| April 28, 2010
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| Photo by Larry Buchanan |
| Senior Ashlee Green and others worked for two years to attain official NABJ chapter status. The group met for the last time of the school year Monday. |
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The group met Monday night in the Ernie Pyle lounge to discuss plans for the fall semester and elect new officers.
"This really means a lot to me because, with the help of others, I started this from the ground up," said senior Ashlee Green, the president of the chapter. "When I got here, I didn’t see the organization, and I thought this campus needs it."
With chapter status, NABJ is recognized by the university as an official student organization. Sally Seye, a senior who helped Green start the organization, sees this as a huge step.
"I think being an official campus chapter, you get the perks that other organizations get," Seye said. "And you get the kind of respectability and the recognition and the awareness. It puts you on another level and gives you more opportunities to excel and grow."
As a graduating senior, Seye calls it "bittersweet." She’s ready to go, but is excited about the future of the organization.
"I think we’re going to leave this organization in good hands," she said. "In the past couple of years, we’ve built a very strong foundation. We can only go up from here."
During the Monday night meeting, the group was looking for those "good hands." After some debate, the group voted to delay elections until the beginning of the fall semester so members could better plan around their schedules. Elections in the fall would allow more people the opportunity to run for offices, the group decided.
India Jackson‘s name was floated for NABJ president, but nothing was decided. If Jackson is elected in the fall, she plans to continue what Green has started. Jackson wants to continue the organization’s Hoosier Rocket Mentor program where NABJ members mentor high school journalism students a few times per month.
"I’d like to do a lot of fundraising so we can have money to do certain things," Jackson said. "I’d like to host networking events with other NABJ chapters, professional and undergraduate. I’d like to keep growing."
Jeffrey McKinney, who was also nominated for several positions, also wants to see the club grow.
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| Photo by Larry Buchanan |
| Members decided to elect officers when the school year starts in the fall. "I’m excited to be able to come back and see how much we’re going to grow and how much we’re going to do," said member Sally Seye. |
Seye has no doubt that chapter of the year is a possibility.
"I have a lot of faith in this organization," Seye said. "I’m excited to be able to come back and see how much we’re going to grow and how much we’re going to do."
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