MassComm Brunch

On October 13th, The Mass Communications Club held a ‘First of Many’ Alumni Meet and Greet Brunch in Stewart Hall Auditorium. This event was held for alumni and students to mix and mingle! There was also a panel discussion featuring alumni sharing tips and strategies for success.
In Attendance leading the event, Mass Communication Chair Dr. Yolanda Campbell and Executive Director Michelle McCalope started the event with a prayer by Mass Communications professor Dr.Stephens.
After the afternoon prayer, brunch was served to Mass Communication students, alumni, and professors. Approximately an hour after the event started and more guests arrived, Executive Director Michelle McCalope opened the floor for alumni and guest speaker Lanel Davis to introduce themselves and give students advice along their mass communications journey. The purpose of the event is for alumni to share their paths and encourage students to keep striving on their path to success. Overall, all guest speakers suggested the same advice.”You must put yourself out there, chase your story.”
However, some alumni had a different approach and opinions to give to students. With Mass Communication rapidly changing around the world, it was best to have alumni come in and give their advice to keep students up to date on their career paths. Mass Communication Alum, Tommy Harris Jr. shares his path of being a mass communication major and advice to students. “Learn to do as much as you can in your field. whether it’s producing, photo-shooting, or writing, to be a journalist, you have to know how to do it by yourself,” Harris says in closing before wishing mass communication students good luck. In addition, Harris acknowledges that it can be a struggle to get more involved with what you are not familiar with. He advises you to learn more outside of your comfort zone due to journalists nowadays being more subjective to multimedia.
The Mass Communication department has also invested in new equipment such as cameras and tripods to help enhance class projects and student skills which they’re interested in pursuing in their career. Senior, Mass Communication, Jade Jones, shares how she enjoyed the event and the outcome for students. “To have alumni and students to connect and network with each other was definitely a one-of-a-kind experience, I think it says a lot about Dr.Yolanda Campbell’s efforts for the mass communication department,” says Jones. This was a major opportunity for mass communication students of all classifications to get their jump start on what direction they’re going in as well.
Guest speaker, member of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Southern University Alum, Lanel Davis gives the import tips for working in the field of mass communication and closes with grateful remarks. “If you can write you can do anything, make sure you are effective in looking for internships, and it is important to ask questions.” At the end of her speech, she adds, “This has been a wonderful opportunity and experience to be a part of.”
In closing the event there was a Quick Response code on an opening screen that allowed all students, alumni, and professors that attended, an opportunity to donate to the mass communications department. We look forward to seeing more progress from the mass communications department as they help their students gain resources and connections for their future.