Chris George: An invitation to answer your calling

Write what you know," he told me.

This was the advice that a good acquaintance gave me on my second official night of what is sure to be a long but exciting year for me. It's a common saying, perhaps even a bit clich?, but I take these words to heart because they came from someone I've worked with closely over the past year. It's pretty sound advice if you ask me. Vague, but still sound.

If not taken literally, this bit of advice stretches far beyond the realm of writing. The wisdom lies in the inherent encouragement to do what we feel is our calling. If there's one thing we get out of a Penn education, I would hope that we each find our vocation. It's a difficult thing to do, but some of us will get lucky and hear that calling loud and clear.

It was a seemingly typical September morning of my freshman year when I heard mine. I had just gotten back from a 9 a.m. class -- this was back when I thought it was possible to be awake at that hour -- and my mom called to see if I was OK.

Of course I was OK. What was the matter? Well, apparently the World Trade Center had collapsed and a plane had crashed into the Pentagon while I was in class. In short, the country was in chaos.

After reassuring my mother that I was safe and sound here at Penn, I promised her that I wouldn't leave campus. I sat down in a hallmate's room and watched the terror repeat itself on TV over and over again.

I couldn't sit there for long. As the magnitude of the attacks began to sink in, I realized I had to do something. While friends and classmates called to check on family members or went to donate blood, I had another thing in mind.

Not 20 minutes after I first heard of the attacks of Sept. 11, I found myself in the office of the The Daily Pennsylvanian, looking to join the staff.

Now, I don't mean to sound melodramatic. I had known months before that fateful day that I would join the DP. I knew very well that there was an introductory recruitment meeting on Sept. 12. I had it written down on my calendar, scrawled into my planner and engraved into my brain. I was going to be there.

But exactly one day before this meeting, the United States suffered the worst terrorist attack in its history. As the tragedy unfolded, we all turned to the news media to keep us up to date with the latest developments and to help us understand how it would affect our lives. As rescue workers responded to the tragedy, journalists had their own duty to fulfill. I wanted to be a part of that -- and I couldn't wait another 24 hours for the scheduled meeting.

When I arrived at the DP office that fateful morning, I turned to the nearest person and said, "Hi, I'm a freshman, and I'd like to join the DP."

"There's a recruitment meeting tomorrow," he said plainly.

Oh. Of course. Suddenly, I felt like a stupid freshman. What had I been thinking? Here I was, a measly freshman, walking into the offices of a newspaper on its busiest day in years, and I thought I could just show up and be helpful without any training.

So I left. I went back to my room in the Quad without even speaking to an editor. That night, I patched together a resum? and cover letter and went back the next day for the meeting. That's when I realized what a mistake I had made. I didn't need a cover letter or a resum? to justify my presence. I really could have walked in and done my part to help.

Because of my hesitance and uncertainty, I had missed out on the chance to be involved in the DP's biggest issue of the year. Since then, I have been careful not to miss out on such an opportunity.

Two and half years later, I have the privilege of serving as the DP's executive editor. I have started to understand the value of journalism -- and the value of answering the call to duty.

If journalism -- or the business applications needed to support it -- has any chance of being a part of your life, come to our office at 4015 Walnut St. this afternoon to see how you can do your part.

If newspapers aren't the type of thing that turns you on, don't be discouraged. Believe it or not, despite the fact that my first reaction to Sept. 11 was to join the DP, it wasn't until now -- two and a half years later -- that I realized that I was hearing my calling.

Here's to hearing yours.

Chris George is a junior marketing and communications concentrator in Wharton from Whitehouse Station, N.J., and executive editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian.

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