By RACHEL HARRIS

Over the bayou and through the woods, to Ole Miss and back I’ve gone. After completing exams last week, I took my final 350-mile road trip for the school year and transferred what I call “home” back to Destrehan from Oxford, Miss.

My first year of late-night study sessions, SEC football tailgating, and meeting people with all sorts of strange accents has come to an end. It wasn’t easy, but I survived and managed to get good grades while juggling the many hours of classes, homework, and dance team practices.

I learned to love country cooking, what real cold weather feels like, and the best ways to parallel park on hills. This southern Louisiana girl got a taste of Mississippi life, found the rules of the Bible Belt, and had quite a few encounters with deer, no substitute for the alligator, of course.

After two semesters of professional instruction and hours of studying, I returned home for summer break to catch up with friends and family. I am a journalism/marketing major at Ole Miss and decided to use the time off to gain experience in the field of communications.

L’Observateur had a spot for me as an intern and willingly accepted the position as my new mentor. I conducted several interviews on the very first day and began writing immediately. I am using the journalism skills I learned in school daily. I am also constantly learning new techniques and approaches.

Prior to college, I had several years experience with high school newspapers, newsletters, and yearbooks. Although I have writing experience, I’m very green in the wide spectrum of reporting. It’s a whole new ball game in the world of “real” newspapers.

The deadlines come much quicker, the topics are more pressing, and the interviewees are much busier people than the high school quarterback ever was.

The wider audience pool forces journalists to look in every direction.

I am continuously reminded of the importance of accuracy and efficiency in the news business.

As we are taught in school, the media’s role is to inform the public and be the eyes and ears of those not present. I graciously accept the responsibility to serve as a social storyteller this summer. I look forward to my three months of learning, experiencing, and reporting. Each day will bring a new lesson, and hopefully, my small role in the news will lead to great perspective in the world of the media.

RACHEL HARRIS is a summer intern reporter for L’Observateur. She may be contacted at (985) 652-9545.