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My internship interview was with Mr. Grant Price, the News Director at KWWL, Waterloo, Iowa.
I don't remember much about the interview other than I knew it really was an honor to have an interview. It never occurred to me that it would lead to a position.
But it did! I had a full-time job (it was a paying internship) for the second semester of my sophomore year. To keep my place in the dorm I signed up for one three hour Public Administration class that met on Monday nights. Other than that - my job was the Iowa State Capitol, Iowa Government, and other stuff that might happen in Des Moines and be newsworthy in Waterloo. (Waterloo is in northeast Iowa.)
KWWL was the only station from that market with a full-time presence in the state capital and was the #1 news station. I was working with Larry Mundt who was the bureau chief. In this instance it meant doing a lot of things, reporting, shooting video, writing, and then hustling like crazy to get the video tape on the bus.
Yes, the bus. This was before satellite transmission became easy and the station didn't have a microwave link. Our deadline to get stories on the six o'clock news meant getting to the bus station before 11:30 in the morning. For late day stories we would drive out to the airport to get the tapes on the Purolater courier van.
At the start, I carried the tripod and other gear - took notes and wrote some small stories. Larry showed me how to run the camera and I would shoot video on his interviews and for some pieces. It was pretty fun stuff for me. We covered news conferences and each day went to the Capitol where we covered various meetings and the Legislature.
I loved it.
About six weeks in - Larry was offered a job in a bigger market and moved on. My next surprise was that KWWL decided to let me become the bureau chief!
I talked to Mr. Price or the assignment editor each day about the stories and videos they would need; there were rounds at the capital talking to State Senators and Representatives from the station's coverage area; and I got well-acquainted with legislative aides and non-partisan legislative workers who helped me figure my way around issues and stay on top of things.
Other reporters offered some help (we were competitors, after all) when I would need it.
I interviewed the Governor - Senate Majority Leader - Speaker of the House... it was a pretty great time and an amazing experience. The up-close view of government in action was like being inside the sausage factory. What I remember most is that while the majority Democrats and the Republican Governor, senators, and representatives had their partisan issues - when push came to shove and things needed to get done a compromise was reached for the good of the people.
Each day, I'd drive to our bureau - a small office about four blocks from the Capitol - and at the end of the day (whenever that might be) I'd head back to the dorm. Not bad for a sophomore!
As big and life-changing as all that was - there was something even more life-altering ahead. Iowa High School seniors worked in the House and Senate as Pages (running errands and keeping the wheels of democracy turning) - splitting the session in half if they were chosen to serve. Most stayed at the YW or YMCA downtown. They were the closest people to my age around the capitol.
An annual event, The Pages Ball, was held to raise funds for charity and included the Pages, politicians, and others in the city for the 100 days the Legislature was in business.
At the time, I wasn't dating anyone, so when one of the Pages asked if I would like to go with her to the Pages Ball - I thought it could be fun and said yes.
Little did I know at the time that a year later when I was covering the Legislature again (this time for a Waterloo Radio Station) that Governor Branstad would use the end of one of his news conferences to announce our engagement.
"David Mossner, Channel 7 News, at the Capitol."
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