One intern-hopeful was a little nervous during his interview. I had to remember what it was like when I sat on the other side of the news director’s desk, and tried to calm him by being myself (not the hard headed guy I can be from time to time). It didn’t really help. After prodding for 10 or 15 minutes, it became apparent he wanted to be a sports intern. I said “no problem! Fill out this paperwork and I’ll introduce you to the sports director upstairs.”
The young man completed the application, the release form, and a piece of paper known as “substance abuse policy, chemical screening consent and release form.” After a session with sports, the student left our building… and we all thought he was headed to the medical clinic to leave a sampling for the laboratory.
He never came back.
We didn’t hear from him, and honestly I’d forgotten he was supposed to return with a receipt.
That was until an email came to the television station a few hours later.
The email went something like this:
“I had to run back to my college town for an
emergency and I am very sorry but I was unable to do the drug
screening. Also I have been given another internship so I don’t think
that this is the right opportunity for me right now, mainly because of
the distance I would be driving everyday.”
His college town isn’t too far away. We’ve had bushels of young aspiring journalists make the trip. And if there was indeed an emergency, I sure hope everything turned out OK. Oh yes, and that other internship? It was never mentioned during the hour+ he was here.
Maybe another business called up while he was on the road to take the drug test. If that’s the case, then good for him. Maybe he just had to go.
Charlie Haldeman 