I am Clarissa Sih, a Year 1 Mass Communication student. And I will be bringing you the inside scoops from the very first Youth Olympic Games (YOG) that are going to be held here on our sunny island!
About 2 months ago, I was involved in a competition jointly organised by McDonalds, Singapore Press Holdings, and MediaCorp. This competition would give the 3 winners a chance of a lifetime to be rookie journalists for the very first Youth Olympic Games.
Being a Mass Communication student in NP, I stood in good stead as I have the raw skills and technical expertise to be a journalist at YOG. After 2 rounds of auditions and interviews, I was selected as one of the winners of the McDonalds Young Journalist Programme!
The New Paper did a story on us. That's me in the middle! :)
In preparation for YOG, I underwent training with renowned broadcast journalist from Mediacorp, Hasnita A Majid. I also spent 2 days in SPH's newsroom learning the ropes from the real-world journalists and acquiring useful tips for conducting interviews and writing articles.
The other 2 winners and I with Hasnita A Majid, Senior Producer for Channel News Asia.
The three of us at The Straits Times newsroom!
NP has been actively involved in the lead up to the Games as well. On 22nd June, we played host to more than 450 students during the Singapore Youth and Media Conference (SYMC). Students from schools such as Bartley and Yuying Secondary school visited us and participated in forums that discussed the impact of the media on sports and the future of sports in Singapore.
Speakers such as Singapore's first A1 racer Hafiz Koh and national triathelete Mok Ying Ren were present for the forum that held lively and informative discussions with visiting students.
Melvinder Singh, Hafiz Koh, Zain Ahmat and Mok Ying Ren during the forum.
Visiting students were also given the opportunity to find out more about the media industry through interactive seminars. There were 7 workshops to choose from, including Sports News Reporting, Sports Marketing and Sports Public Relations. Renowned industry experts were on hand to provide exclusive insights into the sports industry and the media.
Students participating in one of the workshops conducted
There will also be many student volunteers from NP involved in roles such as Media Operations Assistants and ushers. Our very own Baracuda Batucada will be performing at the finals of selected sports events as well! Do look out for them should you be watching the Games Live.
All the best for those preparing for your exams and prelims- hang in there! It's gonna be over before you know it. ;)
The next time you'll hear from me would be after the Opening Ceremony, where I promise lots of pictures and highlights from what organisers promise would be a spectecular extravaganza!