For doctoral students, presenting their dissertation topics in front of relative strangers is an often nerve-wracking part of the PhD process. The 21 students who gathered in the Sheindlin Forum in Wallis Annenberg Hall the week of June 3-8 faced added wrinkles: Most of their dissertations weren’t finished yet, and their audience included not only their peers from many other top universities, but also several tenured and tenure-track professors.

From the very beginning, student journalists who produce video news segments for The Rundown proved they knew their audience: their fellow students.

For Melissa Dueñas, Father’s Day is a particularly poignant holiday. From the time she was two and a half years old until she turned 20, her father was in and out of prison. From her childhood through her teen years, Dueñas wrote him letters, sometimes weekly, sometimes monthly, later only a few times a year, until he died in 2017.

We stood wide-eyed in front of Nike West’s newest building in Culver City. The unmarked office looked like a futuristic airplane hangar from the outside. Inside, Nike running shoes, painted the colors of the rainbow, adorned one of the walls in the foyer. It was the only hint this was Nike’s headquarters. I would have taken a photo — if it wasn’t for the nondisclosure agreements we signed as we entered.

The USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism has launched its first summer reporting internship program as it aims to teach, train and inspire the next generation of ethical, intellectually rigorous journalists.

As the students in the “Advanced Investigative Reporting” class settled into their seats behind the worn, U-shaped, dais-style desks, visiting professor and former BuzzFeed News investigative editor Mark Schoofs chatted with them about the limitations of email and phone inquiries for public records. “A lot of times, you’re just going to have to go there in person,” he said. “There are some things you’re not going to get over the phone.”

Angela pulled over to the side of the road for the second time that evening as she and Tyrah Majors continued their journey to Culver City. Angela got out of the car and beckoned for Majors to follow.

“How do students, who are bombarded with information and always on their phones, remain present and mindful?” Austin Maddox asked.