It’s been roughly 20 months since I garnered my role as The Signal’s sports editor, and I have yet to introduce myself.
I’m Andrew Freedman, a 22-year old Journalism major whose eyes have seen each article of this section before you have. Let me tell you a bit about myself.
In December, I will graduate from Georgia State after two years downtown and two years at the Dunwoody campus. Four years filled with memories––friends, late summer nights at Cook Outs and Waffle Houses followed by drives with the windows down and the speakers pounding.
But I didn’t just spend my nights eating food and listening to some great music; among others, Khalid for vibing with friends and Kanye West for screaming the lyrics out of the windows.
But long before I knew who Kanye was and roughly seven years before Khalid became mainstream with ‘Location,’ I was in the Young Authors Club in elementary school I have always loved writing. In middle school, I developed a passion for writing. At first, it was just a subject I didn’t dread.
But then, my perspective changed in high school.
The four years provided me a wake-up call that plagues millions of children each year: I wasn’t going to make it to the collegiate level as an athlete. But I didn’t mind and continued to debate topics across all sports every day with friends. I made sure I developed arguments for anything that would suggest I was wrong. We all know the drill: it’s everyone for themselves and you’re the only one who’s got their head on straight and thinking rationally.
As such, gone were my competitive basketball, track & field and cross country days, but my writing career was only beginning.
I became the co-managing editor of my high school’s newspaper, writing articles on everything from travel to the now triple-platinum masterpiece that is Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN.
I still love music and will always welcome an international trip, but my passion lies in sports.
Raised by Boston natives, I’ve been a sports fan my whole life––my earliest memory is watching the New England Patriots’ perfect season slip away in 2007 to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. But, later that year, the Red Sox swept the Colorado Rockies to capture the 2007 World Series, their second in three years. Less than a year later, the Boston Celtics won the 2008 NBA championship defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in six games for their 17th title in franchise history (an NBA record).
My dad always reminds me of how spoiled I am as a sports fan: he’s not wrong, and my friends are always quick to make sure I always remember that. But at the end of the day, nothing quite captivates me the way basketball does. 94 feet, 10 of the best athletes on the planet, a basketball and one goal: get it in the hoop.
Molding into an exceptional writer will indubitably become a task that requires late nights, hundreds of pages of research and a burning desire to make something of myself. After all, one person told me that this isn’t a game for those looking to get rich. You have to hold sports close to you and never let them go. Sports brought me a new outlook on life, and my favorite teams will always hold a special place in my heart.
As I write this, I wish to bring The Signal’s sports section readers content they will indulge in and look forward to each week. Whether we provide inside access to the Panthers’ athletics programs or in-depth recaps of the previous night’s Atlanta Hawks games (stay tuned for our playoffs coverage!), this section will never fail to bring you something new each week from some of the most talented writers Georgia State has to offer.
I look forward to having all of you along with us as we continue our journeys to live out lifelong dreams.
