The Society of Professional Journalists’ new Baruch chapter shared planned events and activities for the fall semester in its first meeting on Sep. 8.

“We introduced ourselves to participants, we explained the function of SPJ as a national organization to others and let others know what we planned to do as a chapter at Baruch,” Malina Seenarine, the vice-president of the chapter, said in an email statement.

Seenarine said SPJ will host events that aim to expose students to experiences they would not otherwise receive within the context of their standard classroom education.

“One of our most exciting events will be a film screening, most likely at some point in November,” Seenarine said. “SPJ provides people with a strong network of like-minded and successful journalists to communicate with in seeking career opportunities.”

According to its website, SPJ is the nation’s most wide-ranging journalism organization dedicated to fostering and educating communities of future journalists for over a century. The organization teaches core principles such as ethics and staunchly defends the First Amendment.

The Ticker’s former Editor-in-Chief Amanda Salazar and current Editor-in-Chief Emanuela Gallo resonated with SPJ’s mission. They decided to initiate a chapter under the Journalism Department last fall semester.

“The whole goal of Baruch College is to help students make it in the real world,” Salazar said in a prior Ticker article.  “SPJ has the ability to help with that, because we’ll be able to connect with professionals in the journalism field.”

SPJ’s Employment and Career Center is dedicated to supporting students of the chapter in joining communities and newsrooms, engaging in essential tutorial and training programs, searching for up-to-date job listings and finding accessible freelancing guides.

Seenarine can attest to the personal and professional benefits of being a part of an organization that is the epicenter of best quality resources to help students pursue a viable journalism career.  She referred to its advocacy of ethical principles in the journalism industry.

“SPJ resources have been helpful in teaching me how to become a better writer, become more ethical in my writing, and learn about opportunities to help improve my writing,” she said.

Dani Heba, the chapter’s president and sports editor of The Ticker, was afforded the opportunity to participate in SPJ’s Student Leadership Institute in Indiana this past summer.

Emily Johnson is the faculty advisor of SPJ’s chapter at Baruch. Johnson is an independent multimedia journalist who has done pieces for news organizations like The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and The Jakarta Globe.

SPJ announced Baruch’s new chapter on April 22.

“Welcome to SPJ’s newest student chapter – the Baruch College Chapter!” the post read. “The SPJ Board of Directors unanimously voted to approve the chapter today.”

Baruch’s chapter of SPJ shares information about its organization and events on its Instagram, @spjbaruch.

Editor’s Note: Emanuela Gallo and Dani Heba, mentioned above, are members of the Ticker editorial board. Maya Demchak-Gottlieb, the news editor of The Ticker, is the treasurer of Baruch’s SPJ chapter.