There is a new student organization on campus that is helping students get more involved by showing them things that they cannot learn in a classroom.
The Suffolk PR Society (SUPR) is devoted to helping students expand their public relations knowledge and integrate what they have learned in the classroom to real life experiences. The majority of the club’s events are geared towards networking and learning more about the different job opportunities the field provides.
“Suffolk’s communications students deserve to have a PR society on campus,” said Vice-President Katie Matatall. “It is important for us to understand our field of study and to grasp every opportunity to gain an internship or a piece of reality for the real world. SUPR helps students find the right direction for a successful future.”
The organization was officially recognized on campus last semester and has achieved a lot in a short amount of time—including a mailing list of 111 Suffolk students.
Even more impressive is the fact that SUPR is student-conceived and student-run. President Kristin Murray got the idea when she was interning at a public relations agency in Dublin, Ireland. There she met a girl who raved about the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and the amazing opportunities that came from being a part of it.
Recognizing the benefits of such an organization, Murray wanted to bring this to Suffolk as soon as possible. And so, SUPR was born. Due to financial reasons, the student organization has not yet been officially recognized by PRSSA, but the club is flourishing at Suffolk nonetheless.
“We’ve built our club from the ground up and I believe I can speak for the entire e-board when I say we are proud of all the accomplishments we have made this year,” said Murray.
Murray and the rest of the e-board members have already held two speaker events since the club’s launch. One with Regan Communications and the other with Rosie’s Place.
The Regan speaker aimed to inform students what the typical day in the life of a publicist is like. Murray said the turnout was amazing and the students that came were fully engaged and eager to network. Rosie’s Place sought to inform students about how PR works specifically within a non-profit organization. These two events provided networking and internship opportunities, according to SUPR members.
“Although I have only been in SUPR for a short time, I have already seen the benefits,” said club Secretary Alexa Marsh. “I have learned so much about public relations in the field that my professors have not been able to teach me, and I feel like I have contacts now whom I can go to with questions about anything PR related.”
One of the keys to SUPR’s early success was, naturally, its communications skills. The group’s Facebook page and Twitter, @Suffolk_SUPR, are updated regularly to keep students and members in the loop on important events or opportunities.
Among the upcoming events planned is the PRAdvanced at Boston University on Feb. 15. This event will help students understand and develop the skills employers are searching for in the dynamic, new age world of public relations, the club said.
Another important event in the club’s future is an advertising, marketing, and public relations panel event to help students understand the differences between each of these fields. The panel will take place Feb. 25 and is hosted by both SUPR and Suffolk’s Advertising Club. Three professionals among these fields will be on-hand to discuss the similarities and differences.
SUPR and the Advertising Club are also planning a trip to New York City in March. The group plans to visit a PR firm and a PR museum, as well as to-be-announced advertising-related exhibits. Murray said this will be a wonderful experience to learn about PR and advertising from the NYC perspective.
Anyone who is interested in specific events or club details can contact Murray at [email protected].
