2008 Woodie Awards
Switching it up
Nicholas Kelly - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 12/11/07 Section: Metro
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UI freshman Will Downey sits down for his last interview.
But he may have some competition.
"It's my favorite news reporter," said UI freshman Derek Jones as he entered the room. "Unfortunately, I have to go to class right now, otherwise, I would be happy to provide idiotic quotes for you."
He may never learn.
On the other hand, since agreeing to be one of the subjects in a series of The Daily Iowan stories chronicling the lives incoming freshman, Downey has learned much about life in academia - and not just in his crash course on media relations.
"This opportunity, it was completely random," he said, "I almost didn't accept it."
But as Downey's exploits have shown, the UI freshman has come to believe that accepting the random, the ridiculous, and the unexpected is just part of making the most of life in higher education.
"Look for the things you wouldn't normally do in your regular lifestyle and take the alternative routes," he said. "Switch it up, that's my advice to anyone who comes to college."
The UI Honors student admits, though, that adapting to every facet of college life is not always as easy as it sounds.
"My schedule kind of worked against me, waking up at 7:30 in the morning," Downey said. Combined with extracurricular activities, intramurals, and spending time with his rapidly expanding circle of friends, he said, he found little time to sleep, even in atypical locations, during his first semester of college.
"I just work in naps whenever," he said. "Collectively, I get six or seven hours of sleep a day, it's just none during regular hours."
Downey shows off his class list for next semester. It includes accelerated rhetoric, the 7:30 class Downey will now retake.
"At 9:30," he noted.
"I can't wait to start anew," he said. "I don't think I performed up to my own standards this term. And next semester I know exactly what to do."
But what exactly Downey may do is anyone's guess.
But he may have some competition.
"It's my favorite news reporter," said UI freshman Derek Jones as he entered the room. "Unfortunately, I have to go to class right now, otherwise, I would be happy to provide idiotic quotes for you."
He may never learn.
On the other hand, since agreeing to be one of the subjects in a series of The Daily Iowan stories chronicling the lives incoming freshman, Downey has learned much about life in academia - and not just in his crash course on media relations.
"This opportunity, it was completely random," he said, "I almost didn't accept it."
But as Downey's exploits have shown, the UI freshman has come to believe that accepting the random, the ridiculous, and the unexpected is just part of making the most of life in higher education.
"Look for the things you wouldn't normally do in your regular lifestyle and take the alternative routes," he said. "Switch it up, that's my advice to anyone who comes to college."
The UI Honors student admits, though, that adapting to every facet of college life is not always as easy as it sounds.
"My schedule kind of worked against me, waking up at 7:30 in the morning," Downey said. Combined with extracurricular activities, intramurals, and spending time with his rapidly expanding circle of friends, he said, he found little time to sleep, even in atypical locations, during his first semester of college.
"I just work in naps whenever," he said. "Collectively, I get six or seven hours of sleep a day, it's just none during regular hours."
Downey shows off his class list for next semester. It includes accelerated rhetoric, the 7:30 class Downey will now retake.
"At 9:30," he noted.
"I can't wait to start anew," he said. "I don't think I performed up to my own standards this term. And next semester I know exactly what to do."
But what exactly Downey may do is anyone's guess.
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