Cooper’s Comments A column by Krysten Cooper

By on No Comment

This is my last column, as I am heading back to the great white north! I have greatly enjoyed my time working for The Clarkston News and have a lot of new stories and experiences to take back to school with me.
Reporters all face similar challenges, no matter what paper they work for. Whether it’s a daily, weekly, or even monthly, there are always missing details that have to be tracked down before deadline. One thing I have learned this summer is how alike The Clarkston News and The Michigan Tech Lode (my student newspaper) are. There are so many things I have learned here that I plan to apply to the paper at school.
Interviews for stories are always different, depending on the people and that is what makes news-writing fun. Sometimes you spend an entire morning sitting on a nice shady porch outside while you drink a nice beverage and talk to people, other times you only have 15 minutes with the interviewee to get everything you need.
Although that can present challenges, it is an amazing experience to, for a moment, be welcomed into the lives of all these different people. I learned a lot of new things this summer. I also got a glimpse into the passion that people have for organizations and causes they are involved in, and from where that passion springs. For that, I would like to thank the residents of Independence and Springfield for welcoming me with their enthusiasm in being interviewed.
During my time here, I have learned how important newspapers are to their local communities. The Clarkston News really exemplifies what a newspaper should be to their community. They don’t try to stretch farther than they need to and cover what may seem like frivolous stories to big-time papers. However, those stories are the most important to the community. It’s a really great thing that Clarkston has an outlet to make their stories heard.
Finally, a hearty thank-you to everyone at The Clarkston News! You made me feel so welcome, and were always willing to help me out when a story situation seemed hopeless. I’m going to miss working with you and the constant stream of knowledge about the newspaper industry with which you provided me.

Cooper’s Comments
A column by Krysten Cooper added by on
View all posts by Krysten Cooper →

This summer in addition to interning at The Clarkston News I am taking a couple classes.
No matter how many semesters of school I complete, it seems like there are still a few of those general education credits lurking in the background, trying to keep me from graduating on time.
This week I have an exam in one of my classes and I went about studying with the same philosophy I’ve applied to most of my general education classes so far.
How much of this information can I cram into my head to remember for this exam and forget as soon as it’s over? Somewhere in the midst of my frustration, however, I realized this was not the best approach.
Even though I may never use the skills I’m learning in this class again, is that really a reason to forget an entire summer’s worth of homework and sitting through lectures?
After careful consideration, I came to the conclusion maybe I should try harder to really learn the material. Because whether I use the material again or not, I’m still learning a skill and every bit of knowledge I take in can help shape me into a more complete and well-rounded person.
Now, everyone who has gone through any type of education probably thought about this at some point, but I think this is something I can stretch to apply to many areas of life outside of education.
For example, next time I’m sitting through a meeting where I’m completely bored, or waiting in line at the bank instead of getting frustrated, why not open my mind and take in everything around me.
People learn new things everyday, but only if they’re open to them.
In essence, I’m going to take this philosophy of lifelong learning and try to use it in every situation.
If I can focus enough on that goal, I’ll certainly never be bored again, and I might learn a lot of different and exciting things that I never would have without looking for them.

Cooper’s Comments
A column by Krysten Cooper added by on
View all posts by →