More Training

An even earlier morning awaited us today as we went in for our second day of training. Although we had to be across town an hour earlier today, it made it easier that none of us had to worry about what to wear. That's right snazzy new uniforms make things much easier.

Today we did more in depth training on what we'll actually be doing during the Olympic competitions. We staged a mock Mixed Zone (the area that we will be interviewing athletes directly after their competitions) and a mock press conference (a more official time to speak to medal winners and get more in-depth quotes). Krystyna, our Venue Manager, and our Venue Reporters Amy and Ernst played different athletes running through the zone portraying different athletes in different moods. Amy played the highly touted cyclist who had just placed eighth while Ernst and Krystyna played cyclists in better moods, but determined to only say they were happy.

Interviewing these "athletes," not only did we want to truly work on how we asked questions to get the best possible answer, but also we all wanted to impress our new bosses. While no one wants to look like they are overly enthusiastic about making themselves noticed, these situations will likely prove to be very important in our bosses decisions on who will get the limited number of stories that flash quote reporters will have the opportunity to write. While I wasn't very happy that my mixed zone questions only yielded "I dedicate this to my family" answers (it's a nice gesture, but it's no good as a flash quote), I fared better during the press conference.

The only difficulty with the day is the continuing problem with shorthand, a skill I am still learning to grasp. Working at the Exponent, I often have a recorder to back up my written notes during an interview. At the Olympics, the noise level on the competition floor and the need for rapid repetition of quotes into the online database means we do not have that luxury, and each time we practice these interviews, I find my shorthand only barely keeps up. I'm working on it after work, so hopefully by the Olympics I'll be more confident in my notes.