Last week I was walking behind a female student in the library when she looked at me and said to the girl walking beside her, “That’s the guy who wrote that jerk editorial in the Clarion.”
I was shocked at what she said. It was the first time anyone at Sinclair Community College has ever commented on one of my articles outside of the classroom and it got me very excited because even if she didn’t like it, I know she read it and that is what matters most.
When I first came to Sinclair fours years ago I had no idea what I wanted to major in and I expressed that to my academic advisor. She asked me what my best subject was so I told her English. But I made it clear I didn’t want to major in that either.
The next thing out of her mouth forever shaped my Sinclair experience when she asked me, “What about journalism?”
I thought to myself, “Well I don’t know. I got to do something and I do like sports so yeah, I’ll give it a try.”
The journalism program was tougher than I expected. I couldn’t initially grasp the concept of writing about something without using my opinion, but I stuck with it anyway. After I got an A in Journalism 101 I applied for a position at the Clarion at the advice of my instructor and soon learned a valuable lesson about life.
After a month without hearing back I asked her why they never called me for an interview. She asked, “Sam… what does your voicemail say?”
I embarrassingly replied, “This is Big Sexy’s phone, leave a message.”
She then explained to me that in the professional world that kind of thing is inappropriate. I initially protested and called the Clarion prejudice against all east side people, but after two months of excuse making I finally understood what she meant and changed the recording. A year later I got hired.
I’ve loved my experience in Sinclair’s journalism program because it has helped me overcome my extreme shyness. Because I interview so many people, I have been forced to open up and I have become much happier as a result.
Journalism has also helped me with my writing. Ten page essays are no longer terrifying for me anymore and I’ve learned a lot about grammar because of the way papers are edited.
The Clarion also brings in guest speakers from the Dayton Daily News to assist us with our writing and offers internships to get further experience in the field.
Altogether I would consider Journalism one of the best programs at the college and one definitely worth getting into, especially if you’re shy, east side and can write decently.