WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Student-athletes Malcolm Dotson, Nick McDowell and Harry Shipley were the subjects of the top student-written profiles for an assignment in the new sports media relations course being offered by Purdue's Brian Lamb School of Communication.
The COM495/497 course being taught by Purdue professor Jane Natt is in its inaugural semester and features an enrollment of 15 students. The course is designed for students who would like to pursue a career with a collegiate or professional athletics communications office in some capacity. It focuses mainly on written skills needed by athletics communications professionals.
One of the assignments was to author a profile on a current Purdue student-athlete. Natt selected the features on Dotson, McDowell and Shipley as the top profiles in the course this semester. She shared the features with the Purdue athletics communications office and the stories are now being spotlighted here at PurdueSports.com.
The profiles were written by Purdue students Erika Yohn, David Zuccarelli and Christa Szalach. Coincidentally, Yohn and Szalach are both members of the Purdue women's soccer program.
Leaving a Legacy: Malcolm Dotson's Dual-Sport Role as a Boilermaker
By Erika Yohn
Only 2.6 percent of high school football players make it on the roster of Division I programs.
The number is 1.9 percent for track & field runners. Athletes that do both? The chances are even slimmer. Despite the odds, Malcolm Dotson has been able to compete -- and excel -- for Purdue as a dual-sport athlete.
But striking a balance between both sports and making a mark is always a challenge. Football and track seasons do not overlap, but offseason training is always going on for single-sport athletes. Dotson has to give up some of that training time to compete in his other sport, which sometimes feels like he is not giving his all.
READ YOHN'S COMPLETE PROFILE ON DOTSON
Not Shy, Just Focused: Nick McDowell's Humility Sparks Purdue Swimming
By David Zuccarelli
In a dimly lit coffee shop, Nicholas McDowell quietly sips his hot beverage. Forks and knives clang against plates, and the clash of breaking glass from somewhere in the kitchen resonates out into the dining room. A hum of chatter fills the entire space around him, but McDowell offers all of his unspoken attention to his across-the-table companion.
The conversation is mostly one-way, with McDowell smiling softly and nodding here and there, but he doesn't mind. He much more enjoys listening anyway, on taking in the moment and focusing on what's in front of him. Today, that's a friend. Most other times, though, it's swimming.
Ironically, this soft spoken young man is one of the most talked about upcoming freestyle swimmers in the Big Ten. Perhaps even more paradoxical is the difference between Nick McDowell the person and the athlete. On paper for instance, the humble and reserved nature of McDowell is lost, overshadowed by the records and statistics of what many might describe as a sports jock.
READ ZUCCARELLI'S COMPLETE PROFILE ON McDOWELL
Harry Shipley: More Than Just a Shortstop
By Christa Szalach
It's not every day you see the starting shortstop come into a game as the pitcher. But Harry Shipley is one of those unique players who wears multiple hats on the Purdue baseball team.
The junior shortstop from Fishers, Indiana, has played a crucial role on the team in his two complete years as a Boilermaker. With an overall fielding percentage of .961, Shipley started all 53 games in which he played in the 2016 season. He also stepped in as the pitcher in the Boilermakers' loss against Indiana State last April.
Shipley attributes his love for the game to his father, Kevin Shipley. "He wasn't a dad who was crazy and yelled at me go to practice. But anytime I would ask him to pitch to me or hit ground balls he would."