Ashley Lees

[ashley1992lees-blog]

Meet Marie Henein, Jian Ghomeshi's lawyer

She's the most sought-after defence lawyer in the city, and she intends to get Ghomeshi acquitted, even if it means ripping apart his accusers' testimony

[huffpostpolitics]

The Results Are In, And They Came Fast

The voters of New Hampshire have made their picks. A Democratic socialist just won New Hampshire Democratic primary. And a racist, sexist demagogue won the Republican primary. 

Follow along for more updates out of New Hampshire.

[ashley1992lees-blog]

A Reputation For Yourself, Now?

Reputation is everything, particularly in the PR world. One instance of miscommunication, one act of deceit and it’s game over. Building and further protecting your reputation as a fair, unbiased and motivated practitioner is key.  As Harvey Specter from Suits states, first impressions last. The minute you walk in your door, what you do and what you say matters. 

For better or for worse, this sticks. If you start out on a negative front, it’s extremely hard for you to recover from it. This goes all the way from personal reputations to business reputations. If a company lies and engages in unethical behaviours on the regular, are you likely to continue purchasing from them? The likely answer is no. This is no different for you as a person. Establishing a good reputation right from the start is only going to help you. People will not question your motivations, your skill or whether they can trust you with a project, their company or their money. 

Building this reputation early and maintaining it is what will land you the internship, the job, the clients. When people find a person they can trust, they continue to seek their opinions and judgement. Be this person. 

[ashley1992lees-blog]

Why Building A Brand Is Essential

Building a personal brand may seem like a daunting task but the payouts are real. Why should you develop a personal brand? It represents you and your work. It provides a recognizable point that people see and know what you’re capable of. Personal branding goes from your social media containing the same colour scheme and photos all the way to website content and personal logos. 

A key example of this is the billboard erected at Sherbourne St. and the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto. A simple black background, the number 6 and a set of praying hands. To some this has no meaning, but the brand of the “6-God” has now been intrinsically linked to Toronto-born rapper Drake. 

It is a brand that this generation recognizes. It’s debut sparked a social media buzz among fans, hitting Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, amping up anticipation to what was seemingly a message Drake’s album, Views From The 6, was pending release. 

This is a high profile, but a key point of why personal branding is important. While we may never reach the recognition level of Drake, branding still serves it’s purpose. It promotes you in a recognizable manner. Something that shouldn’t be taken lightly or neglected. You may just be the next 519-God. 

[ashley1992lees-blog]

Why You Need To Be Networking NOW.

Over the past two years as a student of Public Relations, I’ve found that one of the most important things one can do to stand apart from the herd is network.                                                

                                             Start doing it now. 

Public Relations, evidently, is about building relationships with various audiences. To be successful, reaching out to those in the industry is critical to building a reputation, and showing of your skill. In other words, networking provides the opportunity for a mutual back scratch. If you need something, you now have a new alliance that can potentially help you out and vice versa. 

Learning to combine what you know and who you know is the sweet spot of PR. Sign up for LinkedIn , head out to networking events. All of these opportunities are beneficial to your own (future) career, gaining internships and, as mentioned, building strategic relationships. 

[ashley1992lees-blog]

Where Do We Draw The Line of “Political Correctness” ?

Just yesterday yoga classes at the University of Ottawa were cancelled over what many seen as “cultural sensitivity issues and [people were offended].” 

The instructor of the class was told the classes would be cancelled due to “cultural appropriation”. If you need a definition you can find it here.

Yoga, a cleansing, deep breathing and stretching exercise is a traditional Indian activity, though it has been practiced globally for years. 

In a world of cultural sensitivity and respect for other beliefs and practices, where do we draw the line between grabbing at straws and actual offensive behaviour? Is it no longer acceptable to enjoy, and artfully respect the practices of another culture? 

By the definition of cultural appropriation presented in this case, no one should ever be allowed to participate in activities of another culture. Does this not create a more divided, sheltered and uncultured society? 

The real issue of this is not whether yoga is wrong to practice, it is in fact whether we have become too politically correct. We live in a culture where we love to be offended, just for the sake of rebuttal at times. 

There needs to be a clear line drawn however. If it is not negatively portraying a specific group of people or their cultural practices, why do we care? It’s time to move on, enjoy what other cultures have to offer, and think to ourselves “is it really worth fighting over?”

[ashley1992lees-blog]

Charlie Sheen Has HIV- What Does This Mean For Others Living With HIV/AIDS?

On Tuesday November 17th Charlie Sheen revealed to NBC’s “Today” show what many already assumed- he is HIV positive.

“I am here to admit that I am in fact HIV positive,” Sheen said, saying he was “not entirely sure” how he acquired the virus four years ago.

Sheen, once the highest paid actor on television for his role as Charlie Harper on “Two and A Half Men” has faced a barrage of issues over the past years. He was fired from the show in 2011 following cocaine-fueled partying with porn stars and an assault conviction stemming from an incident with his ex-wife. 

Sheen admitted his coming forth with his medical status was to stop individuals from extorting him. He noted his payouts had reached upwards of $10 million, paying for the silence of some people that used to be his inner circle.

Asked whether it was possible he had transmitted the virus to anyone following his diagnosis, Sheen said, “Impossible.” He has “always led with condoms and honesty when it came to [his] condition.” 

Sheen stated "I'm not going to be the poster man for this, but I will not shun away from responsibilities and opportunities that drive me to helping others."

With Sheen’s revelation, the streams of statuses and posts will flood Facebook, Twitter and other media outlets. Many of these will be stigmatizing. HIV stigmatism is taught, and this isn’t anyone's fault. But when it comes to Sheen being a public figure living with HIV it is essential to separate myth from fact. 

 HIV is not spread through kissing, sharing utensils, or a toilet. Period.

HIV isn’t the result of promiscuity. It is transmitted through bodily fluids, yes, but if those fluids do not contain HIV, a person can have multiple partners without the transmission of the virus. 

Engaging in sex acts with someone with HIV does not automatically put someone at risk. Those on successful drug regimens have a drastically reduced amount of HIV in their body- it is undetectable. A study conducted found thousands of mixed status couples engaging in condomless sex without transmission of the virus. 

What stands in the way of this undetectable status is poverty, stigma and racism. Being undetectable requires a strict schedule of pills. Pills that are extremely costly. 

HIV isn’t curable, but it isn’t the death sentence it once was. People diagnosed with the virus early and who remain diligent with anti-retrovirals  can expect to live an average life span. This simple case of a very public, very famous individual living with HIV that has, at times, made very poor decisions. This is another opportunity to address the issue of HIV and the stigma surrounding it. This is another opportunity to also recognize no one deserves this virus. Charlie Sheen is now the most high profile person living with HIV. It is not his burden to be the face of the virus, but rather an example moving forward that someone like Charlie may represent a friend, sister, brother, father. Someone that doesn’t deserve the stigma attached to a now manageable condition. 

[ashley1992lees-blog]

Why Messages Are Everything

I’m sure I’m not the only one to have fallen upon Bloomingdale’s less than appropriate holiday ad :

“Spike your best friend’s eggnog when they’re not looking”

This is a perfect example of why messages matter. The quite literal message of date rape is apparent and it didn’t go unnoticed by basically everyone on social media.

In response to this Bloomingdale’s issued a public apology stating 

“ ...the copy we used in our recent catalog was inappropriate and in poor taste.”

Bloomingdale’s shows the reality of an underlying issue. They demonstrate just how deeply the attitudes of date rape run, and how subconsciously they actually are buried. Date rape likely wasn’t the first message that the copy writer of this ad had in mind, but it is what came across. As communicators it is our job to ensure our intended messages are conveyed, without distraction and certainly without inappropriate subliminal, or in this case obvious, meanings. Messages are everything. How they’re constructed, how they’re presented and ultimately how they’re perceived. 

[ashley1992lees-blog]

Justin Trudeau appointed the first gender-balanced 50:50 cabinet in the history of Canada. It also happened to be the most diverse in history- a diversity Trudeau stated represents Canada today. 

[ashley1992lees-blog]

It's quite emotional for me to be able to talk about him, because it was 15 years ago tonight that he passed away, on Sept. 28, 2000. And I know he wouldn't want us to be fighting the battles of the past; he'd want us squarely focused on the future and how we're going to respond to Canadians' needs.

Justin Trudeau on his father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

[ashley1992lees-blog]

Why You Need To Watch House of Cards

Let me be clear, I have a bias. I have a degree in political science and find anything political riveting. But that disclaimer aside, the show is pure gold. It combines the immense talent of Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright as Frank and Claire Underwood as well as a solid supporting cast of Kate Mara as journalist Zoe Barnes, Corey Stoll as Congressman Peter Russo and Michael Kelly as Frank’s right-hand man Doug Stamper. 

The plot gives way to Frank and Claire’s twisted but devoted loved. Their struggle to gain power and in between hold on to a relationship that isn’t traditional but is functional in pushing forward each’s goals. Frank’s ruthless, vendetta lined path to power and Claire bringing a sense of vulnerability and struggle between her own goals and advancing her husband’s political career. 

You also gain a sense of closed doors politico. The wheeling, dealing, scheming and vendetta’s that Frank lets you in on talking to the camera, breaking the fourth wall in a unique concept to the Netflix series. This provides the audience with an immense sense of insider knowledge and a further connection with Frank no matter how vindictive or heinous his actions may be. 

The show also provides an assortment of snappy one-liners Frank spews in the series that make you think, provide new perspective or perturb your mind as to what will happen next. They’re valuable life lessons provided by the superb writing of show writer Beau Willimon.

These are some but not all of the reasons to binge watch the series. Be prepared to become engrossed, the outside world won’t matter anymore, and you may just find yourself retorting with some “Frankavellian” answers. 

Seasons 1-3 are streaming live now on Netflix  

[ashley1992lees-blog]

Student Housing 101

So you’ve decided to find your own place. Congratulations! But with that comes its own set of challenges and questions to ask yourself. Can I settle for a closet of a bedroom because it’s an amazing price? Will I live with friends or complete randoms that could be serial killers?

Here’s what I’ve learned after two years of student living with complete randoms:

1. You will inevitably want to kill them at some point. You have the basement room and all you can hear is big foot stomping above you. I’d suggest buying ear plugs because chances are they aren’t going to learn to walk lighter. 

2. You may have a crappy landlord. It’s student housing. It’s a source of income and frankly, not many care about the state of repair of the house so long as you’re paying them rent every month. I’ve had a decent and a not so decent landlord in the past two years. The not so decent one was sketchy, didn’t care about the house and was less than professional in language when it came to me asking for my (illegal) deposit back.

3. Make sure there’s ample space for everyone to spread out. There’s nothing worse than hating a roommate or two and you’re all stuck like sardines in a tiny space. 

4. Make sure that amenities are nearby. Why would you live in an area where there’s no Tim Horton’s, pizza, or grocery stores? You wouldn’t. Make sure all the essentials are within walking/bussing/driving distance. 

[ashley1992lees-blog]

5 Things To Make Students Happier

Colleges and universities across the nation face a similar issue: What do we do to keep our students happy? and what do we do to satisfy the disgruntled ones? Answer to that last one: nothing. Here’s a list I’ll kindly suggest to make me and many others that much happier. 

1.  Eliminate Parking Pass Fees I pay enough already. Does it look like I have an extra $400 to drop and park my car on your unmaintained lots? No, no I do not. We’ve all seen Spotted at Conestoga ... I pay to have my car mangled with no liability on your end? Thanks. 

2. Cheaper Food I don’t really feel like paying $8 for a sandwich with a single piece of lettuce, cheese and meat. I could feed a small tribe in Africa for that price. 

3. More Busing  Some of us aren’t lucky enough to have our own cars. Trying to squeeze on a tram reminiscent of those in Slum Dog Millionaire is not fun, nor is missing it. Being late for class isn’t an excuse, so more busing is the answer.  

4. Cheaper Books I have a $1000 television stand. Where did I get it? Here’s a hint: Not Ikea. It’s the text books we’ve all bought that are grossly over priced that are often barely used. I shouldn’t have to trade my first born for a chapter of reading. 

5. More Tim Hortons  One on campus does not cut it. #needcaffeine