7 — Thursday, September 6, 2018
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Michigan in Color

Information 
senior 
Nisa 
Khan participated in a summer-
long program with a grant from 
the Knight Foundation and 
hosted by the Craig Newmark 
Journalism School (previously 
known as the CUNY-J school). 
Located in New York, this 
diversity initiative trains 20 
young 
journalists 
of 
color, 
funding their expenses and 
connecting 
them 
to 
media 
companies 
throughout 
the 
city. Khan interned with the 
investigative reporting outlet 
ProPublica.
How did you hear about 
your internship? What made 
you want to apply?
It took a lot of Googling. 
There 
are 
a 
lot 
of 
really 
amazing, extremely generous 
scholarships and programs out 
there that I wouldn’t have been 
aware of without the many hours 

researching. I came across the 
Knight-CUNYJ program a few 
times in internship listings.
What are your favorite 
memories 
from 
your 
experience?
New York is really fun, as 
it turns out. Even the media 
training by the initiative was 
a fulfilling time. But having 
my first story published was 
the most relieving, wonderful 
experience.
We also went out for karaoke 
and I repped Michigan by 
singing Mr. Brightside. I don’t 
care if anyone thinks it’s basic. 
It’s still a banger my 2009 
middle school self loved and no 
amount of football tailgates can 
take that away from me.
What is the culture like in 
your program?
The 
Knight-CUNYJ 
is 
a 
wonderful program if you are 

a person of color who aims 
to go into this industry. You 
get a great support group 
and 
teachers 
of 
a 
similar 
background. You are trained in 
a wide array of multimedia tools 
that are important to the field. 
You are worked hard — I was 
bone-deep tired every day, but 
that’s the expectation.
I got along with my cohort 
so well — I made some amazing 
friends and we all carried each 
other through an exhausting 
and rewarding few months. A 
guy saw me cry three days in a 
row and I don’t really consider 
myself a crier. He doesn’t 
believe me when I say that and 
that’s okay.
I 
would 
100 
percent 
recommend anyone to apply to 
this program when applications 
open early next year.

Intern Diaries: Part One

Summer 
has 
unfortunately 
come to a close, and at Michigan 
in Color, it’s a tad bittersweet. 
Though many of us are excited 
to come back to the Daily office 
for more shenanigans, we’re also 
sad to leave the places we spent 
out internships in. We’re trading 
business professional attire for 
the office for the casual and 
comfy clothes we usually wear in 
college. Here, a few MiC editors 
wanted to share their summer 
stories of hustling, learning, and 
the importance of diversity in the 
workplace. 
Rising Public Health senior 
Christian Paneda took to the 
famous (or infamous, depending 
on how one wants to look at it) 
Washington, D.C., to intern at the 
U.S. House of Representatives. 
His 
work 
was 
assisted 
by 
the 
Asian 
Pacific 
American 
Institute 
of 
Congressional 
Studies, a bi-partisan non-profit 
organization dedicated to build 
Asian-American 
and 
Pacific 
Islander representation in public 
service at local, state and national 
levels. 
The 
organization’s 
summer 
internship 
program 
allows AAPI students to explore 
the 
intricacies 
of 
the 
U.S. 
Congress. Paneda interned for 
the office of Rep. Mark Takano, 
D-Calif, the first openly gay 
person of color to ever serve in 
Congress.
How did you hear about 
your internship?
I heard about APAICS from 
multiple sources. When I was 
talking to a former senior MiC 
editor, the incomparable Areeba 
Haider, 
on 
opportunities 
to 
intern in Washington, D.C., she 

knew a couple of people from 
the program and recommended 
to apply. At the same time, one 
of my close mentors, who is 
actually a D.C. superstar, was 
involved with APAICS through 
their fellowship program and 
advised me that the program 
was one of the best internship 
opportunities. Both of them 
weren’t wrong!
What made you want to 
apply?
I’ve always had a passion 
for policy. In the field of public 
health, we talk a lot about how 
the law and policy affects the 
health of a population, especially 
those who are marginalized 
due to a variety of social 
determinants. I wanted to intern 
in Washington, D.C., to get a 
hands-on perspective in the 
policy-making process and learn 
more about advocacy. Especially 
since we live in an abnormal time 
that threatens the livelihood of 
so many people of color, I wanted 
to take action. I applied to 
APAICS because I aligned with 
their mission of building the 
AAPI pipeline, because diverse 
representation is essential for 
equitable policy. In the Midwest 
communities of AAPIs, I’ve 
heard a lot of mistrust of the 
government (local, state and 
national), thus leading to a 
sense of apathy toward civic 
engagement. I wanted to combat 
that as I believe an individual’s 
voice can hold a lot of power 
when it’s in solidarity with 
others.
What are your favorite 
memories 
from 
your 
experience?
I 
absolutely 
loved 
every 
moment of my internship! I 
enjoyed learning about issue 
areas I am extremely passionate 

about – education, immigration 
and health policy. Outside of 
many of my intern tasks, I was 
given the opportunity to do some 
other cool things. I delivered a 
couple of speeches – one included 
me introducing the congressman 
at a congressional event! In 
Washington, D.C., APAICS really 
afforded me the opportunity to 
sit down with AAPI trailblazers 
who have fought for people like 
me to live unapologetically. I 
found their sacrifice and their 
stories to be inspirational.
What is the culture like 
where you interned?
The Hill can be an intense 
place. As it seems like horrifying 
news is hitting every week, one 
can imagine the daunting yet 
necessary work needed to protect 
many 
different 
marginalized 
communities. Working in policy 
takes dedication, perseverance 
and optimism. What I am 
also very thankful for is the 
AAPI community in D.C. I was 
surprised to find out how tight-
knit the community is, and I am 
even more thankful that they 
were so kind to me as a bright-
eyed intern.
Any advice for prospective 
interns interested in public 
service?
I’ve come to learn that success 
is not individualistic. It is crucial 
to find mentors in fields you’re 
interested in and that can vouch 
for your work. That said, I also do 
not recommend burning bridges 
as everything in public service is 
related to community. Be genuine 
with your connections! I’ve 
heard a lot about transactional 
relationships in D.C., and from 
what I’ve observed, collaborative 
work gets accomplished and 
best sustained when a genuine 
connection is established.

CHRISTIAN PANEDA
Senior MiC Editor

Courtesy of author 

Want to write for Michigan in Color?
Email us at michiganincolor@umich.edu

Martin, Bell to receive more snaps against Western Michigan this week

While 
a 
disintegrating 
offensive line and mistake-prone 
defense drew most of the attention 
against Notre Dame on Saturday, 
Michigan’s wide receivers played 
their best game in nearly two 
years.
In the 24-17 defeat, sophomores 
Nico Collins, Donovan Peoples-
Jones and Oliver Martin, as well 
as fifth-year senior Grant Perry, 
combined for 181 yards on 17 
catches. It marked the position 
group’s largest output since Nov. 
5, 2016, when Wilton Speight set a 
program record for passing yards 
in a half.
The Wolverines’ passing game 
sputtered in 2017, largely due to 
the struggles of their wideouts, 
who combined to catch just three 
touchdowns all season. Perry, 
their leading receiver, managed a 
paltry 307 yards.
But on Saturday, the group 
consistently beat the Fighting 
Irish secondary — especially in 
short-yardage situations — and 
allowed Michigan to move the ball 
despite rushing for just 58 yards.
“I thought we had pretty 
good 
separation 
throughout 
the game,” said receivers coach 
Jim McElwain. “It’s something 
you work on every single day, 
and our guys I think have seen 
the importance of it. … They’ve 
responded well to being conscious 
of gaining separation.”
Wolverine receivers mentioned 
that as a priority throughout spring 
and summer camp. They credited 
McElwain — who was the head 
coach at Florida from 2015 to 2017 
— with teaching them subtleties to 
the position that have aided their 
growth from a season ago.
It showed Saturday, but still not 
as often as McElwain would’ve 
liked it to.
“One of the things we have to 
do a better job of is playing fast 
throughout the game,” he said. 
“I thought there were plays we 
looked slow. And yet, there were 

times we looked pretty fast. The 
consistency really wasn’t there, 
and where I think we can be a 
little better.”
McElwain 
mentioned 
this 
was the case for Peoples-Jones 
specifically, who made six catches 
for 38 yards. Though Peoples-
Jones wasn’t one of the many who 
fell victim to cramps in the South 
Bend heat, fatigue caught up with 
him — at least in his coach’s eyes.
“I think he played too many 
plays,” McElwain said. “That’s 
on me as far as being able to play 
fast every single down. I think 
there were times — not that he 
was loafing, but quite honestly, 
because he was gassed. We got to 

do a better job (of managing) the 
pitch count.”
That will likely lead to more 
snaps for Martin and freshman 
Ronnie Bell. After redshirting 
last year, Martin made three 
catches for 29 yards in his first 
collegiate 
appearance; 
the 
Wolverines ran two screens for 
Martin before he caught a 21-yard 
pass on Michigan’s lone offensive 
touchdown drive.
On the other hand, Bell had 
a much quicker path to the 
Wolverines’ receiving rotation. A 
former Missouri State basketball 
commit with no other Division 
I football offers, Bell committed 
to Michigan last December but 

learned enough of the offense to 
see the field against the Fighting 
Irish. 
“He did a really good job 
of 
attacking 
the 
playbook,” 
McElwain said. “The hardest 
thing for guys sometimes when 
they’re young is maintaining how 
fast they can play when their mind 
is spinning. I thought he did a 
really good job.”
Balancing the mental demands 
of the position with playing full 
speed isn’t easy. McElwain saw 
this with Collins, who took some 
time to gain his confidence despite 
being a four-star recruit. 
“I thought (he was) tentative 
early when we got here in the 

spring,” McElwain said. “As his 
confidence grew in the ‘what’ and 
the ‘how,’ he seemed to play faster 
and faster.”
Since sophomore Tarik Black 
suffered a right foot injury, the 
door opened for Collins, whose 
size and speed have become a 
talking point for Michigan players 
and coaches. He showed why 
against Notre Dame with three 
catches for 66 yards — including 
the Wolverines’ most explosive 
play of the evening: a 52-yard deep 
ball on the first snap of the third 
quarter.
“I guess I’d say his assignment 
grade was really good in this game, 
which tells me he did a good job of 

preparation,” McElwain said. “… 
Technically, he played pretty darn 
good.”
McElwain provided no update 
on Black’s injury on Wednesday, 
as he would neither confirm nor 
deny the possibility of a comeback 
this season. It’s a different group 
replacing Black than in 2017 
— Kekoa Crawford and Eddie 
McDoom have both left the 
program — and Michigan is still 
working through its receiver 
rotation. 
But though it wasn’t a perfect 
performance, Saturday showed 
that the Wolverine receivers are 
closer to answers than they’ve 
been in some time.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Sophomore wide receiver Oliver Martin and freshman Ronnie Bell will play more snaps against Western Michigan, according to Michigan wide receiver coach Jim McElwain. 

MARK CALCAGNO
Daily Sports Editor

