Page 12 of Hailey Goes to College

“Hailey, right?” A tall, slender guy with dark hair and glasses approaches me. He has an air of calm authority, and I recognize him from the brief meeting we had during my one and only newspaper staff meeting.

“Yes, that’s me,” I say, extending my hand. “You must be Kevin.”

“That’s right,” he says, shaking my hand firmly. “I’m the editor-in-chief. It’s great to have you here, Hailey. Come on, let’s grab a seat and chat.”

We find a quiet corner in the office, and I sit across from him, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. Kevin has a stack of papers in front of him, but he sets them aside and gives me his full attention. I know he’s a senior but he seems so much more put together, he reminds me of one of my old teachers back in Arizona.

“So, Hailey, tell me a bit about yourself and why you’re interested in joining the newspaper,” he says, leaning back in his chair.

“Well,” I begin, taking a deep breath, “I’ve always loved writing. In high school, I was part of the school newspaper, and I enjoyed covering various events and getting to know different people. I think journalism is a powerful way to tell stories and shed light on important issues. I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute to the campus newspaper and learn from the team.”

Kevin nods, a thoughtful expression on his face. “That’s great to hear. We’re always looking for passionate writers who are eager to dive into stories and bring fresh perspectives. Have you thought about any specific topics or areas you’d like to cover?”

“I’m open to a lot of different things,” I say. “But I’m particularly interested in campus events, student life, and maybe some investigative pieces. I think there are so many stories here just waiting to be told.”

“Perfect,” Kevin says, smiling. “We definitely need someone with your enthusiasm and curiosity. In fact, I have an assignment that might be right up your alley.”

He reaches for a notebook and flips through it, then looks up at me. “There’s been some buzz around campus about a group of guys who might be involved in some online trading from their dorms. They’re all business or finance majors, and there’s speculation that they’re not just trading for fun but might be running some kind of operation. It’s all rumors at this point, but it could make for an interesting story.”

I give him a quizzical look. “Why is that a story? People are allowed to have stock. That seems like a hobby those people would have.”

“We don’t know if they’re doing anything illegal or just acting like finance guys.” He rolls his eyes. “But I want to know. That’s why you should just talk to them, see if they’re up to anything. Here.” He hands me a piece of paper. “Go to Anderson, ask around, see if you can find anyone willing to talk—or brag—about what they’re doing. Could be something, could be nothing.” He shrugs. “If it’s nothing we can find you something else.”

I look down at the notes and chew on my bottom lip. This seems like nothing, but if I turn it down he might think I’m ungrateful and I’ll be typing up the intramural sports schedule for the next year. I look up and give him a wide smile. “I’ll look into it,” I promise.

“Great,” Kevin says, standing up and offering his hand again. “Welcome to the team, Hailey. I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.”

“Thank you, Kevin,” I say, shaking his hand. “I won’t let you down.”

As I leave the office my mind is racing. What am I supposed to do? Walk up to someone and ask if their favorite movie is Wall Street? It also seems somewhat embarrassing to start asking around if people are trading stock and if that stock is illegal in some way. I don’t really know anything about stock, and other than high-level inside trading, what else is there?

I decide to head over to Anderson Hall and see if anyone is willing to talk to me, or at least explain what it is that’s going on. It crosses my mind that I could ask Ryan, but our relationship is fresh and I don’t want him to think I’m accusing him of something—or worse come off as an idiot.

The building is busier than I would expect this late in the afternoon. This building seems to be designed to make people want to stay. There are desks and lounging areas around, and there’s a Starbucks kiosk. Must be nice to be a business major. I look around, trying to see if anyone looks like the type to talk to a stranger about stock trading. I spot a girl sitting alone by a window and start to make my way over but I stop when I see a guy approach her from behind and kiss her cheek. She probably wouldn’t be amiable to the interruption.

I change course when I spot a cluster of people who may or may not all be together seeing as they’re on separate laptops and not speaking to one another. I try getting their attention by clearing my throat but no one looks up. This is getting me nowhere. Who knew they’d be a bunch of snobs? Now I’m hoping they are doing something nefarious just so I can rub their noses in it.

Finally, I walk over to a couch and sit down next to a guy on a laptop with headphones on. He looks over, clearly annoyed, but quickly changes his face into a lazy smile and removes his headphones. “Hi,” he says.

Finally. “Hi! I’m Hailey,” I say, and I try not to cringe. I sound like I’m running for prom queen. “I’m writing a story for the paper,” I rush to explain. “Can I talk to you?”

He gives me a lazy smile and sets his laptop down on the table in front of him. “Sure. Anything to help out the school newspaper.”

I ignore his patronizing tone. “What’s your name?”

“Matt. This is a great start,” he quips. “Should we get coffee?”

I look over at the line at the kiosk. “No thanks. So what’s your major?”

“Finance. Are you doing student profiles or something?”

“Not really. Do you guys do stock trading?”

He narrows his eyes. “Like as class exercises? Yes. Thinking of changing your major?”

I laugh. “That would be a no.” I pretend to look for something in my bag and check over the notes from Kevin before pulling out lipgloss. “So do you do any real trading? Not the pretend kind in class.”

“Yes,” he draws out, and I can tell he’s trying to suss out what I’m doing. “Look Hailey, are you trying to see my portfolio? I feel like you’d have to go to dinner with me first.”

---