The new cast of Rocky VII, otherwise known as the JMU Journalism website team, has been announced and the latest recruits are keen to end their university experience on a high.
While many students spend their first couple of weeks back after the summer sleeping by day and partying by night, these third years were preparing for interviews for a number of available roles on the website as well as putting together dissertation proposals and gathering news stories for text, TV and radio.
The ‘Rocky’ project began with the World Firefighters Games coverage in 2008 and the JMU Journalism website is celebrating its fifth anniversary in this academic year.
Editorial Director John Mathews challenged the new team to surpass the efforts of their predecessors, a task new Sports Editor Nick Seddon is looking forward to. “I really wanted the challenge that this position is going to offer,” the 20-year-old said.
“I love all different types of sport and I love watching it and I hope this can give me some great experience, force me to use my initiative and I’m keen to find some of my own stories too.”
As student journalists up and down the country will know, the key to getting that first job is experience and the newly appointed Fashion Editor, Jessica MacDonald, said this was great opportunity that will help her in the future.
“I’m looking forward to starting and working with everybody. This can only help in the future with interviews and with applying for jobs,” she said.
As well as the hard work and obvious CV benefits, being part of the website team can be a fun experience and new Music Editor Ryan McElroy was looking forward to the good times ahead.
“I wanted to bolster my CV with a title but as importantly I wanted to be part of team of people I like and to have good fun and good times,” he said.
“I want to try and dig out some really good stories. I’ve done some work with a local radio station over the summer but this is my first proper job and I’m looking forward to it.”
So, the Rocky VII team is in place. It is hard to tell what the next seven months may hold for the new regime but one thing is for certain that it is still ‘Exciting Times’ for all involved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NubH5BDOaD8