Thursday, May 22, 2008

People do some funny things

People do some funny things to get where they think they want to go, things they probably never envisioned themselves doing before. I know that’s what I’ve been doing lately. It’s not always a bad thing, either.

I don’t think The State Journal can be considered a typical newspaper. A majority of the full-time reporters aren’t that far removed from college. It feels like a more serious college paper without the gossip and drama. And… really…slow…computers.

In my first two weeks on the job, I’ve had two stories on the front page, covered my first election and got a complimentary dessert for one story. I’ve also been ousted for a factual error on-line, struggled to come up with my own story ideas and typed pages and pages of court documents. It hasn’t all been Woodward and Bernstein. Then again, the job has had its moments.

For my first story, I was sent to cover a reception at the Senior Citizens Center in honor of a man that had made significant contributions to the center and the community. Yawn, right? Actually, it was one of most uplifting ceremonies I’ve ever attended, and I met an amazing, real-life hero in 97 year-old Frank Sower. I could only include a fraction of the contributions he had made to the city of Frankfort in my story, but his life is a testament to the value and impact one human being can have in the world. Three years removed from the century mark, the guy still has a hop in his step and a twinkle in his eye. He totally reminded me of the possibilities this life can bring if one is willing to devote themselves to something greater than themselves and invest in the idea of community. Truly a great man.

I also received a unique opportunity this past weekend when I got a chance to tour the CNN Election Express, the techno bus that CNN has been using to cover primary elections in every state. I had to work through CNN’s personal relations people, which was a little annoying when they tried to dictate everything, but the story turned out to be pretty solid and the bus is a one-of-a-kind creation. Only someone that’s really into TV news production can understand the full magnitude of the bus’s technological capabilities, but I figured out pretty quickly that it’s a little nicer than the school bus I used to ride every morning. The seats were much more plush, too.

Tuesday was Kentucky’s primary election, and I was assigned to cover the Republican race for the 6th Congressional District in the state. It turned out to be the best race of the night.

A local Frankfort man who had never even graduated college lost the election to a Lexington attorney by less than 1,000 votes. Neither really had much of a political history and neither were expected to challenge the incumbent Congressional representative in the general election, but it was still interesting to speak to each candidate after the results came in and get their reaction. It almost felt like sports. Maybe I should have gambled on the mayoral race.

Anyway, that was my first endeavor into covering politics. Like I said, people do some funny things to get where they think they want to go. And sometimes, they are better for it.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

What can you buy for $3000 and change?

“So I’m working in Frankfort this summer.”

Several places seem to pop into people’s heads when I casually mentioned this, Frankfort being a common name for a town. Here are the candidates:

a) Frankfort, Ind. – Home of the Frankfort High School Hot Dogs and former student teaching grounds of my mother.

b) Frankfort, Ky. – Capital of the Bluegrass State and in the top 10 in the category of “Most Obscure State Capitals in the United States.”

c) Frankfurt, Germany – A good Lutheran city. Great place to sample encased meat while sipping a beer, like, um, the rest of Germany.

Drawing a line from A to C to represent my personal excitement scale regarding each destination would look like this: /

So which city am I currently calling home? Place a dot right in the middle of that line. Frankfort, Ky. it is.

I’m working as an intern for The State Journal, the city’s newspaper. So far, I can tell you exactly how much of a fine you will pay if you break a traffic law, but that is about it. Maybe I will write a story soon.

I’ve only been in the city a couple days, but it already strikes me as one of the more odd places of government in the continental U.S. Frankfort sits right on the Kentucky River which snakes back and forth in the heart of the city.

Several bridges link the two halves of the city together, and train tracks run through the heart of downtown. Situated right between Louisville and Lexington, Frankfort must have been the peculiar compromise between Kentucky’s two largest cities.

According to one of the many historical plaques that decorate the downtown area, Frankfort won the honor of being named the capital of Kentucky “through perseverance and, according to early histories, the offer of Andrew Holmes’ log house as capitol for seven years, a number of town lots, 50 pounds worth of locks and hinges, 10 boxes of glass, 1500 pounds of nails, and $3000 in gold.”

You know what they say, “If you can’t beat’em, buy’em” (or at least set them up to start their own hardware store).

The State House is impressive with it domed roof and French architecture.

It’s nestled in a cozy nook near the river and not too far from my apartment. Walking around the premise, I couldn’t help but wonder if the house was the gift of extraterrestrial beings that dropped it off as they whizzed through the atmosphere. The giant Floral Clock gives it away.


It’s a clock, but it’s made of flowers? Out of this world.

Today, I went on a run on the River Walk. It wasn’t that long of a paved trail, but my max VO2 ain’t what it was a month ago when I completed a mini marathon, so the trail was long enough for me. I also caught the train as it whistled down Broadway Street.


Imagine a locomotive cutting through Circle Centre in Indy. I know, I couldn’t either.

On top of that, I discovered that the ghetto of Frankfort, which is really like one street, is just a block over from my apartment -- two blocks from the state capital building. How does that happen?

I don’t have too many answers at this point, but at least I’m accumulating questions.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Brave New World

I dressed up real nice yesterday. I put on the robe and the funny square hat and sweat through an uneventful ceremony with similarly dressed peers. My tassel kept creeping into my mouth. I couldn't really follow the speakers. They seemed too composed.

Graduation is a good thing, I guess. It's nice to say that all that time spent reading dull textbooks and writing equally dull papers turned into something useful: a degree. But textbooks and papers, of course, should never be the focal point of a college career (although they do have their place). They certainly weren't for me.

The congratulations and farewells have been said; now, it's on to the next thing. I'll be interning this summer at The State Journal in Frankfort, Ky. I won't be covering or writing about sports like I did in college. Starting May 12, it's on to other, more mysterious matters like the annual sewage board meeting and city zoning. Maybe they will let me cover a tee ball game if I ask nicely. It will be a learning experience, and should help me as I seek full-time employment somewhere -- anywhere.

Of course, my timing isn't that great. The rumor is that the United States is in a recession, and print media has been in a funk since Al Gore invented the Internet. Many journalists are frustrated to say the least. If I didn't hate law, I might have considered going to law school. Looks like I'll have to put this degree to use.

I've been mailing applications all year, but I'll be picking it up this summer, looking to land that perfect position to launch my assault against corruption, tyranny and secondhand smoke. Maybe work like this will help.

For now, sewage board it is.