First and foremost, I encourage everyone to become active in the blog by using the comments section at the bottom of each entry! If this is your first time reading, I'm honored and glad that you are here. If you've been to the blog before, thank you for your continued support!

Either way, you might be curious what Schark Bytes is all about; how it came to be and why it's being written in the first place. Or perhaps you're wondering who is this Kristin Scharkey anyway?  I was recently asked to write an entry that answered all of those questions, and found that this is the best way to do so.

You know that instant when the entire world goes quiet? When everything around you fades noiselessly into the background and suddenly, you're left with only yourself and the moment surrounding you?

That's the kind of sensation I feel in three very distinct places: in the batter's box, on stage and behind a pen.

You may know me best as the outfielder from Yorba Linda, Calif., the sophomore slapper wearing #3 on her back. It's my love for this game that brought me to Northwestern to play for a program rich with tradition and made up of girls I now consider family.

Others know me as a musician. I've been singing on stage since I could talk and taught myself to play guitar throughout high school. Always on stage with a school or church choir, I never dreamed of performing as a solo act. That all changed around this time last year, when current senior Michelle Batts encouraged me to play and sing at a downtown Evanston coffee shop's open mic night. It was an experience I'll never forget and has opened the door to numerous performances since.

I'm also a daughter, a Christ-follower and a die-hard Lakers fan. I'm a big sister, a terrible cook and an avid reader.

And to the core, I am a writer. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with this school the moment I stepped on campus and toured the Medill School of Journalism, Media and Marketing Communications. Consistently ranked near or at the top of the nation's top journalism schools, Medill made it impossible for a softball player with a passion for writing not to choose Northwestern.

A year and a half into getting my degree, I can say it's one of the best decisions I have made. Classes are challenging and thrilling--and though I'm only a sophomore--Medill has already deepened my love for writing and strengthened my skill set as a journalist to an unbelievable extent. I've had the opportunity to write for several on-campus publications, for ESPN RISE, and now, for NU Sports. I write to tell the stories that will make an impact on the lives of readers. I write to express my own soul, as well as to tell the stories of others that need to be told.

Hence, the reasoning behind Schark Bytes, and the writer behind the words. I hope this blog becomes your window into the 2011 Northwestern softball team; from the people we meet to the places we go to the experiences we share. Thank you for taking this journey with me and allowing me to tell it to you through my own eyes. We're looking forward to seeing you all at our double header against Loyola this Saturday at the Sharon J. Drysdale Field! Go 'Cats!