Communication students gain experience and contribute to the community
NDSU communication students created a public relations campaign to remind students of the dangers of texting and driving. They got 1,891 fellow students to pledge not to text while driving and later gave their material to Moorhead High School where the students will use it to create their own Don’t Text and Drive campaign. The two-week campaign was called “Have Bison Pride, Don’t Text and Drive.” To spread the message about the dangers of texting while driving, the students brought guest speakers from Fargo and Moorhead’s police departments and a representative from an insurance company to talk to students in open forums, and got students to sign pledges by dropping into classrooms and talking to students at informational booths in the Memorial Union.
The students are passionate about their campaign and its potential impact. “It is important that NDSU students do their part to create a safer community,” said Denise Hagen, a campaign committee member. “By pledging not to text and drive, students are acknowledging the dangers and taking responsibility behind the wheel.”
This is the second year students selected the topic of texting and driving for the class campaign. “I am proud of the work my students have done to educate the NDSU community about this important issue,” said Amy O’Connor, associate professor of communication who taught the course.
Students continue to work on the project. They are compiling information from the campaign to submit to Oprah Winfrey to be part of her “No Phone Zone Challenge.” The challenge, initiated in January 2010, asks drivers to stop using cell phones while driving.