Today was my first day at SCETV’s Columbia station. As I sit here reflecting on my day with a refrigerated and questionably fresh slice of pizza, one major feature of the ETV station and its staff strikes me: their resilience. Despite the worldwide pandemic affecting workplaces around the country leaving so many Americans unsure about their livelihoods and even their lives, the ETV station seems to be an island of tranquility among a sea of turmoil. Everyone at the station was remarkably cognizant of social distance, and the implicit rules that they needed to follow to keep ETV staff safe. I think people working at the station are so carefully sanitary because of their empathy for their frankly older colleagues—of course, not including my sprightly boss, Steve, who doesn't look a day over 50.
This selfless empathy honestly makes ETV feel more like a family than a television station. In a way, this makes the internship perfect for these tumultuous times when it is so easy to feel alone. I’ve had internships where my bosses just throw me in some corner of the office with a pile of paperwork- but not here. At ETV, they want to help me in the same way that I help them. I’m not just a random college student that does whatever they ask. At ETV, I'm part of the family.