News & Photos
STHM Student Association Kicks Off Successful Year
By Julie Achilles
With another semester underway, Temple’s School of Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) Student Association is busy planning the spring 2009 events for their growing membership.
“From my perspective, seeing where we started to where we are now, I am thrilled with the number of students that we have. And it’s not only the quantity, but it’s the quality too,” said Jennifer Thiel, assistant director of student services for STHM and advisor of the Student Association.
The organization, which currently boasts about 80 members, began strictly as a student professional organization, but has since grown to offer social networking, professional presentations and many planned outings. “Because STHM was such a small school at the beginning, not a lot of students knew who they were or what they were getting into,” commented Thiel, who has worked with STHM for seven years now. “It helped to have a student organization to give them identity and place.”
It’s this sense of “identity” that has contributed to the growing success of the Student Association. Tara Miller, junior STHM student and current president of the Student Association, explained that their recruitment efforts focus primarily on incoming freshmen and transfer students. And unlike other organizations, underclassmen are given equal opportunity to assume executive board positions. “I think it’s good that sophomores or juniors can get their chance to be a leader too,” said Miller. “We can all share in our development.”
As this year’s president, Miller hopes to get more students involved in the general assembly. “To do that, we initiated a mentoring program,” she explained. “Everyone on our executive board has a group of freshmen, sophomore or transfer students that they talk to directly about events or meetings. This way, they develop a personal contact.”
STHM sophomore Rachel Wolkiewicz is new to the Student Association and is already taking advantage of opportunities and making connections. “I wanted to become more involved in my major and the executive board seemed very approachable,” added Wolkiewicz.
After hearing a presentation on the Hospitality, Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) at one of the general assembly meetings, Wolkiewicz volunteered to be the communications liaison for the Temple chapter. “This connection could be my ticket into the industry,” she said.
The STHM Student Association’s first planned event of the fall semester was a true success. On Oct. 6, 2008, students enjoyed a Mexican dinner at the downtown eatery El Vez for Restaurant Week. Combining social interaction with an educational experience, the executive board arranged for a question and answer session after dinner with the general manager of El Vez and Temple alumnus, Zach Scott.
Jonathan Leshner, vice president of the Student Association and junior sport management major explained, “A lot of our events are meant to bring the students together to have a good time while still providing an intellectual benefit. We feel that the Student Association has this advantage over many of the other student professional organizations and we utilize it.”
Similarly, around Halloween, the Student Association took a trip to Eastern State Penitentiary for “Terror Behind the Walls,” and spoke with a tour operator and a representative from group sales. On Nov. 16, 2008, they attended a Flyers game followed by a presentation from the Director of Marketing, Lindsay Domers.
In addition to these outings, the STHM Student Association takes part in community service projects such as Philadelphia Cares Day and “Boo at the Zoo,” a fun day for city children held at the zoo. “The students are very active within both STHM and the larger Temple and Philadelphia communities, so we are making great contributions all over the city,” commented Miller.
Echoing this sentiment, Thiel expressed the importance of putting STHM on the map. “The events we have, the internships our students get, the more exposure we solicit, the more recognized we become!”
The executive board is currently planning events for the spring semester, including the Student Association’s biggest annual occasion, Super Saturday. “On Super Saturday we travel to a different city and we fill the whole day with tourism, hospitality, sport and recreation events. We try to fit every part of the major into one day,” explained Miller. The Student Association is considering Washington, D.C. or Lancaster as possible destinations for this year’s event.
Looking forward to the upcoming months, Leshner encouraged the entire STHM community to become involved with the Student Association. “Students should be proactive with their college careers and we give them an outlet to do so,” he said. “We will all be entering the work force at the same time and it can only benefit everyone if we have contacts starting in college that continue into our careers.”
The opportunity to travel and network with other students and professionals offers an alternative way to experience the tourism and hospitality industry for Temple’s STHM students. “We demand so much of our students but we want the executive board and the general assembly to realize that this major can do so much,” said Thiel.
Thiel’s hopes for this coming year include furthered peer-to-peer influence and interaction. “It’s gratifying from my perspective to see alumni come back and support all of the students,” she said. “I trust and I know that the STHM Student Association will do remarkable things.”
For more information on the STHM Student Association, visit http://www.sthm.temple.edu/sorg/