This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at OSU chapter.
Name: Ritika Shah
Year: 4th year (Senior)
Major: Journalism (with minors in Media Production and Analysis, Globalization Studies, and Political Science)
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
If you need to know what’s going on around campus, she’s your go-to girl. Ritika keeps us up to date with her anchoring position in Buckeye News Now, and enjoys a variety of activities in her free time. She spills how she earned her seat at the news desk, her future plans, and more!
Her Campus: How did you get involved with Lantern TV?
Ritika Shah: I began reporting and anchoring daily newscasts in the 8th grade and continued to do so throughout my high school years, so when I decided to pursue a Journalism degree and visited Ohio State, I made a point to seek out any opportunity I would have to continue my dream. After speaking with our media advisor, Dan Caterinicchia, I began helping reporters at The Lantern produce video content as a freshman and eventually began producing some of my own for the former Lantern Webcast and what has now become Lantern TV. I also took multimedia and television courses which prepared me to take a position as News Director where I’ve been reporting, anchoring, and producing ever since! Having a brand new studio with state of the art technology and equipment has made working in this position a, for lack of a better term, very cool experience.
HC: What other organizations are you a part of?
RS: I serve as Vice President of Ohio State’s student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists which strives to connect students with professionals in the field and offer networking/internship opportunities. I’m also an active member of Ohio State’s Indian American Association (a cultural club on campus) as well as a member of Buckeye Fusion – a South Asian fusion dance team which combines various dance styles including contemporary, hip hop, Bollywood and Indian classical/folk styles to create a style that is uniquely our own. The team competes at universities across the nation each year!
HC: What do you like to do for fun?
RS: I love reading books and watching movies (I’m a sucker for a good romantic comedy). I’m also a HUGE foodie so I’m always up to trying new places to eat around the city.
HC: What’s your favorite part of Ohio State?
RS: My favorite part of being at Ohio State is the blend of diversity and sense of camaraderie I see on campus; I take comfort in knowing that I can should O-H to nearly 60,000 other students (and hundreds of thousands of alumni) and hear an I-O back. I think the passion for tradition at Ohio State makes being a Buckeye a truly enriching experience.
HC: What do you hope to do after college?
RS: I love TV news so I hope to work in broadcast journalism once I graduate – whether that be reporting on camera or working behind the scenes as a producer. My experience as a reporter, Assistant Photo Editor and News Director at The Lantern and Lantern TV has truly set the foundation for my future endeavors and has prepared me to enter the “real world.” After interning at CNN last summer, I can definitely say my dream job would be to work for them some day.
HC: What advice would you give to your freshman self?
RS: I would tell my freshman self to never lose her eagerness and to never stop trying to set a standard for herself. It’s easy to lose sight of this when school gets more overwhelming as an upperclassman.
I would also tell her to get involved but not to get tied down to one niche; this campus is full of many wonderful opportunities so broaden your horizons and don’t shortchange yourself out of any of them.
Explore. Indulge in curiosity. Develop a focus. Be undeniable.
If you want to see more Ritika, check out Lantern TV on The Lantern’s website, or the YouTube channel.