Each week students on the Southeast Missouri State University campus pick up the newest edition of the University’s newspaper, the Arrow, to catch up on the latest news. Rarely, though, do the students think about who is behind the intriguing stories, entertaining reviews and the work the talented editors, reporters and photographers must put into each week’s newspaper.
While the Arrow is student-produced, Sam Blackwell, of Cape Girardeau, mentors and advises the students’ work.
Sam said he has been interested in journalism his whole life.
“My father worked for the local newspaper, so I was naturally interested,” Sam said. “Writing about people and the issues affecting their lives seemed important. It still does.”
Sam earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1973 from Southeast and then his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1976 from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Sam was a journalist for many newspapers in California and one in New York before returning to Cape Girardeau in 1991 as a copy editor, reporter and columnist for the Southeast Missourian.
As a reporter, Sam had experienced and witnessed a lot of events. He has covered a wide array of topics in his news story-telling, but one would be shocked to discover what fascinates him most.
"I have interviewed many senators, murderers, celebrities and ordinary people,” he said. Of those, ordinary people interest me most.”
In fall 2008, Sam said he was ready for a change, so he decided to return to Southeast, only this time as an instructor.
“I worked as a newspaper journalist for more than 30 years. I was seeking something new to do with the skills I’ve learned,” Sam said.
In addition to being the Arrow advisor, Sam also teaches a few journalism classes including “Writing for the Mass Media,” “Sports Writing” and “Feature Writing.”
According to Sam, one can never be too curious. One idea he stresses to his students is to “ask a lot of questions. That’s my philosophy.”
When Sam is not busy with the Arrow or teaching, he enjoys golf—not just playing golf but everything about it.
“It might qualify as a passion,” he admits.
Sam has also traveled to some exotic places including Greece, the Netherlands, India and Mexico, and he says he yearns to visit New Zealand and the ruins of Machu Picchu in order to fulfill his “bucket list.”
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