One Moment on the Court

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:00:00

One Moment on the Court

Alana Osaki (top) and Susan Shapiro

Many first-year college students are now getting used to living without their parents for the first time. But freshman Alana Osaki has been living without her parents for most of her life. Alana was sent to foster care when she was five years old. She bounced around the system. She managed to get by, but she was angry and hurt for much of her childhood.

It wasn't until she discovered basketball that Alana finally found something that gave her refuge from her difficult home life - and a sense of confidence that helped her win an academic college scholarship. Alana and her basketball coach Susan Shapiro talk with Dick Gordon about how Alana found strength through sports.

A Place to Hang His Hat

Graham Thompson

There is at least one business thriving in this economy: a Chicago hat shop. Graham Thompson has had a thing for hats ever since he watched Robert Mitchum sport a jaunty gray hat in the 1940s movie Out of the Past. As a teenager, Graham saved up all his money to buy a custom hat from a legendary Chicago hatmaker. He was hooked. When Graham returned from college, the hatmaker was preparing to retire, and Graham hatched a plan to buy the equipment and start his own shop. The problem: Graham had never made a hat in his life. He spent years in debt, but Graham finally made his store a success. He talks with Dick about hats, the golden age of movies, and his business strategy.

Learn more about Graham's hats
Music in this story: Boom Boom and Hoogie Boogie by John Lee Hooker

The Story from American Public Media - One Moment on the Court

One Moment on the Court

One Moment on the Court

A Place to Hang His Hat