Students from the Miller College of Business are in the process of reviving the American Marketing Association chapter at Ball State University.
The chapter, which was closed due to lack of student interest, is being started again with the help of the AMA's Indianapolis branch.
Sophomore marketing and economics major Joe Macri is the president of the AMA Ball State Chapter. Macri has been working on re-initiating the organization since Spring Semester 2009.
"I wanted to get more involved and I was looking at the business Web site about organization to join and I saw this one," he said. "So, I contacted Professor Moser and I found out it was dissolved. I though I might as well take the opportunity to start it up again."
Macri said the organization started with five members and it has kept growing. Monday night at their meeting about 20 students showed up. During the meeting members talked about the organization's goals, and how they will meet each of these goals.
"We want to provide our members with speakers and networking opportunity," Macri said. "Just for students to learn about leadership and have a résumé built."
William Moser, assistant professor of marketing and faculty advisor for the AMA said he has positive expectations for the organization's Ball State chapter.
"Joe is the one who came to me and said he was interested," he said. "So I told him to get a group of students that's interested and then we would talk about it, and that's what he did."
Joining professional organizations is a good way for students to network and learn more about job opportunities, Moser said.
"The only way that students can get a good grade in those classes is through going to professional meetings and networking," he said.
Students should network now more than ever because of the current economy and because of how difficult it is today to find a job, Moser said.
"Networking is powerful," he said. "Generally 70 percent of the jobs come through networking."
According to the AMA Web site, the association was created in 1937, with the goal of "bringing together marketers to collaborate and inspire one another."
Joey Fazio, a freshman pre business major and board member of the organization, said he believed joining the organization is helping him learn more about his major and is making him feel involved.
"Being a new student myself, it has been a good way to meet new people," Fazio said. "I've met a lot of people in the business college through it."
Moser said that as faculty adviser, he is going to support the organization as much as he can, guiding the students from behind. He said he wanted to let them make their decisions and do what they feel is right.
"It's like anything else in life," Moser said. "If somebody does it for us then it's not ours."
Be thereThe AMA meets at 7:30 p.m. TuesdaysPlace may change.Contact Joe Macri by e-mail at jpmacri@bsu.edu
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
