The Jambar
As my college career comes to an end, that also means my time as a member of The Jambar closes.
I came to Youngstown State University with one interest in mind, to become a sports reporter. As a 19 year old standing just 5 feet, 2 inches tall, I did not fully understand what it took until finally The Jambar gave me that opportunity.
Prior to becoming an official member, I contributed stories to The Jambar through classes such as News Content Creation I and II where I learned the essentials of reporting that included being able to write my first stories for the publication. Those two semesters gave me a view into the importance of structure, accuracy and knowing the correct questions to ask. I took those lessons into being on the staff.
My time as an official member is much shorter than many of my coworkers as it began fall 2025 as a sports reporter after former Editor-in-Chief John Ostapowicz gave me the opportunity I could not decline. I’m grateful for the time spent.
As knowledgeable as I am in the world of athletics, there was still a steep learning curve as early stories came back with 30-plus comments about my Associated Press style and sentence structure. Even this story will. It was frustrating and sometimes I took it to heart, but deep down, setting aside my pride, I knew it was to make me a better writer.
Eventually, I found my niche with business of sports writing about different conferences around the world. I had the privilege to talk to conference commissioners and administrators in each conference, giving me and readers a deeper understanding of how college athletics operates behind the scenes. Later, that transitioned into covering games which became a whole different ball game.
Working on harsh deadlines, conducting interviews and having to pivot to another story with uncooperative sources all pushed me to grow tremendously not only as a reporter but as a person.
Through my short but memorable time, I learned how to be more adaptable, preserve and speak up for myself for my work. Every story, good or bad, helped my approach to journalism and made me a better writer.
To all the sources I’ve interviewed, I thank you for your cooperation and appreciate you taking the time to talk with me. Thank you for being willing to share stories and information.
To all the editors, thank you for your patience, your feedback and for pushing me to improve my skills even if it wasn’t always the easiest to hear on a Monday morning.
To Editor-in-Chief Matthew Sotlar, thank you for your leadership and continuing to guide not only myself, but the entire Jambar staff through paper after paper and award after award.
Even though my time at The Jambar may be coming to an end, the lessons I’ve learned as both a full-time reporter and contributor will stay with me. It’s been a place of growth and resilience and a valuable opportunity.
From,
Keon Edington