Isabel Balla Participates in Network News Coverage of 'March on Washington' Anniversary

2013 Sep 9

A Central High School graduate was able to share the stories of the fiftieth anniversary of the March on Washington with the nation. Isabel Balla, now a sophomore integrated marketing communications major at Ithaca College, traveled to Washington, D.C. on Aug. 24 to interview participants in the Realize the Dream March and Rally commemorating the 1963 event. Her footage was used on that night's broadcast of "NBC Nightly News."

Balla was one of 13 Ithaca College students in the Roy H. Park School of Communications selected to cover the rally. Led by associate journalism professor James Rada, the students worked with NBC to capture the emotions and reactions of people as they celebrated the historic occasion.

Balla said the experience was more than worthwhile.

"This opportunity was incredibly amazing," said Balla. "It gave us the chance to put what we learn in the classroom in effect on the streets for a professional and national news source."

The students' footage was packaged and reported on by White House correspondent Kristen Welker. Their work can be seen on NBC's website at www.nbcnews.com/id/3032619/ns/NBCNightlyNews/#52837215.

Participants in the rally marched from the Lincoln Memorial to the King Memorial. Nearly 200,000 people attended, many of whom saw Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in person 50 years ago. Balla was able to hear their stories and capture the spirit of hope being passed on to the next generation.

Rada has also produced an hour-long documentary on the original march with the help of his students. "Meet Me at Equality: The People's March on Washington" explores the historic event through interviews with historians and more than two dozen people who took part in it. The film aired on several PBS member stations as part of their March on Washington anniversary coverage.

For more information on "Meet Me at Equality: The People's March on Washington" and the students' work, visit http://meetmeatequality.com/ or contact Rada at jrada@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-3637.

From day one, Ithaca College prepares students for personal and professional success through hands-on experience with internships, research and study abroad. Its integrative curriculum builds bridges across disciplines and uniquely blends liberal arts and professional study. Located in New York's Finger Lakes region, the College is home to 6,100 undergraduate and 400 graduate students and offers over 100 degree programs in its schools of Business, Communications, Humanities and Sciences, Health Science and Human Performance, and Music.