By: Sierra Hall
The Public Relations Council of Alabama hosts a student chapter here at Auburn University at Montgomery. This semester, the PRCA AUM and Dr. Kim’s Sports Communication 3300 class came together to create a cultural campaign that would culminate into an event. This campaign was focused on the international student-athletes that attend, compete, and even work at AUM. The goal of this campaign was created around the diversity plan created by the AUM Athletic Department. The diversity plan created by the AUM Athletic department is “…committed to ensuring diversity is at the center of the AUM experience, helping to create a community where everyone has a place and a voice. Diversity enhances the department by delivering a competitive program for student-athletes that will support the development of the whole person through inclusion, education and competition.” The Candy Around the World campaign wanted to highlight specifically the countries represented by the women’s volleyball team, where they hosted the event on Oct. 28. The event took place before and during the women’s volleyball game against the University of West Alabama. The Warhawks beat the Tigers 3-0. While the Warhawks were defending their home, students, staff and parents of the player learned more about the culture of the international players through candy. The Candy around the World event featured various candies from fourteen different countries – each country represented an athlete on the women’s roster. Dr. Carl Stockton, Chancellor of the university also indulged in the candies. Omari Burton, an upcoming senior at AUM attended the event and said this: “It was cool to see students come together to celebrate other students.” His favorite candy was Chappies, a fruit-flavored bubble gum from South Africa. Dr. Kim and the athletic department both hope to continue creating events for students alongside the PRCA AUM Student Chapter.