What began as a field trip ended as an exclusive interview with Madonna for two junior-high media students in Henderson, Ky.
The 14-year-old students from South Junior High School, along with the rest of their media class, went this month to the local baseball field to play extras in “In a League of Their Own,"a movie about an all-womens team being filmed in their hometown.
Aware that some big-name celebrities would be present, they asked their teacher whether they could try to interview people on the set.
“All she said was, ‘Don’t get into trouble and don’t break any laws,’ “said Jennie Bantley, one half of the ace reporting team.
Investigating the compound where the crew and actors’ trailers were located, the duo were stopped by a none-too-pleased security guard, who left them alone when Jennie’s cohort, Lindsay Gray, said she was looking for some first aid for an injury.
Soon, the actor Tom Hanks walked by, hailing them with a hearty “Hey, girls!” A nervous publicist lent them paper and pen, and the teenagers began asking questions of other actors who wandered by, including Ann Ramsey and Rosie O’Donnell.
Finally, they saw the Material Girl herself.
“She told us we probably knew everything about her anyway, but she answered our questions,” Jennie said.
In their 10 minutes together, they discovered Madonna’s favorite local spot--a Dairy Queen-and that a daily eight-mile run is the secret to her famous physique.
A flustered security guard who discovered the undercover press and escorted them off the film site found himself the next target of their questions.
“We found out that he jogged with Madonna a couple of times,” Jennie said.
The pair’s scoop made not only the school newspaper, but the local paper as well.
After all the hoopla, Jennie said she is “seriously considering” a career as a reporter.
“We even got a congratulatory note from People magazine,” Jennie said.
