A blur that is coming into focus

We were asked to set a goal before the internship started. I wanted to learn how to use light -- maybe use my flash once in awhile. It was the one piece of gear I carried constantly and rarely used in fear of messing up the exposure. Well, not only have I learned how to use a flash, but I have re-learned how to walk, talk and dress myself in terms of shooting.

I arrived at my internship plump from feasting at the CQS orientation, fresh off the holiday season. Now, I must consciously pull up my pants when I kneel to shoot low-angle shots; my clothes hang with a distinct looseness, my body hardened from morning runs at Santa Fe’s high elevation and weeks of erratic meals.

It’s been a blur. I feel as if I have been here only briefly; I think again and feel like I’ve been here forever. Not a day has passed that I don’t create tiny catastrophes or make a prime target of a good critique. At times, my list of mistakes grows faster than my lists of triumphs. My days are amazingly full. I operate with the distinct desperation of an intern who is afraid of leaving with the feeling that more could have been done. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Yes, there’s a lot on my mind. But I will look back one day and realize that it was a breeze.

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

Changed by the people I interview

For me, the real joy of being a journalist is that people will talk to you about virtually anything. There is an unspoken understanding, whether they resent you or respect you, that they must speak with you -- that it’s to their benefit to speak with you.

Sometimes I feel as if I have an alter ego, my reporter persona that absorbs information but does not react. When I conduct interviews in person for feature articles, I try to be as small as possible and let my subject be big. I don’t like to spar with sources; I prefer to observe them. I think it makes for more honest reporting.

At the end of the day, I shed the reporter mask and become myself again, with my ego and my judgment. The people that I meet and interview -- the slices of their lives that I witness and the opinions they share -- enrich my real life and affect my view of the world.

Some people impress me with their warmth or their knowledge; other people disturb me with their bigotry and suspicion. But with every interview, my world gets bigger and bigger.

-- Gina Ferrer, University of California-Santa Cruz, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.

Living up to the standards

On the last day of orientation earlier this Spring, we gathered and shared our deepest, darkest fears about our internships.

We were unanimously scared of not being able to step up to the challenges of the newsroom, especially those of us with no prior internship experience. A lot of things could go wrong -- we wouldn't be able to make deadline, we would mess up names or facts, or, worst of all, we would fail if ever the opportunity for that big story presented itself.

I'm happy to tell you that I don't have that fear anymore. After working here, I know I can step up to the challenges of a story wherever I might find myself. During my tenure at The Jackson Sun, I've published articles on what turned out to be high-profile events: the minister's wife accused of killing her husband and fleeing to Alabama with her kids; tornadoes that devastated nearby counties; and the trial of a man who threatened to bomb a federal building. I'm not saying that I wrote the stories without a hitch. There definitely were problems, but they weren't career damaging. I was able to overcome them with the help of patient editors and kind reporters.

“You've definitely lived up to the standards of our past Chips Quinn interns,” Executive Editor Dick Schneider said the other morning. That I have stepped up and fulfilled the legacy of Chipsters before me – that was one of the best compliments I could have received.

The newspaper extended my internship by two weeks. Before I go, I hope to use my time to set the bar a little higher for the next Chips Quinn intern.

-- Andrew Tran, University of Texas, The Jackson Sun

More of a good thing

It's hard not to sound cliche by saying that being apart of Chips Quinn has changed my life. But it has. Since I've been at The Arizona Republic, I've seen nothing but doors of opportunity opened for me.

I am working for the community tabloids, and my editors have just changed my schedule so that I can work with the news designers for the A and B sections. I asked for more challenging design opportunities so I can experience every aspect of newsroom design.

I have two pieces of good news:

* I was chosen to help design the VOICES newspaper for Asian American Journalists Association convention this Summer in Hawaii.

* My internship has been extended to the end of July. I miss home. But what is three more months? I've had the opportunity to work with good people, and now I can form more of a relationship with them.

I have had the fortune of becoming friends with many Chips Quinn alums – reporter Marianne Refuerzo (a 2005 Scholar who is awesome!) and photographer Mike Schennum (2004 Scholar) to name two.

As much as I miss snow and the snowboarding season, I'm doing great here.

-- Yvonne A. Pingue, San Jose State University, The Arizona Republic

Thankful for the experience

My internship has been nothing but learning experiences since the beginning. The people at The Bulletin have been there to help me pursue stories. I am thankful for their words of encouragement, concern and understanding.

In February, an editor from my first internship passed away. My editor here offered her condolences and time off. Since I'm far away, I didn't make it to the funeral. I went on with work and remembered to treasure the editor’s words and advice from last Summer.

I will remember the words from editors and colleagues here, too. They could prevent work-related mistakes down the road.

I wrote my first correction for misidentifying a high school as an elementary school. It's strange how little details can get by so quietly. Fortunately, I'm thankful for the advice and criticism when something does go wrong.

I had one earlier internship, but I’ve learned new things on the job. That is why I am thankful for this educational experience – and the memories I will take with me.

-- Benny Polacca, Arizona State University, The Bulletin, Bend, Ore.

Proud of fellow Chipsters

I am itching to write more significant, breaking-news stories. I joke that I know everybody in Los Angeles because when metro reporters talk about people I often say (or think to myself) I know that person. I've shared some contacts and phone numbers with people, so that's been nice. Recently, Dr. Rodolfo Acuna, author of Occupied America, and the man who started the Chicano Studies program at CSUN, my alma mater, sent me a piece he wrote about immigration. I forwarded it to my editors, and they printed it as an op-ed piece. I finally sat down with my supervising editor to talk about things I can work on, such as shortening my sentences and killing the passive voice. Still, I am suffering from "breaking-news envy" of my fellow Chipsters. But I am proud and impressed by some of the stories I've read by the gang. Hope all the Chipsters are well, and remember “Congress shall make no law...”

Paz (peace),

- Rick Coca, California State University-Northridge, Daily News, Los Angeles

Serving the Hispanic community

My work at The Bulletin can range from stressful to rewarding. As a general-assignment reporter, I cover stories that vary from day to day. One day I could be writing a story on an elementary-school assembly and the next I could be writing a story on immigration. I must admit that my writing has improved over the months, but I still need help with writing on deadline. Editors and reporters here at the paper are friendly and eager to help me whenever I have a question. Being the only reporter fluent in Spanish has helped in my internship. I reported and wrote a feature story on Quinceanera, a celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday as she makes the transition from childhood to adolescence. It was a front-page Sunday story. Today, I went to a small town, Madras, to help a senior reporter get local reaction to the federal immigration bill. I used my skills as a reporter and a translator to get the story right. It was challenging. Nevertheless, I’m happy to say that I was able to help serve the Hispanic community in Central Oregon.

-- Kimberlina Rocha, California State University-Fresno, The Bulletin, Bend, Ore.

Listening for the story

For a reporter, having an open mind is worth more than its weight in gold.

The Peninsula Daily News is the third newsroom I've worked in. Across the board, I've seen reporters and editors approach a story with the end result already written in their heads. Whether it's a story about a fatal car accident, a new law or a man with an eccentric personality, prewriting the story in your head hinders your ability to get the facts. Not only does it limit the types of questions asked and areas of research, but it also makes you appear singleminded to sources. I've seen this happen over and over in the newsrooms I've worked in -- from a political weekly to a major daily. I've seen how it makes sources tightlipped and distrustful of the newspaper. I've seen how singlemindedness from editors frustrates reporters.

I've also experienced firsthand how having an open mind can repair damage to a source's trust of a newspaper, and how it gets you access to things no one else has. I go into every story with an open mind. I have a few questions that I need to ask, but most of the time I'm listening. I never thought what I was doing was different from the norm, but almost every source I've interviewed has commented on my approach. It’s helped me develop a trust with the sources I talk to regularly. They know that I'm listening. When I ask a tough question, it's not that I want to trap them but because I'm curious.

-- Vanessa Renee Casavant, West End and education reporter, Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, Wash.

California dreamin'

OK, I'll admit it: I’m not a copy editor by trade. Yes, I’ve always taken a perverse pleasure in proofreading the work of others. (“You used ‘effect’ instead of ‘affect!’ Gotcha!”) But I hadn’t really served in an official copy-editing capacity until this internship at the Ventura County Star. I must say, I'm digging it.

Although, you wouldn't believe the mistakes I’ve caught in wire stories. Hey, Knight Ridder, I may be a pitiful little intern, but at least I know how to spell Laurence Olivier's name correctly! One time, we got a story from The AP attributing a quote to California Sen. “Barbara Feinstein.” For those who aren't hip to California politics, we have two senators -- Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein.

I don't know how those folks sleep at night.

I really like my newsroom. Everyone is very cool, and I've been introduced to some interesting places in lovely Ventura. And of course, Southern California features the Del Taco and Der Wienerschnitzel fast-food chains. I couldn't ask for more.

-- Giselle Velazquez, San Francisco State University, Ventura County (Calif.) Star

A learning experience

The first day of my internship, I jumped right in, as if I had been at the San Angelo Standard-Times for years. Afraid -- yes, I was. But I was reminded by colleagues and supervisors that it was an internship, and I was there to learn. So I took it one day at a time. Now I feel I've learned so much.

Though, I'll admit, when I made mistakes I was hard on myself, feeling as though I had learned nothing at all my entire time there. (That was a bit dramatic on my part.) I've learned that you cannot let things bring you down. This self-pep talk allowed me to move past the mistake, learn from it and take a better approach the next time.

I'll also admit that recognition, especially from co-workers and supervisors, is one of the best feelings in the world. A kudo you get for a great headline on an A1 centerpiece outdoes any of the mistakes you made ten-fold. It’s also a sign that you've learned. You take that praise, and you strive to produce more work like it.

Whether through criticism or compliments, I want always to continue learning and growing in whatever I do, but particularly in my passion, my career. As long as I keep in mind that everything is a learning experience, then growing is all I can do. And that's not bad at all.

-- Ana A. Ramirez, St. Mary’s University, San Angelo (Texas) Standard-Times