OKLAHOMA CITY — To begin the summer, I traveled from Harding University in Arkansas to my home in Florida, then to Oklahoma to begin my second internship at The Christian Chronicle.
That may seem like a lot of moving around, and it is, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I enjoy staying busy and being on-the-go. It’s normal for my friends to see me walking around campus, often with my camera or a coffee in hand. I’m probably between interviews for The Bison, photographing events or working at the student-run broadcast, HU16 — and sometimes, going to class.
My habit of being on the go developed because I grew up traveling with my family, going on summer vacations and making cross-country trips to visit relatives.
The Bison staff take a selfie while dressed up as Newsies for Halloween.
When I started at Harding three years ago, my travels expanded internationally. I spent a semester in Europe, where my friends and I trekked nonstop and visited 13 countries in three months.
I love exploring new places, but I also learned to appreciate returning to places I’d already visited.
When I studied abroad in fall 2024, my group stayed in Greece for two weeks. Some of the cities we explored included Porto Rafti, Athens and Corinth. For spring break this year, I returned to Greece for a communication class.
When we visited each city again, I felt calm as I recalled memories of roaming the streets with my friends.
Kenzie James works as a camera operator during a basketball game at Harding University in Searcy, Ark.
However, what I valued about returning to Greece was experiencing parts of each city that I didn’t see the first time. Spending a week or two in one location limited our experiences, so I was excited to focus on other aspects of the culture.
I’m experiencing similar feelings back in the Chronicle’s office in Oklahoma City — both the calm and excitement of returning to a place I’ve been before.
Those emotions may seem contradictory, but somehow, I feel them simultaneously.
Kenzie James poses for a photo at the Temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounion, Greece.
It was a very different story last summer. I had only spent a week in Oklahoma before my internship with the Chronicle, so I was a little nervous to be in an unfamiliar place and meet new people.
That feeling disappeared quickly.
I loved my time in OKC, and my internship had a huge impact on me as a journalist, specifically in my writing. I was the news editor for The Bison last year, and there were many times that I revised my articles because I could imagine what Chronicle Editor-in Chief Bobby Ross Jr. would say if he were editing the story.
Looking back at my introduction article from last year, I can proudly say I’ve grown as a writer because I struggled slightly less writing this intro.
Kenzie James produces a broadcast for HU16 at Harding University in Searcy, Ark.
When I drove into OKC this year, I felt calm. It’s a city I am now comfortable in, and I was excited to return to friends and co-workers at the office. My internship this year will be different, focusing on audio and video content. I don’t know what exactly my digital projects will be, but I look forward to finding out.
I’m excited to be in a new role in a familiar place.
KENZIE JAMES is a senior multimedia journalism major at Harding University in Searcy, Ark., and a returning Christian Chronicle intern. James grew up in Tallahassee, Fla., where she attended the Timberlane Church of Christ. Contact kenzie@christianchronicle.org.
