HOUSECLEANING AND FAREWELL

Folks:

Between now and then, or, on your return from Nashville, please respond to this post.

Housecleaning:
-- Remember, you are responsible for at least ONE contribution to the Web site. Guidelines for story formats can be found in WATER COOLER. (Carlos has already done!)

--- Your scholarship checks will not be sent out until your Web assignment is completed.

-- Remember that the Chips site, http://www.chipsquinn.org, is a resource for you to read and to learn from— but also to contribute to as a “freelancer.” (There is no pay. Just psychic dollars, which tend to go a long way in this business.) But it offers a place for you to try out stories on career and industry and trends and personalities that could help build your clip portfolio. (See, perhaps, in particular, The Generations Project, http://tinyurl.com/28pky7).

Farewell:

-- This past 10 or so weeks has been a blast. You were pioneers in the use of this story coaching Web site. It didn’t exist before January. I would appreciate any and all feedback, either in your response post, below, or in private email to me, what you thought worked and what could be better about use of the site for future classes.

-- It has been my great honor and pleasure to be part of your professional development. And remember: Once a Chipster, always a Chipster. There is no such thing as a “former Chipster.” Or a “former career coach.” This is a lifelong deal.

  Run with it.

I hope this doesn’t end. It is nice to know that I have a circle of friends in this business that I can talk to. The site was definitely useful. I gained new perspectives from different people on difficult subjects that plauge young journalists.

The site should be a great resource for many journalists and writers. Thank you for creating it. Let me know if my questions worked out.

See you guys in Nashville. Should arrive around 4ish.

This Web site has been helpful in many ways. Whenever I had doubts about something, you (Mary Ann) or the rest of the Chipsters were there to help out with concerns. It’s was great knowing that there was a safety net at all times throughout the internship and, more than likely, beyond.

The questions all required us to think. Another plus was the Water cooler thread. Great idea.

Carlos - 04 April 2008 08:59 PM

ILet me know if my questions worked out.

Carlos—yes, the questions were great. I think I sent you a head’s up, cc’d to Michelle., the Keeper of Web Content!

See ya in Music City....

Sergio - 05 April 2008 12:51 AM

The questions all required us to think. Another plus was the Water cooler thread. Great idea.

Sergio et al: Yep, and yep. Please consider this a place where you can go whenever you want to check in with your fellows. Anyone who ever comes across an issue or a stumbling block or just wants feedback, post a question in a new thread or add to Water Cooler and we will all get automatic notifications.... see you round the Threads!

Where do we submit our Web site contributions? I was going to send something with the packet Karen sent about our clips, CAP entries and evaluation forms, but I thought you might want our Web site contributions electronically?

Chris - 15 April 2008 06:16 PM

Where do we submit our Web site contributions?

FOLKS: Send the Web contributions to Michelle Hedenskoog at the Freedom Forum——via email, cc’d to me.

Send your Cap Award entries to Karen Catone by mail separately.

THESE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. 

So, did you guys enjoy your trip to Music City????

FRIENDLY SUGGESTION:

Val is posting the multimedia pieces this morning on http://freedomforumdiversity.org. I would strongly urge those of you who went to stores or interviewed folks to send an email to the person you did the story on with a link to your piece. This is a good practice in general, but, particularly, in this learning situation, where we (the DI staff) are trying to build goodwill and relationships in the community to get access to future stories....

thanks!

What were the CAP awards? I must be out of it.

Folks:

Here is the CAP Award Entry and info.

CAP AWARDS

SPRING CLASS 2008

Dear Scholar:

The Chips Quinn Scholars, Spring Class of 2008, are encouraged to compete for the Chips Achievement Prize, appropriately known as CAP awards, to recognize the Scholars’ outstanding individual achievements during their Spring internships.

Each Scholar may submit one clip or a one-page essay reflecting his/her pride in a particular effort in any area, such as:

 a good reporting job under challenging circumstances;
 an outstanding writing effort;
 a strong headline (with clip) or editing exercise;
 a powerful photo or graphic or layout;
 OR an effective personal effort in dealing with testy issues with editors, fellow staffers, news sources or such.

If you submit a clip/photo/graphic or layout, be sure to tell us why you selected it as an entry.

Entries should be submitted (in a separate envelope marked “CAP entry” ) with your evaluation forms and clips and sent to Karen Catone.

Awards (prizes to be announced) will be issued to recognize best efforts. Only one CAP entry per Scholar.

Announcement of the 2008 recipients will be posted to the Web site later this year. For last year’s recipients, check out our web site at:

http://www.chipsquinn.org/news/cap/cap.aspx?id=710.

All of us associated with the Chips Quinn Scholars program look forward to receiving your entry.

CAP Award Entry Form

Scholar’s name: ______________________________________

Newspaper and City: _____________________________________________

Why you chose this clip/photo/graphic/layout (use separate sheet if necessary):

Signature: ____________________________________ Date: _____________

Print name: ___________________________________

Title: ________________________________________

Phone: _______________________________________

Email: _______________________________________

I thought this Web site worked great. It was well-organized and allowed for a discussion, which I think is what everybody prefers.

Mary Ann, I thought you did an excellent job of coming up with interesting discussion topics and the depth you gave each of them. It really helped us understand what you’re looking for and engaged us to think creatively.

Also, I think using the classroom as a main forum of discussion but also encouraging us to use e-mail for other concerns was also very effective. The two tools worked parallel with each other, which was nice to have.

And since we’re already a class of firsts, I also would have to add this Web site to another successful “first” for us.

Chris - 17 April 2008 04:36 PM

And since we’re already a class of firsts, I also would have to add this Web site to another successful “first” for us.

Hey Chris, thoughtful and welcome comments. Glad it worked for you. You guys ARE a class of firsts, in all ways. 

You all better keep in touch, hear?