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