The Story
CNN Takes Over William and Mary
Celebrations to mark the inauguration of the next College Chancellor, former Defense Secretary and College alumnus Robert Gates, began, in keeping with the College of William and Mary’s glamorous past, when news station CNN broadcast its daily show ‘John King, USA’ live from the Wren Courtyard on Thursday, February 2.
For the millions watching across the nation it gave an interesting insight into the College and its administration. To those who had gathered onsite to get a firsthand view of the filming process however, the absence of a sound system or big screen showing of the program left CNN’s event invitation to the whole College community seeming both redundant and insincere.
As dusk fell across Williamsburg, John King, the news station’s chief national correspondent, took to the steps of College President Taylor Reveley’s home before a crowd of Tribespeople decorated in green and gold to show their allegiance to the College on the eve of its 319th birthday. Indeed, the broadcast formed part of the College’s annual Charter Day celebrations, which this year honor over three centuries since the release of a Royal Charter establishing the College.
Disappointing to many of the students that gathered to watch the episode being filmed, there was no microphone facility available, meaning that the vast majority of onlookers were unable to hear the broadcast. The few students that had managed to find a spot close to King were dominated by a group of vocal Ron Paul supporters, who waved huge signs before the rolling cameras.
The show itself featured the first interview with Robert Gates since his retirement in July 2011 from President Obama’s cabinet, a subject of interest to many within the campus community who saw this as their first introduction to Gates as new College Chancellor.
Before the program began Emily Dawes (2013) said, “I think this is going to be interesting because a lot of people only really know Bob Gates as a guy in government. In a place like William and Mary, I guess the most important thing is having someone that knows the community well and understands the ‘x factor’ that makes the College what it is. The way he is seen in his first interview since leaving office is especially important now then, so we can get a sense of what he’s actually like.”
His performance proved to be popular however. When asked by King who he would be supporting in the next election, he responded “I have always voted for who I thought was the best person.”
For the campus community this was an important move that suggested, in the words of Bryant Lampkin (2013), “[…] a man of real integrity. For a place where trust is so important I think the way he answered that question shows he goes with his heart, which is so crucial to the College fabric.”
The school received some publicity during the hour-long show with King referring to it as a “great university” and reeling off the names of well-known figures connected to the College including Thomas Jefferson and Henry Kissinger. At one point he even delivered an address to the camera whilst brandishing one of the many “alma mater of a nation” placards that had been handed out to the audience prior to the program’s 6pm start.
This drew an even greater response from the crowd, who had remained excitable throughout, prompting King to tell his nationwide audience that he had a “rowdy, feisty group of students behind [him]”. As the program came to an end King remained on sites for students to sign autographs. Fortunately for him, the poor sound system meant that most had fled the courtyard to get a better view from the comfort of their dorms and so he was not kept long before he was able to return to Washington.