MTV's college channel, mtvU, recently announced that USC Annenberg student Sarah Erickson (Communication Management '11) and her partner Joel Kutz made it to the top 10 of its Oscars Correspondent Contest.

The winning team, which will be named based on voting from the public, will represent their university as they cover the red carpet at the 83rd Academy Awards. Voting ends at 2 p.m. on Jan. 28. (Watch their video here.)

"I came to USC to hone my skills in journalism, filmmaking and performance because I want to be a great storyteller," Erickson said. "Having the opportunity to stand on the red carpet at the Academy Awards alongside the best broadcast journalists in the business and interviewing the movers and shakers of the film world would be more than a dream come true. For a student, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime."

Erickson said she felt exhilarated after finding out she and Kutz made it into the top 10.

"We were one step closer to making this crazy dream of ours become a reality," she said. "Then I realized that the entire competition from this point forward would be about rallying as many people as we could to vote for us, and I'm not much for campaigning, so I knew that would be a challenge. Luckily, I have an amazing partner, a terrific support group, and I fully believe in our ability to do a great job covering the Oscars if selected. So at this point, we just want to spread the word and get as many people to vote as possible."

Erickson met Kutz, an undergraduate at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, when they were co-hosts on "The SCoop," an entertainment show on USC's Trojan Vision.

"Putting together our video and making into the top 10 has been such a great experience for both of us that if this is as far as we go in the competition, we’re satisfied," she said. "I think we have a lot to be proud of and that in itself is victory enough."

Watch their video
Oscars Correspondent Contest 
mtvU 

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