Researching...zzzzzzzzzzz!

Writing a paper is always the easy part. It's the most exciting part and the most rewarding, because you get to see the finished product right there and then in front of you. What happens prior to that is the ugly part and one that few enjoy. The dreaded research!

The story I am writing for the second part of the semester is about an Italian minor league soccer player, pinning his hopes and dreams on a soccer career in America. Wait, America? Why would someone come to America in pursuit of a soccer dream? Because some people need to find a back door in their pursuit towards success.

The person I am interviewing is an Italian citizen, who currently lives in Florence, Italy and is moving in August to Chicago in pursuit of his dream of becoming a professional soccer player. He is currently playing on a minor league squad in his native town in Italy and has not been able to make it to the professional level there. So, he has decided to try out his luck outside of Florence and pursue his soccer dream in America.

The problems I am going to encounter with this story is going to be in getting the Chicago Fire front office people to talk to me about Gregorio Portoghese and his prospect for making the team come next season. Talking to Gregorio himself will be a slight challenge but at least something I will have options with. Either by email, phone or the Windows Live Messenger I will stay in contact with Gregorio. The problems I will run into is getting into contact with any of the Chicago Fire people, because they simply do not need to talk to a Columbia student.

Pictures will not be a problem because his girlfriend, who lives here and is a friend of mine, has pictures of him and has given me the permission to use any and or all of them. The unusual part will be knowing that my interviewee does not live here but rather on a different continent. It will certainly be a unique experience but one I am looking forward to.