On Professional Excitement and Jealousy

By Emery Eisner

As dramatic as it may seem, this trip has been the most exciting and (conventionally) important thing I have ever done. For someone not even two decades old that’s not super surprising, is it? Iowa is the farthest from home I have ever been, and I have been in very close proximity with people that– president or not– will change the history of this nation and the world. 

It’s intoxicating.

But while seeing all these CNN executives and reporters from around the world and presidential candidates has been quite the adventure, there is one detail I can’t help but notice: of all the sheer power surging through the air in this hotel lobby (where I currently sit, typing away next to a group of rowdy reporters), it is overwhelmingly male.

And don’t get me wrong, men are just fine. But let’s face it, I’m from a college where 60% of the undergraduates are female. I’m not used to all this.

So I’ve always heard about professional jealousy and feeling subdued as a woman in journalism, but because of my incredible privilege to attend Elon, rarely have I felt it in person. Today I heard the words “advocate for yourself,” and I’m promising myself that I will take that to heart. Especially against the backdrop of Morgan Radford’s sage words of inspiration last night, I can’t afford to continue on a path of self-doubt. And as I move forward into the debate tonight, I won’t.

Tune in to my coverage tonight to see how I do.