That's Our Alma Mater!

...Belmont and SNL. Awesome.

Debate Day Highlights... (Posting Live)

This is the "exciting life" of a volunteer Assistant Volunteer Coordinator...

• driving into work with the Straight Talk Express
• running with no umbrella in the rain to deliver ponchos (how ironic, right?) to some of our volunteers
• breaking and then un-breaking the law (ask me about it, sometime)
• almost getting to watch McCain's rehearsal (before having the opportunity swiped right from underneath us and our incredible volunteers on that post)
• watching both motorcades ride in a few hours apart in front of my freshman residence hall
• some of our student volunteers reflecting on their CBS Early Show experiences this morning
• seeing the look on the faces of the students who were selected to greet each candidate (and with McCain, Cindy) as they arrived, after their once in a lifetime experience
• Amy's reaction to unexpectedly getting to shake Obama's hand. "Wow, I didn't expect to I think it would be cool... but it kind of was."
• getting a CBS hat from one of my student network volunteers
• watching portions of MSNBC's "Hardball" live on the Belmont Quad
• seeing Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Sarah Palin (impersonators)
• finding out at the last minute that you have a ticket to the debate (and getting to the Beaman just after they've shut down the magnatometers and have locked down the Debate Hall)... but still having a ticket to the debate.
• having two really encouraging student volunteers to make the slow walk back to the volunteer lounge a bit less disappointing
• closing up shop knowing that despite disappointments, stress, and last minute changes, this truly was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience
  

Pre-Debate Day Life in Highlights

• getting USSS credentials
• seeing the Town Hall built, from huge curtains to red carpets to tiny sets and fake candidates
• watching Cliff own the golf cart detail all weekend
• life outside and inside the chain link fence
• living off Sonic drinks
• a visit to the Media Canteen pre-operation and seeing Anheuser-Busch neons and signs all over the place (...at Belmont)
• helicopters circling the campus non-stop
• roof-top "surveillance"
• Tom Brokaw sightings
• working with incredible students
• seeing your alma mater on every major network and then looking outside and seeing every major network (and hundreds from all over the world!) on campus

...and today has only just begun...

This is Kristine, Reporting Live

So, things are happening here at Belmont. I mean, they have been happening, but today was the day for our Volunteer Lounge to begin operating and for shuttles and security to begin their rounds. CPD is finally here, which makes this thing all real. (As if the United States Secret Service wasn't enough.) But CPD makes it happen, so it kind of feels like we've been setting up house for them to come in and host their event while we run about like a little minion of volunteers and do-gooders who are still in such a state of surreality about the Debate being here at our university.

Everyone's in generally good spirits though around here, and I can't blame. One view from our "office" is of the Nashville skyline (did I mention that earlier this week?) and the other is of the portion of campus where most of the action is taking place (i.e. the media compound known as "Spin Alley"). There was even a bit of protesting already! Can you believe it?

Cliff was supposed to be joining me here this evening for his first shift with Transportation Headquarters, but unfortunately (for me, not for him) they canceled his shift. Tomorrow and Sunday though, we'll be camped out here, which eats up our weekend (and time to clean and get laundry done), but I guess that's what Wednesday through Friday will be for me next week.

Sorry there's nothing news-worthy to report on, but when you're four days away, what can you expect? Thanks for checking in, anyways!