Every moment counts

(Sunday's panel (from left): Chris Weston, managing editor, The Greenville (S.C.) News; Michelle Tan, reporter, Army Times; Derrick Henry, senior online producer, The New York Times; Carla Savalli, senior editor, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.; and Mauro Diaz, sports editor, Al Dia, Dallas. Photo by Jeremiah Armenta.)


I wish I could have a videotape of the last session we attended, so I could watch it every day after work. We had a Q&A with a panel of journalists from Chris Weston (managing editor of The Greenville (S.C.) News) to Mauro Diaz (1997 alum and sports editor of Al Dia in Dallas) and others with experience from The New York Times to the Army Times. The best part of it was listening to everyone reflect upon their past and share how it has gotten them to where they are now. It makes you realize that we have a lot to look forward to ourselves -- a lot of accomplishments and a lot of royal screw-ups -- and I'm happy that I've found something to put my skills toward. Chris Weston said something that to me rang especially true: In every job he held before journalism, he stared at the clock to wish it would move faster. In this line of work, he looks at the clock and hopes it will slow down. How lucky we are to be in a profession in which we try to make the most of every single moment.

-- Susanica Tam, University of Southern California, The Santa Fe New Mexican