Western Carolina University’s communication department held its first interest meeting on Monday, Aug. 25.
Students interested in getting involved were informed about the organizations that they could join to further their education and be a part of a community.
Student involvement is an essential component of success in the field of communication. Participating in student-led projects and clubs is an excellent and fun way to boost your portfolio, connect with like-minded individuals and gain valuable practical experience.
The participating organizations for this year’s interest meeting were the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), The Western Carolinian, the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), the Health Communication Club, Whee-TV and 95.3 WWCU.
PRSSA is a national PR organization and one of the largest student societies for PR in the country. It is a pre-professional organization that provides its members with experience and tools to advance their careers. The WCU PRSSA chapter is led by President Peyton Hollenbacher and Vice President Savannah Snell. They will meet at 6 p.m. on Sept. 8. For more information, follow @wcu_prssa1 on Instagram.
The Western Carolinian is an organization that allows students to write, design, and edit their own monthly newspaper. This organization has existed since 1933 and is committed to serving Western North Carolina by delivering important news with journalistic integrity. The Western Carolinian is led by Co-Editors-in-Chief Marie Spencer and Max Poku-Kankam. Follow @thewesterncarolinian on Instagram and check out their official website, westerncarolinian.com, for hiring information and new edition releases. Their first edition of the semester comes out on Sept. 15.
SPJ is a club for students interested in gaining experience and opportunities in the field of journalism. This club is also led by President Marie Spencer and Vice President Max Poku-Kankam. Their first meeting is at 6 p.m. on Sept. 3. Follow @spjatwcu on Instagram for more information.
The Health Communication Club allows students to gain skills in informing the public and influencing their attitudes towards health and safety information. It was recently voted the Best New Student Organization at WCU. It is led by President Emiliee Reynolds, Vice President Caroline Sullivan, Secretary Chessa Knezevich, Treasurer Erica Thaggard and Social Media Manager Emma Zavaglia. The first meeting is on Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m. in Stillwell 358. Follow @healthcommclub on Instagram for more information.
Whee-TV is WCU’s student-led broadcasting club. Students can gain hands-on television producing experience both on and behind the camera. Whee-TV is led by General Manager Jacob Pendergraph, News Director Halle Stanley, Creative Director Ryan Creel, Social Media Marketing Manager Owen Flemming, Treasurer Dom Saiani and Production Manager Jack McBrayer. Meetings are held weekly on Thursdays at 6 p.m. at the TV studio. Follow @wheetv_wcu on Instagram for more information.
95.3 WWCU is the club for WCU’s radio station. Students can produce their own shows live on the air and assist in the radio station’s operations. 95.3 WWCU is led by General Manager Halle Stanley and Program Coordinator Ryan Creel. The next meeting will be held on Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. in Killian 219. Follow @wcuradio on Instagram for more information.