Posnanski on Voepel

[Big12Babe]

Joe writes for the Kansas City Star. The Star has had several waves of layoffs, and here he talks about three of his friends who have been laid off, and what their loss has meant to him. One of them is Mechelle:
http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2009/03/17/good-friends/#more-1725

[tx4OU]

Very interesting reader's comments.

[DblT81]

Thanks for posting.

I went to college to be a sports journalist. I was going to be the next Phyliss George on weekends reporting on the NFL and during the week I was going to cover basketball for a newspaper. My parents had to subscribe to 4 newspapers so I didn't miss a single box score.

After going to Tech with that as my goal, for various reasons I changed majors. And during times of high stress in my current job, I daydream about what might have been had I pursued what I wanted to do for a living instead of what I needed to do. I'm a little older than Voepel but that is who I think about in those dreams. She's done what I wanted to do.

I wish her the best and hope she can find security again in doing what she does so well. For selfish reasons really... I'm not through daydreaming.

[tx4OU]

Interesting you say that DblT. I too have a degree in journalism (from OU of course). I even became the student newspaper's assistant sports editor for a semester and then got promoted (or should I say demoted) up to sports editor. As sports editor, I had to be everywhere at the same time, esp. during football season, b/c around November it would also include volleyball, men's & women's bball, wrestling and indoor track and field.

I wouldn't trade that experience for the world, nor the teachings I received by a wonderful professor that has since passed, Chuck House. However...........I quickly discovered that covering OU games and matches wasn't so much fun, esp. when you're a HUGE FAN and as a college student all you want to do is have fun and cheer for your Sooners. [Golden rule: no cheering in the pressbox or down on press row.] After a big win, I wanted to go celebrate with all of my friends. Instead, I was back at the JayMac building typing up my stories in the press room. If I had known then what I know now, I would've quickly changed my perspective and took it more seriously. But I didn't and went into (hold your breath) public relations. My life took a turn. Not sure if it was for the better.

I did end up returning to OU for another degree; this time, Visual Communications. That ended up being my passion and it still is today.

My dad just couldn't understand why I wanted to be a regular student sitting in the stands screaming my head off and not sitting with the rest of the press working. :oo