ESPN Boston's Brendan Hall

Encouragement and Advise for Aspiring Journalists: a Day with Brendan Hall

A hammer of accents breaks the ice covering a classroom full of journalists on the seventh floor of the Dubois Library. Brendan Hall, a writer for ESPNBoston.com tailored to the high school sports beat, sits comfortably at the front of the class. His advice as a successful reporter and former student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst gives to his thickly accented feedback.

During his tenure at UMass, Hall wrote for the Daily Collegian, Worcester Telegram, and the Hampshire Gazette. During his time with the Collegian he focused on sports pieces and police writing, a combination he believes aided his career tremendously. Hall continued informing the class of the valuable information he gleaned during his internship with the Boston Globe fall semester of his senior year.

A volley of questions and answers soon filled the classroom. “Details illuminate your story and give it life,” said Hall. After which each of the 16 or so heads in the room jerked down toward their notebooks.

The time Hall spent in the classroom was divided between a self-told biography, a variety of advice, and resulting question and answers.

Hall found himself answering questions ranging from his favorite piece, networking, writing styles, reporting formulas, and his own enjoyment of the high school sports beat from the aspiring students. Hall advised the students that practice would make perfect in their reporting.

When it came to questions regarding interviews and those difficult and prying questions, Hall had one thing to say “, avoid trigger words.” He explained the way that reporters phrased their questions had an enormous effect on the pending response, or lack there of. He encouraged the class to read up and gain background information on their subjects in order to make this job easier.

Hall was passionate in describing his love for the high school beat, and admitted he’s had a lot of fun. He pulled up a recently recorded podcast from ESPNBoston.com in order for the class to get a feel for his style of reporting.

He was quick to question the class as to whether they used Twitter, and encouraged them to do so, explaining that Twitter was an excellent way to get your work viewed, and claim credit for reporting a story first.

In closing, Hall advised the classroom of journalists to “, get the job done.” Placing emphasis on the importance of concisely reporting their stories, and worrying about style later.

When asked about his own style of reporting, he said it was natural and hard to describe accurately in words.

His personable nature, good humor, and exceptional advice is sure to have a positive affect on the students. In the least, its sure to get him a few more followers on Twitter.

Hard Knocks in the Eastern Bloc

Hard Knocks in the Eastern Bloc:

Professor talks life in Communist Romania

Leaning forward on the edge of his desk, arms crossed, Razvan Sibii cranes his neck toward the projector screen. Flashing newsreels illuminate just enough of his face for the rows of students to pick up on his telling body language: a raised eyebrow, and a smirk. The scene is typical for Sibii, who currently serves as Lecturer and Chief Undergraduate Advisor to the journalism department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

This analytical expression is but one of many byproducts that stemmed from Sibii’s childhood roots. Roots that traced back to Communist Romania in the 1980s.

In the confines of his advising office, Sibii referred to the city of his birthplace in Eastern Romania, a topic that acted as a portal back to his childhood. “Its called Arad. A-R-A-D,” said Sibii.

“I witnessed the anti-Communist Revolution, so I was born in Communism: in Communist dictatorship,” Sibii said. In 1979, Sibii was born into the Socialist Republic of Romania. An Eastern Bloc country headed by demagogue, Nicolae Ceausescu; until his over throw in 1989. “There was a bunch of shooting around my apartment, my building, back and forth; but nothing that affected my family directly in terms of bullets and all,” Sibii said. His expression unchanged as he detailed his experience.

Sibii lived with his father, mother, and older sister in apartment complex, a common form of housing in Arad. His mother worked as an engineer and his father as a gym teacher. “Arad was a poor city like the rest of Romania, but it was not a dirt poor city. My neighborhood, called Micalaca, was probably the roughest one in the town, but it was rough European-style: lots of fighting, but no guns so no dead kids,” said Sibii.

Razvan’s adaptation to life under rule of the Communist Party was similar to many of his fellow countrymen in that it was a requirement. He reminisced about pledging allegiance to both country and government while still in grade school, making comparisons to the similar American classroom institution. However, what set Sibii apart from many that lived under “The Party’s” stronghold was the uniqueness of his age.

“I’m not a lost generation like others older than me that could never change. But I am on the border, I think it did have a lot of influence,” said Sibii. It was this precarious position of neither here no there that eventually manifested itself as an advantage for him. The personal attributes and characteristics essential for survival in a dictatorship are reflective in Sibii, even noticeable in the cunning grin he so often wears.

The complexity of life under the constraints of dictatorship necessitated that each individual honed his or her respective street smarts, networked, and thought independently of those in control. “You’ll find people that say you’re a lot more aware and a lot more independent in your thinking in a dictatorship, because you don’t take anything for granted, than in a democracy where you believe everything they will tell you,” Sibii said.

Sibii explained that in the midst of black markets, state owned enterprises, horrible services, and very little economic productivity people clung to friends and family. “People relied on their friends because there was nothing else to rely on, but there was also a lot of hypocrisy and a lot of backstabbing,” said Sibii. A facet of life Sibii said only served to spike the underlying tensions pervasive in his community.

Sibii depicted a bleak situation that paralleled the modern day regimes of China and North Korea. Social mobility was extremely limited and permits to leave the country were scarce. Paralleling the Romanian school system and that of modern China, Sibii pointed to the commonality found in both countries’ militaristic mantra of “keep up or be left behind”. “Oh I hated school, I used to have nightmares,” said Sibii.

Oddly enough, however, the demanding landscape of life outside the classroom had its perks for Sibii in the rigid classroom setting. “The environment: well, the environment gave me the street smarts we were talking about. The ability to multi-task, the ability to work quickly, all the things that I then benefitted from were an unintended byproduct of working under horrible pressures,” said Sibbi.

The regime eventually could no longer sustain itself, and toppled in 1989, when Razvan was age ten. Sibii explained that although a shift took place in the dynamics of government power, not much changed. Opportunity came for Sibii not in the wake of Communism, but as a result of his academic pursuits.

He received a six-month scholarship in tenth grade to study at a high school in Michigan. At 16 years old, he left his family, friends, and native language and became fully immersed in American culture.

“You change your school, it’s a big deal, you change your language your country, and it’s a big deal. I changed them all at once; it was an amazing learning experience. It opened my eyes to the world”.

Sibii returned to Romania, finished high school, and was accepted to the American University in Bulgaria. With an enrollment of students from 40 different countries, it was another perspective changing experience he would liken to the six months spent abroad in Michigan. “When I got money for from somebody, I took advantage of it,” said Sibii. He used scholarship money to travel abroad each summer where he attended conferences and presented papers, eventually moving back to Romania fulltime after graduation.

What Sibii described as an “itch” to travel and unhappiness with the possibility of a “plateau” in both his education and career, prompted him to apply to several graduate schools around the world.

After receiving a degree of mastery in Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Razvan continued to add to his growing list of credentials. Reporting and writing for Aradeanul Magazine, Banateanul Magazine, and Adevarul Holding. He currently serves Adevarul Holding as a representative while teaching, advising, and pursuing a doctorate degree of Communication.

Just this past year Sibii was married to his fiancée and now wife, a New York native, has developed an admitted a fondness for Long Island. “It’s my favorite city in the world,” he said.

“I am here for the foreseeable future,” said Sibii, referring to his job and the pursuit of his doctorate degree. However, he did mention that he would enjoy living in another country at some point listing Spain, Latin America, and a best friend in Dubai as possibilities.

Sibii continues to visit his family each summer in Romania. Homage to a country that has had a defining role in the shaping of his character, and a city that will always be home.

Showing vs. Telling

Surrounded by a sea of note-cards, 20 year old Carolyn Martin tests her knowledge about Human Anatomy for the fourth hour straight in the Du Bois library. After earning a C- in the class last year, a point away from the required grade for Nursing majors, Martin was forced to take the class again. This put her a year behind her fellow nursing students, making her a 5^th year senior.

A West Roxbury native, Martin always showed signs of excellence when it came to school. She attended Mount Alvernia, an all-girl private Catholic school, where she was awarded the honor of valedictorian. So why is she doing poorly now?

“The classes are a lot harder and require more studying then I’m used to. I kind of slacked off freshman year thinking I could just skate by, but I definitely can’t,” Martin said.

Martin is determined to excel this year, and refuses to let anything get in her way. “I used to care more about going out with my friends and work came second, but now work comes first. If sitting in this library for six more hours is what it takes to get an A, then so be it,” she says, setting in fro some more studying after eating an apple.

The Pawn Shop Fox Proprietors

Like most American’s affected by the recent economy, you likely have found yourself desperate for cash. As you are driving down a very sketchy street, you spot big, bright, neon lights that read “$ Quick Cash” beaming in your direction. You try to ignore it, but the next sign reads “You NEED $.” It’s almost as if they’re speaking directly to you. What else can you do, but pull in?

As you enter this local pawnshop, you browse the store walls filled with miscellaneous items offered by hopeless strangers in a time of need. Soon it will be your most prized possession sitting on that dusty shelf.

You turn the corner and see another sign that reads “Secret Tunnel (Employees Only).” You peer around the store and notice no one. Once you realize that you are completely alone, you decide to see what lies ahead. As you emerge from the dark and dingy tunnel, a huge pile of cash and an open vault just waiting for you to indulge welcomes you. Fate can only take you so far, though. It is now time for you to make a major decision; do you sell something that means the world to you, or do you take the money and run?

This moral dilemma is the basis of Hampden Gallery’s latest exhibit, “THE PAWN SHOP FOX PROPRIETORS,” created by artists Tim Winn and Zehra Khan.

“The exhibit has no specific message per say, but the artists are asking you to think about ‘what is the value of your possessions,’” says Gallery Director Anne LaPrade.

LaPrade spotted the outlandish exhibit on a trip to Worcester State University, and immediately knew that it belonged showcased at Hampden Gallery for the students of Umass Amherst to enjoy. So, LaPrade contacted the expressive artists, and the rest was history.

Both recipients of their Master of Fine Art's degree from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Winn and Khan are a collaborative team based out of Provincetown, Mass. They have been working together for 4 years, hosting exhibits at places such as Cape Cod Community College and Gallery Ehva, in Provincetown.

Winn was recently featured in the 2011 Northeast edition of New American Paintings and Zehra is part of the New York City Drawing Center Viewing Program.

The exhibit starts out with a two-minute video loop created by the artists as an introduction to their piece. In the video, Winn and Khan are dressed up as the two foxes that are the pawnshop proprietors. The video loop presents you with a little background as to who the foxes are, and gives you a sense of their characters.

According to LaPrade, the artists chose foxes as the owners because they are “sneaky, sly, and cunning,” and will make you think twice.

The rest of the exhibit was designed by paper drawings. The artists started out with small-scale pen and ink drawings, which they later photocopy enlarged, and then finished off with water paint. It is this process that gives the exhibit an almost graffiti-like feel, combining a cartoon world with reality.

The exhibit is extremely interactive, allowing onlookers to walk through the pawnshop and into the vault room. Spectators also have the ability to take a piece of the printed money, presenting them with the moral issue that the artists were trying to convey when creating this piece.

Winn and Khan added a bit of a quirky twist, placing price tags on each item in the shop, which visitors are allowed to actually purchase if they’d like. This hands-on method seems to appeal to the audience.

Eleanor Wong, Hampden Gallery employee, says, “I like that it’s very interactive and allows you get a feel for it on your own.”

Journalism student Jared Tringale agrees, saying, “Being able to walk around and immerse yourself in the exhibit lets you to draw your own conclusions and assumptions about the piece. I think that’s what makes this exhibit so cool.”

The exhibit somewhat represents a very serious issue that American’s are currently facing during this time of economic decay. In times of desperation, morals suddenly come into question. The artists wonder, is money more important to us than objects?

What is different about this piece is that even though it symbolizes such a dark issue, it still manages to come off as light and witty as well, making it a crowd pleaser.

Tom Konan, photographer for the Hampden Gallery, says, “It has a really interesting edge. I would definitely like to see more from these two.”