The first day of Salt starts bright and early at 8am! I jolt awake and look in horror at my alarm clock at 8:06. After a very rushed tooth-brushing and a walk/run to Salt, sure I have just succeeded in making THE worst first impression in the HISTORY of Salt OR anyone in the universe anywhere, I arrive at 8:20…but it’s all good, people are just writing name tags and getting to know the others at their tables.
There are 33 of us altogether—14 in radio, 10 in writing and 9 in photography. We spend some time as a big group, talking about Salt, storytelling and what to expect. I’m pumped but also a little dazed, partly from all the information and partly from the adrenaline left over from my refreshing morning run to Salt. We get keys to the building (so we NEVER have to leave!) and then split into tracks for our first class.
The fourteen of us in the radio track come from all over the place and with very different experiences. Some have produced pieces on their own or for community radio stations, others have almost no experience but came to Salt because they love radio so much they figured they had to give it a shot. We’ll be split into two classes for most of the semester, but hopefully we get to merge sometimes.
Later in the day, we get trained in how to use our very snazzy flash recorders and microphones—then it’s time to start researching story ideas! The clock is officially ticking and I hope I’m not the only one who’s feeling a little daunted.
