Classroom and Beyond

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.

“I want to portray the other side, the side of homelessness that shows that we're not all bad people,” Tim Sterry said about his current unstable housing situation. “We’re not all here because we are on drugs. Some of us just came upon a bad part in our life, and it just so happened that we found ourselves having to survive without a household.”