Students and faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications recently launched a new Sports Media Club. The club’s goals are to connect students with professionals in the industry, gain networking skills, make friends and learn more about current events and issues in sports.
The club is led by faculty advisers John Shrader and Jennifer Sheppard.
Shrader said the club began in spring 2019 when several students met with advisers to propose the idea. Students identified a need for a club to allow them to share ideas and have conversations about various sports topics.The club is a great asset to the new sports media communication major at the CoJMC, Shrader said.
“We want the students to have a special experience here at UNL, and we are always looking for ways to provide that,” he said.
The Sports Media Club has already met several times and had various activities. The group has hosted guest speakers from professionals in the industry, including Steve Sipple, sports columnist at the Lincoln Journal Star.
The group also met to watch and discuss the movie “Field of Dreams” and attended local sporting events together, including Husker basketball games. Shrader said this semester’s goals for the club are to explore out-of-town experiences in Omaha and beyond.
“We [advisers] want the students to feel like they have gotten the best of their college experience,” Shrader said. “I hope this club helps them bond over their common interests and experiences, and I hope we can provide some leadership to help give them even more than they can conceive.”
The club is open to all UNL students and meets regularly on Wednesday evenings at 5 p.m. in Andersen Hall. For more information, contact Shrader at john.shrader@unl.edu.