Back row, l to r: Patrick Foster, Anand Harshvardhan, Rick Chapman, Craig Henderson. Front row, l to r: Sabrina Reed, Kate Kelty

By Brian Degelow
Public relations, junior

Seven Purdue students are keeping busy as part of their internships with the new Big Ten Network.

The students involved with the internship have experience with the department's "Fast Track" news show that airs on Insight Channel 5. Purdue became a part of the Big Ten college sports broadcasting network through a contractual agreement. The network airs the school's sports news along with that of the other schools in the Big Ten conference.

The interns cover a lot of sports but the fall semester has been dominated by football, said intern Kate Kelty.

Assistant Professor Pat Rochon, the internship coordinator, said students help set up equipment at games and observe during broadcasts.

Since this is the first year this program has been offered, there are still some details to work out. "It's just starting up so naturally there is room for improvement," said senior Rick Chapman.

For instance, the students have been limited to mostly print assignments for the network's Web site so far, Kelty said.

Rochon said the internship is an evolving process. "The interns feel they have benefited from being part of a national broadcast, and they are looking forward to increased levels of responsibility and involvement," she said.

The students usually receive their assignments individually from an Internet Managing Editor at the network. Sometimes they work on a group collaboration.

Currently, said Kelty, students are working on a "Where are they now" story on athletes who have been gone for at least four years "and aren't Drew Brees, or someone else who made it really big."

Students are also free to approach the network with story ideas of their own.

And one intern, Anand Harshvardhan, maintains an audio blog on the network's Web site about Purdue sports. The other interns also make frequent posts to the Purdue intern blog.

Intern Sabrina Reed, who would like to pursue a career in sports broadcasting, said having such an internship on her resume will definitely give her an advantage when she seeks a job after graduation.

Currently, the Big Ten Network isn't available to cable subscribers in West Lafayette, but the interns are hoping to see their work on air soon.