Chapter 2: The article
After a long night filled with humorous banter and junk food, Rory took her New York Times and retreated into her room. There it was. Front page. Headline.
New York City. Bedford College has been in discussion often enough ever since it was founded only ten years ago. The school believes in introducing the students into the structure of real life and politics by putting great importance on cooperation of the Student Government, the school paper, the Board of Trustees and the Teacher Government.
Now, for the first time, there is only positive news about the school's paper, the Bedford Eagle. Ever since a change of editor last year, the career of the paper is going steep upwards. Not only does the paper have an enormous quote on campus but it has also found its way into the streets of New York.
Never before has a college paper had this much success. It is even possibly the most representative college paper of America at this time. For News Globe Awards next week, the Bedford Eagle is nominated in the categories Best School Paper, Best Newcomer and Best Editor.
The paper is extremely popular amongst the students of Bedford who are sensing a kind of patriotism towards their paper. But the Bedford Eagle has reached a popularity way above that. All over New York people of all ages read the paper on a regular basis. Experts even think the rise in interest in written news compared to the internet is greatly linked to the Bedford Eagle.
It seems there is a new star in the News scene. We're excited to see how many awards the paper will get next week and also we as the staff of the New York Times and we as journalists in general are greatly interested in meeting the editor of the Bedford Eagle, a young man who certainly is the most successful and interesting newcomer in the newspaper world. Already now, after only a little more than one year as an editor, he has reached success to his paper that no-one at Bedford ever dreamed of. From us, the Bedford Eagle gets five out of five stars. (dpa)
Paris had been right. This was special. The paper had such great attention and only positive reviews, even the New York Times is praising it high. Who would be hurt if she applied for Bedford? Sure, it wasn't her original plan. But having worked at a paper like that… But then again, she had good chances as it was. Yet, her time off, her miserable internship… The article really gave her some things to think about.
As she always did, Rory started to sort her thoughts out by making a pro-con-list.
pro: it was an amazing paper
con: she couldn't start working
pro: her chances to get a job would rise
con: she didn't have the money
pro: her grandparents would love to loan her the money
No matter how long the lists got, Rory just couldn't decide. The Bedford Eagle was by all means an amazing paper but was it amazing enough to change her plan? Maybe she should ask other people for their opinions. Not opinions about her applying or not applying to Bedford but about the Bedford Eagle. Rory made a mind note to herself to get the Bedford Eagle tomorrow and give it some people to read. Her mom, Luke, Lane, her granddad…
She should call Paris.
Lorelai came strolled into the kitchen the next morning only to find Rory already at work. She had her pro-con-list, the Bedford Eagle, a Bedford brochure and several other notes scattered over the table.
"It's scary how active you can be at eleven in the morning. On a Sunday! Are you sure that you're my daughter? Or did an Invasion take place last night?"
Rory looked up at her mom and smiled, "I'm still the same but I'm really unbelievably productive today."
Lorelai sat across from her daughter and took in all the brochures on the table. "What is this?" She took up the Bedford information brochure and quickly flicked through it. "Are you thinking on going to Bedford college after Yale?"
"I know it sounds crazy but-," Rory sopped a moment and took a deep breath, "I've done a lot of thinking last night. It really is an amazing paper. Paris and I even talked about it for like hours. Wait. Here" She handed her mom the article from the New York Times, "Read this."
"O-kay." Lorelai took the paper a little apprehensively from her daughter and began to read. While she did so, it was clear that her interest was caught somewhere in between the lines.
Rory watched her mom's face carefully. Her opinion was the most important on her list. She knew it wasn't quite the same but when she last made a decision concerning college ignoring her mother's worries, it had caused the most horrid time of her life with months without contact. A tense feeling crept inside of Rory. Everything stood and fell with her mom's input.
"So?" Rory asked her mom just as she put the paper down.
"Well, it sounds great. I mean-" Lorelai scanned the text again, not fully sure of her opinion yet.
"What, mom? What do you think?"
"I'm not sure yet, to be honest."
"If it's about the money I can ask the grandparents again. I'm sure they'll help out", Rory hurriedly explains.
"Yeah, no. It's not about the money. It's just that for the past two weeks all you talked about was finally being able to work. You seemed so excited with the idea of going into the world. I'm just not sure if this is really what you want. I mean, four more years of school can be a good thing and this Bedford college sounds great, but you do know that you will have to put off being Christian Amapour during this time, right?"
She was against it. Her mom was against going to Bedford. A feeling of nausea overcame Rory for a moment.
"No, honey, I don't mean that this isn't an amazing opportunity." Lorelai qickly picked up on the disappointment that her daughter unconsciously displayed in her face. "The paper obviously is big. It's probably way more important and, eh, bigger than the Yale Daily News."
"It is."
"Well, I think it would be great if you do this. Just-"
"Just?"
"Just make sure that it is really what you want."
Rory let out a long breath that she hadn't even notice she was holding back. "It is."
"And you're ok withnot working?"
"Well, Paris said that working in the Student Government, the paper or other student institutions at Bedford is paid."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, they pay more or less money to everybody there. Even the proof-reader."
Lorelai smiled at how passionate her daughter was about this. Last time she had seen her like this was when she was applying to the internship at the New York Times. "You know what? If the New York Times is even this avid about the Eagle, maybe they wil hire you when you've worked there."
"Yeah, maybe" Rory smiled broadly at this. After the rejection from the Times all she had wanted was to get working and show herself, show everybody out there that she could make it. But now, she refound her passion. And her mom was right, her chances at the Times could get increasingly better by this.
She stood up from her seat and gathered her stuff, "Well, I've got to be going."
"What? Where?"
"I brought some editins of the Eagle to Lane, Luke and Grandpa. I'll go see them and get their opinions and if everything goes well, I'll get to Paris' place and we'll fill out the applications together." Rory quickly hugged her mom goodbye before making her way to her car.
Lorelai smiled proudly to herself. She had done everything right with that kid.
A/N: This one is a bit longer than the first one. Again, both positive and constructive reviews are more than welcome!