The advanced writing class taught by Ross Collins, NDSU professor of communication, spent the second half of the fall semester working on the project.
NDSU communication students were able to gain hands-on journalism experience by interviewing, writing and editing articles documenting the impacts of COVID-19 on campus.
The advanced writing class taught by Ross Collins, NDSU professor of communication, spent the second half of the fall semester working on the project. The 32-page booklet is made up of articles written by each student on topics ranging from the pandemic’s impact on student involvement, the challenges of navigating online learning and the toll social distancing had on mental health.
The documentary also includes a timeline, vocabulary and photos taken on campus throughout the course of the pandemic.
Laura Baldwin, a senior strategic communications major, chose to write about the shifts instructors had to face from teaching in a classroom to teaching remotely.
“I had a few topic ideas in mind for the project but decided on the faculty experience during the pandemic,” said Baldwin, who is from Madison, Minnesota. “As a student, it is easy for me to complain about the way school looked during that time and not think about the difficulties that faculty members went through navigating the pandemic. I chose to write about their experience to give a different perspective to students and hopefully some gratitude and grace for the way schools handled coursework during that time.”
In her article, Baldwin included input from Carrie Anne Platt, NDSU professor of communication, who served as associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences during the pandemic. Platt discussed how she helped guide other faculty through the challenges that came with online learning.
Paul Carson, infectious disease specialist and professor of practice in public health, also was interviewed by Baldwin to share how the NDSU Center for Immunization Research and Education became the hub for other NDSU departments, state legislators, city officials and health care workers to uncover information about COVID-19 vaccines.
Other sources students in the class interviewed included former NDSU President Dean Bresciani, who reflected on what it was like leading the institution through the pandemic, and Jane Schuh, the vice president of research and creative activity at NDSU from 2018 to 2021, who talked about the technology that was utilized to support researchers throughout that time.
Collins said students were able to work on the project in an interactive newsroom environment so they could receive feedback and share their thoughts.
“I tried to set it up as if they were working for a large news operation, in which stories of this complexity become a process that extends over weeks (or months),” Collins said. “I acted as managing editor, making comments and giving students an opportunity to respond, so that we could work together to improve the story.”
In addition to writing, students also were able to view the "galley proofs," which is the final review of the pages laid out for printing.
Baldwin said she was able to learn more about contacting sources and interviewing, along with peer editing, group brainstorming and working as a team to overcome any setbacks.
“I did not realize the amount of editing and time a single publication takes to produce. From the first brainstorming session to galley proofing, there is a lot to produce a quality piece,” she said.
Miranda Tetzloff, a senior strategic communications major from St. James, Minnesota, said she was amazed at the amount of work that went into getting to the final product. Tetzloff’s article was centered on the pandemic’s impact on research.
“Learning how a real publication process works was a great learning opportunity. I have never put together a publication so being able to experience the process from beginning to end gave me a better understanding of the process and a deeper appreciation for the work that is put into this process,” Tetzloff said. “I did not realize how many steps there was to media writing and publication. I also found it shocking to see how many times a story is read, and how many eyes see it before it is never sent out to the public.”
In addition to their news articles, each student wrote a reflective piece on what it was like for them to face the uncertainties and challenges the pandemic brought. In her reflection, Baldwin, who was a senior in high school when the pandemic hit, talked about the lack of human connection the pandemic caused, the struggles with creating a community on campus and how she found comfort and support in a local church.
“Looking back on the pandemic, I could have written about how terrible it was and how much I missed out on–which was a lot. However, with fresh eyes, it was amazing to look back on it and see the amazing blessing that came through the struggles of the pandemic. I could reflect on that time with hope and not despair which I think is difficult for a lot of people to see,” she said.
Printed copies of the pandemic documentary project are available, and the entire booklet can also be viewed online.
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