Newhouse Insider: The Best Seat in the House

Grad life can be pretty sweet. Do not get me wrong, the first semester did a pretty good job of kicking my behind, but it was all worth it. Now I am on a much-needed break from classes. I have decided to stay in Syracuse to attend as many basketball games as possible from press row.

Experience matters. Like I have said in blogs before, learning is essential for growth but applying what you learn is necessary to complete the growth process. And that is precisely what you are witnessing in the photo above. Thanks to my internship with Sports Illustrated at Syracuse, which I was able to pursue because of the Sports Media and Communications Track as part of the Broadcast and Journalism program offered by Newhouse, I was sitting alongside some of the best sportswriters like Mike Waters of Syracuse.com. One thing I always make sure to do is to greet people of such stature. Get on their radar, ask them questions, and show up to every single game possible.

My responsibilities? Watch college basketball at one of the most renowned basketball sights in the country (the Carrier Dome), keep a live update of the game on social media and write a few post-game articles. Along with that, I attend a press conference immediately following the game and write a story based on what the coaches and players discuss.

This is all new to me, and I am enjoying every second of it. The good thing about it is wherever I end up working in the future, I can use this unparalleled experience as a catapult to my career.

So, at the end of the day, going to class matters a ton, but what you do outside of the classroom will determine how much you want to do whatever it is you say you want to do. You see, in the moment of heat (or excitement), we all say things that we may not feel like doing later, so make sure you are one of those folks who “walk the talk,” not just “talk the walk.”

Once you are at Syracuse University, there will be plenty of opportunities to take advantage of. Pick and choose the ones that apply to your career and dive in head-first. Make all the mistakes now as a student, so you are well prepared for the ‘real world’ once you leave Newhouse.