The document provides details from the 2014-2015 annual report submitted by the Hofstra University Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. It summarizes the chapter's activities over the past year, including holding bi-weekly meetings, participating in campus events like the club fair, and organizing several programming events focused on topics like diversity, ethics, and freedom of information. It also provides information on the chapter's leadership, communications methods, and fundraising events. The chapter president expresses pride in the chapter's accomplishments during its first active year.

1. 2014-2015 Campus Chapter Annual Report Submission Form
This report covers the period from May 31, 2014 to May 1, 2015.
Hofstra University Chapter
of Society of Professional Journalists
Region 1
Name and title of Person Submitting Report: Emily Kamen, President
Phone of Person Submitting Report: 215-595-6564
Email Address of Person Submitting Report:ekamen4@pride.hofstra.edu
Introductory Statement
Initsfirstyearofactivation,theHofstraUniversitySocietyofProfessional
Journalists has branded itself as a prestigious pre-professional society on
Hofstra’s campus. Learning the in’s and out’s of running a campus chapter
at a University wasn’t always easy but it has been an extremely eye-opening
and rewarding year for the chapter as a whole. As a team, the organization
had a multitude of programs, fundraising events, and campus initiatives
that relate to SPJ standards and the journalism industry as a whole.
As the President of this new campus chapter, I am extremely pleased
with the way the board and general members executed events, planned
for the future and genuinely cared about this industry that so many people
claim “is fading” (here at HUSPJ we know this is far from the truth).
We at HUSPJ appreciate you taking the time to explore our efforts over
the past year; we hope you are as impressed with the last 365 days as we
are!
Sincerely,
Emily Kamen
President
Chapter Information
Chapter Web Site: hofstraspj.org/
Instagram: @HofstraSPJ
Twitter: @HofstraSPJ
Facebook: Hofstra University
Society of Professional Journalists
Chapter Leadership
Chapter President: Emily Kamen
Address: 1492 Brookfield Road,
Yardley, PA 19067
Phone: 215-595-6564
Email: ekamen4@pride.hofstra.edu
Chapter Adviser: Chris Vaccaro
Address: 61 Lafayette Ave. Lake
Grove, N.Y. 11755
Phone: 631-848-7589
Email: c.r.vaccaro@gmail.com
Additional Officers:
Vice President: Melanie Rainone
Secretary: Maggie Stamets
Treasurer: Frank DeLuca
Date of Elections: Every May

2. National and Regional Representation
Was your chapter represented at Excellence in Journalism or the Regional Conference in 2014? No
Name of Representative(s): N.A.
If not, did your chapter receive a waiver from your Regional Director?
Our first official semester as a club was Fall 2014, so we could not send any representatives to EIJ.
Chapter Membership Activities
Event: Hofstra Club Fair
Date: September 1, 2014
Attendance: Over 100 people mingled with HUSPJ executive board members
Description: HUSPJ attended its first club fair (for the whole Hofstra community). The executive board set
up a table which included a poster of our club mission and miscellaneous pictures, information about SPJ and
information about HUSPJ specifically. Our table attracted over 100 students. Giving them the opportunity to sign
up for newsletters from our secretary, HUSPJ gained over 100 email subscribers during this 2 hour event. As a
new chapter, getting out name out there is crucial to building our chapter. Having a long emailing list is imperative
to getting people informed and interested in HUSPJ meetings and events.
Ongoing Event: Bi-Weekly Club Meetings
Dates: Every other Tuesday
Description: By holding regular meetings for the general members we are able to generate interest and publicize
future events. These meetings are also a time to plan future events and get input from all the members on various
events and journalism-related issues. We are lucky to have a solid base of members who come regularily and
always strive to get involved. As a new chapters our members are what make or break us so these meetings help
the e-board stay connected to our chapter and include everyone in our planning .
Chapter Programming
How many programs did your chapter have during the reporting period? 8
Diversity
Event: Meet the Media: Broadcast
Date of Program: March 10, 2015
Approximate Attendance: 50
Please describe: In an ongoing
series that HUSPJ started – “Meet
the Media” – students are able to
get a closer insight into the facet of
journalism that most interests them.
During this event, two broadcast
reporters (Andrew Dymburt, News
12 Brooklyn and Bryan Llenas, Fox
News) discussed their success in

3. the television industry. What began as a general conversation about the general field, turned into an in depth
conversation about the challenges Bryan (who is Latino) faced while searching for jobs. The panel turned to a
discussion of diversity in the broadcast mediums.
FOI
Event: Free Speech or Free Pizza?
Date of Program: April 28, 2015
Approximate Attendance: 15
Please describe: FREE pizza party - with a catch. Everyone who attended the event was asked to must sign a
sheet stating that as long they attend, they must abide by rules dictating what they can and cannot say. This event
forces people to ask themselves “Would you be willing to give up your first amendment rights for free pizza?”
However, as they walked away they understood how important free speech is for citizens going about their
everyday life. It also emphasized the importance of the freedom of information for journalists to do their job. FOI
fact sheets were distributed as people left.
Ethics
Event: The Digital Newsroom
Date of Program: November 10, 2014
Approximate Attendance: 100
Please describe: Journalism students learned how to work in
a digital newsroom from four Hofstra alums who working in
one right now: Lauren McCullough (Editor at Facebook) Matt
Silverman (Editorial Director at Mashable) Ryan Broderick
(Reporter at BuzzFeed News) Veronica Da Souza (Editor at
Digg). Much of the discussion that took place surrounded
around the idea of what can and cannot be appropriately covered
by these digital outlets. Ryan Broderick, for example, spoke
about breaking a story of a shooting in Florida for buzzfeed and
the challenged that he faced when deciding who to talk to and
how much information to release to the public. After the panel
discussion, the floor was opened to students in attendance to ask
any questions.
Service Project
Event: Press Club of Long Island Holiday Party
Date of Program: December 5, 2014
Approximate Attendance: 80
Please describe: The student chapter of HUSPJ helped the president of the Press Club of Long Island (Chris
Vaccaro) plan and host the Holiday Party this past December. This event was a fantastic opportunity for students
to communicate with each other while planning an event that helped many network and connect with each other.
Other Programs
Event: Come to the Region 1 Conference!
Date: (Meeting March 31st) Pitches were given throughout the month of April

4. Attendance: 20
Description: We encouraged members (during one of our general meetings) of HUSPJ to give a speech to specific
classed about the Region 1 Conference held at Hofstra University. As journalists, it’s not only important that we
know how to write eloquently, but speak just as well. Students learned how to properly ‘pitch’an event to a crowd
of people and executed their speeches throughout the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. This program
resulted in a surge of student attendees at our Region 1 Conference.
Event: LinkedIn Night
Date: Feburary 17, 2015
Attendance: 25
Description: With laptops in hand and belly’s full of cookies, HUSPJ students enjoyed a relaxed night mingling
and learning how to create a LinkedIn page. Many students were seeing the platform for the first time, so we had
an interactive powerpoint and helped students create their page.
Event: Sports Night
Date: October 7, 2014
Attendance: 15
Description: James Parziale, the editor from fox sports came to speak to journalism students about ‘dream jobs’,
his success in the sports journalism industry and tips on how student journalists can ensure that their efforts are
seen in and out of the classroom. The small, intimate group allowed for a relaxed question and answer setting
where students felt at ease asking their most pressing post-grad inquiries.
Event: Create a Business Card
Date: March 24, 2015
Attendance: 15
Description: In preparation for the Region 1 Conference, students wanted to create their own business cards.
With a powerpoint presentation and examples to base off of, students were able to create and order their own
cards for personal branding. During this meeting, we also discussed the importance of branding yourself and how
that affects the way you network. Other topics discussed: LinkedIn, Wix Websites, and head shots (all things that
could potentially go on business cards).
Chapter Communications
As a new chapter Facebook was imperative to getting the word out, as well as sharing with other pre-professional
groups on campus. We have an HUSPJ page where we post events and helpful information for our members. We
also greatly encourage tweeting, especially live-tweeting the events we hold. Interacting with own members as
well as other chapters on twitter allows us to share ideas and thoughts, keeping people in the loop even if they have
to miss events. We also use gmail to communicate with anyone who has signed up with us. the email list generates
the most participation because it is a direct line from members to us, however social media like Facebook and
Twitter allows us to share relevant news and thoughts to do with SOPJ, ethics and journalism.

5. Chapter Fundraising
Event: Professional Headshots
Date of Event: October 14th, 2014
Attendance: 28
Description: Hofstra community could get professional headshots for $5
for members or $10 for non-members. The event had several people take
headshots and lasted for four hours. Participants signed up in advance
to secure a five minute time slot with one of our student photographers,
although several walk ins stopped by. After checking in, participants
were able to spend five minutes with the photographers in a professional
studio. After the event our photographers edited the shots and they were
shared with the participants. It was a great event to get our name out there
as a new chapter on campus and allowed us to meet and help out several
members of other pre- professional groups, as well as tell journalism
students about SPJ to generate interest.
Additional Comments
SPJ Region One Confrence at Hofstra University
The Press Club of Long Island hosted the region One confrence and
enlisted the help of HUSPJ volunteers. The confence was the most attended
regional conference in history by both students and professionals. Our
members gained valuable reporting experience along with a chance to
meet other members of our region. As a new chapter, oportunities to
connect with other chapters are very important to us.
Attendance Record: 150 registered guests + 50 speakers/moderators +
12 volunteers
HUSPJ Volunteers: Ten HUSPJ members volunteered to assist the PCLI in running the registration table, actu-
ion table, selling raffle tickets, live tweet from personal accounts and the official HUSPJ and SPJR1 twitters, and
most importantly cover ever panel.
Panel coverage and article link: HUSPJ members each covered 15 panels over the course of the confrence and
wrote articles that are published on http://www.spjr1c.org/.
Photo courtesy of PCLI
HUSPJ members man the auction table on
Day 2 of SPJR1

6. Chapter Bylaws
Student Government Association Preamble
Under Article 1, Section 2, of the Student Government Association (SGA) Constitution, the following orga-
nization is hereby granted approval to function as a student organization for the best interest of the University
community. It is the duty of this student organization to follow the Student Government Association’s Constitu-
tion and Policy Series. Membership in this organization is open to all full time undergraduate students without
regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disabil-
ity, marital or veteran status (“protected status” in the conduct and operation of its educational programs and
activities, including admission and employment.
ARTICLE I: NAME
The official name of our organization is the Hofstra University Chapter of the Society of Professional Journal-
ists.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
A free press enhances our freedom and our liberty as a nation. The cornerstone of our organization is to support
the freedom of press as much as possible. It is a journalist’s duty to keep the people of the United States accu-
rately and timely informed.
1. To promote the flow of information
2. To encourage an environment in which journalism can be practiced freely and fully
3. To stimulate high standards and ethical behavior in the practice of journalism 4. To foster excellence
and encourage diversity among journalists
5. To inspire successive generations of talented individuals to become dedicated journalists
6. To maintain constant watch in protection of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United
States of America
ARTICLE III: CLUB ADVISOR
1. The Club Advisor for this organization must be a non-student Hofstra University employee
2. The advisor must be approved by (2/3) vote of the active members of this organization.
3. The duties of the club adviser will be the following
a. Mentor and advise this organization on how best to fulfill its purpose
b. Hold members and officers of this organization accountable
c. Provide structure for the meetings of this organization and serve as a resource for all members
and officers during meetings.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
1. A. Membership in this organization is open to all Hofstra University students with a commitment to
communication in the journalism or broadcast fields.
2. B. Membership will not discriminate against anyone regardless of gender, race, nationality, handi-
cap and sexual orientation.
3. C. The application procedure entails the filling out of a membership form and the payment of the
required dues to the national SPJ organization ($37.50 annually) and SPJ Hofstra chapter ($5 annual-
ly).
ARTICLE V: DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND THEIR ELECTIONS

7. 1. A. The titles of the officers and their duties shall be to:
1. President
1. Preside at full meetings of the club
2. Act as a member ex-officio of all club committees
3. Represent the club where such representation is required, requested, or deemed appropri-
ate and/or acceptable
4. Carry out or delegate all duties not specifically vested in any other officer of the club
5. Update collegiate link by ensuring that the member roster is active and complete and by
updating adviser information
2. Vice President
1. Assume the duty of the President in the event of a registration, removal of the President,
or in the event that the President cannot for any reason fulfill his/her duties.
2. In the event that a chairperson of any committee is unable to fulfill his/her duties, the
Vice President will act as temporary chairperson until a new one is appointed.
3. Shall assist in coordinating all functions of the organization
4. Oversee Membership/Publicity committee
3. Treasurer
1. Keep track of all records concerning club funds in cooperation with the Hofstra Office of
Student Life and the chapter President and Vice President.
2. Shall oversee the fundraising/event committee
4. Corresponding Secretary:
1. Take notes at meetings and distribute them to President and club members.
2. Fill out any necessary paper work for the club
3. Control social media networks in order to better communicate with club members.
4. This position shall also work with the chapter president and adviser to promote upcoming
events to campus and mainstream media.
5. He/she will also oversee the Blog committee
*Detailed job descriptions will be shared with officer candidates prior to student officer elections each spring.
2. B. Election Rules
1. Officers. Any good standing member desiring to run for an office shall be nominated by current mem-
bers and apply to the chapter.
1. Committee membership. Any full member or associate member interested in serving on a com-
mittee shall apply to the chapter. If a chairperson has already been elected, that person shall chair
the appropriate committee. If a chairperson has not been elected previously, any member may
temporarily chair a committee through a majority vote of that committee.
2. Important: Elections will occur at an official meeting in each Spring quarter. Officers will serve
from the spring quarter of the current year to the following year’s spring quarter.
3. The presiding officer shall take nominations from the floor. Any active member may nominate
any other eligible active member for any office
4. Important: The incoming president may opt to conduct interviews for potential executive board
members in lieu of an election. This requires a majority vote by the existing e-board members so

8. the president may proceed.
5. All ballots must be cast in person. No voting by proxy will be permitted at any election. How-
ever, if an active member cannot attend the elections, he/she may hand in a signed written ballot
to the advisor before the election.
6. The order of the elections shall start with the President. After the President is elected, the
Vice-President will be elected, followed by the treasurer, then secretary. Officers take their posi-
tions at the conclusion of elections.
7. There shall be a closed ballot; the election shall be constituted by a simple majority of active
members present and voting
1. If any one candidate does not obtain a majority, the two (2) individuals with the highest
number of votes will participate in a run-off election.
2. If there is a tie in the percentage of votes cast in the first election, all of the candidates
will reintroduce themselves and procees with another election until there is either a clear
majority of (2) individuals with the highest number of votes which refers back to sub-sub
section.
8. Procedure in the event of registration, removal or vacancy:
1. Any vacancy in the Presidency shall result in the succession of the Vice President to the
Presidency
2. If for any reason the VP cannot assume the presidency, and election shall take place as
soon as possible to elect a new president.
1. Officer Election and Service Time Frame
New officers will take over at the end of the winter quarter/start of the spring quarter. The exception is
this first year, when new officers take over in Winter 2014 and will serve through the start of the Spring
2015 quarter. This allows for the new leadership to get situated before the fall quarter begins.
1. a. Other years: Spring quarter to Spring quarter appointments, so undergraduate seniors with
one quarter remaining and second-year graduate students with one or two quarters remaining are
ineligible to hold officer positions. You must be able to fulfill your entire officer term within your
academic eligibility.
2. b. There are no GPA requirements for leadership positions. You must be enrolled as a full-time
Hofstra student and be a member of SPJ National and SPJ Hofstra to be eligible for election.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS
1. Meetings shall be held biweekly while classes are in session. The exact time and date shall be deter-
mined by a common agreement of the members
2. Special Meetings A. If one-third (1/3) of the club’s active members present a petition in writing to the
President, he/she is required to call a special meeting within 48 hours. B. During special meeting, no
removal of officers shall take place.
3. A quorum of a majority of the active members will be required for any business actions at a meeting
4. Only active members may be permitted to vote at meetings.
ARTICLE VII: REMOVAL OF OFFICERS
1. If it is determined that an officer is not fulfilling the duties of his/her position, or is violating the rules
and procedures of the club, he/she shall be removed from office or could be removed from the club in
the following manner.
a. A concerned member to collect and bring chargers against the officer

9. b. Said member shall send a letter to the officer notifying him/her of the date of the impeachment
vote
c. They will present their findings to the club
d. The officer will have a chance to rebut the charges
e. After all procedures have been carried out, a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all active members is re-
quired to remove the officer.
ARTICLE VIII: COMMITTEES
1. A. The following committees shall be formed as needed:
1. Membership/Publicity – shall help spread our club purpose in order to retain members and gain
membership. The vice president shall chair the committee.
2. Fundraising/Event – shall determine needs for facilities and programs seeking venues of funding.
This committee will also plan events to help with club retention and interest. The treasurer shall
chair the committee.
3. Blog—shall frequently update a wordpress (or similar) site in order to keep SPJ national and
other campus chapters up to date with happenings on Hofstra’s campus. The corresponding sec-
retary shall chair the committee.
1. B. To become part of a committee, a member must sign up with the interest group of his or her
choice. The chair of a committee must organize and help execute events and meetings.
1. C. Each committee formed by the chapter shall meet at least twice a semester.
ARTICLE IX: FINANCES
Members are considered in good standing upon payment of SPJ national and Hofstra chapter dues. The treasur-
er shall be responsible for making sure all members pay national dues. If the chapter ceases to exist, all chap-
ter money will be distributed evenly between the Student Press Law Center and the SPJ Legal Defense Fund.
Members have to pay chapter dues if they wish to put SPJ on their resumes.
ARTICLE X: METHOD OF AMENDMENT
1. Proposed amendments to this constitution shall be presented at any regular meeting and shall be ratified
by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the active members present and voting at the following regular meeting. The
SGA rules committee will approve any amendments.
ARTICLE XI: RATIFICATION
This constitution shall become valid upon approval by two-thirds of the local membership. This constitution
shall supersede any previous bylaws. The bylaws will be reviewed each academic year. The SGA rules commit-
tee will approve the new constitution.

10. Chapter Financial Information
Chapter’s Federal Tax ID Number: N/A
Are your chapter funds in university managed accounts?: Yes
Chapter’s Financial Institution: Hofstra University
Chapter’s Routing Number: N/A
Chapter Account Number(s) (Please list ALL chapter accounts): Student Government allocates our chapter
money for food and miscellaneous items for the club. Unused money goes back to the student government asso-
ciation at the end of the semester and therefore does not count in the “funds raised” category.
Bank Balance (START of this reporting period): $0
Funds Raised (during this reporting period): $335.02
Expenses Incurred (during this reporting period): $0
Bank Balance (END of this reporting period): $355.02
If your chapter is registered as a subordinate chapter of SPJ, did you file the IRS Form 990 (for chapters
grossing more than $50,000 per year) or E-Postcard 990N (for those grossing less than $50,000 per year)?
No, we are a student chapter and our funds are managed through Hofstra University.
Financial Review
To ensure a chapter’s continued financial health and reinforce sound accounting procedures, it is required that
three members meet annually with the chapter treasurer to examine the chapter’s financial records.
This (at least) three-member committee, appointed by the chapter president, should conduct a review to include,
but is not limited to:
•Reviewing bank statements
•Reconciling checks and check registers with bank statements
•Reviewing receipts
•Examining expenses
Did your chapter conduct a financial review during this reporting period? Yes
Please provide information for those reviewing the chapter’s financial records:
Reviewer #1 Name and Email: Emily Kamen; ekamen4@pride.hofstra.edu
Reviewer #2 Name and Email: Maggie Stamets; stamets.m@gmail.com
Reviewer #3 Name and Email: Frank DeLuca; fdeluc4@pride.hofstra.edu