I took a feature picture yesterday in Lenoir, and as I dropped off my equipment in the newsroom, one of my editors told me that there was major breaking news. I skipped class and went with her, later discovering the immensity of what had happened. I sat near the TV in the Union as students and faculty gathered around it for the press conference. I photographed reactions, tears, hugs. One man got angry and told me to respect his privacy. When talking to people, I didn't know what to say, only buffering my words with "I'm so sorry." Asking someone to spell his name at a time like this seems ridiculous.
Shaking, I dropped my photos on the newsroom server and went to class late. I sat in the back, still jittery and numb, while listening to the rest of a lecture on libel, which I remember nothing about. Later, I attended the gathering at Polk Place, and when I came home, my emotions came out in one fell swoop.
It was a rough day.
With love and mixed emotions,
Megan
