Take six ambitious and enthusiastic journalism students, one local newspaper and an action packed week, put them all together and what have you got? You’ve got CQU Mackay students covering O-Week for the Daily Mercury.

The project involved journalism students producing a page each day for the Daily Mercury on the events and activities of O-Week. The team comprised four first-year students and two second-year students who operated in a “news environment”, attending morning news conferences and afternoon production meetings. Jointly sponsored by the Faculty of Informatics and Communication and CQU Mackay, the project has been hailed a great success by staff, students and the Daily Mercury.

The students, who had a ball throughout the week, ran around interviewing people, taking photos, writing stories and trying to meet the ever impending deadline all while enjoying O-Week. It also gave them an opportunity to experience life as a journalist in the “real world” for a week.

Feedback from all quarters was extremely positive. “I always thought this was what I wanted to do, now I am convinced” commented second-year student Shane Bradford. “My choice of majors has been made even harder now because I initially wasn’t planning on focussing on journalism, but not I’m hooked” Sherrie Smith, a first year communication student said. Daily Mercury Editor Jason Purdie is keen for this to become a yearly event and said the group excelled on all fronts to produce great work each day within their deadlines.

Caption: (back from left) Sherrie Smith, Shane Bradford, Lucy Heuston, (front from left) Amanda Murphy, Melinda Midgley (Community Relations Officer) and Kylie Jacobson. Absent: Pippa Littlewood.