100 Black Men Future Leaders Scholarships Available

On behalf of Chairman Albert E. Dotson, Jr. and your Executive Leadership, we are proud to announce the next round of 100 Black Men of America Future Leaders Scholarships.

In 2011, the 100 Black Men of America and University of Phoenix launched a partnership that in part, provides $750,000 in scholarships to members of the 100 Black Men of America.

Presently, this partnership has yielded $200,000 in scholarships that were awarded to four members of the 100 Black Men of America at our 25th Annual Conference in San Francisco, CA.

Detaila of the scholarship are listed above. The submission deadline is October 10, 2011. 

If you have any questions regarding the Future Leaders Scholarship, please contact Dwayne Crawford at dwayne.crawford@100bmoa.org or scholarships@phoenix.edu.

NASCAR Announces College Scholarship Program

--UPS Supports Return Of Diversity Initiative--

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 12, 2011) – NASCAR today announced the return of the NASCAR Wendell Scott Scholarship Program and the University of Central Florida, DeVos School of Management Scholarship.

For a second consecutive year, the NASCAR Wendell Scott Scholarship Program is funded in part by long-time NASCAR partner UPS. The program was established to provide financial support to deserving African-American and Hispanic students currently enrolled in college who are pursuing degrees in areas of study related to motorsports, including marketing, engineering and public relations.

The scholarship program is part of NASCAR Diversity Affairs’ integrated initiative that includes a scholarship program, mentorship program and summer internship program.

“We are continually seeking ways to further engage students as fans and as future employees of the sport,” said Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR vice president, public affairs and multicultural development. “The goal is to create permanent employment prospects for diverse college students entering the work force through viable, real-world opportunities.”

The NASCAR Wendell Scott Scholarship Program provides annual scholarships administered by the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). In addition, NASCAR and UPS support a scholarship program for students attending the University of Central Florida, DeVos School of Management which offers a master’s program in sports management.

“UPS’s commitment to diversity extends beyond our workforce, and we’re excited to continue our support with NASCAR in this important initiative,” said Ron Rogowski, UPS vice president, global sponsorships & events.

The scholarships are based on the following award criteria:
* 3.0 GPA requirement
* Documented financial need
* College juniors, seniors and graduate students with majors in: business, communications, engineering, mass media, public relations or technology
* Participation in the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) is encouraged but not required


Facts about Wendell Scott
Wendell Scott was the first African American driver to win a NASCAR Cup race. He won in NASCAR's premier series on Dec. 1, 1963, on a 1-mile dirt track in Jacksonville, Fla. Wendell Scott made 495 starts during his career and posted 147 top-10 finishes before retiring in 1973. Scott died in 1990. As part of an ongoing effort to recognize trailblazers in the sport, Wendell Scott was recognized during the Las Vegas Race the weekend of March 4-6, 2011, which coincided with the 50th anniversary of his first start – March 4, 1961 in Spartanburg, SC.

For additional information, contact:
Leslie Maxie, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications, (212) 326-1840 or (347) 254-8638 lmaxie@nascar.com

 

NABJ Student Projects Application Available Now

 

Deadline: Feb. 18, 2011



Program Description
NABJ offers an expenses-paid fellowship to outstanding students pursuing a career in journalism. For one week, students work on varied news assignments.  Students will produce stories for the NABJ Monitor, our convention newspaper, NABJ TV, NABJ Radio and nabjconvention.org, our daily news web site. They will work alongside professional journalists and journalism educators from across the country. Students will gain hands-on experience using the latest tools to produce both breaking news as they cover NABJ's annual convention, and longer-form multimedia storytelling of broader issues.

Application Format
All applications must be received online. Resumes, cover letters, and clips should be uploaded as Word documents or PDFs. Complete links (where applicable) must be included. Use third-party sites such as Google Docs, YouTube, Flkr, or MyPodcast to provide links to work samples. Please screen your own work to provide the requested number of samples; we are not able to review all the content on an applicant's website. Please have these files ready prior to beginning the online application.

Qualifications
Positions are open to sophomores, juniors, seniors or graduate students attending a four-year college or
university, or an accredited community college. Applicants must have a demonstrated commitment to print or broadcast, and online journalism. At least one previous internship at a daily news organization is preferred, and multimedia experience is a plus.

General Requirements:

• Current college undergraduates and graduate students are eligible, including students who will graduate in May/June 2011.
• NABJ Student members only.
• Must be available to take part in these program during the convention, August 1 - 6, 2011.
  
• Must be 18 years of age.

Reporting Applicants (Print)

• Cover letter, including your reasons for entering the news profession 
• Resume 
• Official college transcript (Scanned, saved as JPG)
• List three references from professional journalists, professors, advisors who are familiar with your journalistic work.
• Links to five samples of your reporting work

Reporting Applicants (Broadcast)< /span>

• Cover letter, including your reasons for entering the news profession 
• Resume 
• Official college transcript (Scanned, saved as JPG)
• List three references from professional journalists, professors, advisors who are familiar with your journalistic work.
• Links to five samples of your audio and/or video work

Television Producer Applicants: 

• Cover letter, including your reasons for entering the news profession 
• Resume 
• Official college transcript (Scanned, saved as JPG)
• List three references from professional journalists, professors, advisors who are familiar with your journalistic work.
• Links to five samples of your TV newscast work.
• Familiarity working closely with assignment desk and producers on coverage, story selection, live coverage, and assignment of reporters and crews.

Copy Editing Applicants:

• Cover letter, including your reasons for entering the news profession 
• Resume 
• Official college transcript (Scanned, saved as JPG)
• List three references from professional journalists, professors, advisors who are familiar with your journalistic work.
• Links to five samples of your copy editing work.
• Applicants must have strong language skills and some editing experience.

Photojournalism Applicants: 

• Cover letter, including your reasons for entering the news profession 
• Resume 
• Official college transcript (Scanned, saved as JPG)
• List three references from professional journalists, professors, advisors who are familiar with your journalistic work.
• No fewer than 10 images, (maximum 20) and at least one photo story, essay or multimedia package (audio slide show, video or combo) with a link to your online portfolio (print) and/or links to five samples of your video work (broadcast).

Graphic/Design Applicants: 

• Cover letter, including your reasons for entering the news profession 
• Resume 
• Official college transcript (Scanned, saved as JPG)
• List three references from professional journalists, professors, advisors who are familiar with your journalistic work.
• 10 web links of infographics, page designs, illustrations or clips. 
•  Applicants must have strong computer and design skills. Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign skills strongly desired.

Multimedia Applicants: 

• Cover letter, including your reasons for entering the news profession 
• Resume 
• Official college transcript (Scanned, saved as JPG)
• List three refe rences from professional journalists, professors, advisors who are familiar with your journalistic work.
• Links to five samples of your audio, video and/or print work
•  Digital video editing skills required, i.e. Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere or equivalent. 
• Familiarity with web publishing, social media and other web technologies preferred.

Application Deadline: February 18, 2011
HOW TO APPLY:
https://nabj.site-ym.com/?page=SEEDstudentproject

AP NEWSWRITING INTERNSHIPS DEADLINE OCTOBER 26th

The Associated Press offers a highly selective, 12-week, individually tailored training program for students who are aspiring print, photo, broadcast, graphics and multimedia journalists.

We're seeking potential applicants for Summer 2011 internships right now!


AM I ELIGIBLE?

The internship is open to full-time juniors, seniors and graduate students at American colleges and universities.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE PROGRAM?

Up to 22 interns are selected.

WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROGRAM?

You get to work in an AP bureau under the supervision of a designated trainer. You get paid. And you get to cover breaking news that may be featured in many media outlets.

WHEN DOES THE PROGRAM START?
Start dates may be anytime between mid-May and mid-June, depending on your schedule.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE:   AP NEWSWRITING INTERNSHIPS - SUMMER 2011

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO JOINS PAC-10

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--The Pacific-10 Conference announced today that the University of Colorado at Boulder has accepted an invitation to join the Conference as it’s 11th member, the first new member since July 1, 1978.

“This is an historic moment for the Conference, as the Pac-10 is poised for tremendous growth.  The University of Colorado is a great fit for the Conference both academically and athletically and we are incredibly excited to welcome Colorado to the Pac-10,” said Commissioner Larry Scott. 

“On behalf of The University of Colorado students, faculty, alumni and fans, we are proud to accept this invitation from the Pac-10 and join the most prestigious academic and athletic conference in the nation, “ said Philip P. DiStefano, chancellor of CU-Boulder.

“The University of Colorado is a perfect match - academically and athletically - with the Pac-10,” said University of Colorado President Bruce D. Benson,  “our achievements and aspirations match those of the universities in the conference and we look forward to a productive relationship.”

Commissioner Scott, Chancellor DiStefano, President Benson, CU Board of Regents Chairman Steve Bosely and CU Athletics Director Mike Bohn and others will hold an official press conference on Friday, June 11, 2010 at 11 a.m. MT at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo.

The College Experiment: Oregon Cheerleaders

Ever wonder why the University of Oregon cheerleaders always rank among the hottest in collegiate sports?  Foxsports.com's Bob Oschack wondered the same thing.

MLB 2010 Summer Internships

Want an exciting summer covering Major League Baseball? MLB.com offers 30 reporting internships to aspiring sportswriters. These internships are designed to give associates the full range of experiences that comes with covering a professional team. Each associate will work closely with a site reporter to give visitors to a team’s Web site all the information they need to follow the team from Opening Day to season’s end. Each Major League team will have one associate.

We will be looking for talented college juniors and seniors, as well as graduate students, for our 2010 Summer Internship Program. If you are graduating in May or June of 2010, you are still eligible. The application deadline is Dec. 11, 2009. We will make our selections by the end of January.

We expect each intern to spend a minimum of 10 weeks in the program, dates determined by a person’s college schedule. The more flexible an applicant is in terms of which Major League city he or she can work in, the better the person’s chances of being selected. Interns will be paid $500 per week.

Applicants should submit a resume, 5 to 10 published articles, a list of references and a 750-word essay on why MLB.com should select you? Your clips ideally will show a variety of work, including game stories, previews and features.

MLB.com also will be offering a limited number of internships for copy editors/producers.

Associates are responsible for arranging their own housing and transportation.

Please mail all internship applications to:

Bill Hill

Assistant Managing Editor/MLB.com

Attn: Internship Application

14825 N. 97^th Place

Scottsdale, AZ 85260

If you have any questions, contact Bill Hill at bill.hill@MLB. com and put the words “Internship Info” in the subject line. No phone calls, please.

UPDATE: It's hard for kids to reject hip hop culture

Jason Whitlock adds some perspective to the recent events at Kansas, where the football and basketball teams engaged in some on-campus brawls.

It's hard for kids to reject hip hop culture - Kansas City Star

UPDATE: Another one of my sports journalism colleagues, Justice Hill, adds even more insight and perspective to what transpired on the KU campus. However, unlike Whitlock, Hill argues that "What this fighting means in a larger context isn’t simple to discern."

Larry Scott Replaces Tom Hansen As PAC-10 Commissioner

Here's the official release from the PAC-10 naming Larry Scott as its new commissioner.

Several names had been rumored over the last few weeks as the eventual replacement for outgoing commissioner Tom Hansen--everyone from Condoleeza Rice to Sandy Alderson.

Scott will certainly have his hands full trying to fill the footsteps of the longest-tenured commissioner in big-time college athletics, who saw the PAC-10 win more than 200 NCAA titles during his reign.

--PACIFIC-10 CONFERENCE NAMES LARRY SCOTT COMMISSIONER--

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--The Pacific-10 Conference named Larry Scott, Chairman and CEO of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), its new commissioner, effective July 1, 2009. Scott becomes the sixth commissioner of the Pac-10, succeeding Tom Hansen who is set to retire after 26 years in the role.

Since joining the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in 2003, Scott has engineered the turnaround of women's professional tennis, increasing the popularity of the sport across the world. A former tennis All-American at Harvard, Scott is credited as the architect behind the largest-ever sponsorship in women's sports, a six-year, $88-million title sponsorship agreement with Sony Ericsson. He also led the WTA in its development of the largest television agreements in women’s tennis history spanning viewership both in the U.S. and abroad.

“While it is difficult to replace a leader like Tom Hansen who has served the conference for more than 26 years, we are extremely pleased with the tremendous response we received to the national search,” said John Hennessy, president of Stanford University and head of the executive committee. “We considered a very impressive group of candidates, and Larry Scott was clearly the most qualified and innovative leader for the Pac-10.”

The Pac-10 dates back to 1915 when four schools - the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Washington, the University of Oregon, and Oregon State College – formed the conference. Now with 10 member institutions, the Pac-10 ranks first in NCAA Championships with 159 over the past 18 years and has finished with more NCAA titles than any other conference in 42 of the last 48 years, earning titles in more than 26 different men’s and women’s sports.

“I’m excited to pursue this very unique opportunity to be involved in a broad range of men’s and women’s sports at the college level and balancing the priorities of student-athletes with the commercial needs of the conference,” said Scott, who will move from Florida to Northern California. “It’s an exciting opportunity for me to apply my broad range of leadership skills in sports management, marketing, effective positioning of an organization to international and national audiences, and being an advocate on behalf of our sports.”

Since the NCAA began conducting women's championships 27 years ago, Pac-10 schools have claimed at least four national titles in a single season on 19 separate occasions. Overall, the Pac-10 has captured 113 NCAA women's crowns, 30 more than any other conference. That said, Scott’s experience in women’s athletics will be especially relevant. Scott is credited with being a vocal and effective advocate for women’s athletes, helping WTA members earn equal pay in major tennis tournaments around the world for the first time in 100 years.

“Our search committee was most impressed with Larry’s broad range of leadership experiences in both men’s and women’s sports, as well as his extensive success in representing the commercial interest of men’s and women’s tennis,” said Bob Bowlsby, athletic director of Stanford and head of the search committee. “He was the architect of a highly-effective turnaround of women’s tennis over the last six years and created a compelling vision that has served the sport and its athletes extremely well. We are also very pleased to bring on such a great advocate for both men’s and women’s sports.”

Under Scott’s leadership, the WTA secured television partnerships with the major US networks and renewed its international television partnership with Eurosport, which broadcasts women's tennis to 54 countries and more than 104 million homes. Scott's career in tennis began as a professional tennis player on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) circuit, where he played for three years and won one tournament. Scott then spent a decade in leadership and senior management positions within the ATP, serving in the posts of Chief Operating Officer, President of ATP Properties and Executive Vice President of the International Group.

How Did UK Basketball Come To This?

My former boss at WKYT-TV, Dick Gabriel, writes a very insightful column on WKYT's website. It basically traces the history of all the major decisions made by Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart. I am certain Dick holds a good relationship with Barnhart and that much of the information in the article came firsthand.

However, there are some things I agree with and others I do not.

Let's start with what no one wants to acknowledge: the underlying racism of some UK fans.

Dick writes, "..don’t kid yourself, it was there. From the season ticket cancellations the day (Tubby) Smith was hired to the cowardly, anonymous phone calls to the talk shows – a faction of UK "fans" made themselves clear."

On that point, Dick could not be more right. I remember the day Tubby was hired. Shortly after returning from the news conference at UK's Patterson Office Tower, I was back in the WKYT sports office working on scripts and tapes for the next newscast. As you might imagine, the phones were ringing off the hook from people wanting the very latest on the hiring.

One phone call in particular still remains vivid in my mind 12 years later.

{Phone Rings}

Me: "27 Sportsfirst, this is Michael."

Caller: "Did UK hire a new coach today?"

Me: "Yes, sir. Tubby Smith is the new coach."

Caller: "You mean they're gonna let a nigger coach Kentucky?"

{I abruptly end the call}

So for all those fans who like to downplay the racism or its effect on Tubby's departure, give it up. The evidence is too real and too prevalent.

And I strongly believe it was that racism that would not allow some people to give Tubby the credit he deserved.

Dick wrote that it was hard to argue with the results of "five SEC championships, five SEC tournament titles, a single season that saw his team race undefeated through both the league and tournament (only to be done in by Dwyane Wade) and three trips to the Elite Eight," yet some UK fans went out of their way to do so.

By definition, racism means a lack of fairness or equal treatment due to some one's race or ethnic background.

Does anyone really think a white coach at UK would have received the same amount of criticism with such a successful record? Take your time on your answer. I'll wait.

There is one area of Barnhart's track record where Dick and I differ. It seems as though his account of Kentucky's pursuit of Billy Donovan comes from Barnhart's side, while mine comes from Donovan's camp.

It is important for everyone to understand that in situations where a coach is being courted by another school, the vast majority of the negotiations are not done between the AD and the coach, but rather intermediaries. So it should be no surprise to hear that Barnhart and Donovan may have only had one face-to-face meeting regarding the UK coaching vacancy.

However, that doesn't mean there wasn't more Barnhart could have done to bring Donovan to Lexington if he was truly UK's number one choice.

Had Donovan always considered what it would be like to coach in the NBA? Yes.

Did Rick Pitino advise him to seriously consider the idea? Yes.

Despite knowing Donovan's interest in the Orlando Magic and the organization's interest in him, should Barnhart have just given up and not come back with another offer to Donovan? Absolutely not!

If Donovan was the choice, then Barnhart should have done whatever it took--within reason--to get Donovan to accept the job. You don't just give up on your top candidate because another team can offer him more money. You sell the university, the program and the lifestyle that comes with it.

While most college jobs can't compare to the NBA, Kentucky sure as hell can!

And Barnhart should always remember that when hiring a basketball coach at UK, especially if he has to do it again this year.

Lady Vols' Summitt donating $600K to university

The highest paid woman in college sports is using her $1 million-plus salary to re-invest in her program as well as the school's general scholarship fund.

I have long been a fan of Pat Summit, and this move is just another reason why she is beloved at Tennessee.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP)-- Coach Pat Summitt will donate $600,000 to the University of Tennessee to be shared by the Knoxville and Martin campuses.

A spokeswoman for Tennessee athletics says the donation will go to support the women's basketball programs at both campuses and includes a $100,000 endowed scholarship for a Lady Vols basketball graduate assistant in honor of Summitt's parents, Richard and Hazel Head.

Summitt has spent 34 seasons as the Lady Vols coach, leading the program to an unprecedented eight national championships. She played basketball and volleyball at Tennessee-Martin.

Two other coaches have made similar contributions. Men's coach Bruce Pearl endowed the Dane Bradshaw Scholarship Endowment in March 2007 and football coach Phillip Fulmer announced in August 2007 a $1 million gift for academics and athletics.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

OJ Mayo Whistleblower Not Done Yet

Now that OJ Mayo has made the leap to the NBA, he will likely not have to deal with the allegations that he received improper benefits during his one season at USC. However, that doesn't mean that this story is going away.

See for yourself in this Sporting News article by Victoria Sun, who recently spoke to the man who blew the whistle on Rodney Guillory.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=428460