My First Week at the Fayetteville Observer

By Andrew Johnson

What a wonderful experience it has been so far for me at the Fayetteville Observer.

I knew it was going to be a great summer from the first day after my co-workers welcomed me with open arms.

In my first week I have had the opportunity to write two game stories on the Fayetteville SwampDogs, a college summer league team that I will be covering for the next two months. My job is to cover every home game. So far it has been a very enjoyable experience, and one that makes me feel thankful for the preparation that I received at SJI. The classroom sessions at the Poynter Institute and the game coverage of the Tampa Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays have really worked to my benefit.

I am also excited about an upcoming feature that I'm writing about a retired first class sergeant Alfonso Smith, who was inducted into the North Carolina Boxing Hall of Fame on June 5. Smith is a former Fort Bragg boxing coach, and I interviewed him this week. The story will run in Sunday’s paper, and I cannot wait to see it!