Day 26 (Friday, July 7)


© The Associated Press

It wasn't long before I arrived at the office this morning before I found out what my assignment of the day was going to be. By the time I got to the office, I should have had an idea of what type of assignment I was going to be doing, considering what the main thing I've covered in the past week has been Northwestern University football.

So, as we got the word that NU will be announcing its new football coach, I got ready for the task at hand. I headed out to the press conference a little earlier than usual. I had a few things to do before I actually started working.

First, I needed to fill up my gas tank because it was already near the E. You can't be ready for late-breaking news on an empty gas tank.

I got to the university about an hour before the event was scheduled to start. Perfect! I like getting to my assignments w/ enough time to think about what I might be doing. Since I was there, I asked around who the new coach was going to be. It was no surprised that linebackers coach Pat Fitzgerald would be the right fit. After all, the previous coach was planning on leaving him the gig in 2012. However, Fitzgerald, who is only 31, got the go ahead from school officials and he accepted the offer. Wow! Can you imagine being 31 years old and leading a university football team? This guy just graduated in 1996 from the same school. NU really believes in this guy.

Once I found out who the new coach was, I looked for things that might set my photos apart from all the other photographers. I looked around the press room and found a photo of Fitzgerald on the wall of fame. Turns out this guy was a two-time National Defensive Player of the Year during his junior and senior years. I decided I would try to incorporate that photo into the mix. Luckily, as he waited to be introduced as the new coach, he stood under his portrait and I quietly made my way over there. Not trying to cause too much attention to it, so the other photographers wouldn't catch on. I got the few shots and it didn't seem like any of the other two photogs were getting that angle. Nice!

© The Associated Press

After the news conference, Fitzgerald agreed to go w/ the three photogs to the football stadium to shoot a few photos. The above photo is the one the Sun-Times and the Tribune shot as well. The two photogs left after snapping a few images. However, Fitzgerald hung out w/ some staff up there and I just quietly waited for the other photogs to leave. Once they did, I got a little more creative so that my photos wouldn't be the same as theirs. I jumped on a wall and got a higher angle w/ the team's mascot name in the background as it is seen in the photo below.

© The Associated Press

I play by the rules. I shoot what other photographers shoot. I do not cheat. I do not cut in front of people. I do not push and shove. I do, however, try to be the first one there and the last one out. Today, it proved to be key in getting the photos necessary. I know the competition has the second photo. But I know for sure they do not have the first or third. And w/ that, I feel happy about today's assignment. When you can separate yourself from the next guy/gal, that's when you know you've tried hard.

Northwestern University is beautiful. I love it there. I still remember being in class at L.A. Valley College trying to figure out how I could get myself into Northwestern, Texas and/or Columbia -- three universities w/ really good journalism programs. I even pondered on the idea of going to USC. I was clueless as to what I needed to do to get myself there. I didn't know what to do. I blame this mostly on myself. Then again, the whole upper education deal was kind of confusing. Being a first-generation college student, I had a tough time knowing and deciding what was right. I never took the SAT's because I went to a bad school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the worst school program in the country. Still, I cannot blame anyone but myself. In high school all I cared about was playing sports and often wondered if I could be good enough to just play pro baseball. I figured I'd be good enough to get a full-ride scholarship to University of Texas at Austin, my dream school. Before I knew it, I was graduated from high school and I didn't even know how to apply for school at the local community college.

Dreams that never happened. But that's OK. I learned from my mistakes. I can see the options now. Things are clear for me. Someday, this will help guide my children into a successful higher education lifestyle. For now, all I could do is wonder what would it be had I known what to do to come to Northwestern and major in journalism? Would I still be as driven as I am today?

I wouldn't change my life for anything. I'm glad I went to Cal State Northridge. The birthplace of Chicano Studies. The home of Rudy Acuna. The place where I made lifetime friends. The place where I got my education. I can't trade good-ol CSUN for anything. Even if I do call it C-SCUM. I love that place. Go Matadors!

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