Taking the mystery out of the internship

The breakout session with my career coach, Colleen Fitzpatrick, was helpful in many ways. The session provided a perfect platform, as Chipsters could ask whatever they wanted to ask and often got helpful answers. It took a lot of the mystery out of the things we might encounter in our internships. For example, I asked how to approach an editor about coming into a newsroom on a day off to observe and learn. I asked because I want to see how multimedia packages are produced, especially video editing. The answer: Tell the editor beforehand, that way he will know that you're not there to work on stories. The session made me feel comfortable in knowing that there are a lot of other students wondering the same things I am.

-- Willie Bans, San Diego State University, Statesman Journal, Salem, Ore.