Friday, January 24, 2014

Covering the death of Andrew Boldt




On Tuesday January 21st, a Purdue student is suspected of bringing a knife and a gun to an electrical engineering lab, and killed a fellow teaching assistant.

21-year-old Andrew Boldt was described as a brilliant stand out student.  In the newsroom Tuesday, we were of course aware of what was going on down in Indiana.  It became OUR responsibility to cover the story when we learned his hometown, was West Bend, Wisconsin.

I am very proud our station decided traveling to Purdue was important.  We could have picked up stories from our affiliate in Indianapolis, but I don't feel we would have truly grasped the impact his death.


 It was clear early on that Andrew was a special kid, and his story deserved telling.  He seemed to be a kid made the right choices in life and had such a bright future.

My news director called me Tuesday (while working on my story for the day) and informed me I would be heading out the next morning.  Off we went.




I had a different view of "business trips" before actually being employed by someone.  It seemed like an adventure to travel to new places on the companies dime.  I can't speak for other professions, but when news bosses say "we're sending you to XYZ" it means long days, little sleep, lots of stress, and hard work.

Our first day in Indiana was a 15 hour day.  We made the trip, captured enough video, and collected enough sound for 4 stories. (5,6,9,and 10).



We then went to sleep, and had another 10 hour day to turn stories for Thursday.



I am happy we went to campus, to truly grasp the impact of Andrew's death.  No other Milwaukee station chose to do so.  I believe it is a story worth telling.



We were the first station to speak to Andrew's professor who hired him as a teaching assistant.
We were the only station to get former governor, now Purdue President Mitch Daniels, touring the electrical engineering building for the first time.
Most importantly we were able to talk to students recovering from their emotions.

Some will return to class, virtually unaffected.  Others, especially those who knew Andrew will be changed forever.  I'm glad by covering this story I was able to learn so much about a great young man.  Too bad it had to be this way.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

I WANT TO RIDE THIS!

Tonight brings us more sad pictures of reporters (and photographers) in snow.





Maybe I should just do a whole blog based off sad snow reporter faces.  I'm not opposed.

However, tonight makes me think of wanting to not be sitting in snow... which makes me want it to be summer... which makes me want to go swimming....or a beach... OR A WATER PARK!

And that my friends... makes me want to go to Kansas City and ride this.


No seriously, click that link and LET'S GO TO KANSAS CITY.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

There's something going around...

It's everyone's favorite time of the year... see if you can survive the work sick zombie apocalypse.



Each day, it seems more and more people are dropping like flies.  I check work emails each day, just to see the list of "___ has called out sick" numbers pile up.

One coworker told me today she is not feeling well.  She also told me she does not believe in flu shots.  Instead she read on the internet to eat this raw:


You don't believe in vaccinations, but you believe in internet rumors about garlic?  I won't stop you... eat away.  Anyone else have any weird "how to avoid the plague" remedies? 

I hope everyone who is not feeling well this week has an army of these.


I hope you're not mad if I ask you not to come by my desk this week!












Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Covering the cold!

The greatest thing happened to me this week.  As Milwaukee lay waste under a cloud of arctic cold and ice, with temps at highs of -11 and wind chills at.... awful.... I was IN WARM PJ'S!

  It was my day off baby! (at least for 1 of the days)

While my reporter friends looked like this:

And this:



I looked like this:



Reporting in the cold is no fun, at all.  There is something to be said for those who try to write a script on a computer, while we have no idea if our fingers are still attached.  I guess it beats working true outdoor jobs this time of year, like construction. (ON THAT NOTE: Can someone tell me why construction continues outside my window at 7am in these temps?!  I thought I would get to sleep in...)

Everyone who lives in a cold climate knows this is coming from your "southern" relatives and friends while you suffer.


My thought...I can't go to the beach, so I might as well have fun with it!


TAKE THAT FLORIDA RELATIVES.  You can't turn boiling water into snow fog!

Then someone pointed out, maybe they don't want to!

Maybe we are all just better off freezing our T-shirts.


Whatever the case, I'm told by my trusty weather man the deep freeze is almost over!

So hang tough fellow reporter friends, we've almost made it.  In the meantime, show this to your Florida friends.










Saturday, January 4, 2014

MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

My New Year's Resolution

I did it.  You can make fun, but I have made a 2014 New Year's resolution.
It's not to look like this dude (looks kinda tough.).

Or wake up earlier.


OK--- I lied, I want to do that too.

My BIG 2014 resolution, is to blog again!  Not just any blog, but a TV REPORTER focused blog.

I kinda of used to do that.  I once wrote a blog, for my friends and family.
I told them about important things that reporters run into, like these CRAZY new cars I found!

Or the time I broke a REALLY EXPENSIVE camera!

What will this blog be?  Well probably more of the same.  Except this time, I know a few more people doing this crazy job. I'm hoping it will be more of a conversation for anyone who does this for a living, or is interested in what happens BEHIND THE A BLOCK.

My TV blog will not be THIS.

But Maybe I can explain what happens if something like this happens.



How often will I do this?  Who knows. Maybe once a week, or once a month.  Maybe it will go as most resolutions do.


But what the heck.  HERE WE GO!