The response to the blog so far has been very positive, I’m glad everyone is enjoying it.

My first question today came from “SA Insider” I have no idea who this is but I am happy to answer the question. And that goes for everyone- if you ever have a question, about Hatchet coverage, blog postings, life in general, I’ll do me best to answer.

The question was where do I get my passion for covering the SA?

Well, it all started about two years ago my freshman year when my then editor Liz Chernow sent me to cover a court case for “Big Ben” Traverse, then a senate candidate who was vying for his nickname, “Big Ben” to appear on the ballot.

I went to the court case and was immediately enthralled with the whole process. I was impressed with how seriously everyone invovled took the case and was happy to see that afterwards while interviewing people they took it seriously as well. I thought it was fun and began going to the SA Senate meetings and developing sources within the SA. The next year I became a senior staff writer covering the SA and went to almost every Senate meeting through their entirety.

From there exciting stories like the Sequoia spending and a constant political fight between the senate and the executive fueled my coverage for the year. Every meeting I went to I learned a little bit more about how the SA worked and developed my friendships more and more.

This year I have no obligation to go to Senate meetings because Jenette, our very capable SA beat reporter, does a lot of our SA coverage but for some reason, even when I have other work to do I like going. This may be because I have friends in the senate, it may also be because I like watching what they do. Ultimately it is my job to stay on top of what’s going on in the SA and I take my job seriously just like most everyone in the SA.

So, my passion for the SA comes from my previous jobs, it comes from my current job, and it comes from my passion to be a professional journalist one day, covering real life politics on Capitol Hill.

Covering the SA has been great, some ups, some downs, but overall I can’t think of a better job I could have had last year.
And now I get a blog, can’t get much better than that.

Anyway- i’m off to bowl in the hippodrome, another passion of mine other than the SA.
Keep the questions coming and the enthusiasm goin’

p.s.- please correct me if i’m wrong but I am pretty sure the court ruled that Traverse was not allowed to post his nickname on the ballot.