MUNCIE —
About 40 Ball State University students will head to London for a rare opportunity: reporting on the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The journalism, telecommunications, public relations, graphic design and sports administration majors won’t be covering the competition, which ranges from archery to wrestling.
They are leaving that to NBC, which is paying a record $1.18 billion for the broadcast rights, and other media. But the students will be telling behind-the-scenes stories from the streets, press conferences, training facilities and the Athletes Village in Olympic Park.
“We know our audience is not coming to us to find out if Michael Phelps won,” said telecommunications instructor Chris Taylor. “Our focus is … the stories behind the games, introducing folks to the athletes and their interesting stories.”
In fact, the students already have started gathering news — traveling, for example, to Cincinnati for a story on boxer Rau’shee Warren, a flyweight who will become the first U.S. boxer to compete in three Olympics.
Warren grew up in a deadly, impoverished neighborhood, which the students visited.
“Let’s go to my neighborhood,” Warren said. “I’ll show you what it’s like.”
“We shot video in the neighborhood where all this stuff went down,” Taylor said. “We built a relationship with him. We did the same thing with (welterweight boxer) Errol Spence Jr. from Dallas. We went to his old gym in a bad neighborhood, but it was not as bad as Rau’shee’s.”
The students also have built relationships with diver Thomas Finchum, judo competitor Kayla Wilson, synchronized swimmers and other Olympians.
They spent several days in Dallas at the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Team USA Media Summit, where Phelps was the star attraction.
The relationship-building resulted in some of the athletes recognizing the students at the media summit. “Hey, it’s the BSU guys,” one athlete said, to the surprise of some of the professional media.
“When we began thinking about this project, in the back of my mind I wanted to show journalism students something cool about the media,” journalism instructor Ryan Sparrow said. “Nowadays, the industry outlook is really gloom and doom. Getting to go to Dallas and having access to nationally known athletes and coaches is really cool.”
The project gives the students digital skills needed for employment in media other than print. Sparrow saw nontraditional media at the summit in Dallas, including bloggers, Yahoo and Twitter.
The project sprang from an existing BSU study abroad program at the University of Worcester, about a 90-minute train ride northwest of London, where the students will be staying. The students are paying much of the expense for their Olympic venture, for which they will receive class credit, although BSU Provost Terry King provided immersive learning funding to cover some expenses, like a London flat through which the students will rotate.
Why are public relations students among those attending?
“They’re kind of our own media relations agency,” Taylor said.
Content from the project will be provided to The Tribune Co., which owns the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, other major newspapers and more than 20 television and radio stations; WTHR, the NBC affiliate in Indianapolis; the U.S. Olympic Committee; hometown newspapers; the governing bodies of sports organizations, and other outlets.
Schools
Ball State students travel to report on Olympics
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High schoolers attend automotive, welding skills competitions
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Riverton Parke presents concert, music awards
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Turkey Run senior awards and honors
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South earns national yearbook design honor
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Vincennes University Dean’s List
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4 more honored as Four Star Schools
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Bruce’s history lessons: Truman’s decision to recognize Israel
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- Reunion listings: May 16, 2013
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Chances and Services for Youth to participate in food program
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South Latin students compete at convention
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Southwest Parke School Corp. receives eLearning grant
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Otter Creek competes in regional Academic Super Bowl
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Riverton Parke FFA teams compete at April 16 contest
Two Riverton Parke FFA Parliamentary Procedure Teams competed at the section competition for the Parliamentary Procedure Demonstration Contest on April 16 at the Indiana FFA Center in Trafalgar.
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Parks offering summer day camp
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State recognizes counties for improving college success
Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers recognized 26 Indiana counties for working to increase the percentage of Hoosiers with education beyond high school. The counties are members of Indiana’s College Success Coalition, a statewide network focused on improving college access and success.
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College Challenge program earns accreditation
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ISP offers youth an up close look at law enforcement
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Goals, Pride & Achievements: May 16, 2013
Alyssa A. Barnes of Clinton graduated from Purdue University on Sunday.
She has a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and tourism management, with a minor in psychology. -
Woodrow Wilson students collect funds for animals
The leadership team from Woodrow Wilson Middle School sponsored a week of giving to collect funds and supplies for the Terre Haute Humane shelter.
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Riverton Parke academic bowl team finishes strong
The Riverton Parke English academic bowl team finished as runner-up at the state finals competition on May 4 at Purdue University, and the social studies team swept through all of its last eight questions without a miss to finish third in the contest.
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Turkey Run High School names top 2013 students
Kaleigh Basan has been named valedictorian and Jeff Woods and Kendall Davies are co-salutatorians for the Turkey Run High School Class of 2013.
Graduation ceremonies will be in the high school gymnasium at 11 a.m. May 25 with 36 students receiving their diplomas. -
Bruce’s history lessons: Spring Cleaning 2013
Time for my annual “Spring Cleaning” column, in which I address reader issues and answer “Frequently Asked Questions.”
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Moats gets ISU Rankin Award
Indiana State University has honored Katelynn Moats of Terre Haute with the Rankin Memorial Distinguished Senior Award in recognition of her contributions to the betterment of the university.
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Turkey Run to honor seniors
Turkey Run High School will hold its senior awards and recognition program at 7 p.m. Monday in the ELC room. A reception will be held from 6 to 7 p.m.
The program for freshmen to juniors will be held at 1:32 p.m. May 16 in the high school gymnasium. -
Honey Creek math club earns gold status
Honey Creek Middle School has received Gold Level Status as a participant of the 2013 MATHCOUNTS Club.
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Riverton Parke students bring home art awards
Students from 15 schools in west central Indiana competed in the 34th annual d’Arlier Trust Spring Art Show on April 19-25 in Veedersburg. Four Riverton Parke High School students won a total of nine awards in six of the show’s 20 categories.
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Parke Adult Tutoring Service awards mini-grant
The Parke Adult Tutoring Service has awarded a mini-grant of $270 to Riverton Parke English teacher Mike Lunsford to purchase reading materials for his students.
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