Lori Bonne
Associate editor
High: Getting to meet author R.L. Stine (above). He was a great guy (and just a bit ghoulish).
Low: Trying Mehndi! Getting my hands painted with henna dye for a story on the Mehndi craze was hands down the biggest pain! It took hours. It didn’t look good. And we got letters from readers who said we were disrespectful to Indian culture.
Mark Caro
Staff writer
High: Interviewing Michael Jordan and learning that the weirdest MJ memorabilia he ever saw was the tongue depressor his dentist used on him. And attending President Clinton’s inauguration in January 1993, with members of R.E.M. and U2 performing at the star-studded MTV Inaugural Ball.
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Low: Having to see “Home Alone” and “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” on two straight nights before interviewing Macaulay Culkin (who was cool).
Denise Joyce
Supervisor
High: Meeting one of my idols. We were sitting at a table talking about upcoming stories when a tall, African-American man walked into the room. My coworkers watched in stunned silence as I yammered on to this guy about how much I admired his work. They had no clue that the awesome presence I was making such a fuss over was Michael Dorn, Worf of “Star Trek” fame. I recognized him right away, even without his Klingon makeup and Starfleet uniform.
Low: Using in a headline a four-letter slang term that rhymes with “tart” and describes what happens when you pass gas. We thought it might be a tad naughty – but not nasty. But the word made parents and some of our editors at the Tribune wrinkle up their nose. We felt like skid marks on a hotel towel. It took a long time for the air to clear on this one.
Benjamin Lowe
Summer Intern
High: Going on a mission to find the best vanilla shake in Chicago.
Low: Becoming the Barbie beat reporter and having to listen to that horrible song “Barbie Girl.”Ugh!
Stephen Ravenscraft
Former Art Director
High: Looking up from my computer one day just as the Bulls’ Scottie Pippen walked in for an interview. Cool, huh? Also, being kind enough to let editor Devin Rose beat me in lasertag during a game with staff and readers. It just feels good when you know you’ve done the right thing, you know?
Low: Getting smacked in the head in the dark by some low-lying ornamental protrusion while playing lasertag. I know for certain my aim was off after that, and I had an egg-sized lump on my forehead to prove it.
Devin Rose
Editor
High: Listening to readers SCREAM when we call them and tell them they have won something in a contest. (It’s amazing what a rush you readers get out of free stuff!) Also, beating writer Mark Caro at Whack-A-Mole during a staff field trip to Enchanted Castle. AND beating art director Stephen Ravenscraft – who can’t admit the reason he lost is that he reeks – at lasertag. (Can I help it if I’m competitive?)
Low: Reading the news wires on the day rock star Kurt Cobain was found dead in his home. It was so creepy, because the news trickled across the wires over a period of hours – reporters released the little they knew sentences at a time. The first sentence simply said, “A body was found today at the home of Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain.”Though we weren’t certain it was our adored Kurt, in our hearts we knew…
Amanda Vogt
Staff Writer
High: Going to Great America. Rating the rides was one of our easier assignments. We got to play hooky for a day, something we haven’t done since our school days.
Low: Watching the ants in our mail-order ant farm die. We frantically tried to revive them with water, bread and Doritos, but without success. The high point of this low was when we released the remaining ants.
Ben Yonzon
Art Director
High: Visiting the schools that won contests. I loved seeing the faces of the excited kids and listening to their creative ideas and questions.
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Low: The day I missed joining the staff in a game of lasertag. The problem was, I got stranded when I drove through a flooded viaduct. I sat in my car waiting for the brakes to dry while I imagined what kind of fun I was missing. I found out the next Monday when Devin walked in waving her scorecard and bragging about how she beat Steve. Of course, Steve had a good reason for losing. He hit his head in the dark on a wall. I believed him.