Re-engergizing experience

I spent Wednesday night in the company of good food, good people and great friends. Many more than I expected came to tell me goodbye as I was preparing to leave my saguaros and tumbleweed for orientation across the country in Nashville, Tenn., and my eventual internship in the snowy town of Bend, Ore. Through the night, I received words of advice, firm hugs and one cactus-shaped coffee mug for future cold nights.

The flight on Thursday was quick, and I slept through most of it. The hotel room in Nashville proved to be quite elegant, and I can sit in the living room and watch the guests go by my front window. I met Alex, my roommate, and many others over hors d’ouvres and dinner.

At the conclusion of the evening and our introduction to the Chips Quinn Scholars Spring 2007 program, I felt re-energized. I was excited to see how many women journalists were present, as well as the diversity among the 15 Scholars. I hope that the newsroom I eventually work in will have some semblance of the room I sat in Thursday night

-- Deanna Dent, Spring Scholar, The Bulletin, Bend, Ore., and Arizona State University