The journalism Public Relations Campaigns (PRC) class is working on a campaign focusing on the national debt and had their first event Monday in the Sage Hall lobby.

The event focused on getting students to be more aware of the national debt by handing out donuts when they came to the table and scanned a QR code, which took them to the Up to Us pledge.

“I pledge to vote for a strong fiscal foundation for our country,” the pledge states. “I will consider candidates and policies through a lens of fiscal integrity to ensure we are investing in our generation’s future in a sustainable way. We urge you, our elected officials, to advocate for policies that are both fiscally sound and that rebuild our economic foundation.” 

By signing this pledge, the student was then put into an April drawing for prizes given to the campaign by various local businesses such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Planet Perk, Culver’s, University Books & More, Dunkin’, Starbucks, Polito’s, Benvenuto’s, Cousins Subs and UW Credit Union.

The campaign has more tabling events coming up in Reeve on March 28 and March 30 from 10:20 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and at Blackhawk Commons April 4 and April 6 from 10:20 a.m. –  12:30 p.m. to promote students to sign the Up to Us pledge and become more aware of the national debt crisis.

The PRC class takes part in the Up to Us campaign because it is such a prevalent issue for students and is a way to get them involved and to understand the issue.

“Many students are impacted by debt,” campaign adviser and class professor Kristine Nicolini said. “Through the Up to Us campaign, we hope to prepare students to proactively educate themselves and take steps to achieve a secure financial future for themselves and others. Understanding the national debt is an important step in this process. Many of these issues may impact future milestones like securing a home mortgage and paying student loans. Our goal is to encourage students to take action today to achieve a brighter tomorrow.” 

Up to Us works with campuses across the country to encourage students to also take part in their economic future and spread awareness, change attitudes and drive action among other students on their campus. 

Alyse Hodge, a student in PRC, said: “Up to Us is a great way for students to get real-world experience and understand the components of creating and executing a successful public relations campaign.”

The campaign has different moving parts and the PRC class has split up the workload between five different teams: events, partnerships, creative, social and media relations with two to four  students in each team. 

All five of the teams work on specific aspects of the campaign but come together to accomplish one common goal: get at least 150 signatures on the Up to Us pledge for UW Oshkosh.

At the end of April, the class submits a campaign book that encompasses all of their efforts over the course of the semester for a chance to win $10,000 for first place or $1,000 for top 10. 

In 2021, the UWO campaign placed fifth in the nation in their first time competing in this competition. Historically, the PRC class competed in the Bateman Case Study Competition in which they also placed nationally multiple years in a row.  

If you’re interested in signing this pledge, scan the QR code or go to bit.ly/SignThePledgeUWO. Once you sign, send a screenshot of your pledge along with your phone number to the Up to UWO Instagram (@up2uwo) to be entered into the giveaway and follow to learn more.