Behind the "scenes"

I could not have planned a better summer vacation. This summer, instead of taking a trip to Hawaii or a nice resort, I was able to complete an internship at my local newspaper, the Yucaipa/Calimesa News Mirror.

I couldn't believe how each day held a new surprise. Not only did I get to choose what I wrote about, but I also got to take pictures of fires, accident scenes and special events. As a staff reporter, I had a "backstage pass" to the city. I had the "authority" to interview important people in my community and catch their vision for a better Yucaipa.

Each day was unpredictable. I was often called to events late at night or in the middle of the day. I got to see SWAT in action when one man locked himself in his house and threatened to shoot police. I photographed a car that was split completely in half after it crashed into another vehicle because of a drunk driver. I watched as fire personnel doused the flames of a house that contained a deceased elderly woman. While some scenes were painful to see, I counted it a privilege to help cover these stories and gain experience in the process.

I was able to meet interesting people like local artists and a teen model. I was able to fly in a very tiny airplane with the "Young Eagles" and take a picture of Yucaipa from the sky.

From this experience, I learned to love the newsroom. Working, communicating and writing stories about the most interesting things and people proved to be far more exciting than any vacation I could have planned. I was sad to leave, yet excited to put my experiences into practice this fall at my school's newspaper.

*This post completed for a class: JRN371