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Freedom Forum names 27 Chips Quinn Scholars for spring 2003 program

01.27.03

This year, three newspapers — The Bulletin in Bend, Ore., the Greeley (Colo.) Tribune and The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif. — are first-time hosts for the Scholars. Also, for the first time, the Freedom Forum has chosen students from the University of Oregon and Cleveland State University.

The spring 2003 class brings to 148 the number of newspapers and news organizations and to 184 the number of schools that have been part of the Scholars program since it began in 1991.

"The addition of these newspapers and campuses means the reach of the Scholars program continues to widen, bringing opportunity to more and more students of color," said Karen Catone, program director.

Twenty-seven student journalists of color will work in 10- to 12-week internships at 18 newspapers this spring. The group is the largest spring class ever.

While new to the Chips Quinn Scholars program, the Greeley Tribune is a participant in other Freedom Forum programs.

“We're working hard to have our newsroom reflect our community. Toward that end, we see the Chips Quinn program as a wonderful resource," said Chris Cobler, Tribune editor.

“We already have two Chips Quinn graduates on staff and have had tremendous experiences with the Freedom Forum through the Diversity Institute and the ASNE/APME Fellows program,” Cobler said.

Steve Silberman, executive editor of The Desert Sun, welcomes a Scholar during the busy tourist season in his newspaper's circulation area. "We can certainly use the help," he said.

"I'm a big fan of the Chips Quinn program,” said Silberman, who has worked with Scholars at a previous newspaper.

“I've worked with Chips Quinn Scholars for a number of years now, and it has been a very rewarding experience,” he said. “The Scholars have been great. They have been eager to learn and help and have brought vigor into the newsroom."

John Costa, editor-in-chief of The Bulletin in Oregon, views hosting a Scholar as a way to give back.

"I think that all of us who have been fortunate enough to lead long and successful careers in journalism have an obligation to give another set of hopefuls a chance,” Costa said.

“I didn't know Chips, but I know (his father) John Quinn and admire him immensely, and he helped me a lot when I was starting to build a career."

Before joining their host newspapers, Scholars attended an intensive five-day orientation with veteran journalists and journalism educators at the Freedom Forum in Arlington, Va.

Writing coaches, Mary Ann Hogan and Dick Thien, will conduct one-hour writing sessions with the spring Scholars this year. The veteran journalists will continue coaching the Scholars via e-mail throughout the internships.

Other orientation highlights:

• City and metro editors attending a conference at the American Press Institute joined Scholars for a workshop on the First Amendment.

• Anne Mintz, editor of Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet (2002, CyberAge Books), spoke to the group about how to evaluate information on the Internet. /p>
• In a workshop called "Here's how it really is," Scholars heard from three alums: LaShinda Clark, suburban staff photographer, The Philadelphia Inquirer; Kristen Go, education reporter, The Arizona Republic, Phoenix; and Manny Lopez, associate editor, The Business Journal, Kansas City, Mo.

After successfully completing their internships, Scholars will receive $1,000 scholarships.

The spring 2003 Scholars are:

• Colin Atagi, San Jose State University, The Oakland (Calif.) Tribune

• Millete Birhanemaskel, Colorado State University, Greeley (Colo.) Tribune

• Ernestine Bousquet, University of Oregon, The Bulletin, Bend, Ore.

• Lisa Butt, San Jose State University, The Ledger, Lakeland, Fla.

• Ali Fard, San Jose State University, The Oakland (Calif.) Tribune

• Michael Forbes, Virginia Union University, Lancaster (Pa.) New Era

• Isabelle Gan, Santa Monica College, Press Journal, Vero Beach, Fla.

• Elsa Gunnberg, University of Arizona, The Desert Sun, Palm Springs, Calif.

• Tilde Herrera, San Francisco State University, The Oakland (Calif.) Tribune

• Geneva Horse Chief, University of New Mexico-Albuquerque, Muskogee (Okla.) Daily Phoenix & Times Democrat

• Karen Johnson, Auburn University, The News-Press, Fort Myers, Fla.

• M. Robyn Jones, University of Florida, The Dispatch, Lexington, N.C.

• Tara Lake, Florida A&M University, The News-Press, Fort Myers, Fla.

• Jennifer Magno, San Francisco State University, FLORIDA TODAY, Melbourne

• Lianne Milton, San Francisco State University, Lancaster (Pa.) New Era

• Jerome Nakagawa, University of California-Berkeley, The Santa Fe New Mexican

• Norman Narvaja, Cleveland State University, Press & Sun-Bulletin, Binghamton, N.Y.

• Kevin Pang, University of Southern California, The Arizona Republic, Phoenix

• Jan-Mikael Patterson, University of New Mexico-Gallup, Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune

• Ricardo Sanchez, California State University-Fullerton, Greeley (Colo.) Tribune

• Heather Shije, University of Tulsa, The News-Press, Fort Myers, Fla.

• Tamica Theus, California State University-Long Beach, The Santa Fe New Mexican

• Jeremy Verdusco, Michigan State University, Ocala (Fla.) Star-Banner

• Don Williams, Southern University A&M College, The News-Star, Monroe, La.

• Nancy Yang, University of Minnesota, The Desert Sun, Palm Springs, Calif.

• Christopher Young, University of California, Los Angeles, The Bulletin, Bend, Ore.

• Joanne Yuan, Arizona State University, Statesman Journal, Salem, Ore.