The Exponent Online


Friday, 4/27/2001	5 day quick link 4/26 \| 4/25 \| 4/24 \| 4/23 \| 4/20

Senior editor reflects years as sportswriter

McLaren

As I sit here and try to think what I should write about for my goodbye column, I reflect on all I've done in the past four years.

Too often people fail to try to do things just because they are afraid they won't be good enough. Did I ever think as a freshman three years ago that I would have a press pass to the Rose Bowl? Or cover two women's Final Fours and two championship games? I remember hoping as a freshman that I could just cover an NCAA tournament game by the time I was a senior.

So whatever your dream job is, go for it. Otherwise, you may spend your life looking back and wondering why you didn't take the opportunity.

Hey, I'm an engineer. Engineers aren't supposed to be good at writing. But I do love sports and that's why I do this. And I'm so glad I did.

The experiences that I've had here at Purdue being a sports reporter are ones I wouldn't trade for anything.

My main beat here has been women's basketball. I estimate that I've covered approximately 90 games — most of them in person — over the past three years. The highlight would obviously be the national championship two seasons ago.

But there have also been lows. My first basketball story was a profile of Tiffany Young, a former player who died after being hit by a drunk driver.

We've made some memorable road trips the past three seasons. There's been a fair share of bad weather and late nights and who will forget almost getting hit by that train coming back from Illinois State?

I'm proud to say that I went to every early morning class after we got back late. My favorite is when I wrote my grad school essay after pulling an all-nighter to drive to Iowa and back in a single night for a game before going to my 8:30 class.

This past year I've been an editor in addition to a writer, which adds a lot more work. However, it allowed me to write columns and the infamous "Editors' Picks" during football season.

I will never forget standing on the sideline at the end of the memorable football games this season — Michigan, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Indiana.

What I've realized is that when you cover a sport long enough, you begin to be treated as a professional journalist. At the national events, I was a source of information about Purdue for the other journalists from all over the country, which was really cool.

I would never have started here if it hadn't been for my dad. So I owe him thanks. Thanks also go to Kyle Charters, Liz Nicol and Chris Pickard who covered so many games with me; and to Mike for putting up with me.

I would like to thank Kristy Curry, Gene Keady, Carolyn Peck and Joe Tiller for allowing me to cover their respective teams. I would also like to thank Pete Lougheed, who wrote and thanked me for a profile I did on him last fall. It's always nice to know when your efforts are appreciated.

Next year I'll be in grad school and I'll no longer be a sports writer. But I imagine that if you go, you'll see me at all the football and basketball games next season.

Go Boilers.

Anne McLaren was named the most outstanding senior in the Schools of Engineering. She can be e-mailed at or annemc@purdue.edu.

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