CLAREMORE — For better or worse, Claremore is sometimes in the news.
But Tuesday, the news was in Claremore, as Channel 8 anchor Kristen Dickerson was guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Claremore.
“I heard that there were a lot of OU fans in the crowd today? I just wanted to tell you all that I’m really sorry — I have to apologize for the beating that you might be getting this year from OSU,” Dickerson said, alluding to her background at Oklahoma State University. “Seriously, though, thank you all so much for having me today. I just want to take a few minutes to tell you about my background, myself, and what I do.”
Dickerson, originally form Las Cruces, N.M., came to Oklahoma to ride on the Oklahoma State University Women’s Equestrian Team, where in 2001, she captured second and fourth place (finish) at West Texas in the Western Open Horsemanship, and in 2002, she placed third in Reining at Kansas State University.
“I was basically a ‘walk-on’ for the OSU (Women’s) Equestrian Team, and coming from New Mexico, I couldn’t get over how friendly Oklahomans were,” she said. “Near graduation, I began my internship at Channel 8. I’d actually applied at Channel 6 (CBS) originally, but when I went in (to Channel 8) for the interview, they were so welcoming and it felt right — I knew I was home.”
Eventually, Dickerson’s internship led to a full-time position which segued into her five-year stint on “Good Morning Oklahoma” and “Good Day Tulsa,” where she took on some of her more “interesting” assignments.
“Working opposite (co-host) Keith (Taylor) was terrific — he’s such an easy-going guy with a great sense of humor — I learned a lot from him, but when I was first getting started, I was a little naive, and could be talked into just about anything,” she said. “Ever hear of ‘noodling?’ Neither had I, but I got talked into it — I should have researched it first, because for that one, I found myself in lake in Stillwater, Oklahoma in my bathing suit, on camera, and reaching into an ‘empty hole’ and waiting for something to bite my hand — it sounds easy enough, but it was harder than it looks. Every time I’d feel something bite me, I would instinctively jerk back and it was like rubbing sandpaper on my hand.
“Three or four times later, I managed to do what I was supposed to do — just grab hold of whatever was biting me — and pull it out of the water,” she said. “It wasn’t but a few pounds but in my mind, when it was biting me, it felt like about 50 — I was glad when that one was over.”
Dickerson further recounted the times she and then-anchor were under attack by an in-studio wasp — on the air — when she went rock climbing, and was talked into sky-diving.
“Some of the experiences (as a reporter and anchor) have been silly and others have scary, but all of them have been memorable — I’ve learned something from each one,” she said. “It’s not an easy job, and the hours are long, but I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”
Dickerson then concluded her address with the playing of a segment she produced and reported featuring Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger John Cummings of Claremore.
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