By Anne Hall

The very first Public Relations Club to ever grace the halls of CSUSM has begun convening as of this spring. Members have high aspirations to help make a positive impact on society and motivate intellectual thinking.

Each semester, the club will be aiding a specific campaign or organization so that students will perform tasks and expectations governed by the public relations field. Students that are already involved in the org. are excited about the opportunities this group provides.

“The main purpose of the Public Relations Club at California State University San Marcos is to develop practical public relations skills through participating in community outreach and building civic relationships while fostering campus involvement,” PR Club President, Tracey Engleton, said. “The mission of the club is to combine theory and application for use in the real world, while also gaining experiences from professionals in the field, using social media and networking, along with many other PR tools that make public relations a fascinating career. Our club uses the definition of praxis to set our agenda [Praxis: putting theories to work].”

“Our goal is to educate people. For me, personally, the experience I will gain from participating in this club will give me the leg up on the competition.  I want to be in public relations and having this club in my background will show that I’m already doing campaigns and already making taglines and doing crisis letters. It’s going to help me a lot to look better against any competition,” PR Club Secretary, Erin Taylor, said.

“This club has been a dream of mine for a number for years, and for many of those years students have come to me, knowing my background in public relations, and have asked me about internships and how they might get involved in this field,” club adviser, Dr. Fredi Avalos, said. “For me, this club allows the students to take what they’ve learned; their skill set knowledge, and connect the dots to a real profession. [It’s] an exciting profession: public relations, putting theory to work.”

There is plenty of room for participants and the club is looking for people that have the motivated spirit to help the club achieve its goals.  For more information about participation or becoming a member, contact Tracey Engleton at [email protected]. There is a strong demand for people with various talents and skill sets.