Our editor-in-chief, Sydney Cromwell, wrote a great editorial about the conditions that her staff had to deal with in covering the former first lady last week. It has been noticed by the publisher of the Anniston Star, the Student Press Law Center, Alabama Media Pros and the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors and the Alabama Media Group (which reprinted the editorial):
So, what did the reporters of the Crimson, Samford News Network, AL.com, the Homewood Star and others get within those precious few minutes? Generic statements about Bush’s enjoyment of Samford and an update on the Bush family. Oh, and #SamNotStan.If they wanted to report any of her statements on life in the White House, 9/11 or education – the actual reason for her visit – they had to rely on their memory alone and hope they could remember everything they needed.
That, in itself, is galling. Laura Bush is a public figure and invited to speak as part of a lecture series to students and the public. After living in the White House, I’d think she would be familiar enough with the media that a few pencils scratching away at paper wouldn’t ruin her time on stage.
It’s also just ridiculous. If you’re there to speak on education, why not let reporters use your actual statements on education? That’s a chance to extend her words beyond the Wright Center, and she wasted it.
And Sydney says she can’t write opinion pieces.
Also, there’s a new Crimson photo feature on Instagram: Humans of Samford.
One of the first things I saw this morning: The Price is Right aired a great gag yesterday, guaranteed to make you smile:
Two class preps tonight. Two-thousand yards in the pool. Not bad since I felt rough and the swim felt fairly rough. Not sure why I’m sore, but there I was all day, wondering if this will be another motion that hurts. The true feeling-out process. And, in the final analysis, most everything hurts. No idea why.
But Bob Barker makes everything better, right?
The man is 91, and we should all be so lucky.
There are a lot of gameshow bloopers online.