On the hunt

While editing my video package on Emerson’s alumni weekend, things were going along swimmingly. the last thing on the to-do list was create on-screen graphics. I needed the names of two interview subjects, so I could create titles for them.

Only one problem: An alumn gave me his thoughts on the weekend, and I goofed, and forgot to ask his name! Thus began my hunt to track down information about the mystery alumn. I captured a still video frame of him, and sent it to alumni relations. I showed it to professors. No luck.

Then, I got an idea. I looked at my footage, frame-by-frame, and found a place where the camera was zoomed out enough to see his nametag. It was blurry, but I was able to make out “Joshua ____, ‘87.” Good enough!

Using the time-tested journalist’s tool — Google — I searched for “joshua ‘87 emerson.” I found a copy of Expression, Emerson’s alumni magazine. He was highlighted in a “Catching Up With” feature. I learned that Mr. Knauer is a radio personality in Barre, Vt., and was recently married. Just my luck that there was a wedding picture accompanying the blurb about him! I quickly ran this by the very helpful Steph, at alumni relations, who confirmed that there was only one “Josh” registered for alumni weekend.

Sweet, sweet success.

So wherever you are, Josh, congratulations on your marriage. You’ll never know how your happy nuptuals helped this journalist do his job. And of course, the moral here? Don’t leave without covering all the basics!