The
Summer 2003 Chips Quinn Scholars class has the largest representation
of Native Americans since the internship program began in 1991.
Seventy-five Chips Quinn Scholars
will work in internships at 37 newspapers across the country beginning
in late May. Seven Scholars are Native American.
"The strong representation
of Native Americans marks an important milestone in the Chips Quinn Scholars
program," Director Karen Catone said. "Native Americans are
underrepresented on the staffs of daily newspapers. We're working to ensure
that their voice is present in newsroom diversity."
The American Society of Newspaper
Editors reported in April that of the 55,000 newsroom employees at daily
newspapers, 289 are Native American, a decline from the 307 reported in
2002.
"We're pleased that a Native
American student will be joining our newsroom this Summer, and we hope
this will help open the door of opportunity a little wider for all young
journalists of color," said John Dye, editor of the Observer-Dispatch
in Utica, N.Y. "For too long, Native American journalists have not
been given a consistent voice in much of the mainstream press, and it's
our hope that this internship in even a small way helps
change that."
Six of the seven Native American
Scholars are graduates of the Freedom Forum's American Indian Journalism
Institute, a three-week course at the University of South Dakota. The
seventh Scholar applied at the suggestion of two Native American Chips
Quinn alums who mentor her at the University of Oklahoma.
"In Montana, a predominately
white state where Native Americans are by far the largest minority group,
it is essential to have the perspective of Native American journalists
in the newsroom," said Jim Strauss, executive editor of the Great
Falls Tribune, which hosts a Summer Scholar.
"They offer insights that
help in every step of the journalistic process from story ideas
to the final stories on the page. Without Native Americans on our staff,
the Tribune has less perspective, credibility and access," Strauss
said. "Try as they may, non-Native American staffers cannot see issues
in the same light as Native American staffers can."
The Muskogee Daily Phoenix &
Times-Democrat in Oklahoma also hosts a Summer Scholar. Said Executive
Editor Kristi Fry, "The second-largest Indian tribe in America, the
Cherokee Nation, is headquartered in our backyard. Native Americans are
our neighbors, co-workers, etc. If their points of view were ignored,
I cannot imagine why they would buy our newspaper. If Native American
reporters were not a part of our news-gathering process, our coverage
would not reflect nearly as well the social, cultural and political issues
that are important to the Native American readers we serve.
"Chiefs and tribal councils
must be monitored and held accountable for their actions just like legislators,
mayors and city councils," Fry said. "They control millions
of federal and tribal dollars. Tribal members rely on our newspaper to
tell them how that money is being spent and why. So for these reasons,
it is important to the newspaper industry that Native Americans are part
of the workforce."
Other
highlights of the Summer class:
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Hispanics,
African Americans and Asian Americans are about equally represented
in the class, a first. Five class members identify themselves as multiracial.
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Through
outreach to colleges by the Freedom Forums Diversity Directory,
eighteen universities had students selected for the first time. They
are: Bowling Green State University, College of St. Catherine, Colorado
College, Georgetown University, Haskell Indian Nations University,
Creighton University, Loyola Marymount University, New York University,
State University of New York-Binghamton, Texas A&M University-College
Station, University of California-Davis, University of Central Oklahoma,
University of Nebraska-Omaha, University of Science & Arts of
Oklahoma, University of Texas-Arlington, University of Utah, University
of Virginia and Western Washington University. This brings to 200
the number of schools that have had students selected for the program.
After
successfully completing their 10- to 12-week internships at daily newspapers,
Scholars receive $1,000 scholarships. With this class, more than 800 students
have been Chips Quinn Scholars since the first class of six interns in
1991.
The
Summer Chips Quinn Scholars and their host newspapers are:
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Wasim
Ahmad, State University of New York-Binghamton, Press & Sun-Bulletin,
Binghamton, N.Y.
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Rosalio
Ahumada, California State University-Chico, El Paso (Texas) Times
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Erika
Alexander, Ohio University, The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun
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Christine
Armario, New York University, Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal
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Tiffany
Arnold, University of Illinois, The News Journal, Wilmington, Del.
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Telecia
Baez, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star
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Miraj
Berry, University of Rhode Island, The Providence (R.I.) Journal
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Sharnell
Bryan, Ball State University, Observer-Dispatch, Utica, N.Y.
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Tanya
Caldwell, Florida A&M University, The Providence Journal
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DeAnna
Carpenter, Florida A&M University, The Wausau (Wis.) Daily Herald
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Fulvio
Cativo, University of Maryland, The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
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Stephanie
Conduff, University of Oklahoma, Muskogee (Okla.) Daily Phoenix &
Times-Democrat
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Mike
Corpos, San Jose State University, The Salt Lake (Utah) Tribune
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Fernando
Croce, San Jose State University, The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.
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Gilbert
Cruz, Georgetown University, The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News
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Amanda
Dawkins, University of Alabama, The Tuscaloosa News
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Felix
Doligosa, University of Colorado-Boulder, The Salt Lake Tribune
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Tiffanie
Drayton, University of North Carolina, The Courier-Journal, Louisville
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Rana
Elmir, Wayne State University, The Californian, Salinas
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Gabrielle
Finley, Florida A&M University, The Courier-Journal, Louisville
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Josie
Garcia, University of Texas-Arlington, The Free Press, Mankato
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Brian
Gomez, Arizona State University, The Arizona Republic, Phoenix
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Candice
Grizzell, Prairie View A&M University, The News-Star, Monroe,
La.
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Natalie
Guillen, University of Missouri-Columbia, The Oakland (Calif.) Tribune
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Asia
Hamilton, Columbia College, The Post-Crescent, Appleton, Wis.
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Kawehi
Haug, University of Hawaii, The Honolulu Advertiser
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Jordan
Hernandez, University of Alabama, The Times, Shreveport, La.
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Stephen
Hoffman, Santa Monica College, Press & Sun-Bulletin, Binghamton
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Tyler
Imoto, California Polytechnic State University, Statesman Journal,
Salem, Ore.
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Felicia
James, Florida A&M University, Green Bay (Wis.) Press-Gazette
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Ailey
Kato, Western Washington University, The Wenatchee (Wash.) World
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Danielle
Kawkeka, Haskell Indian Nations University, Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune
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Sophia
Kazmi, University of Southern California, Contra Costa Times, Walnut
Creek, Calif.
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Nancy
Kelsey, Creighton University, Fort Collins Coloradoan
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Vonna
Keomanyvong, University of Kansas, The Wausau Daily Herald
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Michale
Kosechequetah, University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma, The News
Journal, Wilmington
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Mike
Krueger, University of New Mexico, Observer-Dispatch, Utica
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Renaud
Lajoie, University of Florida, The Dispatch, Lexington
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John
Livas, Texas A&M University-College Station, Austin (Texas) American-Statesman
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Daniel
Lopez, San Jose State University, The Californian, Salinas
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Wendy
Lopez, San Jose State University, The Santa Fe New Mexican
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Angela
Manese-Lee, University of Virginia, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo,
Calif.
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Kaeleen
McGuire, Fort Lewis College, Fort Collins Coloradoan
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Alejandro
Medina, Kansas State University, Lancaster (Pa.) New Era
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Bilen
Mesfin, University of California-Berkeley, The Tennessean, Nashville,
Tenn.
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Amber
Miles, Louisiana Tech University, The News-Star, Monroe
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Stacee
Millangue, St. Edwards University, The Santa Fe New Mexican
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Alison
Miller, Vanderbilt University, The Tennessean, Nashville
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Zach
Mills, Western Kentucky University, The Tennessean, Nashville
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Maricella
Miranda, College of St. Catherine, Green Bay Press-Gazette
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Shahien
Nasiripour, University of Southern California, The Providence Journal
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Melissa
Navas, Contra Costa College, The Wenatchee World
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Ken
Pagano, University of California-Berkeley, The Salt Lake Tribune
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Oicenth
Phang, University of Florida, FLORIDA TODAY, Melbourne, Fla.
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Shadi
Rahimi, University of San Francisco, The Oakland Tribune
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Ashwin
Raman, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud (Minn.) Times
- Rachana Rathi,
University of Colorado-Boulder, The News Journal, Wilmington
- Patricia
Rengifo, Bowling Green State University, St. Cloud Times
- Nelsy Rodriguez,
California State University-Chico, Statesman Journal, Salem
- Rion Sanders,
University of California-Davis, The Tennessean, Nashville
- Irene Scott,
Bowling Green State University, El Paso Times
- Dustin Seibert,
University of Michigan, The Detroit News
- Christopher
Silva, Temple University, FLORIDA TODAY, Melbourne
- Jera Stone,
University of Central Oklahoma, Aberdeen (S.D.) American News
- Leezel Tanglao,
Loyola Marymount University, The Salt Lake Tribune
- Sophia Tareen,
University of California-Berkeley, The Courier-Journal, Louisville
- Meena Thiruvengadam,
University of Texas-San Antonio, The Salt Lake Tribune
- Hatzel Vela,
Florida International University, The Jackson Sun
- Elvira Viveros,
San Francisco State University, The Oakland Tribune
- Amanda Wauneka,
Haskell Indian Nations University, Lancaster New Era
- Lisa White,
University of California-Berkeley, The Oakland Tribune
- Kalani Wilhelm,
University of Hawaii-Manoa, The Honolulu Advertiser
- India Williams,
University of Missouri-Columbia, Poughkeepsie Journal
- Shelley Wong,
Colorado College, The Providence Journal
- Chi Chi Zhang,
University of Utah, The Salt Lake Tribune
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