Seventh Congressional District Representative Terri Sewell was not only a very interesting speaker, she was also a lively and warm

Congresswoman Terri Sewell (Image by ABC.com)

personality. I enjoyed listening to her keynote on job reform during the Tuscaloosa Rotary Club meeting at the Indian Hills Country Club, as it was the first time that I have seen a congressional representative speak in an open and public setting.

However, there were some challenges in covering the luncheon. The first challenge was finding a place to setup my camera equipment as we had to compete for space in the packed dining hall.

I ended up setting up my camera behind a Rotary Club banner. Though it made for a nice spot to catch audio with my Flip camera, the backside angle that I caught with Congresswoman Terri Sewell was not what I was looking for.

Speaking of packed, it was also extremely hard to get a variety of shots during her speech, as it was hard to navigate in the hall.

Another challenge I faced was my own forgetfulness, as in my rush to grab my equipment that morning, I forgot my notebook and pen. A journalist without a pad and pen is like a car without a steering wheel.

Though I faced many challenges covering the event, I still feel like I got an interesting perspective on Sewell’s challenges as a senator. You can read my story here on Dateline Alabama.