Five students discussed how BSU at the Games challenged them and more than 30 of their peers with difficult, and sometimes dangerous, experiences over the summer.
The group of students and staff were in London covering the 2012 Olympics for three and a half weeks.
Emily Thompson, a senior magazine journalism major, was among the five on the panel who spoke Thursday at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center.
Thompson worked on many of the feature stories during the trip.
"I can't think of any better way I would've wanted to spend my summer," Thompson said.
Thompson said one of her favorite moments came during one of her worst days in London. While recovering from food poisoning, she received news that one of her stories was being printed back in the States.
"I really enjoyed writing my story on Joseph Diaz, the youngest boxer representing USA," she said. "That was actually the story that ended up in the Huffington Post."
Brandon Pope, a junior telecommunications and journalism news major and panel member, had trouble repressing his inner fan when he met members of the U.S. basketball team.
"You see these guys on TV and in the NBA, but we were there on assignment," Pope said. "I think one of the biggest challenges was keeping composure and professionalism while among those athletes."
Alex Bordens, a 2008 alum, accompanied the group as a graphics advisor. Bordens works for the Chicago tribune and was able to help the students learn effective methods he's picked up since graduating.
"I guess the best way to describe it, off-the-bat, was controlled chaos," Bordens said. "They all really dove in. I thought some would freak out really bad, but they didn't."
Bordens said he was very impressed with the students' willingness to approach stories from different angles, recalling one specific assignment when he received three to four drafts of out-of-the-box ideas.
Many of the students said they found out about this opportunity through teachers and other staff, including Charlie Akers, a junior telecommunications major. Akers said one of his teachers during his freshman year encouraged him to go.
"I was like, this is something I have to do. This could jump-start my career," Akers said.
The idea for BSU at the Games came from Ryan Sparrow, a journalism instructor who directed the trip.
"The journalism industry is really in a doom-and-gloom period," Sparrow said. "I really wanted to do something big, something important, something flashy. We need to do a better job of letter people know what opportunities are out there."
Associate Dean of the College of Communications, Information, and Media Lori Byers said she also believes these immersive learning experiences are important for students.
"I think they're incredible opportunities for our students," Byers said. "One of my favorite sayings is, 'Hands on, minds on.'"
The students on the panel were very supportive of Ball State's immersive learning opportunities, including Valerie Carnevale, a senior journalism graphics major.
"It was too perfect," Carnevale said. "It was the best experience I had at Ball State."
Sparrow said while there are no official plans to attend the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the opportunity may be offered.
"We've created a monster," he said, referring to student interest in a possible trip.
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