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| Meghan Waters with her VP Debate 2012 press credentials |
Last Thursday I had the privilege to travel to Centre College in Danville, KY, and witness firsthand the one and only Vice Presidential debate of the 2012 election. I attended the event as part of the press corps thanks to my internship with WAVE 3 TV this semester. Needless to say, I think that is the most traffic Danville has ever seen, not counting the Vice Presidential debate held there in 2000.
As I was shuffling through the crowds and taking in the whole scene, I came upon an enormous statue of Abraham Lincoln that was recently erected in front of Centre’s library. The base of the statue bears this inscription: “I will study and be ready, then maybe the chance will come. –Abraham Lincoln.”
First of all, let me just point out the obvious: what a great inspirational quotation to have right in front of the library–it’s like a mini pep talk from Mr. Lincoln himself every time you walk in. Secondly, this quotation got me thinking about the whole atmosphere around me–media personnel hustling and bustling to shoot and edit video, politicians making their rounds among the people, candidates rigorously preparing to face their opponent. The drive and determination that surrounded me all day and night was incredible, to say the least.
As I have come to find out, the media is a tough industry; the hours are long and the breaks are few. It certainly is not a business for the faint of heart. My co-workers at WAVE 3 demonstrate a tremendous work ethic that I can only hope has rubbed off on me in my time there. If I could take just one thing from my internship this semester, it would be this: the benefit you derive from an experience depends upon the effort you put into it. Hard work does not come without its rewards. I was surrounded by people at the debate who started out in my shoes: a college student trying to make the most out of every experience. They studied and prepared themselves and their chance came. So, hopefully, with a little elbow grease and advice from Mr. Lincoln, I’ll be in their shoes one day!
Meghan Waters, from Campbell County, Ky., is a junior McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. She is studying political science, justice administration and classical languages.