Jordan Roskelley ’11-Diary of a NYC CBS Intern
“New York, New York…,” I sang to myself as my Alaska flight touched down at JFK International airport. From Eugene to the big Apple in one step; but my excitement was premature. Once off the plane, I was thrust into a world in East coast overdrive and overwhelmed by choices and logistics. It was a “duck-eat-duck” world out there and I was on the platter.
The University of Oregon had been my home for four years. I had the support of the university’s academic staff and advisors, my track teammates and roommates, and my family close by in Spokane. Now I was on my own with little knowledge and even less experience in one of the biggest concrete jungles on earth. In Eugene the sun was on my shoulders as I walked through campus, but in New York, daylight is shadowed by the skyscrapers blotting out the sky.
Oregon prepared me academically and professionally to make this transition. Four years of a variety of generalized courses and specific class work in journalism, plus pole vaulting for Oregon’s outstanding track team provided me with the tools to overcome any anxiety or self-doubt. I was here to make a splash as only Ducks can do!
While at Oregon, I interviewed for an internship at CBS in New York City. I specialized in feature writing in college, but the chance to explore broadcast journalism and migrate to New York was compelling for this Duck. Despite my inexperience, CBS offered me a position for the fall program before I left the room.
It has been a dream of mine to live in New York since I was a freshman in high school. Having traveled internationally and visited NYC with the track team, I was attracted to the glamour of living in New York. Silly me. I had no idea what it would be like. After all, I was born and raised on a farm in Spokane, Washington. Besides sports and playing the fiddle, I raised 350 lb hogs for 4-H. However, without a second thought, I accepted the internship on the spot. My mother, coach and friends were ecstatic…my dad, on the other hand, flip-flopped between tremendous pride and sheer terror.
On August 23rd, I flew to New York hauling two 50-pound bags and not knowing a single soul. I am living in the equivalent of a 1950’s Barbizon located on 34th street, one of the busiest areas in New York. I am literally three blocks from the first and largest Macy’s in the world; an eight-minute walk from Time Square; and by the level of noise, next door to the Lincoln Tunnel. Talk about a prime location. My retro-room is the size of a postage stamp, completed with pink bedding and floral, pastel curtains; I am given two meals a day at set times; and there are no men allowed. To be fair, it is a place for unmarried, working/interning women to live inexpensively and it made for an easy transition into the city. Did I mention that it took me back to my year at Barnhart?
I am a newbie in New York. When I meet new people they immediately ask me where I am from. Discovering I am from the west coast, their reaction is always the same, “Oh! That’s why you’re so nice.” Some of the men in my office have a running bet going on when I will turn into a true, “in-your-face” New Yorker. I have sworn to them that I am a west-coaster at heart and though I love New York, my attitude will never change.
The day I landed at JFK, New York experienced a 5.8 magnitude earthquake. My first weekend in the city, New York experienced Hurricane Irene. I still didn’t have Internet or television so I was unaware of what was going on in the news. Only a list of evacuation rules, a bottle of water and a flashlight in my mailbox warned me that something was going to happen. Honestly, I was too preoccupied to care; I was engrossed with exploring every part of the city before I began work. I remember my dad calling and explaining oh-so nonchalantly, “So Jordan, there is going to be a hurricane and it is going to hit the city,” as if this was a normal occurrence. It had been almost exactly 190 years since New York had experienced a hurricane of that force. New York shuts down for no one and nothing…except Hurricane Irene. Time Square has never been so empty and I have never seen so many NYPD vehicles lining 34th street for almost a mile. To complete a perfect trifecta, the 10th anniversary of 9/11 complete with a credible terror attack came a few days later. Being across the country and only 12-years-old when 9/11 happened, I didn’t understand the severity of the situation and the impact it had until I was reviewing all the live footage at work and helping put together the 9/11 special that CBS aired. I experienced first hand the impact 9/11 had on the people of New York – it truly brought the entire city together. Although New York is one of the world’s most populated cities with more than 8.1 million people, each unique borough pulled together into one gigantic tight-knit community. To say the least, I landed in New York City with a “bang.”
As the only fulltime intern for CBS’s The Early Show, I was prepared to work daunting hours that would leave me sleeping all day and working all night. In fact, I work a fairly normal schedule. Most days, I work at 6 A.M. and one day I work a night shift. Much to my parent’s relief, a car picks me up or drops me off in the early hours. Having no experience in broadcast, I have been learning as I go. From day one, the learning curve was straight up. I was thrown into work and when I am asked if I know how to do something, I have learned to answer, “No, but I will figure it out and get it done.” I ask a lot of questions and do the best I can. Everyone has been so great and welcoming. Sometimes I even forget I am an intern.
During the Morning Show, I can observe in the studio, watch the anchors/camera-men, run scripts and, in general, observe the process of the show. I can also sit in the control room, which looks similar to that of a Star Command spaceship. The control room is fascinating. The producer is the composer and she orchestrates what camera angle and shot to use, what music to use, when to cue it, and what graphics appear on the screen and when. There is a time limit for every segment and detail in the show and it is the producer’s job to make sure the anchors and guests are minding their set time limit. There is an entire orchestra of people who contribute, but the producer pulls everyone together to create the masterpiece or final product – the show.
Everyday I go to the office. If I start at the studio, I put on my Nike’s with my business attire and walk over when the show is finished. At the CBS office, I do anything from answering phones to going out with producers on shoots for segments. I often do research for stories and log interviews for producers. Logging is important, but tedious. I sit and listen to an interview that has been done for a piece and write out word-for-word what is being said. It is important for the producers to know the content of the interviews so they know what they have for the editing process. Needless to say, my typing skills have improved greatly.
Every aspect of my life has changed. It is hard to believe that just a few months ago I was living my life in Eugene, going to classes and practicing daily. I miss the structure and nurturing of coaches, trainers, tutors and advisors and of close friends who are my chosen family and foundation. I miss the familiarity, comparative slow pace and tranquility of the University of Oregon. But, I am learning that things change and they change quickly.
This is a new phase of my life and I am learning to embrace the change instead of fear it. I hate to admit that this process has included a few tearful phone calls about all the “what ifs.” Luckily, my parents understand transitions and are coaching me through it. New York never sleeps and is just as glamorous as one would imagine. I wholeheartedly believe there is no better time to live here than when you are young and have no strings attached. The University of Oregon prepared me well on all fronts for this transition in my life.
I only bought a one-way ticket here and I still haven’t purchased one to return home. It is true; New York is not for everyone, but it is an adventure I have embraced and I am loving every step. I may not be sure of a whole lot right now, but I am sure that New York is full of promise and offers everything I need to succeed.