I wanted it to snow….really, really snow.
Academia and I have never had a close relationship. (Note to my children here: Cover my grandchildren’s eyes when you read this part.)
David Earl Foulk - 1st grade
I did not like to go to school. Now, I loved to read, and learn new things. But my favorite part of school has always been recess. Hence, my college degree in Political Science, with a minor in billiards. Whether it was a dislike of the structure, or one of my psychological twists and turns, I would rather be somewhere else.
So at the sign of the first snowflake, I would pester my mother or father to turn on the radio. I’d listen carefully to WATE Radio, or WBIR 1240AM, or WNOX, or WIVK.. scanning the radio dial to see if anyone had news that school would close the next day. I was mentally squeezing the radio like a lemon, hoping the sweet nectar of school closing would come from the speaker.
A half-century ago, the word that school would be closed likely traveled through the same pipeline: the telephone to the newsrooms. And then from a scribbled note to the announcer, or a typewritten message to the television news anchors…over the airwaves and to your ear.
The first link of that pipeline is essentially the same…from the person speaking for the school system, to the newsroom. But from that point on, it travels a much different piece of plumbing.
The first link of the pipe is still the same- we put it on the radio as soon as possible. And that means it has to be done in a clear, easily understandable fashion. Sometimes it means telling you that some schools will close at a certain time, others later. Then there is the matter of bus schedules, and high school students who drive, and when they might be released if it starts to snow. There’s pressure to get it on, but even more pressure to make sure we are correct.
Second link in the pipeline is our text message service, which sends telephone text messages to listeners who subscribe. And there are third and fourth links now… Twitter and Facebook. It’s my job to send the text messages to you, and also on Twitter at “foulknews” , and Facebook at “Dave Foulk” . No matter the service that carries the information through the pipe to you, the pressure is on to be timely and accurate.
And I’d like to think that somewhere, a kid is listening to the radio, or watching their computer, or waiting on a text message at the other end of that pipe.
The excitement of a snow day hasn’t changed a bit.
#1 by Daniel Willis on March 3, 2010 - 12:43 PM
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Dave;
I have to admit, that I used to be the same way, and my children are now as well. There is even times, that when I see a snow flake I wonder if work will be called early, as well as school, to go home and watch it snow or play in it with my children as well. I just thought that made me a child….
#2 by Lisa on March 3, 2010 - 1:20 PM
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Not just kids .. teachers, too, listening to the radio, or watching the computer, or holding their cell phones waiting for a text message – or sometimes ALL THREE – hanging onto that last cup of hot cocoa, waiting to hear you say those magic words!