If you have a look at the Lynn Events Calendar, you’ll notice that on November 13th that we’ll be having Carl Hiaasen visit the university, as a guest speaker. In the past, we have had speakers, such as Anderson Cooper, Soledad O Brien, David Gergen and many more. I have had the opportunity to interview both Soledad O Brien and David Gergen. They were both experiences I will never forget, and which I am so grateful for.

I believe its so important to have opportunities, such as these. I know that I would not have received such opportunities at any other university. Currently, I am preparing to interview Carl Hiaasen in November. Preparing for such an interview is rather stressful. It takes a lot of research work, and a fair amount of reading. I have been reading reviews on the internet, the scripts of past interviews with him, and also excerpts from his work.
Once I feel competent with the amount of information I have gathered, I begin formulating questions. I also contacted a friend of mine (Jena – who has a great deal of expertise in this area) and asked her to come up with a few questions. I then met with Jena and went over the questions that we had come up with. In many cases, our questions were similar, but it’s always important to have someone else look over your questions and help you better formulate them, as to ensure that you ask the right sort of questions. As an international student, I some times say things differently. Thus, having Jena review my questions is a must and a huge help! (Thank you!) Be sure to always know what your interviewee’s answer will be to your questions. Never ask something you don’t know the answer to.

My next step is to put my questions onto note cards. If you are using a teleprompter, you’d generally not need note cards (depending on how reliable the teleprompter operator is). I will be making the note cards as I feel more comfortable knowing I have a backup plan.

After that, I will be writing the intro and exit to the interview. I will also prepare for the interview by reviewing my questions until I know them.

Finally, I always recommend arriving at the studio an hour or two before the interview time. Help set up, get to know who you will be working with, and familiarize yourself with the studio surroundings.

The actual interview can be daunting, but I always try to remember that I am the one in control, and that the person sitting before me, no matter how famous they may be or what they may have achieved, they were once sitting in the same seat I am.

Here are the interviews with Soledad O Brien and David Gergen: