When the topic of Cal Poly’s archery club was pitched, I was immediately pumped up. I knew absolutely nothing about the sport, let alone anything about our on campus club, but I knew there would be a great story in there and the opportunity to meet archery enthusiasts.
As the Strategy/Engagement individual this week, I immediately reached out to the president of the club, Timmy Nguyen. I spoke to him on the phone and easily set up an interview.
At this interview both Candice and I asked questions about the origins of the club, certain techniques used and events they hold. It was exciting to see the passion he had for archery while talking to us, giving us in depth answers to simple questions.
We were told they had both an event and fundraiser that coming weekend at the San Luis Obispo Sportsmen’s Association (SLOSA).
Candice Kelchner took on the role of videographer for this story and shares her experience in covering this story.
“After working on this project, I’ve gained a new perspective on and have an increased interest in archery. Going to SLOSA gave me insight as to why people have an interest in archery. Additionally, watching the Cal Poly Archery Club at SLOSA provided me with a taste of the thrill that can come from archery. Overall, this was a fun topic to cover.”
SLOSA is a wide-open range with beautiful scenery and plenty of space for members to practice. It is located next door to the shooting range and has several targets and wooden figures for members to practice on.
As we walked out to the designated archery area we were immediately welcomed by the treasurer of the club as well as some of the members. After getting the permission of those at the range, we captured our footage needed while also getting to know the members and learning more about the club and archery as a sport.
Timmy Nguyen, second year electrical engineer and president of the Cal Poly archery club gave us insight on the competitiveness of the organization.
“Right now our club is basically recreational. We have a few members who want to get into it competitively, including me, so I’m going to start that next year,” said Nguyen. “We have members who participate to the side who are a little more serious and prefer something quieter. That’s basically what I do because I want to get better really fast just to get to that competitive level that so many other schools are at by next year so that I can compete with them at a head to head level.”
This story seemed to be a little more challenging to put together, not because of the content or material, but with having our whole group in attendance when we interviewed sources.
“Going into the role of word, I was slightly worried because I haven’t actually written a story in a while,” said Jessica Frantzides. “I was really hoping the process would come right back to me, just like riding a bike. And it did to a point, but I was definitely rusty. The hardest part for me was actually indirect, due to me being out of town for 5 days during the process. This made me very reliant on my group for interviews and content to write on. Fortunately, we worked cohesively and I was able to get everything together easily and on time.”
Lauren Pluim, who filled the interactive role this week experienced something similar, “The archery story has been tougher than the rest for me due to the fact that I have not been able to attend any of the meet ups due to my lack of availability on the weekends. I am very lucky that my group members were so willing to help out and pick up the slack in my portion of the story.”
Overall, this was an exciting story to cover. As a group, we learned a lot and were able to meet some great people. As a graduating senior, I wish I knew about this club sooner because I definitely would have joined.