I spoke to Sheryl Lee Ralph on Feb. 5

I interviewed Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph about her one-woman play “Sometimes I Cry” and her connection with National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on Feb. 5. National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day fell on Feb. 7. This was a different story for me to report and produce than the one about Interstate 35W’s bridge collapse. One difference: this was the first story that I was assigned to file. Another difference: the news department had two days to turn Sheryl Lee Ralph conversation around. I had to cut it on the day of the conversation because my classes imposed their own demands on me. When I produced the bridge collapse story, my due date was several weeks away. I had plenty of time to cut. That suited me for a few reasons: I had to learn Pro Tools and how KFAI’s news department works.

When I produced the Sheryl Lee Ralph conversation, I couldn’t finish editing it because I had other work to do. I’m confident in my Pro Tools skills, but when the News Director, Lauretta Dawolo, teased me or chided me about having “spent enough time” cutting the 13 minutes into the five-minutes for the story I became sensitive. My lone frame of reference comes from National Public Radio (NPR) where I interned in the fall. There you work quickly and precisely. I just learned how to use Pro Tools. People tell me that I don’t forgive myself for my shortcomings or learning curves. I’m working on this.

I was almost finished cutting it, so Lauretta said that she would finish cutting it. She had done this for many other reporters.

Many of the tasks that seasoned sound editors do concurrently, I do sequentially. I have a specific comfort level; part of this might be anxiety. Ironically Lauretta said that she wants me to undergo KFAI’s Pro Tools and reporter training. One might think that I had already learned that through NPR’s “Intern Edition.”