Who would have thought that after a month of living in New York City, I would be given the opportunity to go be in the audience for the Anderson Cooper 360 episode on “taking a knee”. I most definitely did not imagine anything like this to find a spot in my schedule on Wednesday, September 27.
President Trump caused an uproar with the NFL, so Anderson Cooper took on a panel consisting of four guests and took questions from the audience about the controversy. First of all, I am a huge sports junkie so when I found out that Hines Ward would be one of the panel members, I immediately called my dad and we both just talked about how awesome this experience would be. CNN is a place like no other and it was everything imagined it to be. Just like the movies, there are little cubicles spread out around the office space. All I could think about was how one day I will have a little cubicle of my own. The actual set where the filming took place was a lot smaller than I had imagined, but this small little space is where some of the most prominent news is projected for the world to see. The producers, assistants, and everyone who worked to make the show a success were dressed to the nines. Each perfect little accessory styled to their outfits made me want to cry. Watching a show in person made me realize that those on the show are so passionate about their opinion. When viewing the show from home, the passion doesn’t fully show throughout the TV because you are not physically there.
This experience was not just about seeing the amazing Anderson Cooper or Spike Lee, it was about networking and making myself known to the other audience members. Some of you may or may not know, but New York can be very competitive and I know these CNN workers have made lots of sacrifices to get where they are today. Lets all keep our fingers crossed so one day I can be that producer or editor working to get you your daily news.