Telling good stories

Listening to Derrick Henry (Summer 1997 alum at right) tell stories about his crazy reporting experiences --including getting punched in the face for taking a photo of someone and a colleague who was having a heart attack urging Derrick to call an ambulance and then call in a story -- was entertaining. At first I was thinking, "Man, this guy is just a magnet for funny stories." But as I thought more about it, I realized that almost every reporter has good stories like that. Derrick just knows how to tell them well. That's really what journalism is. There are good stories everywhere, and we just have to learn how to convey them through words, photos and graphics. These four days should be added to our mental journals of good stories that contributed to our careers. It's been fun, and it's been an honor to be surrounded by such history and hope for the future. Mahalo!

-- Adam Kealoha Causey, Louisiana State University, St. Louis Post-Disptach