Monmouth University offers a wide range of clubs that students can join, and one category of these clubs is tailored to areas of study. The field of communications offers several clubs including Hawk TV, Shadow PR Firm, CommWorks, Sports Industry Club, Hawk Interactive, WMCX 88.9 FM, and The Outlook.
Deanna Shoemaker, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Communication and faculty advisor of CommWorks, spoke on the value of club membership. Dr. Shoemaker said, “Students build lasting friendships, learn to collaborate with each other, develop leadership skills, design and create events, and expand the applied skills they’ve learned in our classrooms.”
Communication-based clubs in particular can help students develop. Robert Scott, Senior Specialist Professor and Hawk TV faculty advisor, said, “Communications offers outstanding opportunities for students of all majors and, for many, the first chance to spread their wings, make new friends, and discover their passions.”
Hawk TV is the student-run television station that has four shows, shooting three times a week. The students of Hawk TV produce, edit, and shoot Triple Scoop, Extra Point, Creation Corner, and Hawk TV News. Hawk TV is open to all experience levels even if an individual has never held a camera or been in a studio before. At Hawk TV, they emphasize teaching new skills to members so that everyone can be as involved as possible during the shoots and so students can be as successful in the TV industry.
The different shows touch on many different interests including pop culture, sports, and news, allowing students an opportunity to feel connected to at least one show. Since Hawk TV is also open to all majors, it allows for diversity of ideas. Chloe Gosk, junior communications student and Station Manager of Hawk TV, said, “Communication majors can be programmed to think a certain way like TV has to be done this way, or creativity can only come from a certain thing … they [non-communication majors] can shake things up a little bit and offer new perspectives.”
Being a general member of Hawk TV includes going to meetings and shoots. At a shoot, members can help as the crew or talent and suggest ideas to E-board members and producers.
Gosk has been in the club since Fall 2022. She reflected on her time as a Hawk TV member and commented, “It has definitely confirmed things I want to do post-grad. I knew I wanted to be in the realm of communications … joining Hawk TV has definitely solidified the things about TV production that I enjoy.”
Professor Scott was involved with Hawk TV as an undergrad at Monmouth and is now the club advisor. He emphasized the importance of skills that surround the study of communications. Scott continued, “Try to imagine a brand, company, politician, or industry that is not highly reliant upon video, audio, and social media to tell their stories today. There’s never been a more important time to be media savvy with effective communication skills, regardless of your field.”
WMCX 88.9 FM is a student run radio station, transmitting over a 35-mile radius with about 250,000 listeners a year. WMCX celebrated its 50th year running last semester. WMCX helps prepare students for future careers in broadcasting with music programming, newscasts, talk shows, special interviews, and sporting events.
WMCX provides a strong sense of community for its members. “When I was an undergrad, WMCX radio was a major part of my social life at MU and the early inspiration for my professional media aspirations,” said Professor Scott.
The Sports Industry Club promotes networking opportunities for aspiring sports professionals. Brandon Govea, senior mathematics student and club president, said, “The Sports Industry Club’s goal is to connect with people whose career is in the sports industry.”
Membership of the club is helpful for students trying to figure out what avenue of sports they would like to pursue by hearing from a wide range of professionals in the field including communication, management, statistics, administration, media, and more.
Elaborating on the structure of the club, Govea said, “We have weekly zoom meetings with people who work in the industry so we can connect with them, ask them questions, and get their contact information.” The Sports Industry Club also goes on a few trips a year to various sporting events, networking with staff via a panel prior to the game.
The Shadow PR Firm is a PRSSA nationally accredited student-run public relations firm. They work with local clients to assist with their PR needs including social media management and fundraising. This year, the Shadow PR Firm is working with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal and Northern NJ, Asbury Park Tennis Initiative, and Redeem Her.
Senior communications student, and co-president of the Shadow PR firm, Bailey Fredricks said, “Students should join PRSSA because it’s a great way to get hands-on experience working with real clients. We also have weekly meetings on Wednesday with guest speakers in the professional PR & Marketing fields; this is a great way to make connections and find internships.”
The club is not restricted to only communication majors, but those who are marketing majors may also find membership useful. Fredricks commented, “PRSSA has benefited me because it is not only a great resume builder, but it also has provided with so many experiences and opportunities that I can apply to further my professional career post-graduation.”
The PRSSA is looking to get more involved with the campus community this year by hosting more events.
For those looking to get involved, the Shadow PR Firm meets every Wednesday at 3pm.
CommWorks shares the power of public communication especially through performance which the club does by hosting events.
According to Dr. Shoemaker, “Performances in CommWorks are defined very broadly to include storytelling, original group performances featuring student writing, performances for social justice, digital performances, stagings of short plays, poetry and prose literature, speeches, interactive events, singing, dancing, and fun workshops. Students who love to work creatively with other student creatives should join.”
Hawk Interactive is a digital media and design club that focuses on 3D printing, designing and smartphone video production. Jefferson Gonzalez, junior communication student and president of Hawk Interactive, said, “We do a lot of fun stuff, a lot of off campus trips so if you are interested in media that is digital and you like to design, you should come to the club.”
The Outlook is the student run newspaper of Monmouth University since 1933. Regardless of major or experience, students can cover the news and events on campus.
There are seven sections including news, opinions, features, lifestyles, entertainment, politics, and sports.
The Outlook provides students with opportunities to strengthen their writing skills outside of the classroom and give students the experience needed to further their careers in
journalism or otherwise.
The communication-based clubs are a great way for Monmouth University students to get involved on campus, regardless of their major. More information on these clubs, and all others offered at Monmouth can be found at https://www.monmouth.edu/student-activities/clubs-and-organizations/.
