Insanity reigns....

Tonight truly is the busiest evening I've had yet as a news editor.

Around 2:30 this afternoon, a nice steaming pile of a story dropped into my lap concerning faculty who harshly grade students.

Had to start from scratch, too. Somehow I had to wrangle up three sources before business hours ended, get their input and turn it into at least a 400 word story.

Considering that we normally set a deadline of noon for our reporters to get their stories in, it's obvious that I was tremendously behind the power curve.

Strike one, right?

It kept raining and pouring after that.

One of our intrepid reporters had to bow out of covering tonight's student government meeting. Normally wouldn't be an issue, except the new prez, v.p. and at-large senate winners of the SG election were to be announced. Ice that cake with a possible vote on a smoking bill and more discussion about a diversity board.

Shiver me timbers, Batman!

So, now I have to cover two stories with 400 words each (SG meeting, election results) in addition to finishing a grading story back at the homestead.

How did I wrong you so, dear God?

I got back to the office and went to work fiendishly. Three word documents pulled up at one time, typing away on all of them simultaneously. The phone is attached to my ear, as I get quotes from both Dean Hardcastle and a newly-elected senator for the respective stories.

Mercifully I was able to finish them all with some wiggle room before deadline. It was exhilarating. Thrown into a seemingly hopeless situation and proving my mettle truly made my evening.

It helped remind me of why I found this job so attractive in the first place, and why I love writing.

Now I need a damned drink.

Keep your powder dry, folks.

--James