Issue 1 September 2014 CONTENTS • Meet The Team • Sports Media Students Visit Channel 9 • Ling and Connolly Address Holmesgeln Students • Shanghai Students Visit Holmslgen • Trio Shine on Channel 31 • Meet the Press • Students at Work Editor’s Foreword By Kate Withers Welcome to the inaugural edition of The Quarter Times! For those in the Bachelor of Sports Media, first year studies have proven to be just as fruitful. With some The first of its kind, The Quarter Times is a student led already building portfolios of industry work experience, publication designed to showcase the achievements of these students are making the most of the opportunities on students in Holmesglen’s Bachelors of Sports Media offer at Holmesglen. and the University of Canberra (Holmesglen) Sports Management. With working professionals and guest speakers common fixtures in lectures and tutorials, students are gaining The brainchild of Course Leader, Robbie Coyle, valuable insight into the machinations of both industries on The Quarter Times will also highlight the banquet of a weekly basis. opportunities on offer to students in both courses. With excursions, professional teachers and work With a team of eager writers on board, this quarterly experience, the value of this practical style of learning is publication also aims to give students a platform to build reflected in the real world assessments students undertake their portfolios for use in future employment applications. as part of the curriculum. For some in the Bachelor of Sports Management, third and The Quarter Times team is delighted to present this final year studies are quickly drawing to a close. With work inaugural edition, with thanks to Suzanne McKinnon (ESSE placement currently underway, these students are getting a Dean), Tom Stafford (Head of Department RFCH) and real taste of what life will be like in the working world. Robbie Coyle for allowing it to be born. The Quarter Times Team Kate Withers Nelson Brew Loretta Wingfield Dean Alepidis Editor/Writer Sub-editor/Writer Digital Editor/Writer Digital Assistant/Writer Twitter: @katejwithers Twitter: @nelzbrew Twitter: @ljwingfield Twitter: @DeanAlepidis Course: Bachelor of Sports Course: Bachelor of Sports Course: Bachelor of Sports Course: Bachelor of Sports Media Media Media Media Nickname: Kater Nickname: Brewski Nickname: LJ Nickname: Deano AFL Team: Geelong AFL Team: Brisbane AFL Team: Essendon AFL Team: Geelong Childhood Idols: Pat Rafter, Childhood Idols: Jonathon Childhood Idols: Kobe Bryant, Childhood Idols: Gary Ablett Gary Ablett Jnr Brown, Roger Federer Sharelle McMahon Jnr, Dennis Cometti Dream Job: Sports Reporter/ Dream Job: Sports Caller/ Dream Job: Sports Public Dream Job: Sports Caller/ Broadcaster Broadcaster Relations Broadcaster Wiliam De Jong Rachel Engelhardt James Raknes Curt Meachen Writer Writer Writer Writer Twitter: @williamdejong4 Twitter: @rach_engelhardt Twitter: @JimRaknes Course: Bachelor of Sports Course: Bachelor of Sports Course: Bachelor of Sports Course: Bachelor of Sports Management Media Management Media AFL Team: St Kilda Nickname: Will-I-Am Nickname: Ray Ray Nickname: Big Jim Childhood Idols: Nick Riewoldt AFL Team: Richmond AFL Team: Geelong AFL Team: St Kilda Dream Job: Player Manager Childhood Idols: Matthew Childhood Idols: Kim Clijsters Childhood Idols: Michael Richardson, Kevin Bieksa, Dream Job: Community Sports Jordan, Nick Riewoldt Trent Cotchin Development Dream Job: Foreign Sports Dream Job: Ice Hockey Correspondent Reporter September 2014 Sports Media students visit Channel Nine studios Sports Media student, Dean Alepidis with Nine News Melbourne anchor, Peter Hitchener. By James Raknes The studio was incredible. Sitting at the desk in Peter’s chair was Holmesglen Sports Media students were lucky enough to be a thrill in itself. The feeling of delivering the news to Melbourne welcomed to Channel 9 studios for a guided tour by stalwart news from that seat was something else entirely. presenter, Peter Hitchener. Another invaluable opportunity presented as we sat inside the With a warm embrace, Peter greeted us - all wide-eyed with newsroom video booth. Nine News presenter, Jo Hall, had excitement - and led the way to a conference room. A legend of just finished filming a short piece. It was our turn. With some the media industry for over sixteen years, Peter served as the more comfortable in front of camera than others, we took turns perfect guide to provide insight into how a metropolitan broadcast introducing ourselves and touching on our goals for the future. television station operates. These have been copied to DVD, and will make great additions to our growing portfolios. Ever humble and eager to help, he steered us through the lower levels of the news studio, providing answers to any and all of the Easily the best and most impressive element of the afternoon was questions we lobbed at him along the way. Peter Hitchener himself. Not because of his fame and reputation, but because of the way he conducted himself throughout the For many of us, a sense of nostalgia struck as we spotted the set tour. His happy, approachable demeanor never wavered, and his of Kids’ WB through a giant sliding door. It was here, amongst commitment to providing us with a valuable learning experience the bright colours and cartoons of our childhood, that Peter was first class. encouraged us to make ourselves at home. As aspiring media professionals, this sort of industry insight is In typical journalistic style, we began firing questions. priceless. To be given real world experience is a luxury that we, as students, are continually grateful for. How does Peter prepare to read the news each night? What sort of challenges does he face? Sports Media lecturer, Peter Rolfe, was the driving force behind the Channel Nine tour. Peter’s willingness to help was exceptional. He spent time with each and every student. He recalled our names, goals for the future, and even posed happily for photos with all twenty of us behind the Nine News desk. 3 Ling and Connolly address Holmesglen students Cameron Ling addresses students in the inaugural Holmeslgen Bachelor of Sports Media course. By Dean Alepidis Students studying the Holmesglen Sports Media course have Media association, and has covered the game for over 20 years. been very fortunate to hear from a number of guest speakers during first semester. Discussing the impact of the new media phenomenon and its impact on journalism, Connolly explained that in addition to his None more so than former Geelong Cats premiership captain and weekly columns - which are available both in print and online Channel 7 sports broadcaster Cameron Ling, as he headlined the - new media foms such as blogs and online videos are equally first semester Orientation Day at the Chadstone campus. important in building a journalist’s portfolio. Ling, the official ambassador of the Holmesglen Sports Media Connolly also spoke about the importance of balance, impartiality, course, articulated the importance of organisation, drawing and maintaining journalistic integrity. He recalled that sometimes, comparisons between life as an elite athlete and his new role however, these values were not always easy to uphold. in the media. He stated that both professions require the same degree of planning, preparation and practice to achieve the best Remembering the famous Sydney v Essendon Preliminary Final possible result. in the 1996 AFL Finals Series, Connolly - a Bombers supporter - recalled punching his laptop after Tony Lockett kicked Sydney into Ling also emphasised the importance of teamwork, not only as a the Grand Final after the siren. He then had to compose himself, part of a sports team but in his role as a broadcaster and in the and write a non-biased match report for the following days’ wider world – highlighting the importance of cooperating with your newspaper; just moments after the Bombers’ finals aspirations peers during group assessments and as a student overall. were crushed. During Konrad Marshall’s Introduction to Journalism class, sports Holmesglen students were lucky enough to gain access to journalist Rohan Connolly spoke to students about life as a media two highly respected media professionals from very different professional and the challenges facing journalists in the digital backgrounds. Interestingly, both had very similar messages to age. pass on; those who are willing to adapt to change, practice, and work hard will reap the most rewards. Connolly, a senior sports journalist for The Age and radio broadcaster with 1116 SEN, has been recognised as one of the most distinguished football journalists by the AFL September 2014 Shanghai students visit Holmesglen Course Leader, Robbie Coyle with a group of students from Shanghai University. Staff Writer From the 10th to 16th August we (Holmesglen) had the great pleasure of hosting twenty sports media students from the Shanghai University of Sport (SUS) in the world’s greatest sporting city - Melbourne. It was an incredibly busy and exciting time for the students with the week long programme designed to ‘show off’ Melbourne and provide the students with lasting memories of their visit to Australia. One of many highlights was a ‘Welcome to AFL Session’ at the North Melbourne Football Club (NMFC) where the SUS students learnt about AFL and its cultural importance in Melbourne and Australia. The NMFC session also included a presentation from Heath O’Loughlin (GM Media, The week drew to a close with dinner provided in the city followed Communications and Marketing), attendance at Head Coach by Friday night footy at Etihad Stadium to watch Geelong V Brad Scott’s press conference, an AFL skills session in addition Carlton. Bright and early the next morning the students headed to watching the senior team train. by bus to the University of Canberra to continue their Australian cultural and sporting expedition. Other course specific activities included a tour of the Fox Footy Studios, The Age, the MCG and National Sports Museum, the Excitingly, talks are underway with respect to establishing Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, and a golf lesson at an ongoing partnership between Holmesglen and the SUS.