A new advertising and public relations agency recently opened its doors in Norman, but this is no ordinary business.

Lindsey + Asp is a student-run agency located within Gaylord Hall on the University of Oklahoma campus at the corner of, you guessed it, Lindsey Street and Asp Avenue.

The new business includes faculty advisors from the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, but each account is obtained and run by college students.

"I'm in the driver's seat," explained Daniel Dean, director of account services for Lindsey + Asp.

"They really give us, allow us a lot of responsibility," he said.

Dean will graduate this semester with an advertising degree and said the work he's doing at Lindsey + Asp will help him get a job.

"I think it'll actually give me a lot of hands-on experience that I wouldn't get from an internship," he said.

The agency was formed to give students a taste of what the professional world is like, said David Tarpenning, advertising advisor to the agency.

"We structured this like a real advertising agency... so that students get an idea what an agency functions like," he said.

Lindsey + Asp was formed in June and started taking clients in August, Tarpenning said.

The staff of Lindsey + Asp, about 43 students, now takes care of a dozen clients, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Oklahoma Scholar Leadership Enrichment Program and the Norman Police Department.

"There is definitely a lot of people who want to work with us," Dean said.

The students would like to take on more clients, but Dean said they have had to start turning down pro-bono clients because they just don't have the funding.

Eventually, the goal of Lindsey + Asp is to be a self-sustaining business, Tarpenning said. For now, the agency is aided by funds from the college.

The students don't get paid for their work, and many are even paying for the benefit of the experience through tuition. Participation in Lindsey + Asp counts for a one hour course credit, but those who don't need the credit, like Dean, just volunteer at the agency, Dean said.