Sports and race: more perception than reality

Combine sports and race and you get  one controversial topic, and an endless number of debates on the issues associated with that topic. Questions abound on what constitutes race, and people are left with an empty misconception derived from societal pressures. 

That is what I got out of the presentation given by Missouri sociology professor Scott Brooks to our SJI class Thursday.  

Race may well be little more than a social construct, but for my whole life I have identified as a black man. However, I know that the stereotypes involving my race don't define me. Sociologist Erving Goffman once said that there are roles people portray each day. The roles are like acting on a stage and it builds on what he calls the presentation of self.

Brooks outlined this point and brought it full circle in regards to sports. As a reporter, I could understand his message. He detailed how Serena Williams doesn’t have enough clout even though she is one of the tennis greats. Brooks said that athletes like Maria Sharapova get more fanfare because of their looks. This example stuck out to me because I understand the perception. There are certain things that athletes struggle to get acknowledgement for because of the color of their skin. It’s not right but it’s the way things are at this point. 

Brooks stressed that each of us should have a positive perception of who we are emotionally, physically, and mentally. In having this understanding, it allows us to see the world and others through a different lens. It’s not about who makes the headline but how and why the headline occurred. It’s about the background and the importance of someone’s environment. 

It's also what makes good journalism. 

--Jaylon Thompson

Class of 2015 says thank you

A big part of what we've heard this week are the connections we will make by week's end, whether it's with our classmates, speakers or mentors we've interacted with.

I already see that coming to fruition. First of all, the people spending their weeks (or even just a couple of hours) with us have sacrificed a considerable amount of their lives for our advancement as young journalists. I think I speak for all 12 of us that we are incredibly grateful for that.

Secondly, everyone has always finished each presentation with a closing line sounding like, "Here's how you can contact me .... ." As someone looking to break into the field, even having these people's contact information is beneficial.

Even more importantly, we've all formed some sort of rapport with 11 other aspiring journalists from all over the country. As we all hopefully advance through the field, I feel like the connections and friendships I've created with my classmates will be the most powerful and lasting.

I hope they feel the same way.

--Chris Bumbaca

Writing on race and sports: Cover the uncovered

Race is a touchy subject no matter what the context is. Sports and race combined can be particularly interesting. I’ve blogged about it and, as a result, have gotten not-so-nice comments. It was fascinating to hear what sociologist Scott Brooks had to say about the relationship between sports media and race.

He brought up questions and ideas that I’ve never really thought about before, such as what are the implications of media only looking at issues from a single lens? Or how there have been stories written that imply black athletes are dominating sports when in reality that only applies to basketball, football and track — and even then, the percentage of African Americans playing in the NBA has declined over the years.

Last summer I freelanced for a Japanese-American newspaper in Los Angeles, and that forced me to pay attention to Asians and sports. It was a subject that I had yet to tackle, but after writing stories and speaking to sources, it made me realize how important it is to cover and how little it is covered. To hear Brooks analyze everything from a researcher/academic point of view was refreshing. It inspired me to consider feature storylines from a more diverse set of angles.

--Alysha Tsuji

What’s real (sports as a prism), what’s not (racial divides)

“Race is not real” is something I’ve heard off and on throughout the years, but never something that was really explained in great detail to me. Scott Brooks (not the coaching Scott Brooks) came and spoke to SJI about race and culture, and how it all is interconnected with sports.

Brooks’ point was that we’re all living in a world that’s put up these elaborate constructs of who we are – black, white, male, female, poor, rich. All of those terms have come to mean something, but in reality, the truth is always somewhere in the middle. The human race began in Africa, so if we’re talking evolutionarily, we’re all of African descent. But people only reach back as far back into history as they want to, choosing when is the appropriate time period to focus on, and when it’s okay to say that someone is truly of “African descent.” They forget that we all are.

“Racial” groups, or at least what we think racial groups are, have been mixing for generations and generations, and none of it matters in the end. What Brooks really hammered home was that we have the opportunity to use sports as a prism to examine these issues, and to try to erase all these social constructs that truthfully mean absolutely nothing. I think that’s one of the most important things we’ve learned so far at SJI, and it’s something I hope to do in my career moving forward.

--Ashley Scoby

Just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should

I realized today that Which Wich just isn’t for me. I go to a sandwich shop because there are people there who can make a better sandwich than me. Which Wich places the control in your hands, allowing you to choose what goes into your sandwich and then they make it. Today, following my instructions, the sandwich makers served me a Cordon Blue sandwich with pesto, blue cheese, red peppers, mushrooms and spinach (even now I get nauseous). Clearly, I’m not meant to be a sandwich chef. 

This can apply in other professions as well. Some people are journalists and some people are in their pajamas at home ranting, labeling themselves as “bloggers.” Darnell Mayberry, the OKC Thunder beat writer who spoke to us this week, is a blogging journalist. But does everybody who tweets an opinion hold that title? I don’t think so. The problem is that everyone now has the tools, whether they deserve them or not.

Just because you have Twitter and a laptop doesn’t mean you should write a story. Just because you can make any sandwich doesn’t mean you should!

--Zolan Kanno-Youngs

Inside KOMU-TV

Very few journalists see the broadcast outside of the newsroom. Yesterday I saw the other side: broadcast. KOMU-TV station was a great host to me and the SJI class giving us a tour of their newsroom, control room, and studio.

Yesterday I was able to see my first live news show from the control room and the studio. And they were two different ways to see the show.

From the control room, I got to see how hectic it can be when things don’t go as planned. Two minutes before the 6 p.m. news broadcast, one of the cameras was on the wrong highway. It was supposed to be showing traffic and you could her anxiety in her voice communicating to the camera man and floor director to make it aware. Fortunately, it did not implode and that was the only mishap in the broadcast.

At the first commercial break, we swapped positions and we had an opportunity to see the broadcast in the studio. That was vastly different than what I thought. That was because I wasn’t exactly sure how a studio looked.

First of all, KOMU has an extraordinary studio. It looked unbelievable and was it was really cool to see how everything ran from cues, to watching the floor director, to seeing how a weather report was done. At the conclusion of the newscast, I had the opportunity to even snap a picture at the sports desk.

This was an awesome opportunity because I had the chance to see what the broadcast side of journalism is and the behind the scenes things that happens. Doing this has given me a different outlook on broadcast and maybe want to do some broadcast things as well as writing.

-Wynston Wilcox

In praise (yes, praise) of sports check

While I’m sure this topic has already been the subject of many of my fellow classmates’ blogs, it would be an injustice to myself if I did not touch on the most dreaded topic here at SJI: sports check.

Before arriving in Columbia, I believed that I had the greatest depth of sports knowledge of any 22-year-old. And coming from a college where the students are seemingly indifferent to the world of sports, I may have.

However, after Greg and Sandy administered the first sports check, a quick quiz on daily and historical sports knowledge, I realized that my assumption was far from correct.

First of all, I know nothing about horse racing. I couldn’t list the order of the Triple Crown races — I struggled to even come up with their names — before two days ago. My knowledge of tennis was a little bit better, but that’s not saying much.

Sports checks have inspired to me to become a more well-versed fan. Wednesday morning I checked the post position for American Pharoah at the Belmont Stakes and the French Open bracket. I never thought I would say that.

The class may live in dread of the embarrassment that comes with looking at a poor score on a sports check, but they have been a blessing for me.

— Alex Nieves

First time in the Midwest

Until last Friday, never had I ever set foot in the midwest. I’d never even spent a significant amount of time with people from the midwest. In fact, to tell the truth, I’ve avoided it as much as possible. Born and raised in Los Angeles, I was the spoiled, “I’ll only live in LA or NYC,” kid. I’ve been to other cities — Philadelphia, New Orleans, Miami — but nothing like Columbia, Mo. I remember being a senior in high school, seeing that Mizzou was the top journalism school in the country, and immediately disregarding it because of where it’s located. 

It’s funny how life works — five years later, fresh out of undergrad, I’m here. After nearly a week in Missouri, we’ve toured the journalism school and the local NBC-affiliate station. I’ve been to a Waffle House for the first time. And I’ve learned that it’s not so bad. I wouldn’t say I prefer it to Los Angeles or that I regret going to school at Pepperdine overlooking the Pacific, but it’s neither miserable nor desolate.

The realization I’ve come to is that starting my career in a smaller city wouldn’t be bad. The high school and college sports are magnified, and the experience may not be just beneficial but possibly also preferred. My views have been widened and my be all-end all is no longer strictly west coast/east coast. 

 -- Alysha Tsuji

Free T-shirt? Bring it on!

As a reporter I am dedicated to writing fair and accurate stories on whatever I happen to be covering. And if that happens to be a sports game, I feel no shame in taking a free shirt, keychain, jacket or eating a pregame meal (even if the total of the value is over $25).

Greg Bowers, the sports editor of The Missourian who led a great discussion in class on sports journalism ethics, is definitely shaking his head in disappointment at the above statement. But the thing is – I really, really like free T-shirts. And that’s okay because I can still write a fair, truthful piece regardless if a huge organization gives me a shirt or not.

I can do this in two ways:
1. Always having a second person read over my piece.
2. DON’T WEAR THE SHIRTS IN PUBLIC.

No. 2 may seem like a joke but it’s not. If I enter a press box and take a shirt and a notebook (which every reporter gets as a form of hospitality) and go about my work, no harm is done. None of my potential readers knows of the hospitality, and they will judge the fairness of my work purely on my work. However, if I’m asked to come onto a sports talk show and I wear a logo of a team I’ve been
covering, it’s similar to running out of that press box and waving my free T-shirt
like a flag in front of the home crowd. It comes down to keeping my interests –
and the hospitality I’ve been given – to myself.
But at the end of the day, let’s be realistic. Everyone is taking that shirt.
--Zolan Kanno-Youngs

Friendly competition

Coming in hot! After a rough start to the sports checks this week, which included sitting outside of the top-5 leaderbaord for the first five days, I have broken through with a strong run and now currently sit tied for fifth place. Just three points behind fourth place, I have my sights set on working my way up the leaderboard. While I sit quite a ways out of the top 3, trailing my roommate for the week Cameron Wolfe by 16 points, I have plenty of time left to reduce the deficit and land a podium spot. It’s almost a
foregone conclusion that I won’t catch the leader Jaylon, who seems to be breaking away from the pack, but I can catch the next few spots and keep my reputation as the comeback kid intact. Ready or not, here I come, you can’t hide… I’m talking to you Ashley,

Cameron and Chris

Small market could equal big opportunity

We got a chance to visit KOMU (the NBC affiliate in Columbia) on Tuesday and it was an eye-opening experience. Being in a small market TV station is something I’ve envisioned for myself many times. While many of my SJI classmates may not be interested in that, I’m a broadcast major and have long dreamed about taking that route. And a market like this one is the sort of place that most college graduates would find themselves in, so I took particular interest in how they operate and what roles a typical reporter plays.

What’s interesting about KOMU in particular is that most of the on-camera talent are students at Missouri. The fact that students already are getting the small market opportunity opened my eyes to some of my competition for jobs and at what level they produce. I talked to Mark Selig, assistant sports editor of the Missourian, and he mentioned that his girlfriend was going to grad school for free by being a TA at Missouri and working with the channel. That seemed like something I could potentially be interested in—and something I wouldn’t have known without this tour.

--Cameron Wolfe

Bowers: Instructor, historian and even tour guide

             One of my SJI classmates on Sunday made the comment that Greg Bowers was our official tour guide of Columbia, St. Louis and everything in between. That couldn’t be more accurate. The editor of The Missourian has welcomed us into his home for a meal, taken us to the historic Lewis and Clark expedition starting point, and given us a walking tour of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. But while we were being led onto the field in Busch Stadium, I noticed Mr. Bowers is much more than a good host to the many reporters who stood alongside the Dodgers batting practice.

I knew that Jenifer Langosch, the Cardinals beat reporter for MLB.com, had known Bowers since she used to work for him at The Missourian. But her competition, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, also knew Bowers well. Goold told us that he used to work for Bowers at The Missourian.

All this showed me a couple things. For one, people in this business know everyone. Introducing myself to one editor resulted in connecting with every Cardinals beat reporter. The second thing is that when you are a reporter or editor of a city, town or any community, you almost become a part of that community. You know the ins and outs of the area, as well as the fellow movers and shakers. The last is that people aren’t just encapsulated by their title (even though I do need to work on memorizing them). Greg Lee may be the director of editorial content for NBA.com. Bowers may be sports editor of the Columbia Missourian. But they are also teachers, leaders and network builders. And at times, really good tour guides. 

--Zolan Kanno-Youngs

A tight sports check race heads into the home stretch

The sports check competition is heating up. As we enter the final checks, every question matters, every random test of knowledge can make or break you.

For those who don’t know, sports checks are quizzes on current events (news or sports) and general sports knowledge. They come every morning, and often at other times too. They have been a battle of Room 11 essentially the entire time, with Jaylon Thompson and me going at it since day one. I caught Jaylon at the top of the leader board a couple of days ago, but a rough patch threw me back into second place. I've been making up ground and this morning I pulled within one point.

 Then, out of nowhere, Carron Phillips throws in a three-point extra credit, "When was the last time the Olympics were held in Los Angles?" All of a sudden, J-Smoove (as his Twitter name yields), has a sizable lead when there's a significant difference between a one-point lead and four-point lead.

 Current Standings:

                1) Jaylon Thompson 95.5*

                2) Chris Bumbaca 91.5

                3) Cameron Wolfe 90.5

                * 92.5

 As my good friend Leon Carter, would say "SCANDAL!"

I also have C-Wolfe breathing down my neck, but I've kept him at bay for a while now.

To borrow a Mr. Carter quote again, it seems that I'm facing some "ADVERSITY!"

I will come through. J-Smoove got lucky this time, but he better watch himself.

--Chris Bumbaca

Far from the crowd, and learning to lead the way

Columbia, Mo., is roughly two hours from St. Louis and two hours from Kansas City. But
if you think that means it sits in the middle of nowhere, just take a tour of the Missouri
campus and you’ll soon change your mind. It’s no secret that for journalism students,
Missouri has one of the best programs in country. Getting the opportunity to learn at this
institution is awesome, but it gets more interesting. My SJI class went on a tour of the J-
school this week. It’s full of state-of-the-art equipment house in nine buildings, and the
program features with six award-winning sequences. Not bad for a school some might
label as being in the middle of nowhere! Not to mention that one out of every five
students at the university (the undergraduate population is nearly 27,000) studies
journalism. The Missouri Method is not simply a theory; it is a consistent initiative to
provide students with proactive, self-engaging experience in media platforms. You learn
by doing. I love the concept and it is the true life of a journalism student. And for this
week, it’s our life. It reminds me of the fact that experiences come in all shapes and
sizes, and it’s you make of those experiences that separates you from the rest.

---Wilton Jackson II

Four days of many firsts

I’ve only been away from Massachusetts for four days and I have already experienced quite a few firsts. I had Chipotle for the first time, and I had to text a few friends for help before ordering. And of course they laughed at me.

The biggest first for me was celebrating my birthday apart from my sister and mother. Since we all share the same birthday on June 1, it’s an unspoken rule that we’re all together on that day. I actually found myself missing hearing my mother’s yearly reminder of how much pain we made her go through on her birthday while she was giving birth to us. Thanks to technology, my sister and mother sent me a video, wishing me a Happy Birthday. Aside from the Beyoncé tickets I received last year, and the 2012 Miami Heat vs. Celtics Eastern Conference finals tickets, that was the best birthday gift. 

I also got to cover a baseball game, and although being on deadline can be quite the task, I enjoyed the new experience because I know it’ll only make me better in the long run.

Lastly, the most rewarding first for me was sitting in on a journalism session. As an English major, I’ve listened to countless literature lectures in the last 4 ½  years, so Malcolm Moran’s session on deadline writing was my favorite so far. At first, I was bummed because the class was the day after we covered the Dodgers-Cardinals game, but it was actually better that it came then because I was able to realize what I did wrong and I now know how I can improve if I get the chance to cover baseball. 

--Michelle Fenelon

Missouri inspires another school of thought

I love my school (Clemson) and my major (communications), but I’ve always wanted to at least see what a journalism school has to offer. After, I can see why the Missouri School of Journalism gets so much hype. Greg Bowers, sports editor of The Missourian, was the perfect tour guide for our walk around the journalism school. The history, the resources, and the opportunities available at the J-school here are amazing. The newspaper, television and  radio station all are first class, and being surrounded by so many like-minded journalists of my generation in the Sports Journalism Institute here is something I haven’t had the opportunity to experience on a daily basis.

While I feel that Clemson has prepared me for my career in many ways, I also am thinking that earning a masters in a professionally oriented program (as opposed to a research orientation) might be beneficial down the line. I’ve been told there’s no one right way to become a successful journalist, and I think the grad school path just could be a good one for me. Missouri had been on my radar for quite some time, and I’m proud to say it will stay there.

--Colby Lanham

Horsing around

A pretty contentious point of debate this week has been the number of horse racing questions involved in our sports checks. I started doing some research about past horses that have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, but failed to win at the Belmont Stakes. That got me thinking about the nature of horse names, which led me to rank the top 10 (out of a total of 23) to come one win shy of the Triple Crown.

Your definitive list:

10. Burgoo King, 1932
Sounds like Burger King and I like Burger King.

9. Northern Dancer, 1964
Mysterious yet melodious.

8.  Sunday Silence, 1989
Reminds me of being quiet in church. If Sunday Silence prayed a little more, maybe he would've completed the Triple Crown.

7. Funny Cide, 2003
Everyone's got a funny side. His owner probably didn't laugh when he finished third at Belmont though.

6. Big Brown, 2008
Alliteration like you read about.

5. California Chrome, 2014
See No. 6.

4. Alysheba, 1987
Kind of sounds like Ali (as in Mohammed). Intimidation game: Level 100.

3. I'll Have Another, 2012
My life motto in probably too many facets.

2. War Emblem, 2002
Powerful. Sounds like a winner.

1. Smarty Jones, 2004
"And SMARTY JONES has won the Triple Crown!" would've been an unbelievable call.
If only.

-- Chris Bumbaca

A different look, a different take, and responsibility

Nearly everyone looks in a mirror daily, but I think we all sometimes forget that we look different. When it comes to the sports journalism world, that’s when we are reminded.

After a Skype session with ESPN’s Jason Whitlock on Monday, where we discussed race and culture in the context of sports, the class started talking about certain situations in which a minority perspective
was left out. There was an instance a number of years ago when a newspaper headline read “Dread

Scott,” which trivialized the life of an enslaved African-American who, in the 1800s, unsuccessfully sued for his freedom. Leon Carter told us this story, and mentioned that he had asked an editor there if a
person of color had seen the headline before it went to print. The answer was “I don’t know.”

Mr. Carter went on to say that the sports journalism industry needed people who “look like us.” While
I’m not African-American, I am female in a male-dominated business, and there’s no doubt that I look
different from most of the people I work with. When I cover Kentucky basketball, I’m the only female
beat writer. I’m one of two female beat writers covering Kentucky football. In my job, I’m often the only female in a sea of middle-aged, white, male faces. It’s tough sometimes to be different, but I know that people like me, as well as everyone here at the Sports Journalism Institute, has the responsibility of
representing minorities and differing viewpoints.
It isn’t that middle-aged white males don’t do their jobs well—usually they do. But sometimes when
you’ve spent your entire life around the same viewpoints, you don’t see the other side. That’s what
people like us are for, and that responsibility is one of the biggest things that has resonated with me
during my time at SJI so far.

--Ashley Scoby

When sports is more than sports

Sports is entertainment. That cannot be denied. But, every once in a while, a sports story stands out and sheds light on humanity — for better or for worse. Within the past few days we’ve had run-ins with a few stories that have had that effect.
The first was the Oscar Taveras storyline from the Dodgers-Cardinals game we covered Sunday. The day began with a pregame ceremony to honor the late Taveras’ major league debut. His parents, the fans and his best friend, who was the starting pitcher that day, were all wiping away tears at the beginning of the game. That moment even trumped the fact that the Cardinals have the best record in baseball.
Another was mentioned Monday by one of the speakers, Malcolm Moran. The story was called “Death of a Racehorse” and was written by W.C. Heinz. It’s an incredibly simple yet powerful column that elegantly explains — exactly what it sounds like — the tenderness of life through the death of a horse.
It’s always amazing to me when something as simple as a sporting event can spur a person to write a story with such incredible passion and emotion. As a young journalist, I appreciate reading sports pieces from the past and the present that remind us that while sports mainly revolves around wins and losses, there are underlying narratives in competitions that can inspire us to be better.

--Alysha Tsuji

Lewis and Clark--and me

The Class of 2015 with Daniel Boone

After our class covered the Cardinals' rubber match with the Dodgers on Sunday, we had the opportunity to visit St. Charles for dinner. We were told that the area was of historical significance because of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Since I didn't have any prior knowledge of the expedition, I did some research. I discovered that the site at St. Charles marked the final embarkation point of Lewis and Clark's journey. On May 14, 1804, Clark and 42 men stopped at St. Charles, which is the first permanent European settlement on the Missouri River and one of the first in Missouri.

We were able to visit the site, and found it a nice experience--though our excitement was quickly replaced with another emotion--fear of a sports check question about the Lewis and Clark Expedition from Mr. Carter.

--Michelle Fenelon

Usher Raymond, Greg Lee and Close Encounters of a Sports Mind

On a crisp summer morning in Columbia, an energetic mood settled over the SJI interns.

As the sun crept from the remnants of the previous night’s rain showers, the group was ready for another day’s journey.  Piling into a blue minivan, I put in my SOUL elite headphones, deciding that 8701 by Usher Raymond was perfect for this type of morning. Little did I know that his entire tracklist would become a recurring theme in SJI.

At 9 a.m. in the morning, we usually take a “sports check,” but this morning was different.  Greg Lee, editorial director of NBA.com, started the session with a stirring rendition of U Remind Me. He picked on fellow SJI classmate Cameron Wolfe on his new nickname.  Later he conducted a tough sports check where all that ran through my mind was I Don’t Know and Can you Help Me?  In the rare instant that you got it right, you would Pop Ya Collar in celebration.  That was until Leon Carter, an ESPN VP and editorial director for The Undefeated, would ask you to spell out the response and you find yourself stuck with How do I say as you feverishly tried to Twork it out. I wasn’t doing too well on Mr. Lee’s tests. It was as if U Got it Bad was my theme song and I had to make many U Turns and felt Separated from the correct answers.

However, something changed on the last sports check. I actually did well. The long hours of late night studying and sifting through CNN, SI, ESPN and USA Today had finally paid off. When I finally got above a score of 10, I felt like the Hottest Thing walking. I had conquered the beast and finally felt like a success on Mr. Lee’s sports checks.

--Jaylon Thompson

We’re all in it together here--and that makes it fun

Before coming on this trip, I had no idea what to expect. Sure, I had some idea of how it would all go down, but so far this experience has exceeded all of my expectations. I’m surrounded by incredibly talented peers from all across the country, which creates a cool combination of friendly competition and collaboration that serves to make us better as journalists and professionals. And what might be even better about the experience are those who run the program, Greg, Sandy and Leon. We’ve only been here for three days, but already they’ve taught me more than I learned in some entire semesters in the classroom, as well as made me think twice about what I already thought I knew about being a sports journalist.

It’s also been – surprisingly – fun and enjoyable. From going to the Cardinals-Dodgers game to singing Britney Spears in the car ride home, it’s been a fun ride so far, and I’m sure it will only continue to get better.

--Vincent Pena

Earning an A in geography

George Santayana once said, "To me, it seems a dreadful indignity to have a soul controlled by geography."

Last Friday though, I was happy to have my soul controlled by geography. I had the easy way out when it came to traveling to SJI in Columbia this week.
I met my group of colleagues and mentors for the week in the lobby of the Stoney Creek  Hotel just before 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon. They looked tired after traveling all morning to St. Louis and then driving in.
Me? I was fresh. All I had to do was pop on "Summer Hits of the 90's" Pandora and drive east on I-70 for two hours from Kansas City (I'm interning at the Star this summer).
While my roommate Jaylon Thompson was up at 5 a.m. to catch his flight out of Houston, I woke up at 9:30, worked out, had breakfast and ran an errand at the post office before I was on my way around noon.
Thank you geography for being on my side this week.

--Chris Bumbaca

The moose is loose--and that’s good

Some might not think that traveling from Mississippi to Missouri is like entering a different world, but life in the Stoney Creek Hotel in Columbia has definitely opened my eyes to a new world. Outside the hotel stands a moose, his feet in a pond filled with fish. For me, that was the first sign we were entering a unique environment.
As we got settled in our hotel rooms inside, I noticed a moose--actually a stuffed animal version of the wild animal--on the bed. There were different artifacts and articles in the room that reminded us of living in a wilderness cottage. The overall effect was one of relaxation and a feeling of being engaged with nature. Not to mention, there are beautiful trees surrounding the hotel.
There are other differences from traditional hotels, including that we are living in what the hotel calls cottages. The diverse setting and the subtle differences in the hotel make the overall living area fun to explore and get ready to learn.
--Wilton Jackson

The Greg Lee Van Experience

It’s only been a few days with SJI in Missouri, but we’ve already logged at least four or five hours in the two rental cars. One car is driven by Greg Lee and the other is led by Sandy and Leon. I’ve had the pleasure of riding in The Greg Lee Van. I capitalize “The” because The Greg Lee Van is not just an ordinary car ride — it’s an experience.

From N.W.A. to Biggie to Taylor Swift, no jams are off limits. On the way from St. Louis to Columbia, a few of the guys in The Van gave their own rendition of songs reaching from “Bump ‘N Grind” to “Oops!...I Did It Again.” The best juxtaposition so far has definitely been swapping from bobbing heads to Drizzy to rocking out to T-Swift’s “Shake It Off.”

We’ll see what new performances the week brings. I just have one proposal: that all students receive a Greg Lee playlist file to bump on our flights out of St. Louis.

--Alysha Tsuji

There's a First Time for Everything

First flight. First Sports Check. First Major League Baseball game. First Brittany Spears mini-van concert. They do say there’s a first time for everything, and I’d say that statement can be pretty accurate.

In a matter of three days, I’ve already experienced things through SJI that I’ve never done before. Navigating my first ever flight alone, learning how to score a baseball game and covering one the next day along with experiencing the revival of Brittney Spears’ top hits, this week has certainly thrown plenty for me to reflect on. That Friday having to navigate through the overall process was more daunting to me than actually being on the plane. "What if I accidentally misread the time and miss my flight? What if I get there right after they close the doors? I'll be stuck in this airport with no way to get to Missouri!" 

This is the kind of stuff that ran through my head at times as I checked my boarding pass for what seemed to be every 30 seconds, as though the departure time would magically change on my already printed pass. But, everything worked out, and here I am experiencing what has already been a great first-time experience with my fellow SJI Interns.

Of course, I’m sure I made an interesting first impression on everybody on Day 1 (especially our SJI supervisors) by being the last intern to show up after going to the wrong hotel. But hey, what can ya do? I just thank whatever gods may be for nice shuttle drivers driving me back and forth across heavy afternoon St. Louis traffic.