be living a little higher on the wall.” – Jake Owen

I lost focus too many times to count. I chased myself instead of what was best for my friends, my organization, my school and my family. I made my parents cry. I dug holes too deep to get out of by myself.

“Somebody’s gonna drop everything, run out and crank up their car, hit the gas, get there fast, never stop to think, ‘What’s in it for me?’ or ‘That’s way too far.’ They just show on up with a big ol’ heart.” – Tracy Lawrence

I found no one can get by without friends. I discovered the value of my parents. These are the people who have called me “stupid,” then helped me pick up the pieces. 

“I’ve got lightning in my veins and thunder in my chest.” – Gary Allan

I volunteered at homeless shelters in six states. I threw pool parties and cookie-decorating extravaganzas for middle school girls. I pushed limits to revive lagging high school and university organizations and to compel my peers to make a difference.

That’s what I want to do, that’s what drives me crazy. That’s the question that nags at me when I get up in the morning and when I lay down at night: “Am I making a difference?”

“I use what I’ve got, take what I get, give ’til I ain’t got nothing left, then I give it some more…” – Jason Aldean

I’m a planner, an organizer, a realist. I’m a dreamer, a “why not” asker, a pusher. My skills are kind of random: I speak Russian, run marathons, listen to everyone and write when I’m bored. The combination usually turns out pretty well!

I’m excited about what’s next. Year 2009 holds a lot of big moments.

Stay tuned, the next post will be about what’s on deck this year!