5 Ball State journalism students will cover Olympics from South Korea
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — Several Ball State University students have the opportunity of a lifetime. They will be in PyeongChang, South Korea covering the 2018 Olympics.
For years Ball State has sent students to get the experience, but this year there’s a new twist: Ball State is one of two schools to have credentials for the Olympic games.
It all started because Ball State journalism professor Ryan Sparrow dared to be bold back in 2010 on a trip to England.
“So literally I came back and said ‘hey if you’d send me back to England again in 2012 I’ll put together a class for the Olympics.’ And it was just really this off-hand comment. And they were like alright do it,” said Sparrow.
And every Olympics since, Sparrow and his Ball State journalism students have been right there.
And this year, the students cannot wait.
“If I could meet one person at the Olympics, it would be Lindsey Vonn,” said Kara Biernat, a Ball State senior who will be on the trip.
But the experience goes beyond the events.
They can land some impressive bylines, including CNN and Time Magazine. They’ll be in the trenches with some of the best in media.
“We have a bunch of seniors and juniors going so we’re getting close to the time where we’re going to be needing jobs in the future, so being able to network with those people would be a great opportunity for all of us,” said Josh Shelton, a junior at Ball State.
It’s a 13-day experience they’ll never forget.
The other big question is security of course, especially with some tensions escalating with North Korea.
Ryan Sparrow said the students’ security is extremely important. He will be there with the students the whole time to make sure they’re staying out of harm’s way.
To follow their journey in South Korea, check out the group’s Facebook page or website.