While the weather might say otherwise, spring has arrived; and what better way to kick it off than to celebrate spring sports? A confetti-filled celebration is exactly what takes place during Media Day, an seasonal event hosted by Multimedia Journalism where photos, interviews and social media footage of sports are collected. If you’ve ever seen the graphics on Olentangy Sports Network, there’s a good chance you’ve seen a picture from Media Day; but to get that final product, a lot goes on behind the scenes.

Media Day preparation often starts weeks in advance. The ordeal first has to be coordinated, with emails sent out to all sports coaches to see which teams will be attending. After that information is gathered, construction of the studio begins; the spring edition of Media Day featured a dazzling new backdrop, with spirited papers taped to foam in order to make a collage. With over 200 papers cut out, the backdrop was no small task; it took study halls, flex periods, and lunches along with class time to complete.

“I’ve been wanting to do it for a while because I really like when I see the sports teams do it, and I decided that this Media Day was the one to do it. It was super fun; we spent a lot of time working on it to make it how it is,” Addie Russ, current Head of Graphics, said. 

When the big day arrives, team cohesion is essential in order to make sure the process is smooth. In the days before, everyone on Multimedia staff is assigned a role, whether it is to collect interviews, film reels for social media, or take photographs. This means at 3 P.M., when Media Day begins, everyone can transition into their roles with ease. 

“We chose to assign roles based on people’s personal interest in different roles, and I think we worked together well because everyone is in a different area and when we come together it just works”, Maira Munshi, incoming Head of Graphics, said. 

Media day often lasts about an hour to an hour and a half, with 20 minute spots for each sport. While the day can be tiresome at times, it’s always a blast for both teams and Multimedia members alike, and has become a treasured tradition throughout the years.

If you play a spring sport, be sure to check out your pictures on @olentangysportsnetwork, and stay tuned for upcoming media days next season!