Chips Quinn Scholars | News

At a time of international turmoil and domestic tensions,
the holidays mean more to me than in previous years.
The whole mess we've created seems daunting
for one person to make a change.
I guess the answer is to start with yourself, in your own home,
with your own family and friends in your own town, in your own state.
Change begins within, so let's begin.
Happy Holidays and may peace be unto you.

a holiday haiku from me to you:
Merry Christmas every one,
even though the snow freezes me
to my ever loving soul.

Each and everyone of us should always have a tremendous gratitude
for life as we celebrate the season.
And remember that the greatest gift or reward that you will ever have,
is the opportunity to share your life with another human being.
Life is too short if you forget to LIVE!

Zerline Hughes Jennings, Needham (Mass.) Public Schools, and Summer 1998 Scholar:

Merry Christmas (and Hanukah, Kwanzaa and Ramadan) to all,
and to all a good night!
Sending lots of winter cheer from brrrr brrrrr Boston, Mass.
I miss you all. E-mail me ... Let’s all catch up!

Kristen Go, The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, and Summer 1996 and 1997 Scholar:

Happy Holidays! As we get ready to start a new year,
take a minute to think about the quote below from an unknown author:
"Take pride in how far you have come.
Have faith in how far you can go."

Edgar Sandoval, The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa., and Summer 1999 Scholar:

I was working in a Kmart many Decembers ago
when I walked to the basement with a store manager
and saw a stack of boxes with weird lettering written on them.
"What’s X-mas?" I asked my manager.
I was pretty new from Mexico at the time.
"You telling me you don’t know?" she asked, a little surprised.
I thought for a second. Hmm. "Mas" means "more" in Spanish.
And X -- isn’t that, like, dirty? I better let her answer, I thought.
"It means Christmas," she replied, holding back giggles.
X-mas does not sound like Chris-mas, I thought.
It’s not like the holiday is called Ex-mas.
Oh, well. To this day it puzzles me why people don’t write C-mas.
There is no X in the word Christmas.
But, hey, I’m not here to judge the English language,
just to wish you all a X-erry X-mas!

Katie Oyan, Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune and Summer 1997 and Fall 2000 Scholar:

Happy holidays to my fellow Chipsters
and to all of you who keep the program alive.
I have lots to be thankful for this year, including all the wonderful friends
and mentors I've gained through the Chips Program. Keep on truckin'.

Craig Johnson, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Summer 1994 and 1995 Scholar:

I'd like to extend a warm hug to the entire Chips Quinn Scholar family,
including the Quinns. As I look back upon the program, I realize
that this is about much more than gainful employment. This is about
empowering communities, as much as anything, to have a voice and infusing the community into the newsroom and the reporters into the community. This is about sharing the pen, which in many communities and countries is much like a sword,
with those we share the world with.
I'd like to thank the CQS program for being. Much success.

One year ago, I was just another journalism student.
Now, I am a Chipster. The network that the '02 Chipsters have
is like no other. My Chipsters are who I turn to share my joys
and triumphs and hard knocks in the newsroom and in life.
Thank you to ALL Chipsters,
for being the best journalists and friends there are.
Not the best MINORITY journalists, but the best journalists.
May the New Year bring you much luck in whatever you wish for.

As journalists, we have the benefit and the curse
of seeing the best and worst of the world.
Keep that in mind this holiday season.
Use that perspective to appreciate what you have and
use it to help others if you're allowed the opportunity.
I hope that this message reaches everyone in good health,
good spirits and happy times.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday.
Remember the reason for the season.

I would like to wish everyone in the Chipster family a holiday season full of laughter and love. I want to send a special Salud! to Danielle, Ina, Audrey, Sadie Jo, Erika, Darren, Andre, Staci and Erica -- the Bay Area cluster and crew from 1999. Lovies.

I would like to extend my holiday greetings to all
the Chips Summer 2002 scholars and
to all the Chipsters past, present and future.
I hope that everyone has a healthy and prosperous 2003.
Best wishes to all.

May the coming year bring as much change as this last has brought me.
Never give up on your dreams, my fellow Chipsters.

Now is the time to step forward. Slogans aren't enough.
"‘Just say no to drugs' has done the same for drug addiction that
'Have a nice day' has done for manic depression."
-- Michael Pritchard, youth counselor who spoke at an event I covered earlier this year.

Ryan Martin, B. Comstock Middle School, Dallas, Texas, and Summer 2000 Scholar:

I just wanted to say Happy Holidays to the Chipster Class of 2000
and a special shout out to The Times in Shreveport, La.
Hi, Sheleah and George (fellow Chipsters with me at The Times)!

To my fellow Chipsters, who enrich this world with color:
Peace & good tidings during the holidays.

Angela Willis, State of Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and Summer 2001 Scholar:

Alicia Gooden, The Galveston County (Texas) Daily News, and Summer 1998 Scholar:

It's the little things in life that really add up to our grandest fortunes.The size of our paychecks, the circulation of our publication,the car we drive, the clothes we wear ... all those things are ephemeral. The real joys in life are priceless and eternal: A family that loves you, true friends that cherish you, and a heart that is open to peace. Have a blessed holiday season.

Manny Lopez, The Business Journal, Kansas City, Mo., and Summer 1994 Scholar:

There are few things in life as important as family. Whether it be theChips Quinn family, your own family or a family you don't know,but who are there to help during the holidays,enjoy the time and the company.And as John Quinn always reminds us, don't forget to call home.

Ryan Hiraki, The News-Press, Fort Myers, Fla., and Summer 2001 and Spring 2002 Scholar:

I look forward to spending the holidays at home again someday,
someday down the road, someday when I live in San Diego,
when I am closer to Hawaii. Florida is too far from the islands to make such a long trip in so a short time, so I will wait.
But there is one great thing about living in the eastern time zone:
I can sleep in and still catch the football games, from start to finish.

I wish all of the Chipsters a joyful holiday and
hope your brains are keen, your lenses sharp,
your resolve clear for the New Year.

Robbie Flowers-Watkins, Southfield (Mich.) Public Library, and Spring 2000 Scholar:

Hello all! I hope that the holiday season is happy
and bright for each of you.
May peace and blessings warm each of your homes this season.

Quannah Leonard, Republican-American, Waterbury, Conn., and Summer 2000 Scholar:

I'm originally from Oklahoma and now I'm working in Connecticut.
It's tough to celebrate the season
when you don't have any family around you.
But I think that can make the holidays all the more special.
You remember each and every person and what they mean to you.

I want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday!
Please take this time to reflect on how God has blessed each one of us.
Thank you to the Freedom Forum, and to Mr. and Mrs. Quinn,
for your love and guidance.
Happy holidays to everyone!
May God continue to bless you.

May your holiday season be filled with love, food and family.
I love you all and wish you the best in the coming year.

Amy McFall Prince, The Daily News, Longview, Wash., and Summer 2000 Scholar:

No matter what the celebration,
this is the time of year to spend with good friends,
near close family and snuggled in warm homes. Happy holidays to all!

Still searching for the perfect holiday gift?
Try love -- one size fits all.
Happy Holidays!

Iasha Stafford, The News-Messenger, Fremont, Ohio, and Summer 2000 Scholar:

I wish all of my fellow Chipsters and the Freedom Forum staff
a holiday season filled with joy, love and hope.

May all of your prayers be answered and all of your dreams come true. With the New Year approaching, try to live each day a little better than the last. Cherish the little things in life, the things that we often take for granted -- these little gifts will one day be the things will treasure the most. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or none of the above, I wish you a warm, blissful holiday season.

I want to wish everyone a very happy and safe holiday season!
I have moved to Durango, Colo. so if you're in the neighborhood,
please look me up. Happy Holidays!

Jennifer Dronkers, Mountain Democrat, Placerville, Calif., and Spring 2002 Scholar:

Celebrate the holidays and remember to always ROCK ON.
I'm wishing everyone a fabulous holiday
filled with all kinds of good stuff, like candy, cake and LOVE.

Love, peace, joy, happiness, reflection,
appreciation, acceptance, remembrance.
May everyone feel, receive and take the time
to experience each of these this season.

Happy holiday wishes in the name of the Lord.
The holidays are a time of praise and time well spent.
If you have a significant other, family -- anyone or anything --
take time to be with them.

Each year is a new year and some of us may not be around to see it.
So take time out to take time, to spend it with those whom you cherish.
And also consider those who aren't as blessed as you may be.

Cheers and good tidings to all Chipsters!
May peace, comfort and happiness be with us throughout the holidays
and into the new year.

I can't help but feel blessed to have my Chipster friends in my life.
Wherever we go, whatever we do, we seek each other out and celebrate the successes of our lives. We understand each other in ways few family and non-journalist friends can.

I am blessed. Here's to life, to love, to the power of the written word, to friendship. Happy Holidays, Happy New Year and Happy Birthday, in case the card doesn't make it on time next year.

Jack's "Holiday Message:" Let us be reminded that thanks to the precious words of the First Amendment, embodied in the vision of billowing Old Glory, we are allowed to holler over sprawling cubicles and strewn paper: "I think we should at least do a brief on the flag-burning protest downtown!" And by the grace of journalism and the power of the inverted pyramid, we can identify those flag-burners by name without fear of libel, for they are doing nothing against the laws of this beautiful land with spacious skies and amber waves of grain. Now, I know June 14th is half a year from now.

Frank Ochoa-Gonzales, FLORIDA TODAY, Melbourne, and Summer 1995 and 1996 Scholar:

I've never known so much, about someone I did not know
I've met his parents, friends and family, quite some time ago.
I've shared in their memories, and stories from his past.
To make Chips' dreams come true, would surely be a blast!
Happy holidays to John & Loie Quinn
and all the Chipsters around the world.
Long live Chips' dream of a diverse newsroom.

My Holiday hope: I hope to see more people joining the Chips Quinn Scholars program and hope that most stay in journalism.

Congrats and best wishes to everyone on another year of strides,
both large and small, in newsrooms across the country. We are carrying on the important work the Quinns set out for us.
Many thanks to the Quinns -- to everyone with the program,
for all their guidance, kindness and support.
And thanks for all the gifts Chips has given us.

Kierra Young, The Gaston Gazette, Gastonia, N.C., and Summer 2001 Scholar: