Pace students, mostly from the Media, Communications, and Visual Arts department, were accompanied by Professor Melanie LaRosa to NBC Studios at the iconic 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City to see a live taping of the Meredith Vieira Show on Tue. March 24.

This trip marked the second time that Pace had been invited to be a part of the audience for the fairly new talk show as with VIP seating. Guests of the day’s taping included actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson of Modern Family, supermodel Christie Brinkley, and author Robin Rinaldi.

Senior Communications major Anthony Parker gained some insight into his field while attending the trip.

“I thought the show was a great experience for anyone interested in the production of a TV show,” he said. “We got to really see how a show is pieced together and all of the work that goes into it.”

Throughout the day, students came in contact with many producers and interns, and NBC pages. Each person made a point to offer advice about standing out from other applicants and getting a job or internship in the field or within the company.

While the talk show was taping, the audience was entertained by a comedienne who gave out prizes for answering different questions.

Though some members of the audience walked away with a little something extra for their participation, everyone was gifted with a copy of author Robin Rinaldi’s controversial new book The Wild Oats Project as well as a bottle of Christie Brinkley Authentic Skincare Complete Clarity Daily Facial Exfoliating Polish.

When the show was over and the audience began to clear out, Pace students were able to speak to the line producers of the show and hand in resumes for potential internship opportunities.

Meredith Vieira herself approached the students once taping was finished, taking time to answer questions and pose for pictures.

Sarah Santhouse, a senior Business Management major, who has been a huge fan of Vieira for years, took advantage of the opportunity even though it wasn’t for her intended career field.

“I’m not a communications major,” Santhouse said, “but I can absolutely see what the benefit of these kinds of trips is. It’s nice for communications students to witness an environment where the skills they learned in college are actually utilized on the daily.”

Notice of these types of events are usually sent to students in the Media, Communications, and Visual Arts department, however they are almost always open for all students to sign up through Eventbrite.