My summer as the intern - coffee and previews

As some of you may or may not know, I am the new guy here, or make that was the new guy.

Today is my last day as an intern. I will be heading back to Central Washington University to finish up my broadcasting degree.

I started in June and am doing this internship for credit.

A few days ago the editor came to me and asked me to write my first My Turn column.

Yes, me, the intern. Finally gets to speak his mind.

Don’t worry though, it’s nothing too revealing or controversial.

The topic? What I learned being an intern at the Columbia Basin Herald.

That is pretty easy since there are many things I’ve learned.

The most important thing I’ve learned being an intern is the coffee. In the three months I was here, I learned everyone’s favorite coffee. It’s amazing how particular people are about their coffee. Oh, the life of the intern.

All right, all right, maybe I didn’t have to get the coffee. It was my bad attempt at a joke, though I am grateful that they spared me from having to get the coffee every morning.

OK, back to the real things I learned.

Although I just did preview stories and covered a Moses Lake Pirates game, it still gave me the experience of writing for a paper. That’s the biggest thing I’ve taken from interning here. To get better at a job, experience is key.

In writing the preview stories, I learned better writing skills. It’s one thing to sit in the classroom and have a professor tell you how to write, but it’s another to go out and do those things for real. Being here at the Columbia Basin Herald gave me a chance to take those things I learned in class and use it. The people here have been very helpful in looking over some of my writing and telling me what I did wrong and how to fix it. I appreciate all of their help.

The other thing I learned is better interviewing skills. Just like with writing, I was able to take the things I learned about interviewing from class and use it. I believe the more you do, the better you will become. Being an intern here has given me the chance to use and be comfortable doing the things I learned in class.

The most important thing I learned while being an intern, other than the coffee, was that I don’t want to write for a newspaper. It’s not the Columbia Basin Herald. It’s just that’s not what I want to do. I am a broadcast major and I want to be an announcer for baseball games. The things I learned at the Columbia Basin Herald will help me in broadcasting, especially the interviewing experience. Broadcasters interview players quite a bit, so the experience I got will help very much.

I did meet some people who were very courteous and helpful. I would like to thank them for helping and putting up with me. It must have been hard getting their work done with me asking many questions.

Well, that’s about all the time I have. I told you it wasn’t too bad. Now it’s over. Painless.

Thank you readers for hopefully reading my previews and I hope to someday be on your radios or TVs painting for you America’s pasttime, baseball. Keep watching because I will be there.

Thank you and good night.

Drew Ritchie was the Columbia Basin Herald intern. He returns to college with the thanks and appreciation of the Columbia Basin Herald news staff. He worked hard, learned fast and was a pleasure to have as our intern. We look forward to hearing his yet-to-be-determined catch phrase when a Mariner hits a home run in the future.