About 100 students, professors, graduates, and others gathered at the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center on Tuesday night to network and enjoy mocktails and food.
The Mocktail event featured music, booths from the Journalism department, UofM-themed mocktails, music, and a bingo sheet to try and get people to make connections.
The bingo sheet featured icebreakers like, “Does your car have a name,” and “Are you a morning person,” to deeper questions like “How to handle tight deadlines,” and “Advice for yourself when younger.”
The event also hosted a table with representatives from the Professional Relations Society of America (PRSA).
“The PRSA mentors students for a seamless transition into the workplace,” said PRSA president-elect Elizabeth Whittington.
The event also invited multiple people from around Memphis to attend. One of the people invited was photojournalist Chris Day with the Commercial Appeal.
“I was excited to be invited,” said Day.
Day stressed the importance of college students seeing someone young like him at events or in classes.
“I feel like going to classes and usually it’s someone a lot older than me but it's nice for students to see someone around the student's age,” said Day. “I love to teach classes here.”
Many students at the event said they made multiple good-quality connections.
“I feel like I made some connections. I’m unsure what I want to do career-wise but it's refreshing to talk to people like me too,” said sophomore Elizabeth Love.
“This is a beneficial event for journalists,” said junior Noah Zandy.
“This was a really fun event,” said freshman Seth Parker. Parker said he networked with journalism majors and alumni who majored in journalism.
