Field Trip!
It was my favorite pastime back in elementary school. You could stay up just a little later than usual, but you weren't able to fall asleep even once you finally went to bed. You even got to pack your own lunch, which was often better than what you would have eaten at school. Then the was the popularity contest when it came to picking who's group you were going to be in. Everyone knew who the cool parents were, but if you were really lucky, your own parents came on a field trip. And that was a rareity, at least for me, because most parents don't find it fun to hang out with a bunch of screaming, hyped-up grade-schoolers.
Well I can't say that field trips in college are anything like that. You ride in vans instead of on busses. The only chaparones are your professors, and you have to bring your own money for lunch. The trips often have a more obvious academic lure, and sometimes you even have to take notes!
While it may not sound quite as carefree as those elementary school "field" trips, they are actually quite fun, and if you really pay attention, and try really hard, you may even learn something.
This past Thursday, for my Journalism 101 class, we took a field trip to Conseco Fieldhouse to meet with the public relations director for the Indiana Fever. Now, I'm from Indiana, and it wasn't my first time in Indianapolis. I've been to the RCA Dome before, which shows just how long ago it was, but I can honestly say that I had never stepped foot in Conseco until Thursday.
We got a tour of the fieldhouse, in which we focused on the media rooms and event centers. We didn't get to step out onto the court, but we did get a glance of some of the Pacers from a distance. It was interesting seeing just how public relations can apply to sports, someting I love. I had never really thought about it before, but as the director explained, almost any corporation, company, or any kind of business entitiy has a public relations office, in some form or another. It's just important to find an interest that satifies yourself.
After that. we ate lunch at the Circle Center Mall, which is nice if you like to shop. I however am a guy, so I was only concerned with the food part. And so I move on.
Next, we took a trip to Nuvo, an alternative weekly magazine in Indy. We met with the editors, as they explained how their magzine operated and what kind of stories they published. They also talked about what they looked for when hiring interns and full-time writers, as well as when freelance writers submitted stories to them. They really gave us some good advice on how to hone our skills and become the best asset to a publication. They stressed trying different types of writing, particualarly creative writing, and especially those you aren't comfortable with. They also emphasized the importance of learning how to incorporate photos, video, and other Web devices in our writing.
I had a great time, and I learned some really good tips for future internships. I hope to be able to take another trip again, but until next time, bon voyage!