Dennis McCarthy

internment high school diploma

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 13:30:53 -0800

Today's column about an 80-year-old Japanese-American woman getting her high school diploma 61 years late because she was interned in a relocation camp with her family in 1945 is a perfect example of luck and timing playing a big part in the column writing business.
A reader noticed in our news story on the graduation ceremony that no mention was made of the special ceremony for Dorothy Morita. The reader assumed the reporter hadn't stuck around for the entire ceremony, and missed that part.
She was right, and I got lucky because Dorothy's diploma story is strong enough to be its own column. So many Japanese-Americans were robbed of three or four years of their lives because of unfounded fears 61 years ago, and we're dealing with a lot of those same feelings today with terrorism and immigration issues.

jayro update

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 14:51:36 -0800

One of the blind spots in writing daily human interest columns is taking the time to follow up on past columns to tell readers whatever happened to old so and so.
Daily newspaper columnists and reporters are always looking forward to the next story, not back at yesterday's old news. But thanks to e-mail, readers don't let me slide anymore.
When I get bombarded with requests for an update, I know it's time to slow down and look back. Friday's column is a perfect example. It's always a crapshoot as to whether people will respond to help a kid like this, especially with the highly charged, pro and con feelings about the military.
When they do, with this much financial support, well, it's more than deserving of an update - if only to show that there are still people out there who care enough to get involved directly.