Associated Press Sports Editors Announce Internship Winners
By Fatima Bodrick, senior public relations major

Chris Torres and Chaunte'l Powell have been selected by the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) to participate in a summer 2011 internship program. Torres, a senior print journalism major from Atlantic City, will be working at the Palm Beach Post in Palm Beach, Fl. Powell, a junior print journalism major from Columbia, South Carolina, will be working at the Asbury Park Press in Asbury Park, NJ.

APSE conducted a multimedia sports seminar for its 3rd Annual Day of Diversity on Nov. 9, 2010. The event engaged 105 students in a morning panel discussion on the Future of Journalism with Florence Brown, USA Today; Greg Lee, Boston Globe; and Lisa Olson, AOL Fanhouse.  Lynn Hoppes, ESPN.com., moderated the panel.  The afternoon was set aside for resume critiques and interviews for two paid sports internships. Torres and Powell were two of the lucky students selected for the 2011 summer internships.

After covering a Pirates football news conference, select majors worked alongside the professionals in a simulated newsroom and were able to gain practical experience from journalists, copy editors, visual, social media and internet specialists. Students practiced their networking skills and gained resume experience while professionals observed the advanced writing and social media skills of the students; the results were impressive. “What most impressed me was how technologically savvy the students were,” said Florence Brown, USA Today, “I was most impressed with the openness, questions and curiosity of the students.”

The event left students enthused and excited about their future in journalism. “The actual experience from the sports conference to working with the professionals on deadline was beneficial,” said Torres. “It was truly an amazing experience and being selected for the internship was just icing on the cake.” Phil Kaplan, APSE President, News Sentinel, also enjoyed the experience, “Professionals were able to give valuable experience for students and students were tremendously receptive of the information being taught.” In many ways it was valuable to the professors as well, "The coolest day for me was when a student said they friended Phil Kaplan on Facebook,” said Dr. Richard Kenney, Scripps Howard Endowed Professor of Journalism.

The experience echoed in the classrooms for the rest of the week leaving professional journalists, professors and most importantly, the students, to anticipate the 4th annual APSE Day of Diversity event in 2011.

For more information regarding the event, please contact Fatima Bodrick at fatima.bodrick@yahoo.com