Memorial Picture Board for Scott Charlson
A budding journalist
Scott Charlson, 25, was a student at Southern Oregon University with a strong interest in becoming a journalist.
He was majoring in communications and two years ago was the sports editor of the student newspaper, The Siskiyou, said D.L. Richardson, chairman of the communications department at the university. Charlson, who would have been a senior in the fall, also worked in the university’s sports information office.
Richardson recalled one instance when the accuracy of a quote in one of Charlson’s stories was challenged. He said the student-journalist responded by producing a tape recording of the conversation verifying the quote.
“That’s how good he is,” Richardson said. “He backed up his tracks. He had a great future ahead of him as a journalist.”
Richardson said Charlson, whose family lives in Eugene, brought the same commitment to his studies.
“He’s one of those kids who could challenge you in class, and it would provide a great dialogue for the whole class,” Richardson said. “You didn’t feel challenged or threatened. You felt, ‘Gosh, I’m glad you brought that statement in.’”
– Edward Walsh and Wade Nkrumah
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I will always remember Scott as the guy who drew me, a clueless foreign exchange student from France at SOU, in his NCAA bet bracket. We also went in his cool car to a sport bar to see the NCAA ‘07 final. It was so nice to share a typical american/college time with a guy so keen on sport. After having a couple of shots and played some pool games, we watched the game and discussed basketball and Joachim Noah. A very simple time, but a nontheless true life-lasting memory of my experience in Oregon.
With him, I never felt left aside for being “just” an other exchange student and it was really heatwarming to befriend him, a guy who had this gift and this passion for sport journalism.
On another day, after a meeting of the SOU newspaper we were both taking part in, (me to my very humble exchange student level) he took the time to very kindly answer my numerous questions about the different US grad school of journalism, a path I was then considering. Again, his natural kindness and open mind suprised me and I can recalled our discussion even today, after more than a year.
Learning about his death is a real shock to me. My thoughts and sympathy go to his family and friends. I will be sincerly miss on this side of the Altantic ocean.