Lynndi Lockenour
Getting kicked out of a tavern, speeding down the Mississippi in a police speedboat, interviewing beauty queens and investigating homicides has all been part of my days work at First Capitol News. Some people probably wondered who the new girl with the funny name was when they saw my byline the first few weeks in May. Truth is, I find my name just as interesting as the next person and amusing since I’m named after an African American woman who was a contestant on Wheel of Fortune the day I was born.
I’m originally from Salem, Indiana, but attend Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana where I’m double majoring in Journalism and Gender Studies. I’ll be heading back to the Hoosier state in a few days, but thought it might be fun to write about my experience this summer here in St. Charles.
The first time I spoke with Tony was last winter when calling to inquire about an internship with FCN. I’d never read the paper, not being from the area, but was eager to find a position. Tony informed that this was a very controversial newspaper and asked if I had a problem with that. I laughed . . . why you may ask? Well I spent my senior year of high school in the principal’s office because of the articles I wrote in our school newspaper, The Cub.
I was opinion editor and had my own column, but was too honest for most of the administration’s liking. My articles about teen pregnancy, the childish faculty and treatment of gay students were a few of their favorites. I stood my ground, despite limited support from our journalism advisor. Nothing was ever done to me for writing the articles, save a few evil looks and comments from classmates, but on graduation day the superintendent shook my hand and said, “Give em’ hell, Lynndi, you’ll be all the better for it.”
After that, I promised I would always be an honest reporter and not let fear get in my way. Coming to St. Charles helped to strengthen that promise with myself. When Tony assigned me to the ghost voter’s story, I was a little worried, but started working on it anyway. Little did I know that two days later I would be kicked out of a tavern because the owner didn’t want to talk to me. That same story brought in several calls to the paper and I had my second experience at defending myself as a journalist.
I really feel as though I’ve learned a lot this summer at FCN, especially about talking to people. I’ve always been a bit on the shy side, which is not a good attribute to have when being a journalist. However, this summer my stories have led me to interview everyone from people on the street, to City Councilmen, and even a couple Hollywood movie directors. Not only am I now more comfortable with interviewing sources, but also in just talking with people on a daily basis.
My biggest challenge definitely came in May when I first moved to the area. To those of you who have lived your lives in St. Charles, it probably doesn’t seem like a large place. But for a country girl from southern Indiana, I was a bit out of my comfort zone. Harnessing my navigation skills and knowing whom to call were a bit difficult, but after some “tough love” from Tony, I managed to learn the way.
Tony still says I’m not tough enough, but I’m working on that. A friend once quoted a movie, who’s title escapes me now, but it says “Sometimes being a bitch is all a girl’s got.” That bitchiness is something I guess I need to work on, not necessarily to be that way on a daily basis, but to learn when and where to use that power.
I never thought I’d find a town with a government quit as corrupt as Salem, Indiana. I was wrong. St. Charles could definitely hold it’s own if the two were to duke it out. Maybe the reality is that by its very design government is messy, especially when you consider the types of people who become politicians. We often elect the crummiest people to be the leaders of our towns, states and country. Despite their fake smiles and ability to afford designer suits, they are still weasels and the citizens need to recognize them for what they are, acknowledge the mistake and vote differently next time.
Prior to my internship with FCN, I ran screaming in the opposite direction of political news. While I’m not the first in line to cover it now, I am beginning to understand the importance of it and the difference between name-calling and a legitimate story. I plan on continuing to write periodically for the FCN throughout my junior year, so you may see my name again. And with a little luck I’ll be back next summer to wreak more havoc on the city that feels like a small town and has easily become my home.
I’ve met some wonderful, and some not so wonderful, people this summer. As is my experience, everyone I encounter teaches me something about life; some about the person I want to be and others about the person I don’t. My goal in coming here was to inform . . . and to have a great time doing it. I know I had a blast; my only hope is that I was able to accomplish my goal of informing. You don’t have to like what I say, but if you have an opinion about my article, it means you read it and that’s enough for me.
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