Sept. 3, 2004

Hannah Anderson, a senior on the Purdue women's basketball team, worked for NBC at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions this summer. The 6-foot forward from West Lafayette, Ind., has shared stories from her time on the job in Boston and New York.

Diary #3, September 2, 2004

Well, today is the last day of the convention. Some of you might have noticed that I haven't been keeping up with my diaries like I did in Boston. I have been busy. Let us investigate my schedule.

From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., I have been guest coordinator. That in itself has been a unique experience. I have been able to meet many of the elite political figures and media personalities who influence the world in which we live. Yesterday I got my picture taken with Sen. Trent Lott. He was very sweet and charming and offered me water when I was the one who should have been offering it to him!

From 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., I am able to be in the mobile unit. The mobile unit is the trailer that holds the control room where the director and all of the people who control what you see on T.V. make the show. That has been great! I get to watch talented people take visual images and turn them into a production, all while the V.P. of the company is sitting right behind me! Talk about pressure. All I have to do is cater to people's needs who can't leave the trailer and, of course, answer the phone if it rings.

President Bush is speaking tonight. His motorcade drove by our set. Just seeing his car gave me goose bumps. The President of the United States drove by me today. As little as that seems, it's not like it happens often.

Word on the block is that the president will be coming up from the floor. Speaking to an audience from 360 degrees must be a task, I am anxious to see how he does. It will be interesting since he is fresh from the campaign trail. I'll be watching it on "Hardball." Will you?

Diary #2, August 26, 2004

I got a new assignment Wednesday. I am now going to be working with MSNBC in Herald Square. This is going to be great because now that I have done phone and technical work, I will not be working on a live remote! Talk about an experience ... could it get any better! Tuesday was full of meeting my new work group and the other runners. I had two major assignments: 1) Finding shelves to hold TVs and 2)Finding four 12-foot trees that were big and bushy. I ran all throughout Manhattan trying to find shelves. I quickly learned the distinction between bookshelves and shelves. Here is a tip: go to a hardware store. After the shelf incident, I decided to try a more practical way of finding huge trees in the middle of summer in Manhattan - the Yellow Pages. I ran across the street to Macy's to use their phone book. They were very nice and I was very appreciative. After making a few calls I found what I needed. Today was far different from yesterday. Instead of running errands and finding props for the set, I did manual labor. Three co-workers and I were charged with hanging 14 banners across the production trailer to cover the side. The trailer is in one of the camera shots, so it needed to be covered in order to look good. Hanging the banners took all morning, and we ended up creating a super-huge American flag on the side. I was very proud of what we had done. It took a lot of mistakes and engineering to come up with the rigging technique. My dad would be proud (wink-wink)! After showing the director what we had done he said, "That looks great. Is there any way that you can pull the bottom tight so that all the banners are flat against the side?" "Sure," I said. Boy, I had no idea what I was in for. I was crawling under the trailer, on the streets of New York, with cable and scissors. Cutting and tying, cutting and tying, cutting and avoiding bird do-do. While performing this task, I kept thinking of last weekend and all the fun it held. Bambi, my former boss, and her husband, Paul, were wonderful to play host to my phone co-workers at her beach house on Long Island. We ate fabulous food and saw the show "Fosse." We swam in their pool and sailed on their boat. It was one of the most wonderful and relaxing weekends I have ever had! And who would have thought that in a few days I would be crawling under trailers and rigging banners. What a well rounded job! Seriously, I'm not complaining. The finished project looked really great. Tomorrow some of the tele-communications guys told me they would show me how to do some "technical stuff," like stripping and crossing wires, networks, etc. There is so much to be learned!

Diary #1, August 24, 2004

Whether you consider the U.S. a melting pot or mixing bowl, New York City is definitely the place to be. With so many diverse people, the city always has something fun to do! I got into NYC on Aug. 15, and have been busy ever since!

That Sunday, my fabulous cousin Cassandra took me around the city. She lives in Brooklyn and was sweet enough to let me stay with her for three weeks. Last week I took myself around the city after work and saw the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and have been around Manhattan and Brooklyn exploring all of the shops, restaurants, and grocery stores.

Last week work involved a lot of administrative tasks with the phone lines and numbers and, my favorite, cleaning! We were preparing for all of the people who are getting here this week.

My work has consisted of the same tasks as in Boston, but the scenery is totally different. Instead of having a set compound in a parking lot like in Boston, NBC's trailers are all spread out. We are right in front of Madison Square Garden and have a clear view of the Empire State Building. Since our area isn't blocked off from the public yet, so many people have come up to me to ask what is going on. I tell them that we are preparing for the RNC, and they say, "Already?! That isn't for another week!" Before having this experience with NBC I would have thought the same thing. It just goes to show how much I have learned.

As this week progresses, the police and Secret Service will gradually shut down things around the city. Yesterday the Secret Service was out on the streets spotting buildings they wanted to have snipers on. People are getting prepared for anything, so security will tighten up and roads and businesses will be closed beginning this weekend. I am trying to take as many pictures as I can while I'm still allowed!

We have decorated our trailer with a pirate flag, and a "Condemned/Do Not Enter" sign. It is great, and all the networks agree that we have the best trailer. Since we don't have any windows in our trailer, some of the I.T. guys put up colorful tie-dyed tapestries to brighten things up. Sometimes when you are in the professional world, you have to make your own fun.

Yesterday was the first day of school. I talked to my roommates: Katie Gearlds, Carol Duncan and Lindsey Baker. They said they were trying to adjust to the change. We have all had the summer to relax (and work out), so it will be difficult to lose that wonderful 3-month freedom. With reality setting in that after I complete two more weeks here in NYC and have to go back to classes, I am enjoying my time out here to the fullest!!!

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