When I first plopped down for Oriontation back in late August 2014, I was nervous, apprehensive and, frankly, slightly scared.
I was a junior English education major about to enter the realm of experienced journalism majors in their preferred field of play: sports writing and reporting for Chico State’s award-winning student-operated newspaper, “The Orion.” I loved sports and knew I was pretty good at writing, but I’d never written for a newspaper before nor had I taken any journalism classes.
Two semesters worth of Orion sports writing later, I can say with great confidence that my decision to take the plunge into journalism was one of the best choices of my undergraduate career.
I was fortunate to work under two tremendous sports editors in Nick Woodard and Lars Gustafson, who were influential in guiding me from novice to proficient status as a sports writer and pushing me to consistently churn out quality content. You would be hard pressed to find two other supervisors who are more enjoyable to grind for than that pair. To quote the late ESPN anchor Stuart Scott, they are both “as cool as the other side of the pillow.”
Fortunately for me, professional guidance was also present. Luke Reid and Rory Miller, Chico State’s sports information directors who maintain the Wildcats’ official athletics web page, were key resources during my rookie semester. They might’ve grown irksome of a newbie Orionite pestering them in-person and via email a couple times per week all fall, but they never showed it once. They readily offered advice and assistance whenever I called.
As for the subjects of the majority of my articles, the athletes and coaches of Chico State are truly exceptional individuals. I can’t speak for other universities, but I would bet a considerable amount that their student-athletes and coaches are not as well-spoken, accessible and friendly as those in the Wildcat family. The opportunities I had as a college sports writer were certainly on par, if not superior, to those afforded at nationally-recognized Division I universities.
Finally, a hugely appreciative thank you to anyone who read any of the articles I penned over my two semesters at “The Orion.” I hope you experienced at least a moment of enjoyment from my writing; it was an honest pleasure to write for two semesters.
As I enter my final semester this spring, I won’t be writing for “The Orion” anymore, but the lessons learned and memories created will stay with me forever. Even though I aspire to become a high school English teacher, “The Orion” will always be a part of who I become as an educator. I can guarantee that I’ll find a way to tie sports journalism into my curriculum.
If a journalistically-inclined student ever wanted to go cover a school sporting event and write a story about it, they would certainly get a smile and full approval out of me. Maybe some extra credit, too.
So, if you have a true love for sports, are passionate about Chico State athletics and think you can write pretty well, roll on down to the Orion office beneath Plumas Hall. The Orionites won’t bite, and I hear they’re already looking for my replacement. You won’t regret it in the slightest.
Nick Reddy can be reached at [email protected] or @NickIsReddy on Twitter.