SJI Bootcamp Day 4: Evolve Or Die

Day 4 of bootcamp was the most engaging so far. Sports Checks were typically tough but the lectures and conversations were exceptional. We heard from Dr. Scott Brooks, director of research of the Global Sport Institute and an associate professor at Arizona State, about how race and sports intertwine. Initially it seemed like a redundant topic for this day and age, but it soon became clear how nuanced it is.  

To put it in simple terms, it was about how colors and genders aren’t equal. People of color do not speak for black women. Latinx men can’t speak for black men. That’s because everyone’s experiences are different, no matter how we try to generalize them. It was a conversation that I really enjoyed. 

Later, media critic Richard Deitsch spoke to us about “big tech,” and where journalism is going in terms of multimedia companies and conglomerates buying into the industry. He broke it down to emphasize what it means for us, saying we may find opportunities in this digital space to do something new--maybe something we never envisioned ourselves doing.

He discussed the benefits of taking advantage of new opportunities and being open to change, making the point that you can find your way back later in your career. That was a great perspective for us coming into the industry to hear. We may find opportunity in jobs that either we never looked into or perhaps don’t even exist yet.