Preston Andrews



Projects by Preston Andrews

Journalism Story

Club Sports Keep Dreams Alive for College Students

By Preston Andrews, Emma Silverman, Ava Epply and Vivian Ferrari

BLOOMINGTON, IND (April 3, 2025)

On a cold, rainy Bloomington day, a group of students gathers along the Woodlawn track. This type of day would be described as “Nasty.” Yet, the students gather anyway. Geared with sticks and elbow pads, they partake in a two-hour practice in the less-than-desirable elements. None of the students are being paid, they are doing it all by choice, and they are doing it, for the love of the game.

Only 7% of athletes will play college sports, and only 2% will play Division One. Club sports keep dreams alive for college students; they provide a safe and fun outlet to not only continue to play the sport they love but to embrace a new community and smooth the transition to college.

Claire Macabee, a Freshman from Indianapolis, first heard of the club lacrosse team through a friend from her hometown, and instantly saw it as a fit, for her transition to college.

Unlike most clubs, however, club sports teams are not always welcome to all. Macabee and almost ninety other freshmen had to go through a tryout process, with just ten making the team.

“Everyone at the tryout played in high school all four years; Lacrosse varies in popularity based on the region in the U.S. Although it was tough to make the team, it is probably a little less competitive,” Macabee said in an interview.

Claire Macabee shadows a teammate at practice. Lacrosse, like hockey, often can lead to several welts.

Macabee is correct, the popularity of Lacrosse on the East Coast, nearly doubles that of the Midwest.

As a club Lacrosse athlete, Macabee noticed some differences between High School and Club Lacrosse.

“The biggest difference for me is the availability with practices and games; sometimes you have classes and projects that you just cannot miss,” she said.

This is yet another reason why club sports are so popular among students. Even at the smallest levels of college sports, Athlete sometimes comes before the student in the term “Student Athlete”. As a club sport participant, flexibility is not only provided but encouraged. The Indiana Club Lacrosse team, for example, carries a roster of 45 players, with the assumption that scheduling conflicts will arise.

So, who is in charge of such a large group of girls? Who is there to give advice on strategy, and to organize practice?

IU Club Lacrosse does not have a Coach, but rather a President. Macabee claims that the Hoosiers as one of the few club programs in the country without a Coach. Although this is completely different than what all players experienced in high school, and a majority of their Lacrosse lives, Macabee and the rest of the roster, do not always see it as a bad thing.

“We are captain-led, which means we rely on our Seniors and our one Sophomore captain.”

But how does student leadership work so effectively?

“I am sure a lot of people who played high school sports can relate to this, but it can be challenging with a coach, especially for girls because coaches can be very demanding, but if someone on your team is technically the coach, they understand where you are coming from and the challenges you face as a player.”

Two Hoosier defenders look to stop a throw-in. Scoring chances are few and far between in Lacrosse.

Just like the rest of us, these athletes seek advice from people who have been in their shoes. Macabee sighted the fact that the Seniors run the show. With that leadership structure in place, it allows full transparency among players and makes sure that everyone feels included not only in practices but off the field as well, something Macabee sights as key in her college transition.

“Last semester, we went to Nashville, Chicago, and Dayton, Ohio, this semester, we are going to Milwaukee, and we are going to Ohio State next week.”

When asked which trip was her favorite, Macabee’s answer did not come as a surprise.

“There are a ton of amazing memories, but the best memory I have is Nashville. Nashville is a very fun city, and to be in Nashville downtown was a very fun and exciting moment; especially as a Freshman, in my first semester to be with a bunch of girls of all different ages in such a fun place, that is my best memory.”

Do trips to Nashville, and other trips across the Midwest justify the cold, rainy, miserable practices for Macabee and other student-athletes? Sure, but that is not all that goes into it. Club sports at Indiana give athletes who otherwise would have to give up on the game they love and have played since they were young, a few more precious years with the sport; and are a fun, creative outlet, for students to make friends, and play sports, and what could be better than that?

 

 

Public Relations Story, Uncategorized

Project 2: Apple Watch Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts

Preston Andrews

Ella Blake

Eli Alvis

 

CUPERTINO, California (Sept. 14, 2014)— Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the newest invention in the company’s storied history, The Apple Watch, in front of a sold-out crowd in Cupertino on Tuesday.  

The watch world, as it is known, will never be the same.

The advancement of the watch was so dramatic that even Cook was blown away by what the company could accomplish.

“We love to make technology more personable and allow our users to do things they never could have imagined.” Said Cook.

 

Lisa checked her Apple Watch as she received a message from one of her teachers. It was important she prioritized work outside of the school too.

The Apple Watch is far from a one-size-fits-all all device. The Apple Watch delivers state-of-the-art accuracy and is customizable to each user who puts it on their wrist. From health and fitness to its slick exterior design, the Apple Watch blows users away in every way imaginable. From its flexible display, designed for easy magnetic charging, to the guts of the system, which include a custom-designed chip with sensors to detect your pulse and daily activity. Wearing the Apple watch is essentially wearing a computer on your wrist.

Leah inspected her Apple Watch and made sure her heart rate and pulse were at a normal level after being in the sauna. She needed to keep track of her health.

The Apple watch will, “Redefine what people will expect from its category,” said Cook.

The Apple Watch is not just another fitness watch. The Apple Watch comes with a slick, smooth exterior that is perfect for all walks of life. From the stainless-steel Apple Watch to the Durable Apple Sport, which includes sixty percent stronger alloys, and the Apple Watch Edition a watch that is made of 18-karat gold

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Apple Vice President Kevin Lynch was more than thrilled to describe in detail the life-changing features of Apple’s newest design. The Apple Watch is so accurate, that it can tell time down to one fiftieth of a millisecond. Interesting enough, the Apple Watch includes features that give users the ability to analyze the moon, as well as tell where they are on Earth.

The Apple Watch will change the way that we communicate. With a taptic engine, the Apple Watch alerts the user with a subtle tap on the wrist when they receive a notification. It is easy to respond to messages on the Apple Watch. From Apple’s quick board, which includes accurate, generated responses, to creating your own custom messages the Apple Watch makes it so that users do not have to pick up their phone to stay in contact with others.
Traveling has never been easier, thanks to the Apple Watch. Apple has partnered with countless companies to revolutionize the way that we travel. From unlocking hotel rooms to accessing flight tickets to providing maps and mass transit directions, traveling has never been simpler.

On a personal level, the Apple Watch enables users to track their parked cars, keep track of the big game, and even control the temperature of their home from their watch; but, those are just some, of the ways that the Apple Watch can change lives.
“Being active is one of the best things that you can do to improve your health, and Apple Watch gives you the ability to be a bit healthier,” Cook told the crowd.

Apple Watching features fitness, and workout apps, that track a user’s activity right to the very last step. Apple Watch is designed for everyone; from beginners on their fitness journey to elite athletes, Apple Watch provides state-of-the-art and never-before-seen data to improve the workout experience. Apple Watch gives users a complete overview of their activity, from calories burnt, to comprehensive workout plans that allow users to compete and get the best out of each other, as the Watch adapts to each users preferences.

The video we put together emphasizes the variety of apps and uses provided by the Apple watch. This revolutionary product offers lighting control, health monitoring, ect, and is functional for all. The subjects we chose were based on age and how each individual used the Apple Watch product. The first subject, Leah, who is a teenage girl, tracks her fitness, how active she is and monitors her heart rate before, during, and after her workouts. This is important for Leah because she has asthma which is a chronic lung condition that can make breathing difficult if not watched and managed. The Apple Watch made Leah’s life easier to navigate and keep track of rather than relying on relying on her phone to do so. The second subject is Lisa and she uses her apple watch for different reasons, however, just as important. As a mother of three along with being a principal, reliability and availability at all times is crucial to Lisa. For the most part, she utilizes the phone call and message apps to stay in contact throughout the day.

“This is the most personable device that Apple has ever created,” said Cook.

Apple Watch will become available in early 2015 and will retail for $349, symbolizing another revolutionary release, in a long-standing tradition of life-changing creations from Apple.

https://iu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/t/1_6ggo0jr1

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