This summer, more than 100 Asbury University students worked at the Paris 2024 Olympics, serving alongside faculty and alumni in various roles at the International Broadcast Centre, the Pierre Mauroy Stadium, the Golf National, and more. Asbury first took students to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, to the Calgary Olympics in 1988, Atlanta in 1996, and then every Olympics since 2002.
“The Olympics provides our students with an inside view of the largest television production in the world,” said Dean of the School of Communication Arts Dr. Jim Owens ’79. “The Olympics not only attracts the best athletes but also the best media. Our students get the opportunity to be mentored by media professionals from around the world, see cutting-edge technology, and have a cross-cultural experience.”
Completing her first internship at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, recent graduate Emily Hurt ’24 served at the Marseille Marina in Paris.
“I was a production assistant at the sailing events, so I had the opportunity to gain experience in different roles,” Hurt said. “Some days, I held a microphone on the camera boats that captured the competition up close. Other days, I assisted the cameramen who filmed interviews and footage of the athletes on shore as they prepared before the races and when they returned. It was incredible to be part of such a huge project that would be seen all over the world, and I found myself sharing in the emotions of the athletes and their families.”
Media Communication student Lilli Bell ’26 served as a Broadcast Operation Center planning assistant.
“Serving on the logistics side, I communicated with the broadcast venue managers and made sure they didn’t have any issues and were on time with their duties,” Bell said. “When issues arose, my job was to make sure that the right people were informed. My supervisor helped me learn and get the most of the experience by sending me on tours of the venues to see more of the production side.”
Asbury Media students continue to receive recognition for their work.
This year, students won nine Student Production Awards from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Ohio Valley Chapter — the most nominations Asbury has ever received. The students competed against other university students in Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, and Ohio. Asbury now has won 56 of the awards.
In July, Asbury University also received recognition as the nation’s only ARRI Certified Film School, joining the ranks of a select few other institutions around the world. Last year, Asbury students worked on “Mr. Manhattan,” a feature film shot (on two ARRI cameras) in Kentucky and New York. Produced by Brady Nasfell ’93 and written by Andrea Gyertson ’95 Nasfell, the film premiered in May at the Kentucky Theatre and is available through Great American Pure Flix.
“We prepare our students with the highest-level cameras and related film gear in the industry within an incredible facility that includes backlots, sound stages, Atmos audio, and virtual production,” Owens said. “Adding professional experience opportunities to this combination provides Asbury media students who are well-prepared to enter the film industry.”
The Asbury University Media, Journalism, and Digital Storytelling department offers majors in Media Communication and Multimedia Journalism. Online majors include Digital Content Creation and Instructional Design & Media. Graduate programs include the MFA in Screenwriting; the MFA in Film & Television Production; the M.A. in Communication; the M.A. in Digital Storytelling; and the M.A. in Instructional Design, Innovation & Leadership.