Journalism, here we come

Photo by Bob Siddens

The Summer 2007 class of Chips Quinn Scholars gathered at the Diversity Institute in Nashville, Tenn.

It's a wrap

Photo by Daniel Sato
Chips Quinn Director Karen Catone

"Amen," as John Quinn says.

Four days of listening, learning and laughing are over. Orientation has ended, and scholars are headed to internships at daily newspapers across the country.

Good luck.

And keep in touch.

A new adventure

This must be what the Chipsters feel like when they leave orientation. Excited. Nervous. Inspired. Supported. Ready for the adventure that lies ahead. Blessed. After six years, I’m leaving the Chips Quinn program to return to the Newseum’s Visitor Services staff. I am excited because the next few months will be very busy as we prepare for the October opening of the Newseum. I am nervous to leave the comfort of the CQ program. I am inspired by the alums and the current scholars. You step out of your comfort zones to go to a new town, a new home and a new job just to do what you do. You all are my heroes. I feel supported by the entire Chips Quinn family – from John Quinn, Karen Catone and Michelle Hedenskoog to every speaker, alum and coach. I am grateful to have you in my corner. Because of your caring and support, I am ready for my next adventure. I am blessed to have been a part of this amazing program.

-- Kristen Smith, administrative assistant, Chips Quinn Scholars Program

On affirmation and ambassadors

The most valuable gift I received this weekend was affirmation. I am awestruck by the compassion, enthusiasm and commitment that everyone has brought to this experience. I thank each of you for sharing some part of yourself with me and regret not being able to share more of myself with you in return.

I will leave here emboldened, having been newly designated an ambassador of this program. I cannot anticipate what triumphs and tribulations life might hand me as I continue on my journey. However, I am certain now that the seat I occupied this weekend was rightly mine – in spite of my inexperience and insecurities. I have a talent that others believe should be nurtured and developed. I will carry that knowledge with me through the coming summer and my professional career.


-- Tierra L. Palmer, Ohio University, Smith College, Lancaster (Ohio) Eagle-Gazette

Ready for the real world

I'm looking forward to getting to my internship because I'm moving to the Big Apple. I hope to get there about a week before my start date so I have the opportunity to get to know my neighborhood and the area where I'll be working.

If all goes well, I plan to live in Washington Heights, which is in the north of Manhattan. From what I've heard, the area is predominantly Dominican, so I'm excited to be able to utilize my Spanish in everyday life. Needless to say, it's hard to find fellow Spanish speakers in Athens, Ohio. Aside from the diverse neighborhood that I'll be living in, I'm looking forward to finding out about the other diverse cultures that have settled in New York.

And, of course, I'm looking forward to testing my skills during my internship at the world headquarters of The Associated Press, located in Midtown Manhattan. I've never worked in a breaking-news environment. I know from talking with my newsroom buddy that I'll have a large responsibility in the newsroom during the weekends toward the end of my internship. I won't be there alone, but I'll have an important role in handling breaking news. That's an exhilarating thought and an intimidating thought. But after this weekend, I'm ready to face those challenges and test what I can do in the real world.

-- Arian Celeste Smedley, Ohio University, The Associated Press, New York

‘Taking care of society is the best job anyone can hope to have’

The most important lesson I am leaving orientation with is a better understanding of how valuable journalism is for society. When I came to the Chips Quinn orientation, I was a little worried about the journalism profession. It is scary to know that hard-copy newspapers are dying out, and that journalism is not exactly the career that will make you a millionaire. Fortunately, my experiences at orientation have eradicated those thoughts. News will never die; the only thing that will change is the way news is delivered. There will always be a demand for journalists to report the news. Journalism is so important to society because it serves as a watchdog, and to be taking care of society is the best job anyone can hope to have. This orientation has given me more faith and confidence in my future.

-- Jennifer Muhmel, University of South Dakota, Ventura County (Calif.) Star

Rolling out the skills

Being bombarded with information in a short amount of time is always difficult, especially for a student. You want to incorporate everything you learn into your routine but that isn’t always realistic. I am looking forward to actually putting into action at least a few of the lessons I have learned as a Chips Quinn Scholar and from other programs and school. I am looking forward to experiencing different situations and being able to reach into my bag of tricks and find something that can get me out of the situation. I’m about to be a senior in college, which means real life hits in less than a year. Might as well start acting like a professional now, since not too far down the road, that is exactly how others will refer to me.

-- Ronald Clark, Hampton University, Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat