Chipster surprise

Photo by Ed Reinke, AP
Malcolm Knox (left) and Khristopher Brooks of the Louisville bureau of The Associated Press


When Khristopher Brooks arrived in the Louisville, Ky., bureau of The Associated Press, he made a pleasant discovery – a Chips Quinn alum. Malcolm Knox, a 2000 Scholar, works in the bureau as an editorial assistant.

Reports Malcolm: “When I found out we were getting a Chipster, I figured it was my job to help him out. I picked him up from the airport, and we found his home – in the coolest neighborhood in town. I introduced him to some of my favorite people in The (Louisville) Courier-Journal newsroom, including Chipster Ed Bowser (2001). I couldn’t find (reporter) Javacia Harris (2002) or (reporter) Scheri Smith (1998), but I’m sure they’ll be around before Summer is up. I know Brooks is going to have a great Summer.”

Prepared and confident

This first week was amazing. I had so many new experiences, and what I learned at orientation already has made a difference in making me a better reporter.

One friend from the program (Sona Patel) called me every morning during the week to make sure I would wake up in time for work. That meant she had to get up at 4 and 5 a.m. to do so. The friendship I have with Sona seems as though it will last a lifetime. Khristopher Brooks and I have been bouncing (literally since there seems to be a problem with his work e-mail) messages all week, reading the other’s work and offering tips on making it better.

Sharryn Harvey, Joyce Tse, Cedrique Flemming, Kristi Hsu and Stephanie Clary have stayed in touch online.

The first morning, editors at the San Angelo Standard-Times threw my feet to the fire by giving me two assignments in 20 minutes. The next day, I got a third assignment. My first assignment (a feature on a retiring teacher) was an area in which I have had trouble in the past, so it was good to meet it head on.

Two Chipsters combined to make B-1’s dominant piece stand out. My newsroom buddy and 2002 Chipster, Cynthia Esparza, was the photographer for the story and her pic was great in bringing out the emotion of the moment and helping the story stand out.

This has been said many times by my fellow Summer ’06 crew, but you all need to know it: The Chips Quinn Scholar Program has changed our lives.

We are better prepared, more confident and versatile enough to adjust quickly to what might not be our strong suits. A chunk of the credit goes to the Quinn family as well as the Freedom Forum. I am forever in your debt.

Forever a Chipster.

-- Joe Ruiz, Texas State University, San Angelo (Texas) Standard-Times

News from the crime beat

I am officially known in Monroe as “The Yankee from Detroit.”

Fortunately, it is a term of endearment. Everyone has been very helpful, even speaking slowly so I can decipher accents and teasing me that crimes here pale in comparison to what goes on back home. (That, by the way, is not true. They're about the same).

My first full week here has been interesting to say the least -- chasing fires, reporting on naked men stabbing to death dogs and visiting the jail. It has been pretty eventful. I know I would have been terrified if not for everyone at the orientation telling us that our editors expect us to make mistakes and that everyone is there to help. My editors reiterated these points when I started. Everything has given me the confidence to be able to prance around the newsroom one day and brag that ever since I started making police calls, they have had stories in the paper!

I love this job.

-- Sharryn L. Harvey, Wayne State University, The News-Star, Monroe, La.

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