Class Purpose
To introduce students to the basics of journalism, using the lens of sports. This class will attempt to improve the writing skills of all participants while considering the content of the sporting world.
Class Materials
Beyond regular classroom materials, students will need 1 small notebook to keep notes in during our evening trips to sporting events.
Each day for class, students should come with pen or pencil, paper, and any notes that they’ve taken from sporting events assigned.
Class Schedule
Beyond the regular daily schedule here at school, we will travel to several different events as a class.
1/4 - Bethel at. Goshen – NAIA College Basketball Game at Goshen College
1/6 – Western Illinois at IPFW – NCAA College Basketball Game in Fort Wayne (Optional)
1/7 – Cleveland State at Butler – NCAA College Basketball Game in Indianapolis
Note: We will arrive home from the Butler game very late at night (estimated 12:30-1:00 AM). Because of this late arrival, students will be invited to spend that night at the school and be picked up by parents the next morning at 8:00. A permission sheet for this “sleepover” will go home with students on the first day of J-term.
Class Website
During this class, all articles written by the students will be uploaded to a class website: The Bethany Worldwide Sports Report! You can find this brief information sheet online there right now.
The web address is: http://bcssportsjournalists.blogspot.com/
Class Expectations
To experience this class fully, students will need a basic knowledge of the sports we will cover. As you can see by our schedule, the main sport that is affordable, available and being played during January is basketball. It would be advantageous for students to have a bit of understanding about the current state of college and pro basketball before entering the class. It is hard to catch everyone up on what is going on. Not that basketball is all we will write about. Also being played in January are the NFL playoffs, hockey, European soccer, and various other events we will research.
Also, students will need to be able to listen well, pay attention to detail, and be self-motivated throughout the class. Because of the short time period the class takes place (2 weeks!) there will be no time to have missing assignments or waste class time “zoning out.”
Despite all my warnings, this is going to be the best J-term class ever. But you already knew that!
