Wow, am I still shaking nervous.
With the NIU shooting happening today, I’ve been a bit of a wreck to start off with, but when TV1 News contacted me back with regards to possibly appearing on the evening news, my body was wracked with nervousness.
On the news, they sometimes talk to someone via telephone about the layout of the room or other things, but someone from the Auckland studio called me on my cell phone to ask if I’d be willing to talk and appear on camera with regards to the story. I agreed (because I’m good like that), and printed off a campus map for the cameraman and reporter to view.
Thank God they sent such nice people! Both of them made me feel at ease, which I hope translated a bit to camera. In addition, I vaguely remember in the back of my head somewhere that you never look at the camera… so I tried so very hard not to!
I don’t want this to appear that I’m making fame or anything out of a tragedy; that’s not the reason I stepped forward. I felt it was important that people here felt a connection and knew such events, even half a world away, can affect others closer than they think. It puts a human face on the tragedy, even to the point where I don’t know if anyone I knew from Mount Prospect or NIU were victims of this tragedy. (To be honest, I am worried and hope they aren’t victims… which is selfish I guess but human nature.) And I feel that, out of all the news stations in New Zealand, TVOne gets it closest to the truth.
So I feel I might be on the TV for all the wrong reasons… but I hope it helps others.
And, as both the cameraman and the reporter said… hopefully next time we meet, it will be to work on a report together on something happier.