All three Penn State undergraduates who worked with the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism on independent study projects during the spring 2015 semester have had those stories published outside the classroom.
John Stuetz, John McGonigal -- both of whom graduated in May -- and Kristen Nelson, a second-semester senior this fall, each enjoyed publishing success with their projects.
"One of our goals at the Curley Center is to help students create work that makes a mark in a professional setting. I felt like we achieved that with these stories,” said John Affleck, director of the Curley Center and the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society. He directed the students’ efforts, meeting with them weekly and engaging in one-on-one editing sessions.
Stuetz, who covered Penn State football for two years at The Daily Collegian, conducted extensive interviews with players and coaches he reported on during his undergraduate years to produce, “Surviving the Sanctions: Inside the Tumultuous Journey of Penn State’s Seniors.” Bleacher Report ran the 4,000-word epic shortly before commencement and, while very long by the site’s standards, it was quickly upgraded from the football page, to the front page of the web site and then to the front page of CNN’s web site. At last count, the story had been read more than 21,000 times.
McGonigal made a debating point among American soccer fans -- should the national team be built with from the college ranks or club players -- come alive by focusing on the journey of two players, one of whom, Zach Pfeffer, had gone the club route while the other, Andrew Wolverton, starred in goal for Penn State. McGonigal’s story, “College or Pro? Soccer in America increasingly faces a choice of how to develop players,” was an entertaining read that earned prominent play on the popular website SoccerAmerica.
Nelson, a hockey expert who interned this summer at NHL.com, stretched out of her comfort zone as she learned about the legal process while chronicling the tale of two key lawsuits that arose from the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Her story ran on the third anniversary of the NCAA leveling harsh sanctions against Penn State -- penalties which have since been lifted -- and won the whole front page in The Daily Collegian on July 24. The story was titled, “Three Years Later: With Sanctions Gone, Legal Battles Trudge On.”
“I was really proud of the time and effort our students put in on these stories and with the results,” said Affleck, who plans to take on more independent study projects in the future. “I’m looking forward to seeing more students make an impact with ambitious enterprise.”