I am Melody Morris, born and raised in Denver, Colorado.
No, I do not like skiing. Yes I am a huge supporter of marijuana. Melody is a cool name, I love music probably more than anything.
However, I do not have any musical talent so I’ve taken my career interests elsewhere. I go through phases with music genres. Lately, I’ve been into rock and nu metal. Previously, I was very into rap, hip hop, and trap. The list of rappers I’ve seen live is insanely impressive, not humble brag. I found my way into journalism by accident and very intentionally.
I have always wanted to be a journalist but completely blew it off in my later high school years and early college years. I switched my major to sports journalism halfway through my sophomore year. I would not say there was an event that pushed me into journalism, I have always loved writing and connecting with people and journalism is a perfect way to combine those things.
I found my way to Cronkite after borderline failing out of the business school here at ASU. I could not get myself to care about business. I knew I had to change and pursue something I actually cared about and wanted to work hard in. I love opinion writing and I find the culture in sports to be very intriguing. I have always thought about sports fashion over the years, as in uniforms, basketball players’ streetwear, what coaches wear during games, and more.
I would love to talk about that in this class. I have always had an outspoken voice and strong opinions and I felt like this class would help me in improving my writing while keeping my opinion known as well.
Commentary is important because it’s good to be exposed to all different types of opinions and perspectives. It is also nice to read what someone else thinks and/or feels about your favorite sports team or international affairs. I would like to improve my writing and connection skills in this class. I want to leave feeling confident and secure in my writing and opinions.
I believe the major challenges facing our industry is inclusion and diversity. Women and people of color are not seen as much in the scene and it is harder to fight for positions and respect in this industry. There are policies in place but realistically, it is not enough.
