Good Times, Part 2

Today was yet another festival of fun and excitement at the Democratic National Convention here in Denver, Colorado. We started off the day by attending breakfast with the New Hampshire delegates. The only problem was that we were not allowed to eat the food, which is quite torturous for a group of youngsters with empty stomachs. Apparently we weren’t cool enough for a New Hampshire delegate’s breakfast. To satisfy our cravings we visited a cafe down the road called Paradise. It had really good food, I myself got their egg, ham, and cheese croissant sandwich. They gave the sandwich a hearty portion off eggs, unlike most places which seem to use a lone hummingbird egg in their egg sandwiches. After such a hearty meal it was time to get our rears in gear and get to work covering Denver and the convention.

Fellow group member Logan and I took to the streets of Denver to see how the convention was affecting the city’s atmosphere. We found protests aplenty and there were plenty of riot police on hand to make sure things stayed calm.

 

 

We also came upon a program called Freewheelin, which lets anybody borrow a bike to get to where they want to go. This bike sharing program was used by many important political figures throughout the country while they were staying in Denver. There was even a prototype for an automatic dispenser of there bikes on display. The man I spoke to in our video was very enthusiastic about the program and the positive effects it could have on citizens.

 

I finally got the chance to actually get inside the Pepsi Center where the big events of the convention are being held. We only had so many credentials, so we had to share them with the group. That system didn’t work out so well at first with some, but we worked it out eventually. I was thrown my credentials when I arrived and got in line to go past security.

Everything went smoothly, except when I had to drink my bottled water in front of the officer. Apparently the liquid could have been poisoned, so I had to prove it would not kill anybody. I don’t see the big deal, using poison for assassination is so last century.

The scene inside the center where the convention was being held was pretty much crazy. It was filled with both press and politicians alike;crowding the hallways and reeking of politics. We actually got to witness two correspondents from The Daily Show perform some comedic sketches that will be used for their show. I reacted in a professional and refine manner by jumping up and down like a 13-year-old girl. Logan came in with the camera, but we didn’t meet as many important figures as we would have liked. We did however meet a very interesting man while outside the center by the name of Malcolm Adams. He told us he helped establish CNN in Japan and is President of Totown Communications Group Japan. He was a very funny gentleman who obviously liked Japan better than America.

Later on we were able to get inside the main hall and check out what many democratic leaders had to say about our country and Barack Obama. Most of it was the usual political rhetoric and fanfare, but I was actually surprised to see a Republican speaker supporting Obama there. Jim Leach is a Republican from Iowa who told us that Barack Obama was just what America needed. Michelle Obama also spoke about the state of our country and her husbands ability to create change. After another long day, the group and I have nothing left to do but finish our work and sleep. Tomorrow is another day…

-Robbie Michaelson

One Down, Four to Go

Day two here in Denver, Colorado and the atmosphere in the city is really beginning to kick into high gear. Last night we walked around the city and met some very interesting people. We conducted several interviews with passer-by from all walks of the political spectrum. Many citizens are delighted to host the convention and believe it’s great for both the atmosphere and economy of the city. We interviewed just about everybody who made eye contact with us as we walked through the city. Robbie and I even took place in an impromptu techno dance party. Denver is an absolutely beautiful city and after walking around last night I can easily tell why the Democratic Party selected this city.

This morning we were at the New Hampshire delegate’s breakfast at the Hilton. It was announced at about 8:45 am that the entire New Hampshire delegation will be seated tonight at the convention. This was totally unexpected and the entire delegation erupted with delight upon the announcement, clearly heard from the outer hallway where I was seated.

After the breakfast concluded we split up into teams of two and were let loose in the city. Eric and I were assigned to the Myspace event held at the Corner Office Restaurant and Café. After getting somewhat lost Eric and I finally reached the Myspace site only to find very little potential interviewees, all of which were not there for the event (they were just having lunch). So we did a quick news package and then were on our way towards the Pepsi Center. We met up with Dr. Nevious outside the primary security gate and picked up our perimeter press passes. Just after walking through the gate we ran into Reverend Al Sharpton, after a quick interview we set off towards the home of the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets. For about two hours we sat around looking for people to interview and came up empty handed. Eric received an interior pass from Dr. Nevious and made his way into the security check; I chose to hang out with some security guards out front. Derek and Steph arrived and as Derek entered the security check Steph and I left the perimeter area to hang out with Dr. Nevious on the outside (we only had access to two arena passes at the time). Robbie and Logan showed up within 20 minutes and as they arrived Eric came back through security and handed off his pass.

After we left the DNC area Eric and I began to embark towards the Mercury Café to hear Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney speak. As we tried to hail a cab (unsuccessfully) a man in a white Cadillac called us over and offered us a ride. It turns out he works for a valet service and drives around several Denver sports stars, including former star running back Terrell Davis. It took us a little while to locate the venue but after 5 minutes of circling California St. we finally found the elusive café. The rally took place upstairs in a very cozy, but spacious hall. Joe Calhoun (running for 2nd District State Congress), Scott Zooloff ( running for Jefferson County Commissioner), Rosa Clemente (Cynthia McKinney’s running mate), Cindy Sheehan (running for U.S. Congress from California; challenging Nancy Pelosi), and Bob Kinsey (running for U.S. Senate from Colorado) also spoke at the Green Party event.

 

 

We left the Mercury Café and trekked back to the Pepsi Center where I was met with a very excited Dr. Nevious. She handed off her arena pass to me and I jaunted through the press entrance. I somehow ended up on the 3rd floor and was trying to catch my bearings when I heard the convention officially go into a recess until tomorrow over the P.A. I worked my way through the massive crowds and met up with the rest of the group outside. We walked to Sam’s Number 3 and had an absolutely wonderful dinner before heading back to our “headquarters”. If tomorrow is anything like today we are all in for another fantastic adventure. Until tomorrow, adios!

-Tanner Acebo

 

 

Good Times

A band called The Four Seasons made a song called Oh What a Night and I can’t help but think about that tune when I think about the night we just had. First we had ourselves a fine barbecue with the fine folks of the Urban Servant Corps who have graciously allowed us to use their house for the week. A perfect opportunity for me to ingest more delicious snacks, which I enjoy very much.

After the barbecue we decided to hit the streets and find people to talk about the upcoming convention. Of course we got lost on the way and had to take a couple detours, but we finally made it to downtown Denver. On the way we met a young chap who was helping with the event. It was nice to get the perspective of somebody who is helping to bring the convention to life. MSNBC had their headquarters set up in a lot and it was exciting to see a big time news organization in action.

 

Outside of the MSNBC setup we met up with a delegate from Oregon named Matt Keating who really liked Barack Obama. I mean he really liked Obama, I bet he has a life-size statue of him in his basement. He was also pleased with Obama’s vice presidential pick. Oh and he was carrying his stuff in a case shaped like R2D2, which he called his Obama-bot.

We walked down the street for a while to get more interviews with Denver residents. Many of them had very good things to say about the Democratic National Convention and it’s influence on their town. Of course we needed to get the youth side of the story, so we decided to try a different approach…

 

Nothing says youth politics like a techno rave and conga lines. Fellow journalist Tanner Acebo and I proceeded to connect with these youngsters using their strange dancing rituals. I realized after watching this video that I look like a huge nerd among the other dancers in my Pierce Media Group uniform. I look like a Best Buy employee who just got on break and decided to cut loose. If the people at the convention are anything like the people we’ve met so far in Denver, we are in for some good times.

-Robbie Michaelson/FPU