As I find myself writing my first article for Odyssey, I cannot help but think back to my past, and what has led me to this position. Through ups and downs, unethical journalism practices, and a few websites here and there, I have come to write for my school’s chapter of such a fine online platform as Odyssey.
I believe everyone has their own story on how they got to where they are. Something along the way happened that drove you to make a decision about your career path, and you acted on it. Whether it was accidental or by design, somehow you arrived to where you are now, and you have put a lot of work in it.
During my junior year in high school, I was doing some research for a school paper regarding sports, and the recent emergence of then NFL player Tim Tebow. Upon researching, I came across an advertisement at the top of the website I was on, about a part-time contributor position for their sports section. Naturally intrigued, I decided to follow the link and apply. Not expecting anything, I continued on with my research about the beloved quarterback (at the time) and to be honest never thought about it again.
A few weeks later, I received an email from the website, asking me to submit a sample article. Long story short, I was given the position two days later. I went from writing about Tim Tebow in my English class to writing for a website that was starting to receive more and more traffic every day.
I owe a lot to the International Business Times, specifically their sports section. They were the ones who gave me a chance to write, and showcase my style to the world. Yes, it was not exactly a high-traffic site, but I would not be where I am today without my incidental arrival at their advertisement, and subsequently the ultimate hire of myself writing for their sports section.
Heading into my senior year, I was promoted to paid status. What did that mean? Nearly dollars and cents. Collectively, I think I made just under $30 in the eight months I was at a paid status. I was not too worried about this, after all, I was told it was all about the experience I was getting. From my recent realization that I enjoyed journalism, I decided to take a journalism class my senior year. This was an eventful class, to say the least.
Walking in blind, with the help of fellow students and my teacher, I quickly was able to take the reins of a “school journalist” and thrived early on during the first few issues. It was my first exposure to that type of setting, and I loved every bit of it. I was happy with my progress, my teacher was happy with my production, and the paper was doing well.
Then came what I would label my first “journalism crisis.” My teacher had the idea that I was to write a satirical piece on why girls sporting events are not as well attended as their counterparts, “the boys.” I was to make the story funny, saying such things as “girls are not as physical as guys,” or “they are not as entertaining,” while at the same time arguing against a fellow female student's article, advocating for more fan support at their sporting events. Hesitant at first, I was assured that everyone would get the satirical element of the piece, and it would be a “big hit” in the next issue.
Well, the only thing that took a “big hit” that week was my reputation. Let's just say that not many people necessarily took to my article. For one reason or another, the satire within the article did not get through to a majority of the student body, and I was thought of as a sexist. Even some teachers, whom I knew very well, made comments to me throughout the halls about how “brutal” I was to female athletes and how they were “shocked” that I would write such a thing. Consequently, I received the cold shoulder from many female athletes for the next few days, and upon attending a girls varsity soccer game that week, received multiple comments, my favorite being, “look who decided to show up.” Needless to say, the experiment did not work out, and I was questioning my place in journalism. But, I came around, and finished off my high school career with a full year in a journalism class that had its ups and downs, no doubt.
Today, I find myself majoring in Communication, with a double minor in Journalism and Political Science. Since my stumbling upon the job with International Business Times, I have written for five journalistic platforms, and I continue to search for sites that would like my services. Odyssey will be my first school-based journalism activity since high school. I hope that this time, however, I do not find myself cowering in the corner for the remainder of the year.
On a serious note, I am appreciative of the opportunity that Stonehill and Odyssey have given to me, and I look forward to producing content on a weekly basis. As for my journalism past, I am grateful for every single occurrence throughout the last few years. Experiences shape who you are, and make you a better person. I would not change anything from my past; otherwise I might not be where I am today. I just know now that I should stay away from writing satirical articles.
