Society of Professional Journalists Hosts Headshot Event

Justin Capalbo, professor of photography and Post alumnus, took student photographs to use for professional portfolios, resumés, websites and LinkedIn. The event was free for all students. “Our goal at LIU is to try to prepare students for the workplace, and we try to give them as many different opportunities as possible,” Capalbo said.

Over 40 students were in attendance with majors ranging from nutrition to business. “I thought it was a wonderful experience because headshots can get pretty expensive and it’s good for it to be professional looking,” Tiffany Miller, a political science major and journalism minor, said.

Tracy Zeal, a senior nursing major, enjoyed her experience. “I don’t want to take an immature picture, so taking professional pictures would be better for me and my professional career,” she said.

This was Capalbo’s first time taking headshots for students. “It was a wonderful experience working with the LIU students from all different majors and to give back to the LIU Post community,” he said. While SPJ hasn’t been as active in the past, the new co-presidents, Jada Butler and Dondre Lemon, sophomore and junior journalism majors respectively, plan for more events in the future. “We are hoping to have guest speakers from the New York Times and tours of studios such as FiOS1 or News 12,” Lemon said.

“We want to give our members real world experience, and hopefully what we have planned will be interesting and helpful for their careers,” Butler said.

SPJ is still taking more young writers to join in future events and trips. SPJ has a fee of $37.50 for a one-year membership. Students can sign up at www.spj.org.

Editors Note: Jada Butler and Dondre Lemon are the News Editor and Assistant News Editor of The Pioneer and are featured in this article as the co-presidents of SPJ. Tiffany Miller is also a staff writer for The Pioneer