080216 Men Are Always Right from Emily Rau on Vimeo.
Check out the video and tell me what you think. Ha! Andre and I have a lot of fun on the set. It's nice to have some fun moments in with all the serious news of the day.
Have a happy Tuesday. And make sure you get out to vote! - Emily
0 Comments
I have some thoughts on what you should pencil into your planner next week. Specifically for Thursday night dinner. (A week from today!) Check it out: I hope you'll join me! Andre will be there too. Add Mike Colombo to that list as well. Several other people from the News 4 Team are participating at other restaurants and different times. We will be doing the 4-6 shift since we have to go to bed early. :-) The Crisis Nursery folks recommend that you make a reservation if possible. You may remember that I did a story on the Nursery a few months ago. I have been absolutely in awe of the work they do since I first learned about it a few years ago. Back then I was reporting from the St. Charles County bureau and working on a story about child abuse. I interviewed DiAnne Mueller, who you see in the above picture, as an 'expert' on child abuse prevention. Put simply, I was blown away. This woman exudes love and empathy from her pores and is definitely one of my "sheroes". St. Louis is a better place and countless children are in safe, happy homes thanks to her. Typical TV interviews are 5-10 minutes tops...ours stretched to nearly 20 because I was SO fascinated by what she had to say. (She would want me to mention the dedicated team of people who help her in that mission every day. Kudos to each of you!) {Watch my most recent story here: http://www.kmov.com/story/28630793/st-louis-crisis-nursery-provides-safe-place-for-children} Shortly before that story aired, I started volunteering at the Nursery and haven't stopped since. I don't get there as much as I would like or for as long, but I have to say my time there has had a profound effect. It is a lesson in love unlike any other. Rocking babies, helping with snack time, or reading a book and playing trucks have been some of the most special times I've had this year. It truly surprised me to find out how much love one can feel for kids whose names you may not even know, whose communities or families seem nothing like the one you may have come from. It is a powerful reminder that above all, we are part of one community and one world. It is our job to take care of each other. For the record, I don't wear this outfit when I volunteer. Although sometimes the kids do like to point out how much makeup I'm wearing if I go to the Nursery right after work. :-) This picture is from the Crisis Nursery's Razzle Dazzle ball back in March. We had the privilege of emceeing the event and had a GREAT time. They raised a lot of money then, and next week is the next opportunity to show some support. Happy Wednesday, everybody. Hope it's off to a great start. I've been meaning to share a little something about an event I had the pleasure of attending last month in my hometown, and today is finally the day! Read on, if you please: Riverfront Trail Day has been a highlight in Washington, MO since it started 11 years ago. I actually happened to be there that day as well! Back then I was in high school, tasked with pushing wheelchairs and chatting with the seniors who were there to enjoy the beautiful trail along the Missouri River. I still remember it! My classmates and I had such a fun time talking to people about their lives and our shared community. It's been amazing (yet not surprising) to hear how the event has grown over the years, getting so popular that the organizers had to move it to the fairgrounds! Check out the crowd this year: So many people!! (That's the swine pavilion, to be specific. Gotta love small towns.) The whole point of the Trail Day is to enable the elderly and disabled to see the sights and sounds of Washington. There was free lunch to enjoy and tram rides to take people all over the park. Such a neat idea and the organizers care *so* much about the folks they serve. I was so excited to be there and say a few words. I've heard many people in Washington say they watch Ch. 4 and I couldn't miss an opportunity to say thanks for that. I also wanted to share what an impact this particular group has had on me and others in the community. They really laid the foundation for what is a great place to grow up and raise a family and I certainly benefited from that. Looking out at all those people also reminded me of my grandparents, who have since passed away but lived in Washington for many years. Lots of special people who worked very hard for a long time to make this area what it is today. It's hard to go anywhere in Washington without running into somebody! I saw a few familiar faces that day, one of them being the Mayor of Washington, Sandy Lucy. As a kid, I used to stop in with my mom/siblings to see Mrs. Lucy at her art gallery in Downtown Washington. Her husband is the painter, Gary Lucy, and I used to love going there to look at all the different pieces of artwork and pretty things in the shop. Who knew she would be the mayor someday! That's my mom snapping a picture on my cell phone. Her dog, Ruby, is sneaking in for some attention in the bottom left corner too. So glad I got to be there that day, and happy the weather turned out well. Notice all the jackets--it was even a bit cool outside. Overall a great success for a group of people who couldn't be more deserving. Thanks for having me!
-Emily P.S. Big thanks to Jeannie Miller Wood for these pictures! She's the photographer for the local paper and I have memories of her at every major event for pretty much my entire life! School stuff, sporting events, fair fun--there's a picture of an 8-year-old me at a turtle race that I'm pretty sure she took. Love it. Breaking news!! It's been six months since I started anchoring the morning show. What?! How does that happen? It's been a wild ride so far and this has definitely been my favorite role in my television news career. I know a big part of my smooth transition has been thanks to my coworkers. Both in front of the camera and behind the scenes, it takes a village to get a 2.5 hour show on the air every morning. Not to mention the fact that we all go to work when the rest of the world is sleeping. Huge thanks to all of them--especially Andre, who has been such an amazing teammate and friend since the beginning. When you're new to a job and learning the ropes, sitting next to someone you trust makes ALL the difference. { We took that picture a few weeks ago, on the day we found out we made KMOV history! For the first time ever, News 4 This Morning is the number one show in the market, from 4:30-6 a.m. Woohoo!! } That Kent guy isn't so bad either. This picture is from the Fourth of July VP Parade--definitely a highlight!! Another situation where I was pretty nervous but because I was sandwiched between two pros, I knew I could go with the flow and everything would work out. Kent really can do it all, and make great TV in the process. I have to say Kent makes us laugh every.single.day. No small feat at 4 in the morning, trust me. A lot has changed in six short months! A few weeks ago Alissa told us some VERY exciting news. She and her husband are having a baby!!! It is such a special thing to go to someone's wedding and meet their family, then get to share in the excitement of that couple starting their own little family. I couldn't be happier for Alissa and I've already volunteered to babysit. :-) Another highlight of the last few months-- giving someone a car. For FREE. You can't help but smile when someone is having the best day ever, thanks in part to your place of work. Plus we took this great group shot of the on-air #N4TM team. It's nearly impossible to get all of us in one place, so this was a special occasion. I hear from a lot of viewers that part of why they like our show is because of our team feel. That we are! Sort of like a family-- we put the fun in dysfunctional. :-) Another new addition in the last six months-- Kelly! She's a great reporter and has also really stepped up to fill-in on traffic when needed. SO glad she came to KMOV. I love to have coworkers who become fast friends! Here's the latest anchor desk selfie, taken just this morning. The time has flown by and I can't thank you enough for all the support! It's been an incredible learning experience and I love getting to help you start your day off on the right foot.
See you on TV! -em Just checking in to say hi! A few things have changed in the last month and it's been a little crazy. I started anchoring the morning show about a month and a half ago and it feels like I haven't stopped moving since! We have had some late nights and (extra) early mornings but lots of fun in between. I'll share more about the job soon, but for now I just want to say thanks to everyone who has reached out with congratulatory and encouraging words. Thank you for your support, and please keep watching!
A perfect time to start? How about tomorrow at 4 a.m.! We are starting early with the winter weather so I'm headed to bed as soon as possible. Have a great week, everyone! Heyyy everyone, happy Tuesday! I hope you all have battled through your turkey comas and cyber shopping hangovers by now. I have been enjoying a glorious few days away from work, catching up on rest and knocking things off my Christmas shopping list. I'm checking in today because I want to remind everyone about #GivingTuesday. What an awesome thing-- a response to our consumer crazed shopping of the last week in the form of an opportunity to support some truly wonderful organizations. There are SO many out there, which is great, but also sometimes hard to sort through. So I thought I'd give you a quick rundown of a few groups that have made a difference in my life this year. Like so many of you, I am very fortunate. I have not been on the receiving end of charitable services...but boy have these organizations given me a lot. That's the beauty of donating your time and/or money. I *guarantee* it will be better than any gift you find under a tree. First up... GIRLS IN THE KNOW The picture above is from an event a few weeks ago. I served as emcee and Dr. Tim Jordan spoke to a an incredible group of women (and one man!) eager to make a difference in their daughters' lives. To make this as short as possible-- GITK is a group that puts on a speaker series for preteen girls and their moms/caregivers. They learn from the experts (doctors, police officers, psychologists) about everything from puberty to personal safety...from body image to being a good friend. SO cool. I encourage you to watch the video about it below. Really well-produced and a great snapshot of what GITK is all about. I first learned about GITK in May, on Give STL day. I was cruising through all the awesome groups and something about this one just really spoke to me. Since then, the more I've learned the more impressed I've become! We already know women are changing the world every single day. Imagine the impact of GITK--- they are helping young girls to come out of adolescence empowered and ready to lead. The positive impact is exponential! You can donate here: http://girlsintheknow.org/get-involved/donate/ And here's what I did: https://www.etsy.com/listing/211144019/power-pack-notecards-set-of-four Every purchase benefits GITK. I can't wait to give this beautiful stationery to loved ones this Christmas! Alright, next up! .... THE LITTLE BIT FOUNDATION I just learned about this amazing non-profit about a month ago. (Hands down one of my favorite parts of my job is getting to spread the word about all the wonderful work people do for total strangers. There is so much good in this world!) So I stopped by an elementary school in North St. Louis on a very cold day to meet some kids who greatly benefit from Little Bit. One of the organizers mentioned to me that this particular day alone, five kids showed up to school without coats. Heartbreaking. But this group is committed to making sure the kids they serve have everything they need to be successful in school. What makes it even more special-- they do it with dignity. I got to see firsthand the looks on the kids' faces when they picked out a coat and a loving volunteer helped them try it on. Then they get to pick a matching scarf and gloves. Tearjerker status, trust me! Here's the story I did on the organization: http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Cold-weather-causes-spike-in-calls-to-local-charities--283171181.html (I also plan to start volunteering there when things settle down a bit. Hold me to it!) Please consider giving your time or talents (or cash!) to Little Bit. I know it will go to good use. As they say, every little bit counts! Donate here: http://www.thelittlebitfoundation.org/ And last but certainly not least.... This is a shot from the Over the Top for Tots event benefiting the St. Louis Crisis Nursery. The people standing beside me in this picture are my heroes! They helped the Crisis Nursery staff organize the event that ended up raising $92,000 for local children in need. I emceed the luncheon and let me tell you, I had to hold back tears multiple times. Many of you know about the Crisis Nursery--the folks there offer a 24/7 safe haven for kids no matter what the circumstances. I interviewed the Executive Director in my first year on the job and I will never forget what she told me about children who are abused. She said no parent ever wants or plans to hurt her child. It is the profound stress of life circumstances that leads up to abuse and Crisis Nursery is there to make sure it doesn't get to that point. I can only imagine the patience and empathy the folks at the Crisis Nursery employ every single day. This year they are granting holiday wishes for 1,700 kids in St. Louis. They still need help though--as of now 25 families will not get a Christmas this year. If you can, please donate here: http://www.crisisnurserykids.org/ Thanks so much for reading and happy holidays to each of you! If you have a favorite charity or know someone in need, please let us know.
Always, Emily You know that really bad dream when you leave the house without pants on or fail to wash the soap out of your hair on your first day of a new job? Well, I'm living the dream today people.
First of all the good news: starting today I am your new anchor for News 4 at Noon! Woohoo! Looking forward to lots of lunch dates with all of you. Now to the bad...which I probably should just keep to myself, but I know someone out there feels my pain. So while I did manage to put pants on before leaving my house and I promise you I *did* wash my hair, I'm here to confess that I didn't do it very well. At all. I started with good intentions. A nice deep condition to kick off a week of wonderful hair days, right? Right, that's how it always works for me too. Anyway, I didn't realize my mistake until mid-blow dry. The hair around my temples was not getting dry and I was starting to look like Danny Zuko from Grease. Not cute. I must have been so distracted that I forgot how to shampoo, and I most definitely didn't rinse and repeat. At this point, rewashing was just not an option. Too much time. I was already less than 6 hours away from 2 o'clock alarm and my eyelids were starting to feel heavy. So I decided to go with it. I have done my best to dry shampoo and tease and hide my hair, but alas, it will not go away. I can make no promises for my appearance when the clock strikes noon, but I hope you tune in anyway. I promise my hair ranks exactly last on the list of important things we will cover in the newscast. And a fun side note for all of you who've been told you weren't good enough or would never achieve your dreams: When I head out to the set today, I will be mentally sending just a teensy bit of credit to a former boss who once told me I would never be here. Never reporting the news in my hometown, never anchoring a show because of my "horrible Midwestern accent," and never finding any success in the television news business. Wherever he is today, all I have to say is thanks for giving me the motivation and determination to prove you wrong. Alright, that's all for now. I'm off to find more dry shampoo whilst humming along to Taylor Swift's, "Mean." Happy Monday, everybody! Emily I am so excited to share with you all that I won my first Emmy last weekend!! I never expected that it would be for helping out another reporter, but I'm proud I got to be part of telling a very special story about a little boy who lost his battle with brain cancer. See the story here: http://tinyurl.com/mar3zwa My contribution to the project involved shooting video at a SLU basketball game. At the time I actually had a pretty bad attitude about it.
It was a chilly Saturday night last November. Fellow reporter Mike Colombo asked the week before if I would shoot some of the game and the halftime ceremony featuring Joshua Brown's family. I said maybe-- but only if no one else could do it. Working the camera has never been my favorite part of the job, and shooting sports is a whole different animal...one that is WAY out of my comfort zone. I didn't want to do it and deep down, I doubted my ability to get the shots he needed. But I also knew how important this story was to Mike. And Joshua had unknowingly made an impact on me that year as well. I hoped and prayed for a full recovery for Josh as he fought his illness and like so many others, felt deeply saddened by his death. So when that Saturday rolled around, and Mike asked/begged every last 'real' photographer to help but none could make it, I said yes. I remember the nervousness building in my chest as we walked in the press entrance at Chaifetz Arena. The team was about to start warming up so we made our way to the court. Joshua had grown close with several of the SLU players the season before, so I wanted to get some up close shots. I awkwardly settled on the floor under the basket and started recording. It was my first time shooting sports since....college? maybe high school? Naturally, the camera was rolling for about 45 seconds when I got smoked in the face with a basketball. Boy, did that add to my cheerful disposition. Now I was on the verge of tears, questioning myself even more, and really feeling the pressure. Well, guess what? It all turned out okay. I got what we needed and even a few pretty decent shots. In all it's a small part of Mike's story and it was gracious of him to include me on the list of contributors. But I really believe there's a lesson here. There are opportunities and gifts where we least expect them. It's a reminder for me of all of those quotes about going out on the limb because that's where the fruit is. Except in this case the limb came in the form of a college basketball court and the fruit, a lovely gold statuette. It isn't how I imagined winning my first Emmy, but now I can say I wouldn't have it any other way. My new hardware will always represent the value of teamwork, of Joshua's impact on the world in his nine short years, and the power of choosing to believe in myself instead of doubt. Why did I waste my energy that night feeling insecure instead of trusting myself to rise to the occasion? I stuck it out and fell back on the 'fake it til you make it' mantra, but even that is playing small. Next time, I'm all in. And I'll be sure to tell you all about it. Thanks for reading, em Happy Labor Day, everybody! This is my first post with video, woohoo! Small victories for someone who is not the most tech-savvy. I'm excited to share my story from this morning's show--it's all about Girls In The Know, an awesome organization started right here in St. Louis. The group will be part of Bullying Prevention Day at Busch Stadium today, with lots of girls and their moms even going on the field before the game!
I first learned about GITK several months ago, on Give STL Day. I was scrolling through the list of organizations, feeling so inspired by all the love in St. Louis, and stumbled upon the description for GITK. I was so impressed! I had never heard of anything like it--- a group specifically geared for young girls and their moms, meant to help them navigate that crazy time of life that seems to leave no one unscathed: adolescence. Ugh! Even the mention of it makes some of us cringe. So I ended up meeting with the Executive Director of the organization, a wonderful woman named Gina. What a woman to look up to. We chatted about the core mission of GITK and the motivation behind all of it. These are moms who want to help their girls become strong, confident young women. Not helicopter parents, but sounding boards about topics that matter. So impressive. I had a great time collecting the elements of this piece and I'm glad we can get the word out about Girls In The Know. Special thanks to Gina for all her help! Please check out the story and let me know what you think in the comment section! Have a Happy Labor Day! If you're relaxing at home, flip on the tube at 11 a.m. I'll be anchoring an early edition of News Four at Noon before tennis. Thanks for reading (and watching!). That's the trade magazine I saw at Dobbs last week as I was getting an oil change. Believe it or not, Ferguson landed on the front page of 'Tire Business', which I'm told is a national publication for, you know, the tire business. The last two and a half weeks have been a blur, but I never got used to seeing the story top headlines in the national media. day after day. Things are much quieter now, but the story isn't going anywhere. Yesterday my dentist asked me about. Over the weekend I stumbled upon a pro-police rally on my way to get lunch. And every day at work we talk about what's going on, what's next, how do we advance the conversation. Since my post last week, I have continued to spend time in Ferguson, covering the situation in local schools, the continued protests (almost entirely peaceful now), and the broader implications of what happens next. What I said then still holds true-- there is no consensus. Some call this the new civil rights movement, some say it's time to let the Grand Jury run its course, others just want to get on with their lives after weeks of disruption to local businesses and schools. Late last week this group of protestors gathered on West Florissant. They marched with signs, some with hands up, then returned to the this designated gathering place (designated by police) and circled up to pray. I've been amazed by some people who we see protesting day after day, all night long.
This week, police are wrapping up their operation at 'Command Post', just a few blocks away from where that picture was taken. That's where the National Guard moved in to protect those law enforcement officers. The Guard is now gone, and businesses can resume normal operation. Before I go, I would like to send my deepest thanks to everyone who reached out to check on me these last few weeks. Especially to the friends and family who put up with the unreturned texts and phone calls, the missed birthday parties and cancelled plans. You are simply the best! Thank you. |