By Anna Corbett-Neal, Co-Editor-in-Chief
As a journalist for The Vantage, I have been presented with many great opportunities, including two I had last week.
Newman had the chance to play an exhibition game against the Kansas State University men's basketball team. Although it was a big opportunity for Newman’s basketball team, it also provided a big opportunity to the small team of journalists who make up The Vantage staff. Three of us applied for and got media credentials to cover the game for the paper, and we loaded up into co-editor-in-chief Matthew Fowler’s car on Halloween afternoon and drove to Manhattan.
I had never been filled with so much excitement and jumped at the opportunity to get true field experience, to test the waters of what a future in journalism could look like.
Last Wednesday, I was one of two Vantage editors who also got to cover the women's basketball team’s exhibition game against Wichita State University. That game was like a practice run, and I was able to take what I had learned and lead our team in Manhattan a few days later.
We had been planning the trip to Manhattan as a staff for a few weeks, securing our credentials, preparing our questions, and planning our photography strategy. That night, every editor of The Vantage was either covering or participating in the game.
Our sports editor, Aime Rutayisire, is a senior forward on the men’s basketball team and was able to give us some insight into what it was like to play in such a big game. (He was the other editor who covered the women’s game at WSU on Oct. 29.)
Our photo editor, Dannicka McGrath, was able to be on the sidelines taking action shots of the team alongside other student and professional photographers.
Co-Editor-In-Chief Matthew Fowler was seated next to me, taking notes on Newman’s statistics and memorable plays. I typed an outline for today’s front-page story about the game and, later, shot photos from higher up in the stands.
It was amazing for our staff to work together, and it gave us a chance to bond. I learned a lot about my fellow staff members, who I can gladly call some of my best friends.
We learned so much more from this experience than we could have ever imagined, and I’m proud of our whole staff and our ability to roll with the punches and learn through every experience.
Don’t you want to do fun things like this? If so, we’d love to have you on staff. E-mail us at vantage.nu@gmail.com, and we’ll answer any questions you have.
PHOTO: Vantage Staff
