Ohio State students were hard at work behind the scenes at Nationwide Arena for the first two rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
Gabe Payne and Jack Weller rushed stats to broadcasters and media members during timeouts. “It's a lot of running,” Weller says. “It's not as simple as it sounds. We have to make it look nice, and we have to hurry, too.”
Students like Isabel Mangus and Sharon Nimyel gathered quotes from players in locker rooms, which were then used in stories by journalists covering the games.
Peyton Purpura had to work quickly to transcribe the quotes before heading back for more interviews.
The days were long but the students got hands-on experience and a rare inside look at one of the biggest events in college sports.
“The hours — that's nothing,” says Lauryn Luderman. “I'm here for it.” The highlight of her weekend was interviewing Purdue star Zach Edey, which she called “a top-10 experience.”