Covering West (Part Six)

Baylor's Ferrell Center was packed with first responders from all over the countries  who came to show their support for the fallen first responders of the West disaster. 

The next days passed in a fog of tiredness and web updates. Brittney Griner, our former premier female athlete and phenomenal star women's basketball player, came out as gay (big news), but in the wake of our disaster coverage and with our short-staffed problems, we didn't have the time or resources to do much about it. We ran wire copy. We were all overwhelmed (we only had one staff writer, so every editor was pulling double or triple duty).  

I wrote at least two or three more web stories and updated feeds. Two others editors, both named Linda, did the same. I returned for work and class on Monday running on coffee and fumes. We were going to do our damnedest to keep things running. 

Probably the next day I remember clearly is the day of the memorial for the lost first responders. Two of us had clearance to cover it (since the president was coming, we had to submit for press passes and background checks), myself and Matt, our photo editor. One other reporter, Rob, wasn't cleared to cover it but decided to go anyway. I think most of us wanted some kind of closure. 

My press pass from the memorial

I carefully selected my wardrobe that day: a white silk blouse and my nicest black blazer and skirt, along with my favorite "lucky" pair of black flats. It was sweltering outside. I planned to walk to the Ferrell Center, where the memorial was being held, from the newsroom.    

I left early in the morning. The memorial wouldn't start for hours. I decided before I left I would take a school book so I could catch up on some of the work I needed for class (I was still in school at this time, trying to juggle my class and work responsibilities). As you can imagine, I was really behind on my class work. The few hours before the memorial started would have been the perfect time to read the book I'd need to complete an essay that was due in my Middle East history class. 
Well, the book was Sayyid Qutb's  Milestones. It's often regarded as an influence on Islamic terrorism. It hit me on the way to the Ferrell Center that maybe this wasn't the best book to be carrying as I was about to get searched by the Secret Service so I could attend and sit in the press section. 

I left it in a bush on the way.

In hindsight, I probably could have explained about my class assignment and it wouldn't have been a problem, but I was so nervy about covering the event, and so keyed up from lack of sleep, that I chunked it. 

I never found the book and later had to complete the assignment using excerpts I accessed online. 

I found the memorial quite moving. I teared up a few times (but didn't cry. I was the youngest reporter there, and damn me if I was going to let those seasoned correspondents think I couldn't handle myself). Prior to its start I used my free time to interview some of the first responders that came in from all over the country to honor the West first responders who died in the explosion. 

Many left after the president was done speaking, making clear the reason they attended. I found this almost inexpressibly awful, a sign of disrespect to the families who were in attendance. We later published an editorial on the subject. My thoughts on that are clearly laid out there and I feel no need to readdress them in this post. 

Rob and I co-authored the story that covered the memorial. One of the firefighters I interviewed, Aaron Abbie, asked for my autograph. I had never been asked that before and I was a little taken aback, but Rob and I sent him a signed copy. The story ran front-page.