The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at WSU is sponsoring two 2023 spring break trips for current Murrow students to travel and get hands-on experience in journalistic settings, as well as having the opportunity for unique networking opportunities. 

The trips for the 2023 break are set in Scottsdale, Arizona and New York City. The Arizona trip is marketed toward those interested in sports communication and the New York Trip is for StratComm and journalism students.  

For MLB Spring Training, Students will experience firsthand what it means to work behind the scenes in a professional sports league and have opportunities to produce publication-quality stories, according to the WSU Murrow website. 

“Spring training offers a variety of options for students interested in print and broadcast reporting, play-by-play, social media or public relations,” Wendy Raney, Murrow professor and trip adviser, wrote in an email. 

The trip will allow students to interview and interact with MLB players in one-on-one interviews and be able to shadow professionals in their field. 

“Students will be visiting five or six baseball training complexes and will attend five games. They will have opportunities to interview coaches, players and team representatives; shadow communications professionals including beat writers, broadcasters and media relations managers; tour team facilities; attend games; and network with communication professionals in a variety of career fields,” Raney wrote.

Brinkley Hill, senior graduating double major in Broadcast News and Public Relations, is one of six students set to go on the Arizona trip. 

“I wanted to go on this trip as a last-time college experience as well as using that last chance to make connections, grow as a reporter and create content that furthers my resume,” Hill said. 

She said that it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and she is very excited to be going on the trip. 

“This could be my only time in my whole life to report on MLB Spring Training being from Peoria, so it’s an excellent opportunity and it’ll be super fun,” Hill said. 

The trip also features three staff members from the Daily Evergreen: junior sports editor Sam Taylor, senior deputy sports editor Trevor Junt and senior sports writer Jake Hull. 

The New York trip will allow students to experience multiple settings with dynamic professionals who are eager to impart their knowledge, ideas and professionalism. 

The StratComm/media company tours often lead to prolonged lively discussions where ideas are shared, and relationships are cultivated. In addition, participating students will have the opportunity to evolve as individuals by spending time with each other in multiple environments that aid professional and personal growth, according to the WSU Murrow website. 

Students will likely visit companies including The New York Times, Wieden and Kennedy, MSL PR Agency, Parcl and NBC. The trip is a unique opportunity to network and increase working relationships.

This trip includes another three Evergreen staff members, senior Editor-in-Chief Mikayla Finnerty, senior news editor Saydee Phothivongsa and senior reporter Alisa Volz. 

Senior multimedia journalism major Alisa Volz jumped at the opportunity to travel to New York. She hopes to gain a better understanding about how the communications and news industry works in a major market, she said. 

“I am so immensely excited to visit the New York Times because it has always been an outlandish dream of mine to work there and now I get to tour it as I begin my professional journalism career,” Volz said. “ It feels surreal!”