On the cusp of breaking a new Web site that will make us a 24-hour media outlet, the dream news package broke.

NIU students come to campus the week before the semester starts to settle into their apartment, get books or to train for their student job, I had to do all three. Floods came and to date I am not settled and I do not have books.

We got on-the-job training. Last week’s news was perfect practice for a great semester of covering breaking news. The following is an account of what I observed and how I felt as we mobilized the Northern Star staff to react during the DeKalb flood of 2007.

The Northern Star staff spent Tuesday through Thursday training to produce an entirely student-run newspaper and Web site.

At 2:15 p.m. Thursday, as we met with DeKalb Daily Chronicle Managing Editor Jim Bowie, news broke and the deluge began. He was commenting about the fact that regardless of position, we are all reporters. We all can gather facts. This became true throughout the flooding coverage.

Suddenly an alarm forced the entire staff into the CAB office and flustered, frightened office managers forcefully herded students inside. It was funny to see the ladies or self-appointed student wranglers from the Campus Life Building try to stop Mr. Bowie from leaving to do his job.

Holding down a journalist during breaking news is like beating up Chuck Norris — it can’t be done.

Tips came from every corner of the staff. Advertising Manager Justin Zegar relayed his experience being entrenched in water with his roommates.

Assignments went out and reporters snapped into action. It was what an exciting newsroom can be — scrambling to relay horrible news. We thought Thursday would provide for some coverage of a few damaged areas in our first issue the upcoming Monday.

Then Friday started with DeKalb in traffic lockdown. I thrive in survival situations; many reporters function this way. It makes them great on deadline. I admit I was excited.

Being a journalist puts you in an uncomfortable juxtaposition. The most exciting work comes during the demise of others. Most of us are sickened at times. I always find it to be twisted. On Friday morning, I just wanted to fill sandbags.

Then our news advisor Jim Killam reminded me of our responsibility to make the public aware. That was our role. It didn’t feel like enough, though. I am proud of our fellow students and the DeKalb community for answering the call that I couldn’t.

The staff got three updates on our site before our server went down Friday — a great job for a new staff.

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