May 19, 2004

Not One

(Special note: Sorry for the delay in posting. It took almost two weeks, but I finally found something to express myself about that wouldn't appear to be kicking a dead horse.)

CLEMSON, S.C. – I spent way too much time driving today.

My assignment changed three times. First I was headed to Coastal Carolina University for the debate between the six Republican U.S. Senate hopefuls. That was changed to portraits of USC baseball players before practice. That was changed to coverage of possible memorial to two former Clemson tennis players who died in a plane crash over the weekend.

So that was it. Get on the road and head up here and I’ll be informed on the way.

Call to Clemson sports information: nothing going on. No memorial, no flowers, no tennis team. The Lady Tigers tennis team headed to Athens, Ga., for the NCAA tournament already. There was nothing to photograph, nothing to report, nothing at all of interest in Clemson as the semester was over. Done. History. Ended.

As in: no students. Period.

Looking for something else to do? Go photograph baseball players during practice? Not possible. Arrived after practice was finished and all players were changed and leaving.

More than 300 miles after leaving Columbia, I returned without having snapped a frame.

Not one.

- Rich