Nothing ventured, nothing gained
Posted by Jesse White on Friday, August 17, 2012 Under: Writing
By JESSE WHITE
In June of 1995, just a few weeks after graduating from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a double major in history and political science - and after receiving my seventh job rejection letter after doing so - it became painfully obvious to me that any hopes I had of returning to my roots on the Iron Range in northern Minnesota were fading quickly.
My double major, it seemed, wasn't going to get me far in an area that lives and breathes mining and I was slowly wrapping my mind around the idea of moving to the dreaded big city - or in this case, cities - Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Looking back I realize coasting through college chasing a liberal arts degree or two wasn't really the smartest play. I probably should have taken up a trade or actually thought about my future a little more.
But college to me was just what I was suppose to do. My thought was 'get a degree and the rest would work itself out.'
Well, it didn't take long after graduation for me to realize that there weren't many, if any, want ads with the words "history degree" in them.
Lucky for me, however, half-way through my fourth year of college (yes it took me five years to graduate) I decided to apply for a reporter position at the school newspaper, the UMD Statesman.
I had loved reading from an early age, starting with comics and graduating to newspapers and political magazines like "Time" and "Newsweek" as a teen, and writing was always my strong suit, so I gave it a try.
Turns out I was pretty good at the newspaper thing and although I didn't like talking to random strangers - still don't - and that those conversations were usually the basis for a story, I still managed to impress the young editors at the paper.
In fact, following my first year there I was hired as News Editor for what would be my senior year of college. Two months into that gig I was promoted to Managing Editor (that's another story).
So it was with that experience that I answered an ad in the summer of 1995 for a part-time outdoors columnist at the Daily Tribune in Hibbing. It wasn't my dream to work in Hibbing and I initially looked at the gig like a stepping stone to bigger things.
But at least I was back home in northern Minnesota, even if I didn't know how long that would be.
Lucky for me, when I got to the interview the editor told me the job was actually a full-time internship and a few weeks into that stint the position became permanent.
It was during my short time at the Daily Tribune that I first started writing about one of my favorite topics, the outdoors.
I created a page and grew a following during my one year there and then one day, after putting up with the corporate buffoonery that seems to plague the newspaper industry, I up and quit.
Of course it helped there was a job opening at our sister paper, the award winning Mesabi Daily News in Virginia.
I spent the next three years at the MDN learning how to be a good reporter and I covered a lot of different types of stories, from city councils to crime to features on little girls with strange diseases.
It wasn't until around the year 2002, however, that I finally got back to writing about the only thing I wanted to write about - the outdoors.
From then until July 31, 2012, that's exactly what I did.
And I did it well.
I won awards and worked with some truly awesome outdoors enthusiasts ranging from officials from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to fishing guides, dog trainers, hunters, hikers, moose lovers, wolf haters, bait shop owners and everyone in-between.
I also got to experience some great times and write some great stories. I covered a governor's fishing opener and traveled through the BWCAW with border patrol agents. I've been to the head of the Mississippi and I've fished Leech Lake with a TV star.
And, of course, I spent a lot of time in the woods.
But then a funny thing happened this summer - I quit my job.
Again.
But I'm not done writing.
In fact, as Val Kilmer, playing Doc Holiday in the movie "Tombstone," says to one of his enemies, "I'm in my prime."
Which brings us to the point of this column - to introduce you all to my outdoors web page.
I created this page for a couple of reasons.
First, I still love to write.
Second, I love the outdoors in northern Minnesota and I want to be able to share it all with you the readers.
And finally, I wanted to put together a site that speaks to the common hunter, angler and sportsman who just wants to read about the sports and the area they love and I want to do it under my terms and that means no more punching a clock.
I also want to give my fellow northern Minnesota outdoors lovers a place to share their stories and photos.
This site is as much about you as it is about me. I hope you all send me all your good stuff so I can share it with the world.
I've already managed to recruit some of my good friends to join me here. I worked with both Zach Johns and Ron Hustvedt at the UMD Statesman and Terry "Ace" Sjoberg is a fishing guide on Lake Vermilion whom I have had the opportunity to interview, fish with and form a friendship with over the years.
I've also got a few other people thinking about jumping on board but that's later.
For now, enjoy this web site. Share it with your friends. And check back often (we will update content every Thursday).
See you in the woods!
In June of 1995, just a few weeks after graduating from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a double major in history and political science - and after receiving my seventh job rejection letter after doing so - it became painfully obvious to me that any hopes I had of returning to my roots on the Iron Range in northern Minnesota were fading quickly.
My double major, it seemed, wasn't going to get me far in an area that lives and breathes mining and I was slowly wrapping my mind around the idea of moving to the dreaded big city - or in this case, cities - Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Looking back I realize coasting through college chasing a liberal arts degree or two wasn't really the smartest play. I probably should have taken up a trade or actually thought about my future a little more.
But college to me was just what I was suppose to do. My thought was 'get a degree and the rest would work itself out.'
Well, it didn't take long after graduation for me to realize that there weren't many, if any, want ads with the words "history degree" in them.
Lucky for me, however, half-way through my fourth year of college (yes it took me five years to graduate) I decided to apply for a reporter position at the school newspaper, the UMD Statesman.
I had loved reading from an early age, starting with comics and graduating to newspapers and political magazines like "Time" and "Newsweek" as a teen, and writing was always my strong suit, so I gave it a try.
Turns out I was pretty good at the newspaper thing and although I didn't like talking to random strangers - still don't - and that those conversations were usually the basis for a story, I still managed to impress the young editors at the paper.
In fact, following my first year there I was hired as News Editor for what would be my senior year of college. Two months into that gig I was promoted to Managing Editor (that's another story).
So it was with that experience that I answered an ad in the summer of 1995 for a part-time outdoors columnist at the Daily Tribune in Hibbing. It wasn't my dream to work in Hibbing and I initially looked at the gig like a stepping stone to bigger things.
But at least I was back home in northern Minnesota, even if I didn't know how long that would be.
Lucky for me, when I got to the interview the editor told me the job was actually a full-time internship and a few weeks into that stint the position became permanent.
It was during my short time at the Daily Tribune that I first started writing about one of my favorite topics, the outdoors.
I created a page and grew a following during my one year there and then one day, after putting up with the corporate buffoonery that seems to plague the newspaper industry, I up and quit.
Of course it helped there was a job opening at our sister paper, the award winning Mesabi Daily News in Virginia.
I spent the next three years at the MDN learning how to be a good reporter and I covered a lot of different types of stories, from city councils to crime to features on little girls with strange diseases.
It wasn't until around the year 2002, however, that I finally got back to writing about the only thing I wanted to write about - the outdoors.
From then until July 31, 2012, that's exactly what I did.
And I did it well.
I won awards and worked with some truly awesome outdoors enthusiasts ranging from officials from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to fishing guides, dog trainers, hunters, hikers, moose lovers, wolf haters, bait shop owners and everyone in-between.
I also got to experience some great times and write some great stories. I covered a governor's fishing opener and traveled through the BWCAW with border patrol agents. I've been to the head of the Mississippi and I've fished Leech Lake with a TV star.
And, of course, I spent a lot of time in the woods.
But then a funny thing happened this summer - I quit my job.
Again.
But I'm not done writing.
In fact, as Val Kilmer, playing Doc Holiday in the movie "Tombstone," says to one of his enemies, "I'm in my prime."
Which brings us to the point of this column - to introduce you all to my outdoors web page.
I created this page for a couple of reasons.
First, I still love to write.
Second, I love the outdoors in northern Minnesota and I want to be able to share it all with you the readers.
And finally, I wanted to put together a site that speaks to the common hunter, angler and sportsman who just wants to read about the sports and the area they love and I want to do it under my terms and that means no more punching a clock.
I also want to give my fellow northern Minnesota outdoors lovers a place to share their stories and photos.
This site is as much about you as it is about me. I hope you all send me all your good stuff so I can share it with the world.
I've already managed to recruit some of my good friends to join me here. I worked with both Zach Johns and Ron Hustvedt at the UMD Statesman and Terry "Ace" Sjoberg is a fishing guide on Lake Vermilion whom I have had the opportunity to interview, fish with and form a friendship with over the years.
I've also got a few other people thinking about jumping on board but that's later.
For now, enjoy this web site. Share it with your friends. And check back often (we will update content every Thursday).
See you in the woods!
In : Writing
Tags: hunting fishing angling writing outdoors minnesota "jesse white" "lake vermilion" "mesabi daily news" umd deer statesman hibbing
A former outdoors writer and reporter for the Mesabi Daily News in Virginia, MN, and the Daily Tribune in Hibbing, MN, Jesse has been in the newspaper business for nearly 20 years. His numerous awards over the past two decades include five first-place awards from the Associated Press; two first-place National Newspaper awards; and a first-place Minnesota Newspaper Association award. He is an avid hunter and angler and enjoys guns and archery.
