Unless you've been living under a rock, then you know that Anderson Cooper is speaking at Tufts. CNN's anchor of "Anderson Cooper 360°" is headlining the 11th annual Edward R. Murrow Forum on Issues in Journalism on Monday, April 11, 2016, at noon.
Students lined up bright and early to get their tickets on Monday, April 4. Tickets were given on a first come first serve basis to Tufts students starting at 10 a.m. But people started lining up well before that.
The line for tickets at 9:20 a.m.
In preparation for Anderson's arrival (we're tight, so I use his first name), I've been reminiscing on why I, like many others, am excited to hear him speak.
He speaks up
For instance, when he recently interviewed the Republican frontrunner, Donald Trump:
Cooper: You retweeted an unflattering picture of her [Heidi Cruz] next to a picture of your wife.
Trump: I thought it was a nice picture of Heidi. I thought it was fine.
Cooper: Come on, you are running for President of the United States.
Trump: I didn't start it.
Cooper: But sir, that's the argument of a 5-year-old.
In this news era, where some broadcasts seem superficial and do not ask the hard questions, Anderson is a breath of fresh air.
He has tons of material to talk about
He even wrote a book with his mother called "The Rainbow Comes and Goes." The basic themes Anderson discusses in this book and his previous book"Dispatches from The Edge" of tragedy, loss and hope are all topics people can understand.
He is even having a book signing in the Remis Sculpture Court from 10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. where he will be signing copies of his books.
In addition, Anderson has covered stories from war-torn countries abroad and the effects of devastation caused by natural disasters like the tsunami in Sri Lanka, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Mississippi and many others. His experience as an accomplished journalist, who is respected on an international and domestic level, will hopefully provide insightful commentary for his discussion at Tufts.
He is genuine
Whether he is hosting New Years Eve with Kathy Griffin or just having a laugh on his show (you must watch his giggle fests!), he seems like a fun person to be around. He has a way of making complex policy issues and news stories relatable and understandable to all audiences. He does not bog his stories down with political wonk jargon.
I have gone to some lectures of other highly accomplished professionals, but to be honest, I find their speeches to not be as interesting as the work they've done. This will hopefully not be the case with Anderson. I am sure it won't be, especially if he starts giggling during it.
I hope you got your golden ticket to this event because it is sure to sell out.
Photo courtesy of: Kathy Nguyen's snap story
