For a first-time reporter like myself, the Minn. Gov. Tim Walz visit at the UWS on Sat., Sept. 14, was a big moment. The vice president candidate made the visit without the company of his running mate Kamala Harris, but the turnout of 1,400 people was large none the less. I had never covered anything before the event, so reporting on something as big as a vice president candidate was a big step up from nothing.
When I took the Promethean for 1 credit this semester, I expected to be writing about small events happening on campus. Such as bingo nights and free food, not the governor of Minnesota. When the team learned that Walz was coming, I was picked to be the reporter that met him at the airport and rode in the motorcade.
At the time, I didn’t even know what the motorcade was. It was a lot of waiting around, but I was assured by other reporters that it was common with national politics.
Gwen Walz (left) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz waving to spectators as they step onto the tarmac at Duluth International Airport.
Photo: Patrick Douglas | The Promethean
When Walz finally arrived at the airport, that’s when things took off. The secret service rushed everyone into their dedicated vehicles, and we sped off towards Superior. Every intersection along the way was blocked off by local law enforcement, which allowed us to go the fastest I had ever gone in a residential
area.
Once the motorcade arrived at UWS, time seemed to slow down again. We were brought into the Mertz Morotelli Gymnasium where we sat for another hour before Walz took the stage. Before he was done speaking, the Secret Service were already starting to prepare the press to leave the building.
Once the speech ended, we were rushed back into the motorcade, where we waited for another 45 minutes before finally being brought back to the airport.
Despite the amount of waiting I did; I can confidently say it was a cool experience. Riding in the motorcade and being around the Secret Service almost made me feel like I was the president. Overall, it was an opportunity not many get to experience and I’m thankful that I did.
