Article from Capitol journalist Linta Lively
Written at the Time of the Thirty-Seventh annual Hunger Games
Looking back, twenty-six years later, it's a wonder I didn't faint. At the time of the interview, I was only eighteen, a completely fresh reporter, barely managing to get into the back pages of the Capitol Gazette and suddenly I was interviewing President Brucius Glade mere days after his election. I was ushered into a small waiting area and five minutes later, re-ushered into a much larger office. Sitting at the desk was the man himself. Brucius Glade. I remember letting out a small squeal upon seeing him in the flesh rather than on a Capitol screen. Whether he had heard me or not was an answer I did not want to hear. Upon sitting down, I rummaged around in my bag for my list of questions and then Brucius did something remarkable. He stopped me. He told me, and I quote, "You look like a great reporter. Why do you need a question sheet?" He gestured for me to drop my bag and continued; "I find it a lot easier to calm my nerves if I have a glass of water. Would you like a glass of water?" I happily accepted, and like he had said, I felt a lot better.
Feeling encouraged by his warmth and friendliness, I began my interview. While I started with the basic stuff, like "How do you feel about being President?" and the like, it wasn't until around the middle of the questioning that I hit a question that would change Panem's interpretation of Brucius Glade for ever.
"How do you feel about the Hunger Games?"
Glade, thankfully, managed to keep his cool. The previous President, Coral Macos, would have exploded at this question, perhaps resorting to physical violence. Brucius was a remarkably calm man and answered with a gentle sincerity; "I sympathise with the districts. I do. It's mostly not their fault that the rebellion happened. It's certainly not their children's. But to a degree, I believe that the districts do need to be punished. If I was President back then, I would have probably not implemented this. But, if anyone knows me, they know I'm a sucker for tradition. The Hunger Games, like it or not, is a tradition. But I do have plans. To make the games much more exciting. The Capitol hate the games. I know that, and you know that. I need that to change. So, I, along my brilliant co-worker Tiffany Armstrong, have many changes that we are looking to implement."
"Can I ask," I said, with an eager gleam in my eye, "what are one of these changes?"
"Where's the fun in that?" He remarked, and with that, the interview was over. Leaving the building, I, along with many other Capitolites were very much looking forward to this year's games.
A/N – Thanks so much for reading! If you're reading this and you haven't yet submitted a tribute, then please do so, as I really want to get this show on the road!
