The epilogue . . .
A month or so before the storm chase I had been given an assignment in my TV Production class. It was the final assignment for the lab section, and our task was to make a news package and turn it in at the end of the semester. We had to shoot our own video, conduct two interviews, write a script, and then edit the package together with our own voice-over. We had to get our topic for the package approved before we got started, and I decided that doing a story on the upcoming storm chase would be a good idea.
As I began the process of producing the package, I began to get a feel for what idea I wanted the story to focus on. That idea revolved around the fact that my girlfriend, Katie, was not too thrilled with the idea of me going on a storm chase. She thought it was stupid, and she was afraid I would get hurt while I was dodging tornadoes left and right. I tried to tell her that my chances of coming anywhere close to a tornado were pretty slim, but that didn't seem to help.
So I enlisted a couple of experieced chasers for my interviews, and both of them stressed the rarity of actually seeing a tornado on a typical storm chase. With that in hand, I decided that I would focus the package on how real storm chases are nothing like the movie Twister. I wanted to stress that I wouldn't be seeing 4 or 5 tornadoes in one day, I wouldn't be driving through one, and I wouldn't be strapping myself to a pipe in order to save myself from an F5.
The package ended up turning out well, and Katie appreciated my efforts to calm her fears (even though I don't think it actually did calm therm). Deep down, though, I sort of hoped that my experience would be more Twister-like than normal. Of course, it was the furthest thing from it. I came into the chase with very low expectations. I didn't think I would see anything. Even so, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed with the trip. I had spent a nice sum of money to see weather that I could have probably seen back home.
I realized soon, though, that the trip was good for more than just trying to chase tornadoes. Through all the long waits in hot parks, the long drives, the disappointing weather, and everything else, I had gotten to know alot of people much better. I was able to become better friends with people I already knew, and I was able to get to know people that I really hadn't talked much with before. So, in the end, I guess the MSU Great Plains Storm Chase 2006 was a worthwhile experience.
Drew McCombs
ABC 33/40 Weather Intern
abc3340wx2@gmail.com
A month or so before the storm chase I had been given an assignment in my TV Production class. It was the final assignment for the lab section, and our task was to make a news package and turn it in at the end of the semester. We had to shoot our own video, conduct two interviews, write a script, and then edit the package together with our own voice-over. We had to get our topic for the package approved before we got started, and I decided that doing a story on the upcoming storm chase would be a good idea.
As I began the process of producing the package, I began to get a feel for what idea I wanted the story to focus on. That idea revolved around the fact that my girlfriend, Katie, was not too thrilled with the idea of me going on a storm chase. She thought it was stupid, and she was afraid I would get hurt while I was dodging tornadoes left and right. I tried to tell her that my chances of coming anywhere close to a tornado were pretty slim, but that didn't seem to help.
So I enlisted a couple of experieced chasers for my interviews, and both of them stressed the rarity of actually seeing a tornado on a typical storm chase. With that in hand, I decided that I would focus the package on how real storm chases are nothing like the movie Twister. I wanted to stress that I wouldn't be seeing 4 or 5 tornadoes in one day, I wouldn't be driving through one, and I wouldn't be strapping myself to a pipe in order to save myself from an F5.
The package ended up turning out well, and Katie appreciated my efforts to calm her fears (even though I don't think it actually did calm therm). Deep down, though, I sort of hoped that my experience would be more Twister-like than normal. Of course, it was the furthest thing from it. I came into the chase with very low expectations. I didn't think I would see anything. Even so, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed with the trip. I had spent a nice sum of money to see weather that I could have probably seen back home.
I realized soon, though, that the trip was good for more than just trying to chase tornadoes. Through all the long waits in hot parks, the long drives, the disappointing weather, and everything else, I had gotten to know alot of people much better. I was able to become better friends with people I already knew, and I was able to get to know people that I really hadn't talked much with before. So, in the end, I guess the MSU Great Plains Storm Chase 2006 was a worthwhile experience.
Drew McCombs
ABC 33/40 Weather Intern
abc3340wx2@gmail.com
on July 14, 2006, 8:58 pm
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