Penn State students spend spring break in Scotland

Story posted March 21, 2022 in CommRadio, News by Deitric Murphy

25 students were sent to Scotland over spring break to report on different stories in the country. They were required to find a topic that they would like to cover before going on the trip.

The idea behind sending students overseas is to try to teach them what it takes to become an international reporter and some of the obstacles you face given a limited amount of time.

Each year there is an application for the International Reporting program, which does not exclude students that are younger or not in the major.

Adam Babetski is a third-year journalism major that got into the program and said it was a great experience.

“I feel like I learned a lot about traveling, just getting in and out of an airport, sitting up in a hotel, setting up interviews on the fly. I feel like I learned a lot about my topic Shinty,” said Babetski. “Just operating overseas, it’s a very important life skill.”

Students also had to lug around a camera throughout the airport and the country if they chose to do a broadcast story. Print and multimedia-style stories were also offered as options.

Interview cancellations, traveling issues and story changes were just some of the stressors students faced on this trip.

Fourth-year student Rory Pelella said she did something her professors call “boots on the ground journalism.”

“I didn’t have anyone to interview and I was just going around knocking on business doors just talking to random people on the street,” said Pelella. “And that taught me a lot about journalism that I’ve never gotten in a classroom.”

Students must complete their stories for a grade by the end of the semester. For broadcast students, their pieces will be aired in a Centre Country Report special.

“This has been one of the best experiences I’ve had in college. It definitely was  my favorite class I've taken,” said Pelella. “You really get to experience one-on-one assistance with your professors and that’s not something you normally get in these classes at Penn State.”

Deitric Murphy is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email dsm5653@psu.edu