BROOKLYN WORKS HARDER Bristow, OK Grad, Brooklyn Wayland in Washington, D.C

from The Corridor Magazine_May 2020

EDITORIAL

Brooklyn Works Harder

BRISTOW, OK GRAD, BROOKLYN WAYLAND IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

by JOSH HARRINGTON

Being a journalist is one of the most thankless and unforgiving occupations to which someone could ever subject themselves. It is also inherently critical to the survival of our democracy in the United States. Without unbiased journalism, how would earth-shattering revelations like Watergate have been brought to light? How would the American populace stay informed of crony capitalism and nepotism commonplace in government? How would our media avoid falling to projections supplied by a politburo, akin to the news in Soviet Russia or Communist China today?

“The press should be a watchdog for the American people against the government,” University of Oklahoma student Brooklyn Wayland pointed out. Ms. Wayland is not merely a journalism student. She’s been in the thick of politics and humanities for as long as she can remember, and she has a keen interest in bringing the latest and most pressing revelations to light.

What I remember most about Brooklyn in high school was that she was very involved and very driven to succeed. She was at every football game, every school concert, every school play, and always wearing her bright, beaming smile. I recently caught up with my longtime friend to flip the script and interview the interviewer.

Brooklyn is the daughter of Mike and Cindy Wayland of Bristow; Mike is the Principal at Cushing High School and Cindy is the Counselor at Edison Elementary School in Bristow, but you can also catch her with a camera on the sideline under the Friday Night Lights. Brooklyn and her brother, Tyler, graduated from Bristow High School in 2017 and 2019, respectively, and they are now both going on to pursue their collegiate endeavors. Brooklyn currently attends the University of Oklahoma in Norman where she is enrolled at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Despite her rather fiery passion for journalism evident in our discussion, as well as her ambitions to work for the New York Times or the Washington Post, she wasn’t always sure that’s what she wanted to do.

“The first time I wanted to be a journalist was when I read a piece on the 15th Anniversary of 9/11, and the experience of reading something I didn’t remember at all, seeing photos, and hearing the personal stories of the victims was intriguing to me. I think it’s amazing that I could feel like I was there even though I wasn’t.” The press should be a watchdog for the

American people against the government, University of Oklahoma student Brooklyn Wayland pointed out. “

“Brooklyn having some fun at the Washington Monument in D.C.

This intrigue sparked her interest, and, after taking note of similar revelations of OU faculty Julie Jones, Mike Boettcher, and John Schmeltzer, it became cemented that this was her calling. Brooklyn also cites her parents’ encouragement has been vital to her success.

“My parents have been so supportive; at first, I was scared to tell them I didn’t want to go to law school, since every parent wants their child to go to law school or medical school. I told them, and they said, ‘If that’s what your passion is, you have to do it.’”

This decision has blossomed into many opportunities for Brooklyn. She was afforded the privilege to not only intern at the Shawnee News Star where she learned the ropes of local journalism, but also the chance to live in Washington, D.C. for three months as an intern for the Gaylord News where she covered the latest news regarding our delegates and bills that impact our state. This outlet has allowed her work to be syndicated across Oklahoma publications as well as developing long-lasting connections that eventually flourished into a summer internship with the Huffington Post where she will continue to cover politics.

While working for the Gaylord News, Brooklyn notably spoke to and covered Governor Kevin Stitt, Senator Jim Inhofe, and Congresswoman Kendra Horn and even went to New Hampshire to document Senator Elizabeth Warren’s visit during her bid in the 2020 Democratic primaries; however, despite covering some of the most powerful people in the nation, her self-professed most notable interview came in the form of one she conducted with an elder of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes.

“He told me the story of his grandparents being educated at Riverside Indian Boarding School (of Anadarko,) and it was just really a beautiful interview. I’d never met this man, but we talked for two hours; we just chatted about his life, what his upbringing entailed, and by the end of it, we were both crying and laughing together. I will never forget that. He gave me a beaded medallion at the end that he had made, and told me it was a part of their culture to give to people who make impacts in their lives. It’s a gift that I treasure greatly.”

For Brooklyn, keeping her pieces relevant, accurate, and concise has been both difficult, but also second-nature, as she touts herself as her biggest critic. She recounted the time writing her article for the Native American volume, as she endlessly revised it before she decided to completely rewrite it to her liking, and, for someone who puts the “pro” in “procrastination,” hearing this sent shivers down my spine. Alongside peer reviews to ensure a complete lack of bias, another way she keeps relevancy is to soak up as much information on a topic as possible before heading into anything from a press briefing or a simple interview.

“I do this so I feel like I’m an expert on the subject before I go into writing about it. For example, I’ve written about health care so much recently which is something I had to become very literate on very fast. Trying to understand all the complicated subjects that are covered is super important as a journalist.”

To ensure her expertise, she confessed that, at times, she may have literally chased delegates across the Capitol to get the latest scoop. While she acknowledged people will appreciate your credibility if they can sense that you’re genuine in your work, for a busy politician, chasing them down is often the most effective way to get the facts.

“When I was working at the Capitol, my friends used to say, “The devil may work hard, but Brooklyn works harder!” I didn’t see it in the same light; I just had so much fun doing what I got to do, I kind of lost sight of the fact that it was my job.”

Towards the end of our conversation, I asked who her dream interview was, and, in typical Brooklyn fashion, she went above and beyond to enchant me with her insight.

“I’m going to have to pick a couple of people; I can’t just pick one: Michelangelo, as there’s something so beautiful about how he captured human essence and emotion in his art; FDR, just because he’s my favorite president. He took such care to rebuild the nation and to combat fascism; and Paul from the Bible, who was persecuted for what he believed in but continued that fight, a quality I think is admirable and beautiful. And he really showcases human drive.”

Brooklyn was eloquent, thoughtful, and courteous throughout our discussions, but her closing statements on Paul the Apostle really struck a chord with me. In the face of certain peril, Paul continued to fight for his beliefs, and, in a sort, journalists are comrades in that fight. They are constantly at odds with the establishment in the fight for truth. This truth is something Brooklyn has a great fervor to communicate, and I certainly wish her well in her future endeavors. n

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