The Clarion Experience: Obama's Speech
Vishmaa Ramsaroop-Briggs
Issue date: 11/11/09 Section: News
It's 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 4 and the Truax parking lot has never had better parking spots available. Three Clarion staff members jump into a white SUV and drive off to get breakfast, waiting for 7 a.m. to arrive.
Sitting at Perkins, we formulate a strategy on how we'll cover President Obama's speech, or at least that was the plan. Instead, we nurse cup after cup of coffee, and wonder what in the world made us decide that waking up at 5:30 a.m. was a good idea. Then we remember, we're going to see Obama.
As part of the press we have to be at James C. Wright Middle School, on Fish Hatchery road, between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. We need to check in, receive our White House press passes and drop off our photography and recording equipment so the Secret Service can search it before President Obama arrives.
As we drive towards the school the police already have sections of the street and sidewalk barricaded and taped off. We park along Wright street and walk towards the side of the school, crossing the small bridge.
We approached the police line apprehensively and explain to the Madison police officer that we were looking for the press check in. He nodded, carefully eyeing people that were approaching behind us, and explains that anyone who crosses the police line that morning must had to have their name taken.
After checking our driver's licenses and cringing at my name (he took my drivers license number instead of writing my name) the officer waved us on, telling us to walk up the "second drive way." Lifting the police tape we walk up the second driveway under the eyes of two more wary Madison police officers.
A back parking lot, surrounded by a chain-linked fence, has eight television station vans parked in it along with a huge white tent that had no visible openings. A four-foot-tall generator hummed quietly to the side of a van as we walked though a small, unremarkable entrance. A short, plain white hallway quickly opened to a small gym.
Sitting at Perkins, we formulate a strategy on how we'll cover President Obama's speech, or at least that was the plan. Instead, we nurse cup after cup of coffee, and wonder what in the world made us decide that waking up at 5:30 a.m. was a good idea. Then we remember, we're going to see Obama.
As part of the press we have to be at James C. Wright Middle School, on Fish Hatchery road, between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. We need to check in, receive our White House press passes and drop off our photography and recording equipment so the Secret Service can search it before President Obama arrives.
As we drive towards the school the police already have sections of the street and sidewalk barricaded and taped off. We park along Wright street and walk towards the side of the school, crossing the small bridge.
We approached the police line apprehensively and explain to the Madison police officer that we were looking for the press check in. He nodded, carefully eyeing people that were approaching behind us, and explains that anyone who crosses the police line that morning must had to have their name taken.
After checking our driver's licenses and cringing at my name (he took my drivers license number instead of writing my name) the officer waved us on, telling us to walk up the "second drive way." Lifting the police tape we walk up the second driveway under the eyes of two more wary Madison police officers.
A back parking lot, surrounded by a chain-linked fence, has eight television station vans parked in it along with a huge white tent that had no visible openings. A four-foot-tall generator hummed quietly to the side of a van as we walked though a small, unremarkable entrance. A short, plain white hallway quickly opened to a small gym.
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custom essay written
posted 1/11/10 @ 7:05 PM CST
It was significant event.
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