Breathing Easier & Going National

This is really two entries in one, thus the two titles.  I’ve got lots of good news to report.

I’m not sure I ever let you guys in on the whole Media Law class saga from earlier this semester.  If I did, you can skip this part.  If I didn’t, here’s a short version:

This Media Law class is the last requirement for graduation.  I had tried twice before to get into the class.  Both times it was full.  This time, I was lucky enough to get in and I was damn excited too.

That’s why when I showed up to class on the first day about a month and a half ago and the instructor didn’t, I was pissed.  I called the department office the next day and found out that the guy basically decided not to report to the school this semester, leaving them scrambling for a replacement.

They eventually found the replacement in time for the second week of class…and she’s great.  She knows her stuff, and she’s passionate about it, very animated and fun.

We had our first midterm two weeks ago, (the class meets once a week).  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I walked out feeling like I had nailed it.  Then, the next week, she comes in and says we’re not getting our tests back because she was disappointed with our performance and wanted to read them again to help the grades go up.  She said that there were a select few who “got it,” a few who were in the middle, and a bunch who bombed.

Uh oh.

Needless to say I didn’t feel safe at all.  As an attorney, she wouldn’t tip her hand to me as to whether I did well or not.  So I was left to sweat it out for another week.  Last Thursday, I got it back.

85.

I was happy, yet I was angry.  I was happy that I didn’t bomb, but a B+ was lower than I had expected.  Damn it!

In any case, I’m breathing a little easier now, knowing that if I increase my effort a tiny bit, nothing will stop me from FINALLY graduating,

For about two and a half years, I’ve been writing for the university newspaper.  As graduation nears, I like everyone else in this situation, have begun to wonder what my future is going to hold.  Will I find a job quickly?  How soon will I be able to move to Kansas to be with Marci?  How am I ever going to get my foot in the door as a writer?

Last week, my editor handed all of us a piece of paper. It was an e-mail from a guy in Florida whose high school basketball magazine had recently gone national.  Most of their readers were of the online variety and he was looking for interns to write content for the site.

I thought about whether or not I should apply.  We would only be required to work in our geographic area, but I didn’t know exactly how much that travel was required or whether the workload would be too much.

I decided to send in my resume and writing samples anyway and ask the guy about my concerns.  He broke it down for me, and the job sounded real easy.  I’m wouldn’t be required to travel at all and when I eventually relocate to Kansas, I would start covering that area instead of the West Coast.

Finally, he told me that if I did well, there was a possibility for full time employment.  I let him know how excited I was about that and I hadn’t heard from him in three days.

Today, I was offered an internship with the magazine.

I accepted, and my first assignments should come tomorrow.

This could be the break I have been wishing for.  Marci is at a football game all day…Annette’s in Lake Tahoe this weekend and none of my other friends are online.  I had to share this with someone and you guys are the first.

I’ll let you know if and when I get a way for people to read my work.