More trials and tribs. . .

Ok, so it looks like most of us are in the same boat on the education story. What were the powers-that-be thinking scheduling education stories when the schools look like cemetaries??!?!!? Honestly!

Well, I traipsed off to my beat in Jamaica, Queens, in search of the perfect education story, at the High School for Law Enforcement and Public Safety. This, after I wasted my precious phone minutes all day yesterday, trying to get a hold of one living being- any living being- in the building, only to find that there was none!

So I marched into the security office, exulting that at least the building was open. Went up to a security guard who peered at me suspiciously, while asking me a little too politely: "Can I help you ma'am?"

"Yes, um, I'm a journalism student at Columbia University, and I'm covering Jamaica for this semester and I'm looking to do an education story and was wondering if anyone was around?" I blurted out.

"The building is closed. Please come back Sept. 1."

"Yes, I know," I stammered. "But is there ANYONE around I can talk to?"

"The building is closed. Please come back Sept. 1," the robot replied.

"But I just need to talk to someone. . ."

"MA'AM, I SAID, the building is closed. Please come back Sept. 1."

Sigh. I wasn't getting anywhere with this one. Thank God, the Police Athletic League was next door. I wandered in, and wonder of wonders, saw some kids there! This is my chance, I thought, marching in. They were much nicer than the folks next door, and spent about an hour talking to me about their programmes.

So, managed to talk to the director, community affairs person, and two kids. Makes for a decent story, but the writing is still to be done (it's due on Tuesday for us).

Let the procrasination begin. . .