Guest column: The value of JMC student organizations

By Sommerly Simser
Junior broadcast journalism major from Las Vegas


Internships are important and provide the training students need so that they can obtain a job after their graduation in their chosen career field. However, it is also important to get involved in organizations at school that in their own way also prepare you for the career field and can ultimately help you pay off school with scholarships and provide you with a network of individuals who could later be of help.

Campus organizations such as the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), the Broadcast Education Association (BEA), the American Advertising Federation (AAF) and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) all offer multiple opportunities to advance your training and knowledge of the career you plan to pursue.

The Broadcast Education Association, which has recently chartered on the ACU campus, holds an annual convention for Broadcasters in Las Vegas. Student membership includes a reduced fee to the convention, which is a great opportunity for students to learn about the latest advancements in technology in the broadcast news, radio or electronic media fields. It also provides a place to network with hundreds of thousands of other across the nation involved in the same field. In addition to a reduced price to the convention student members will receive all of BEA’s publications and access to their members-only Web site, which has applications for the organization’s various scholarships.

The Society of Professional Journalists, which is also active at ACU, offers their members the chance to compete for awards, scholarships and internships. SPJ strives to represent and serve today’s journalists by taking on battles over the First Amendment and the Freedom of Information Act, which might otherwise be overlooked and therefore a journalist’s rights could continue to dwindle. Like BEA, SPJ also offers an annual convention as well as numerous regional conferences for students to attend and receive training, guidance and the opportunity to learn from some of the top professionals in the country.

Both the American Advertising Federation and the Public Relations Student Society of America are active on campus under the AD/PR club. Both organizations offer regional and national conventions. The AAF is the oldest national advertising industry trade group. The AAF hosts the ADDY awards, the world’s largest local, regional and national advertising competition. Both organizations offer scholarships specifically for members and provide access to members-only Web sites with internship and job lists.

Each one of the organizations that are present on the ACU campus not only provide scholarships and opportunities to attend conferences and conventions; students are also equipped with a better understanding of their field and they get the opportunity to work more closely with their peers and professors and advisers. And of course not to mention these organizations look great on a resume.