The Churchill Society one of the Pepperdine School of Public Policy’s (SPP) youngest student organizations held its first meeting this week at Drescher Graduate Campus.
According to Jacklin Boyadjian second-year SPP student and president of the Churchill Society the club’s purpose is to promote leadership prudence and community in public policy. Established in March 2008 the organization is named after Winston Churchill and seeks to facilitate conversation among its members about relevant public policy issues. The club also invites elected officials and political experts to come speak at Pepperdine. The Churchill Society is exclusive to Pepperdine’s SPP.
“We bring in speakers and have discussions on things that are currently happening in our world Boyadjian said. I feel like they [the Society] will take their experience and apply it to what’s happening in the world.”
Because the club is still relatively new one of the group’s goals this year is to spread awareness about itself to Pepperdine students.
“This year we want to make it more well-known not only at the graduate campus but also at the undergrad level and [in] the whole Pepperdine community said La Toya Gratten, a second-year SPP student who serves as the society’s historian.
Boyadjian said she hopes to schedule four prominent speakers for the upcoming school year. Possible speakers include Nevada Senate candidate Danny Tarkanian, California Assemblyman Paul Krekorian and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
In 2008, the Churchill Society events included a financial crisis forum with club members and four professors from the School of Public Policy, as well as a group discussion and analysis of the 2008 Presidential Election.
In addition to public policy-related events, the Churchill Society also has a series of social gatherings on the schedule, such as movie nights, bowling nights and mixers, to develop community between its members. The club also plans to participate in one group community service activity per semester, in association with Habitat for Humanity.
Boyadjian affirmed that the Society is more than a social club — it’s an academic organization that strives to prepare its members for careers in public policy.
It’s not just a social event or social organization she said. What we’re doing is policy related.”
Boyadjian also said the Society is looking for a first-year SPP student to fill the leadership position of Social Chair whose responsibilities would include planning club events and committing to involvement in the organization over the next two years.
“I want to get the first-year class involved because when we [the second-years] are gone in April we’re going to need someone who can take over and continue this organization Boyadjian said.
Additionally, the Social Chair would serve as a bridge between the first and second-year members.
[The Social Chair] needs to know what we do the social events we have the contacts that I have as far as public speakers and things of that sort she said. In this way a Social Chair can be responsible for all the fun things that are happening and organize them and work with our class as well as their class.”
Kelly Faltis a first-year SPP student said she was impressed and joined the Society with high expectations.
“Plus it’s another opportunity to meet other students here at school Faltis added.
I thought it would definitely be worthwhile. They’re a fairly new organization and it sounds like they trying to grow the organization. I’d definitely love to be a part of something that’s going to become relevant on campus she said.