Well today was interesting. Got up close to 10:30, got ready, and mom and I left for the deaf school. We registered, and immediately my mom was feeling lost. So she went to the deaf school library to visit with Jo while I stayed at the gym to visit with.... people I didn't know of. I only knew very few that showed up, most of them I had never met in my entire life. But it was just fun and interesting. Fun to watch everyone interact with one another and such. After a while I went to the library and bugged Mom and Jo. Mom left to get her cell phone, and ended up going to lunch with Rob. Turns out they weren't serving lunch at the reunion (and looking at the schedule, you would think they were!). So then mom came and took me home, then went to the flower shop to help with the flowers for Craig Thomas' funeral. I had some lunch, let the LinCare guy in to take away the oxygen machines and whatnot.
Then went back to deaf school to the library, to find Jo and a woman, looking up phone numbers and what not. Turns out Jo was talking to someone at the Casper Star Tribune about doing an article about the reunion.... Well, with it being Thomas' funeral tomorrow, and since it was such an incredibly short notice as well, they weren't sure if they would be able to send a reporter out to interview and such... So I actually jumped in and told Jo that I could possibly do it. So I pulled out my Sidekick, and sent Sallyann an email. Sally forwarded my email on to Barbara (this was who Jo talked to on the phone), and Barbara replied, saying it would be great if I could do the article. So she gave me a list of what the article should include, and that they want to publish it into Monday's papers.
By this time, I was excited about having been given the opportunity to do a report. Makes more sense to let a deaf reporter do the report about the deaf school reunion.... That way, the reporter can get the quotes directly without interpreters getting in the way, and have a better understanding of why this or that was said... There was 1 thing Barbara wanted me to mention for the article, and at first I couldn't make sense of it. So I shared it with Jo, and she was able to explain it to me. Are deaf school reunions different and more special than hearing school reunions? I had no clue, but after talking to Jo, it makes sense now. Yes, they are different, and the deaf school reunions are also more special too, in a way. I'll have to see how I can word it in the article so that it makes sense for the readers.
So now I had my own pad of paper (Jo gave me one to use) and started taking some notes. I haven't done any interviewing today, but I have tomorrow and Sunday to interview random people about their experiences at the deaf school, why they went to WSD and how that experience has helped with their lives, or something like that. I'll even interview former teachers as well, since some of them did come. And more people are expected to arrive tomorrow (some couldn't make it today cause of it being last day of school and all).
I'm really excited! Got to talk to people I never met before (ok, signed with), saw some that I hadn't seen in a LONG while (like oh.. E.B.).... yeah, it was great! I loved it today, I really did.
I'm anxious for tomorrow now. Megan C. should be there, and Josie as well.... Ooo! And if Janine and Mrs. Ratcliff are there, GREAT! I'll be able to share my reporting news with them. I know they'll be really happy. I mean, Janine and Jo both worked so hard to teach me English.... Out of all of my classmates (those that were in the same grade as I was)... I was the only deaf student to be at normal or advance level, the others were behind (even those that was 1 grade ahead). I mean, I remember starting on 6th grade english the last month or 2 of fifth grade, and it was Jo that tutored me. They both really did everything they could to make sure I learned and understood. So I know Janine will be really pleased to hear that I'm doing my very first newspaper report. I've been with the Star Tribune for 6 years, and finally I have that opportunity to do a report!
So on Sunday, I'll probably leave the reunion a bit early (everything should end by 4ish) and head out to the Star Tribune to write the story, so that they can run it in Monday's paper. And hopefully Barbara will be there too, just so I can bug her if I had questions about whatever. This is my FIRST article for the newspaper, EVER. It's a pretty big deal to me. And I want it to be as perfect as possible.
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