I initially did not plan on attending Elon’s Emerging Journalists Program, as I was set on attending Governor’s School in the summer.
However, after much deliberation, I decided to confirm my attendance at the program.
Day 1
My first day was very different than the first day I had at the Washington Journalism and Media Conference in 2025. I feel like this program went by much more slowly. I got to meet people, play games, and pick which story I would be assigned to.
The stories that I chose were one about a book prize and another about a band, SouLe & the SuperBand, that would be having a concert during the program. I was put in one group of two and another group of three.
We spent one morning doing background research on our topic and sources, and also began sending out emails to set up interviews. For the band profile, we were required to attend the band’s concert to get video footage for our story, so we planned to do that later in the week. In the evening, we played a fun trivia game.
In the first “class” we had, we learned about how to operate professional cameras, including focus, audio, and other things concerning camera work. We did an exercise where we interviewed each other in groups and presented our work to the whole group.
Day 2
We got on a bus early in the morning and traveled to the North Carolina Legislative Building, where we spoke to Representative Ray Jeffers about House Bill 617. I asked him how the bill would affect the North Carolina agriculture industry as a whole and what his plan would be if the bill did not have its intended effects. We all asked some very good questions, and it felt exciting to hear more about the bill.
After that, we visited WTVD-TV in Durham. It was so cool getting to meet people who work behind the scenes, including anchor Steve Daniels! I also got to experience what it is like being a news anchor on air. Later, we got a tour of the Durham station of WUNC News.
At the end of the day, we did a small workshop on photography using water balloons and Oreos. We threw water balloons at some of the program organizers to learn about shutter speed and focus, and I tried to get an Oreo into my mouth without using my hands (lol).
Day 3
On day 3, we mostly worked on our stories. We did have a lesson on journalistic writing and another on “the power of positive mentorship.” We also played hide-and-seek inside the Elon communication building because it was raining outside.
Day 4
On day 4, I did two interviews. I felt like a real journalist. One interview was with Elon University Associate English professor Erin Pearson regarding her book “Grievous Entanglements” and the prize she won, while another was with Calvin Richardson, the guitarist of SouLe & The SuperBand.
Later in the day, I got to talk to my assigned mentor on the phone, and she was super cool! Then, my friends and I went to the band concert, getting nice footage and having a good time.
Day 5
This day was extremely packed. We traveled to the International Civil Rights Museum, and I talked to the tour guide about artists who performed on Motown.
We later attended a baseball game, Greensboro Grasshoppers vs. Winston-Salem Dash, and saw fireworks (which were super pretty). I got a free shirt, but it went missing. Even so, it was still a super fun day!
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