As someone late to the party joining The Daily Iowan during my senior year, DITV has been one of the most enjoyable things I have participated in on campus. The amount I have been able to take away from it in such a short period of time has honestly surprised even myself, but I am certainly glad. Even in such a short time, it was rewarding in multiple different ways, from friendships away from the studio to fun times during our segments and live shows.
The DI was certainly more than just fun times, with most of the time being spent either focusing on setting up the live show, making packages for the shows, or fixing whatever may have gone wrong. Nothing will ever be able to compare to the stress that comes when the videos fail with five minutes left before the morning broadcast. While these times may have been less lighthearted, they reminded me that there still is a job to do. These times were also where I learned the most, having to navigate issues that can happen at any time and work with others to resolve them.
Still, the true memories stem from the people. From top to bottom, everyone who worked with me during my time has a special place in my heart. Whether I’ve spent hours in the tech booth working alongside people like Madison, Tyler, Carson, and Jasper, or have seen you only in passing as an associate producer, everyone played a key part in creating the place the DI has become to me. And even during the times we were more pleasure than business, everyone always knew how to get things done, which made the environment not only very enjoyable but also productive.
The DITV coaches also had a major impact on me during my time at the DI. The two that particularly were important to me were coaches Angie Looney and Charles Munro. Charles was a professor of my Multimedia Storytelling class before I was fully working for the DI and was the original inspiration for DITV reporter Cara Dulin and me to join in the first place. That class was far from easy, and it showed the potential stress that being a reporter can put you under. I owe most, if not all, of what I know about being a reporter directly to Charles.
Angie was always around as well, even before I joined the DI, joining forces with Charles in our Multimedia Storytelling class. I always knew her as the tech coach, the experienced presence in the booth that helps keep things on track.
When I eventually transitioned to the tech booth myself, I saw the true depth that goes into understanding all of the controls. Angie and Carson were both essential in pushing me to learn the board and put myself in the hot seat during live shows.
I don’t think that any of the knowledge or experiences at the DI would be replaceable anywhere else. The resources I was given throughout the entire experience are certainly not available at all schools and it created a near-professional environment at times.
The time I spent having fun with the other members, getting better at writing and tech work, and gaining experience from great coaches with great resources made the DI a great environment to work in during my time there.
