Life Written in Light

Caution

2010-06-30T10:43:00.000-04:00

"A man walks across the suspension bridge in Ithaca, NY at Cornell University on May 30, 2010. Ever since the recent suicides this past semester, the Cornell University has installed chain link fences equipped with barbed wire to prevent more deaths."

I went to Cornell a few weeks ago for my sister's graduation. I had read earlier in the year about the deaths from students jumping off the suspension bridge into the gorges.

Now when I say gorge, I don't mean a small gorge, these things are huge!

Literally walking across the bridge and looking down was scary. I almost wondered why they didn't have these fences earlier.

Shocker

2010-06-18T20:49:00.004-04:00

"A modern Ford Mustang sits idle at a red light across the street from the Saleem Auto repair shop on June 18, 2010."

Ever since I have lived off of Main street, the Saleem Auto repair shop has been active, but now it is gone. A symbol of the recession? Not sure...

Either way, it was a symbol for me of good pictures.

A while back, there was an American flag left in the front window of the shop, but now it is gone. I thought that would have been a killer picture, but when I went there today, someone took it out.

Drat.

However, I shot this frame and only realized its great significance after I toned it at home. This picture captures the exact reason WHY small businesses like Saleem are closing.

People simply take there cars to large, corporation-owned dealerships, not small hometown repair shops.

Wouldn't it make sense though for people to take there cars to the dealership since they would appear more honest? If you ask my mom, she doesn't think they have the word honest in their vocabulary.

For a while, we were getting our cars fixed at a local shop like Saleem Auto repair for this exact reason.

Oh, the irony

Finality

2010-06-03T18:55:00.001-04:00

"Deaconess Health Center employee Charlie Reigelman spends a moment to ponder his last delivery of food as a member of the dietary staff. After 36 years as a Deaconess employee, Reigelman retired on June 3, 2010."

When I asked what he would miss the most about his job, Charlie said the people.

Charlie has been working at the Deaconess Health Center for longer than I have been alive, which is quite an accomplishment in my eyes. However, I and several of his employees had a feeling that he wouldn't be gone too long.

He is mentally disabled, yet is able to function just like any normal human being, and has the pictures to prove it.

According to a few nurses, Charlie has pictures with every single Hooters employee in Buffalo and was able to get back stage for multiple plays at the famous Shea's performing arts center.

Quite the man.

Self-Portrait Through Glass Door

2010-06-02T20:14:00.002-04:00

Surprise Visit

2010-06-02T11:34:00.000-04:00

On March 26, 2010 several of the Buffalo Bills players visited the V9 playroom at the hospital. The players come every few weeks to hang out with the sick children. The V9 unit is usually same-day surgery so the turn around is pretty fast, which means its not likely that these kids will see the players more than once.

This poor kid walked into the playroom fresh off anesthesia not knowing what was going on, and gave the Bills player a high-five and left.

Thumbs Up!

2010-06-02T09:03:00.002-04:00

"Alexander Jackson looks out across the vast array of fans and baseball players at Coca-Cola Field during the Buffalo Bisons vs. Toledo Mud Hens minor league baseball game on May 27, 2010. The Bisons won 8-7. Alex, age 4, along with his sister Amelia, age 5, have serious illnesses that require constant care at Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo. The Jackson family was given complimentary tickets provided by Stone's Buddies, a program that supports families of children living with serious illnesses."

On Thursday, May 27, 2010 I had the opportunity to photograph the Jackson family at a Buffalo Bison's game. Two of the Jackson children, Alexander and Amelia, have serious illnesses that require constant care at the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, NY. To provide support for families like the Jackson's, the hospital provides a service called Stone's Buddies to aide families with children who have chronic conditions. Here's some frames from my coverage.

Prom

2010-05-28T18:32:00.002-04:00

Love/Hate

2010-05-16T00:37:00.000-04:00

After the seven hour drive from school, I'm finally home.

I love the solitude of my house and seeing the awesome peoples from high school and rowing, but I still miss Fairfield.

Speaking of love/hate, let's talk about photography.

As soon as I got home, I went out with my two dogs, Zeus and Hera, and my camera. I shot for a bit, but as I was heading into the house, I had a fleeting thought.

For an instant, I thought, what if I had stayed for another minute and my dogs had made a killer expression or done something crazy like they always do. If they had, I could have gotten a better photo.

I usually live with no regrets, but with photography, it's about that decisive moment. If you miss it, that great photo is nothing.

So stay a bit longer and wait for something special, but if not, don't worry about it.

Perception

2010-04-19T00:36:00.000-04:00

"Visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City gather around one of the museum's most popular pieces, Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night on April 7, 2010. A combination of the warm weather and college spring vacations brought hoards of people onto the streets of New York and to the museums."

I, along with thousands of others, went to New York City to visit the MoMA. It seemed the majority of people at the museum that day were students who came in groups to peruse around to look at some famous paintings.

Aside from the obvious paintings, sculptures, etc. in museums, there one other recurring theme. Photography.

Nope, I'm not talking about photo exhibitions, I'm talking about the plethora of wanna-be photographers and more recently, videographers in museums.

I MEAN COME ON, THE PAINTING IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. THERE'S NO NEED TO TAKE A PICTURE OF IT.

Honestly, have any of these museum-goers heard of over saturation in the media. Simply put, there are enough copies of Starry Night to go around on that are significantly better quality than the photo said museum goers take.

Notice the people in the photo above. The people facing the painting are all looking at it through LCD screens and the other visitors are walking away because they probably already took a picture.

What happened to people visiting museum to appreciate the work and give the work the respect it deserves, and take a moment to appreciate it.

Clearly, people these days visit museums for the wrong reasons.

The Home Life

2010-04-08T13:25:00.000-04:00

Here's one of my crazy dogs Hera. The other one, Zeus is older, but just as crazy. Living away from home has its perks, but I sure miss my pooches.

There's nothing like having dogs. Every time I come home, they greet me as if I haven't been home in a decade. Tell me one human who will do that! Ok, yea so I'm not knocking people, I'm just sayin'

Sunday Funday

2010-04-08T13:19:00.000-04:00

Baseball season is upon us and that means I have to get off the couch and start shooting. Out of all sports, baseball requires the most patience and sitting around. I often leave early because I get bored, but this time, I'm determined to stay the whole time.

Also, my past experience with baseball is not great, as I've been hit in the eye while pitching. That experience certainly stopped me from going back, but this time I'm gonna hit up the field and not hide behind the fences.

Wish me luck. See ya out there.

It's Been Awhile

2010-04-06T16:19:00.000-04:00

"Both Fairfield town residents (top) and Fairfield students (bottom) participated in the Garden Catering chicken nugget eating contest at the men's lacrosse game against Hobart on March 27, 2010."

It sure has been a long time since I blogged. I'm relatively sorry to all my readers (I really didn't think I had any until five people in the last few days told me they read it). Wow, that's five more readers than I thought!

I've been a busy sumbitch recently and blogging hasn't been on the mind. Don't worry kids, I'm back like Jay-Z, but like Jay-Z, I can't guarantee I'll stay for long. KIDDING.

The above two frames were taken during the men's lacrosse game against Hobart. By the way, men's lacrosse has been crushing it lately and I'm uber excited for them. YEA.

Anyways, I really like the negative space in the top picture, but I realized I needed to include the bottom one because the top frame doesn't show any chicken wings.

Nonetheless, my editor agreed and we ran the bottom one. I can't tell which one I like better, but I'm glad we ran the bottom one for the viewers sake.

Thanks for reading. I'll be updating alot more in the coming days. Peace.

A Word of Advice, If You Will

2010-03-04T01:42:00.001-05:00

Two weeks ago on February 20, 2010 I shot the annual spring concert at Fairfield University. The acts included Eve 6, Kat Deluna and Sean Kingston.

But what I will remember most from the show were the DJs. Not only were they great, but they also contacted me after the show to get photos from me.

I am sometimes weary of giving away my photos for free, but to a fellow creative artist, I often break my own rule.

These guys, DJ NASTY NAZ (Sean Kingston's DJ) and DJ SPYNFO (concert DJ) both wanted photos of themselves in action during the concert, and I kindly obliged.

Here comes the lesson.

Always shoot everything whenever covering an event because you never know who will want photos. Regardless of whether or not to charge them, if it's not too much work to tone and edit photos, getting your name out it far more important.

Bein' Lazy

2010-02-28T21:55:00.000-05:00

Photography is amount capturing moments. These moments can be special, scary, funny, important, revealing, etc.

I can tell from experience that one of the worst feelings in the world is seeing a "moment" going down in a sport or every day life, and not capturing it.

The reason the frame above is of my camera sitting idle at a lacrosse game is that I often wonder if I missing out on better moments by staying in the same area during games.

Staying put during games does guarantee that I am close to the action when it comes to me, but that means missing stuff on the other side.

But the other side it a whole field/court away, so I think I'll save the energy and my dignity and stay put.

Taking the Plunge

2010-02-28T13:14:00.000-05:00

"A participant in the 20th annual Penguin Plunge to benefit the Special Olympics at Hammonasset State Park Beach in Madison, CT revs up the plungers as they spring towards the frigid waters of the Long Island Sound on February 27, 2010."

This my first time covering this sort of thing. To be honest, I've always wanted to cover a winter plunge, and this one awesome.

The dream team (Annie Rooney and I) went cover it, but showed up two hours early. Sure enough, we were cold, but then we looked at the plungers and felt instantly better.

Now for the question? Did I take the plunge?

The answer is no. But, mark my word, I will try it one day.

Absolutely Absurd

2010-02-25T00:54:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday my editor told me to get a picture of the health center. Why? Students are in an uproar (too strong) because the health center will no longer be open 24 hours.

What a ridiculous decision.

Well, at least every other hospital in the area will be open when an emergency happens at 2 a.m.

Might be too late though.

Maybe charge us more tuition to pay the nurses. Oh wait, we are already charged enough.

I thought this frame, which was shot from a car, portrayed the dismal feeling of being sick at night and not being able to get access to proper health care.

Let's hope things turn around.

Don't Expect Anything

2010-02-24T12:58:00.000-05:00

"Fairfield midfielder Nick Baglio '11 charges on the field along with his team during the home opener against Lafayette College on February 20, 2010. Despite the large fan turnout and effort by the Stags, Lafayette won 15-10."

I expected nothing from this game. I came late after hitting up Village Bagel with Matt and Gary, and I was tired from the night before (oops).

Also, when I walked onto the field, a security guard told me I couldn't stand on the sidelines.

His reasoning: I had the wide angle on, and compared to the lacrosse father shooting next to me, my lens looked pretty short. He had some absurd Sigma 120-300, which I guess is pretty legit among the security guards.

Anyways, once I put on the tele, he realized I was legit.

Back to the game, I got some pretty standard game pictures, but nothing special. However, the frame above is my favorite. When shooting this, I nearly got run over by the dude in the front and was juggling two cameras.

Must've looked like a clown or some sort of creep, but alas, I got the shot and I really like dig it.

K bye.

Cold Spring Concerts

2010-02-21T13:06:00.000-05:00

"American Pop and R&B singer Kat Deluna poses for pictures while being interviewed after her show at Fairfield University on February 20, 2010."

Yesterday was the annual FUSA (Fairfield University Student Association) Spring Concert, which was appropriately in February.

The artists were (in order of appearance), Eve 6, Kat Deluna, and Sean Kingston.

I was pleasantly surprised with the concert because I fully expected a flop. Not because of the artists but because I knew of few people going.

While the attendance was seemed lower than normal, the fans that did attend were pretty psyched.

I've got a great story that I'll tell on my next post. Stay tuned for a slideshow.

Sunrises: My Take

2010-01-31T21:39:00.000-05:00

I love watching the sunrise. It's epic and you're usually watching it for an epic reason.

Problem is, I'm not the biggest fan of taking pictures of sunrises. They're just too cliche.

When my friends and I decided to pull an all-nighter a few weeks ago, they forced me to bring my camera.

I met them half-way. No SLR, just a pocket camera.

Fine by me. It's lighter and still produces killer images.

Well to my pleasant surprise (i.e. the frame above), I did get some winners. However, take notice, the frame I like the most (above) does not show the sun, it just shows the absolutely raw light it produces.

Cause I mean seriously, who wants to stare straight into the sun - that just hurts.

So please, find more than cliche images to spare the world of the same old boring junk.

Thanks.

Fallen Hero

2010-01-31T21:25:00.001-05:00

There was a party. You all know what people do at parties.

He did it too much, and after various activities, he produced a gash above his right eye.

Emergency room.

Now he is a fallen hero on his way to being fully healed for the next battle.

Here's a poem:

A hero we all know has fallen with an injured brow. The hero lays against the Alamo wall after the battle draped with the tattered American spirit holding on the only thing that has remained constant in his existence - America. The hero will rise again.

Anyways, the light was pretty epic in the living room around 2:30 pm so I had to hit it.

2010-01-28T22:06:00.000-05:00

"Fairfield University junior Ryan Lee (left) has been writing graffiti for seven years of his life. After a number of run-ins with the law painting in and around the New York City area he and his fellow crew member, Cease (left), have been exploring different legal avenues to share their art with the community."

I'm friends with some awesome people. Ryan does graffiti, Chris is a comic expert, Rob is a Dub FX artist, and Matt rips the guitar.

My most recent project is Ryan's graffiti. He painted a huge canvas last weekend that will soon go the wall in our house. Not to mention, he already spray-painted Patrick's wall. It's all legit.

Here's a quote from him about his movement titled "The Third Strike":

"It represents our struggle as artists looked down upon by society...it is a way for us to show the world the raw power of graffiti and its application in legal ways."

Their plans also include an urban clothing line and advertising for ski resorts in Upstate New York and Vermont.

"It's very exciting and I can't wait to show everyone the ability of art to make a difference. You have to start somewhere, and I believe my crew members and I have progressed immensely in the past years."

"We are not vandals, we have a greater message to show, and I hope that in our future endeavors we can share with the world our ideas. Keep on the look out, and shouts to my boys in the ATD, FBS, CS and to everyone who has supported our work. Peace."

That about says it. Enjoy.

Do You Like the Background?

2010-01-24T19:19:00.000-05:00

I love impromptu portraits.

Her name is Maggie. She's pretty cool.

I shot this while doing a story that I will be posting soon about graffiti.

Stay tuned my friends (and enemies).

Robbed

2010-01-24T16:09:00.002-05:00

"Fairfield University forward Stephanie Geehan takes a foul shot with 4:34 left in the second half against Manhattan College on January 24, 2010. Despite having a four point lead in the first half, the Stags lost to Manhattan 64-57, which leaves Fairfield with a 9-10 overall record."

Shot my first woman's basketball game this Sunday and boy was it a wake-up call. I have mastered most sports, but I keep forgetting that women's basketball is my down fall.

I love shooting basketball, but compared to men, women are too fundamental, whereas men jump all over the place and make the sport very dramatic.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing with being playing fundamental basketball with simple, smart plays, it's just that it always doesn't make for good pictures.

Alas, I had to resort to being creative.

Not, gonna lie, I really love this shot, and maybe shooting the women today taught me something special...good sports photos are always of action.

Goodbye Decade, Hello New Year

2009-12-31T21:03:00.000-05:00

The Ohs, the Noughties, the Y2Ks, etc.

Whatever you want to call them, the first decade of the 21st century is over, and with 2010, a new one will be upon us (so what).

So what? Well it's just another year right?

No stupid, this is another DECADE.

The 2000s decade was filled with more highs and lows then I can ever recall of past decades, and the effects of some of these events, the Iraq war, Hurricane Katrina, terrorism, 9/11, the rise of China, the demise of the American industry, will be lasting. Not to mention these events will have future unforeseen consequences.

In addition, the rise of technology has also provided some companies to flourish (Apple, Facebook, Twitter) and others to fall (Rocky Mountain News, General Motors, Time Warner).

Either way, this decade has brought the world some tumultuous times that will be forever stuck in history, and boy did it fly by!

I won't labor on anymore, so I'll just say that I'm glad we can finally end this decade and start a new one. Whether the word "decade" is simply a useless term to divide a span of ten years or a monumental change in events, the world could sure use a fresh start.

Merry Christmas from Me and the 35 Dollar Tree

2009-12-25T18:11:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from me and our 35 dollar tree.

It was two days before Christmas and all through the house not a decoration was hung.

We haven't bought a real tree in more than 10 years, and boy does it smell great.

I think it is time for a new tradition. A real one.

Meet Rob

2009-12-21T20:58:00.001-05:00

Rob loves to play guitar, beat-box, sing, rap and play with loop and effects pedals.

However, Rob did not know how to put all of these together.

Until he found Dub FX.

Dub FX a.k.a. Benjamin Stanford is a street performer and a recording artist from Melbourne, Australia. His main claim to fame is his use of loop and effects pedals to combine his voice into rhythms to create hip-hop and reggae music using one voice.

What I also like about Dub FX is that he spreads his music independently. The only way you and I would have heard of him is through word of mouth or social networking sites.

His lyrics focus on contemporary issues and the individual revolution through self-involvement.

Rob is an up-and-coming Dub FX artist and you will see and hear more of him soon. I filmed a short video of Rob working his magic with the pedals in that eccentric house behind him in the portrait.

Check Dub FX out, listen to his music and spread the revolution. Will you?

My Portfolio

2009-12-21T20:28:00.000-05:00

After many hours sifting through my images, I've finally put together a semi-complete portfolio. There are 25 images in this slideshow, but I need 20 for the final. Any feedback is welcome. Thanks!

Blowout

2009-12-16T23:37:00.003-05:00

No, I didn't blow out my tire, but thanks for being concerned. Actually, I was doing an assignment, when I saw this sweet bike (everyone's entitled to his or her own opinion, I know). I took this frame and let's just say I left the flash on full power in daylight, GENIUS.

Now you're asking, why did I grace this picture with your prescence. Well now that you asked, it reminded me of a few pictures that Salt Lake Tribune photographer, Chris Detrick, showcased in his blog.

Since he shoots NCAA and NBA basketball, he has to deal with SI photographers strobing during games.

Now imagine the bike is a basketball player doing an epic dunk or block and the white concrete is a wood paneled basketball floor. That's what happens when he shoots at the same time as the strobes go off.

Don't get me wrong, the result can be fantastic and interesting, but not publishable (imagine an older reader looking at the photo as he opens the paper)

So next time your going to a basketball game and you notice those cool photographers with the big lenses on the baseline, know that all is fair and well down there.

Some Complaints

2009-12-16T16:18:00.001-05:00

"Fairfield University maintenance worker Chuck walks out of the university's day care after finalizing the repairs from a car crash the night before. An individual hit the building around 1am on November 17, 2009 and it is still under investigation. No one was injured in the crash."

It's 10:30am. I have class at 11am.

I get a text from four of my editors telling me to run, not walk, to the day care center and get a picture of the car crash.

Fortunately I have a bike. Much faster.

This must be the biggest news ever! A car hit a day care center. When I arrived on the scene, I expected a gaping hole in the building, but all I saw was a little dent. It was so small that I had to circle the building twice in order to find it.

Now I have missed half of my class for this! Not gonna happen. I made some frames of the interior and exterior and went off to class.

Of course the photo wasn't published, let alone put online, because it was so insignificant.

I love being a journalist.

Thomas Baden

2009-12-16T00:40:00.001-05:00

Newspaper circulation is falling, veteran journalists are losing jobs, and aspiring young storytellers are looking elsewhere for careers. So who is to blame?

Connecticut Post editor Thomas Baden believes that newspapers must take it upon themselves to cure the dying newspaper industry and doing so may not involve paper at all.

Baden told a journalism class Monday that a common misconception with newspapers is that the media is only concerned with the decline in newspapers sales, but fails to notice the sharp increase in online readership.

However, while the Internet provides the convenience of regularly updated news content, it has been a nightmare for journalists since readers do not need to pay, and can read the news before it would have hit their doorsteps in the morning.

Baden began his career at the Syracuse Post-Standard after attending the University of Maryland. After working as the city editor for the Post-Standard, Baden became a national political writer and the White House stringer for the Newhouse News Service located in Washington, D.C. While at Newhouse News, he covered President George H.W. Bush’s campaigns and administration and the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe.

He has worked in the journalism field for 28 years. Prior to becoming editor at the Connecticut Post, Baden was executive editor of Utah’s largest daily newspaper, The Salt Lake Tribune. Baden replaced former editor James Smith of Oxford who worked as editor for the Post for three years.

With an extensive background in journalism, Baden has a plan to face the circulation problem head-on, and he is starting with the youth.

Baden said he is working to make the news content look and feel different, such as shorter, snappier stories, interactive blogs, and provocative, youthful voices, to attract younger readers.

Nevertheless, Baden is aware that he cannot forget his adult readers and dumb down newspapers to only cater to the youth. He is still vested in a complete re-design of not only the Web site of the Post but also the print edition.

In this new age of journalism, said Baden, it is important remember that the diversification of news content will win the day, and in the end, information is what the people want.

Keith Whamond

2009-12-16T00:31:00.000-05:00

Seven years ago journalist Keith Whamond took a news writing class and envisioned a future of a paperless journalism. Now, he is on the front lines of this paperless news world and likes what he sees.

Whamond, who works for the Hearst Corporation as the executive producer for the Hearst Connecticut Media Group, spoke to Fairfield students about how he has seen what happens when the majority of a newspaper staff gets laid off and only a few remain to maintain an online-only newspaper.

On one fateful day in Seattle, Washington, the Hearst Corporation shut down The Seattle PI, and most of the staff was laid off. Only a few journalists and business staff remained to run a paperless newspaper.

There is no hiding the fact that newspapers are on thin ice, and the problem clearly lies in the poor business model of charging for the print edition and giving away the online version for free.

Losing money is bad for business, and Whamond says that newspapers tried to ignore this fact for a long time, but most are now realizing they need to begin charging for online content.

Beginning his career at The Connecticut Post and the News-Times in Danbury, Whamond has been active in the journalism field since graduating from Fairfield University in 2004.

Whamond is now the executive producer for the Hearst Connecticut Media Group where he directs the content workflow for the online editions of The Advocate in Stamford, Connecticut, The Connecticut Post in Bridgeport, Connecticut, The Greenwich Time in Greenwich, Connecticut, and The News-Times in Danbury, Connecticut.

Not only do newspapers have to deal with the loss of print revenues, but also being undercut by small local news websites whose lifeblood is freelance journalists. One local news site, The Valley Independent Sentinel of Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, and Shelton in Connecticut, has attracted readers from those respective communities because of the breadth of coverage in each community.

Other larger newspapers in Connecticut simply cannot afford to send journalists around the state to cover every fire, high school football game, and town meeting in these small towns.

Even so, Whamond’s outlook for the future of newspapers remains the same, paperless, and his estimation as to when the paper edition will cease to exist: five years.

So who will survive in the ever-narrowing field of journalism?

Whamond claims that those who are willing to try anything, are passionate about their work, and realize that journalism is not so much about newspapers, but about the news, will find themselves right at home.

Posing for Peace Fashion Show - Deadline Story #4

2009-12-16T00:22:00.000-05:00

There are 27 military conflicts happening in the world today and the United States started two of them. These two, the Iraq War and the Afghanistan Conflict, have caused a combined total of 5,299 American lives.

But what do these facts have anything to do with a fashion show at Fairfield University?

The fashion show, which occurred on Mon. December 7, 2009, was titled “Posing for Peace” and featured models wearing clothes with peace symbols and emblems.

According to Fairfield University Professor Dr. Jocelyn Boryczka, who spoke at the event on Monday night, the large amount of students attending the event represents activism, which is the single most important way that wars like Iraq and Afghanistan will finally end and the senseless deaths will cease.

“By being here tonight it is activism and that is what it [college] is all about…attending events and bringing an open mind makes an alternative statement. There is a reason why you’re not wearing camouflage,” said Boryczka.

The program director, Chandler Oliphant ’12, was interested in the meaning behind the peace sign and why it has become so popular in the material culture. She was also curious if people buy clothing with a peace symbol to promote peace or just because it is a popular cultural symbol.

“I think that it is interesting how it [the peace symbol] has become so popular and no one questions whether they wear as a fashion, personal, or political statement,” she said.

Ironically, Oliphant said, most of the peace clothing that was featured at the fashion show was made in sweatshops in Asia and India.

While the theme of the show was serious, the models and MC’s, who announced the show, provided the audience with plenty of laughs. The male models especially, who often wore skin-tight women’s pants, shirts, and scarves and jumped around the stage.

Most members of the audience enjoyed the light-hearted runway show, but still understood the underlying message of activism and importance of the peace symbol from the show.

“The commodity aspect of the trendy image of the peace symbol makes you think deeper that we are in a time of war and the perspective of the youth is hugely important right now,” said Danielle McGee ’10.

Others viewed the peace symbol on a more intimate level.
“It does represent an image nowadays. I personally am someone who still cares about conservation and other people,” said Mike Jude ’10.

As for Dr. Boryczka, peace represents something utterly simple.

“Hope for the future,” she said.

Connecticut Post Editors Meeting - Deadline Story #3

2009-12-16T00:18:00.000-05:00

It is Monday and the newsroom is vast and empty at the Connecticut Post, but in a far corner in a closed office some of the biggest decisions of the day are being made.

Starting at 4:30 pm, the news, online, metro, state desk, graphics, and photo editors sit down with the editor-in-chief to decide which four stories will appear on the front page. The editors in the meeting are all older than 30, most older than 40, and there is no minority representation, but the group is split 50-50 between men and women.

The editor-in-chief of the Connecticut Post, Tom Baden, said that the stories best suited for the front page, or A1, are those that are local, but also follow a national trend. One story that was set to appear on A1 that follows the localizing trend was a piece about hidden records of child abuse cases in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport.

However, with the internet being the dominant medium for news, most readers no longer rely on the print edition of the Post for breaking news. As a result, Baden and other newspaper editors have added more soft news, features, and human-interest stories to the front page.

Although the front page is not as important anymore, that is not to say the editors will fill it with uninteresting stories. Unappealing stories lead to a drop in readership, which causes a loss in revenue. The Post must cater to all its readers, because the print edition is a key source of profit that keeps the paper running.

The Connecticut Post is a daily newspaper located in Bridgeport, CT that covers Bridgeport, Ansonia, Derby, Easton, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Orange, Oxford, Redding, Seymour, Shelton, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, and Westport. The Post has a daily print circulation of over 80,000 and is owned by the Hearst Corporation.

Of the fifteen news stories selected to appear in the paper, the four that will make it to the front page are usually local, save for rare instances, “such as the day Michael Jackson died, that’s a day where we break the rules,” said copy desk chief Mike Levine.

Although the afternoon meeting does provide a set list of four front page stories, the decision is not set in stone. Since the Post is a large circulation paper, the publisher gives the editors until 1:20 am to send the last pages in. “We can write a story on just about anything, as long as it happens before 1:00 am,” said Metro Editor John Schwing.

In the end, the front page represents more than just the most important stories of the day; it is a prime example of high quality writing and photography.

Levine said the front page is the never-ending goal for both writers and photographers. All the work done by writers and photographers, no matter where it ends up in the paper, should follow the excellent standard set by the front page.

Junot Diaz - Deadline Story #2

2009-12-16T00:15:00.000-05:00

It begins like any Open Visions speaker series at Fairfield University, the front rows are packed with engrossed adults and the back is filled with sleeping students.

The university president, Rev. Jeffery P. von Arx speaks and the crowd settles in.

At that moment, the speaker, Junot Diaz, says his opening remarks. Rev. von Arx squirms in his seat, members of the audience gasp, and the students jolt awake from their doze.

Diaz, the author of Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, conveyed his unconventional, gritty style of writing to the crowd at Regina A. Quick Center on Monday night through his constant swearing and sexual references.

Behind the crudeness, the MIT creative writing professor is a fervent believer in the arts and knows the importance of cultural diversity.

His belief is that the smallest places in the universe contain the largest thumbprint or the most cultural importance and the “good art doesn’t know shit about assimilation.”

Diaz was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and has written two novels, Drown and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and a number of short stories, which has appeared in The New Yorker, African Voices, and Best American Short Stories, in Pushcart Prize XXII and in The O'Henry Prize Stories.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao has won the John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the 2008 Pulitzer Prize. He is currently the fiction editor at the Boston Review and the Rudge and is a creative writing professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Although he believes that art comes from the smallest and most ignored places on earth, he has a bone to pick with the authoritative countries that judges and sets a price this art.

Diaz says that countries, such as the United States, are filled with xenophobia and believe in the assimilation of cultures, instead of individualism and particularity, which make art and culture special.

Many students who attended the event were fond of Diaz’s distinctive style.

“Diaz was unique and very down to earth. His speech was very real and student oriented,” said Mike Sabato ’10.

Campbell Brown - Deadline Story #1

2009-12-16T00:04:00.000-05:00

The hour of prime-time television has begun and there is a choice to be made. Viewers can have their opinions validated by watching biased cables news programs or they can see the remnants of good journalism in non-partisan news.

CNN host Campbell Brown said expressed that she still believes in quality, unbiased journalism. She spoke on Wednesday night at the Fairfield University Open VISIONS forum, and appropriately so, hosts a non-partisan prime-time cable news show entitled Campbell Brown.

While Brown says that a good journalist should always seek the truth and not be swayed by partisan influence, when it all comes down to it, the success of her show sadly depends on ratings and not solely on high-quality reporting.

“At the end of the day, I work for a profit organization,” says Brown, and many of these profit news organizations are frustrating viewers with their endless coverage of celebrities and other tabloid stories to achieve higher ratings.

Despite the pressure to make high ratings, Brown believes that there is still a place for quality journalism and does not let this pressure prevent her from telling interesting stories and providing stimulating discussion.

“Campbell Brown presents a fair and truthful account of the news,” says Mikaela Tierney, a Fairfield sophomore on Brown’s news program.

Another Fairfield student, Kyle Fitzpatrick ’13, says, “Campbell Brown has a extreme passion for pure journalism by clearly staying neutral and rejecting outside opinion.”

Brown started her journalism career after graduating from Regis College in Denver as a political reporter at a local NBC affiliate in Topeka, Kansas. She later worked for different NBC affiliate news stations in Richmond, Virginia, Baltimore, Maryland, and finally in Washington, D.C.

After working as an NBC news correspondent in Washington, D.C., Brown became NBC News’ White House correspondent during the first term of George W. Bush. While covering Bush’s first term, Brown spent over a month reporting from Bush’s first presidential campaign and the post-election recount story in Austin, Texas.

After 11 years with NBC, Brown started her own prime-time non-partisan news show titled, Campbell Brown, that airs at 8 p.m. ET.

In a world of television news ratings, loud, and opinionated news programs, there is Campbell Brown; a television journalist trying to provide impartial and accurate reporting in this new age of journalism.

The New Anglican Rite

2009-12-15T23:36:00.001-05:00

Pope Benedict XVI has reached out to conservative Anglicans who oppose the ordination of gay clergy, women priests, and same-sex marriage in the Anglican Church. Join the Roman Catholic Church, he said.

However, in doing so, the pope may ironically liberalize the Catholic Church by inviting in Anglican priests who are married and allowing them to become Catholic priests. .

“This at least raises the question of whether there should be a class within the Roman Catholic Church of married men who could be ordained,” Rev. Jeffrey von Arx, S.J., the current President of Fairfield University, said in an interview.

Von Arx also noted that while nothing in the Bible goes against a married clergy, changing the 1,000 year old tradition of Catholic priesthood celibacy will not be easy.

It is still unknown as to how many Anglicans will make the shift to the Catholicism. The Vatican’s chief doctrinal officer, Cardinal William Levada, said at the press conference publicizing the new rite in October that t only 20 to 30 Anglican Bishops have asked about becoming Catholic. Source?

After the Second Vatican Council, which helped to modernize the Catholic Church, many Catholics hoped for more sweeping changes and for the Anglicans and Catholics to unify.

Instead, Catholicism reverted back to its traditional ways on some issues while Anglicans moved forward with their teachings of homosexuality and the recognition of women and homosexuals as priests.source?

This furthered the division between Catholics and Anglicans and also caused a new split between Anglican traditionalists who opposed the new changes in the Anglican Church and Anglicans liberals who welcomed them.

Rev. Mark Scalese, a Jesuit priest at Fairfield University, said that allowing married Anglican priests into the Catholic Church is certainly a step in the right direction that will establish a precedent for the Catholic Church.

“In a few years,” he said, “it won’t be difficult for people in the Catholic Church to imagine their own priests being married.”

Professor Paul Lakeland, a former member of the Jesuit Order and a Professor of Religious Studies at Fairfield University, agreed.

"I would not say that the Roman Catholic Church is behind the times, but they need to allow optional celibacy," said Lakeland.

The new change by the Vatican only pertains to members the diocesan clergy, not to religious orders like the Jesuits since members take a sacred vow of celibacy upon ordination.

Lakeland said to expect few physical changes in said Anglican churches that make the change

“If enough Anglicans take up the Pope’s offer, in a few years, I’ll be able to choose to attend a Catholic mass in the Roman or Anglican rite,” he said.

Some students at Fairfield strongly supported the move and said marriage in the Catholic clergy would undoubtedly improve the diminishing priesthood.

"Allowing Catholic priests to marry would not only entice more men to enter the priesthood, but also prove that the Catholic Church can adopt and embrace today's modern world,” said Weronika Pleban ‘11.

Other outcomes are less certain. If a large influx of conservative Anglicans decide to make the transfer to Catholicism for reasons concerning the ordination of women, homosexual priests, and same-sex marriage, the Catholic Church risks becoming more conservative and less likely to move towards the possibility of universal marriage of the Catholic clergy.

Christopher Morris ‘11.said the current, long-standing tradition of priests being celibate is integral to the identity of the Church.

“Priests and marriage are like water and oil, they just don’t mix,” he said. “It’s science,” said Morris.

Ten Questions Interview - Dana Jillian August

2009-12-15T23:29:00.009-05:00

At least once in our lives, and probably more, we have thrown out a plastic bottle or a newspaper and never thought anything of it. If she could, Fairfield University junior and president of the Student Environmental Association, Dana August, would be right behind us to pick it out of the trash and recycle it. Here she talks about “An Unreasonable Woman” herself on the environment as she tries to raise the green flag on campus.

1. What sparked your interest in the environment?

It started because of the lack of knowledge here at Fairfield. In California I didn’t really recognize myself as having any commitment to the environment, but I saw the lack of compassion here.

2. The population of the earth is growing rapidly, and nearly half of humans currently live in cities. Do believe there is still a future for the forest?

With the current population trends and mindsets, no. There needs to be some drastic change and a lot of people don’t realize that. So the first step into making that change is realizing that the change needs to be made.

3. Going to a university where most people do not share your passion for the environment, how do you keep yourself motivated everyday?

I don’t know, I guess it’s just who I am now. [Laughs] I think that was a weird word to put there.

4. It doesn’t bother you that environmental awareness is not a popular issue on campus?

No it’s more sad to me that it’s not because it’s such a real issue that people only see as a green trend. You know how people have the shirts that say, “Hug a tree,” but it’s like do you know where that cotton came from that was used to make that t-shirt? And what about the ink, the dyes, and the labor? No, people don’t understand it, and so it’s just…well it’s not the whole environmental issue that’s sad, it’s just the apathy and close-mindedness that is more sad, I guess, to go away from you’re question a little bit.

5. Do you believe that powerful corporations and political interests control our society or can individuals cause real change?

Individuals can cause change, but not on a national or global scale, I believe. Not because I’m not optimistic, just based on experience I guess, and different issues, but that doesn’t mean that people should give up. That would be the same as saying my vote doesn’t count because I live in a Democratic state, so why do it?

6. What would you say to those who are passionate about an issue, but feel helpless?

Well if you’re passionate about something, then keep doing it. If you know it’s the right thing to do, then stay with it and if you have a reason for doing something, do it. That relates to anything. Specifically with environmentalists, we live in a society that views things from an individual standpoint because of the capitalist nation that we’re in, but I won’t go into that [laughs]. If we start living more ontological, ethical lives, which is a desire for the future to be better, then everything will eventually be the way it should be.

7. Is the author of an “An Unreasonable Woman,” and the 2009 convocation speaker, Diane Wilson, an inspiration to you?

Yes, it’s funny that you say that because when I answered the question about individuals, I was like, oh what about Diane Wilson? She is very inspirational because she went against what I thought and what I believed about individuals causing change.

8. Would you say that you are an unreasonable woman?

[Laughs] No, I think everyone else is unreasonable, and yes I act unreasonable everyday because people think that going through the trash just to recycle two water bottles is a ridiculous waste of time or a dirty thing to do, but it’s just one of the things that is my commitment to other people and the environment.

9. How does it make you feel when you see someone throwing out a plastic bottle?

Honestly, it hurts my heart. I know that’s a very cliché thing to say, but I feel a pain, because I just want to know why; like why they decided to do that, because it’s a decision and everybody knows about recycling. It’s not like anybody’s living in the dark, and maybe they don’t know the impacts that it really has. I feel that you see it everywhere in media today, like this bag was made out of three cans or an aluminum can will power your television for three hours. I don’t know, is that just me?

I also don’t understand why people don’t have the desire to know things like that, because we go a university where you’re supposed to be here because you want to learn and obtain all of this knowledge that better prepares you for real life. Even if it’s something like going on Wikipedia to learn how the moon cycles work, it still is something that you want to know. I went on a rampage there, but yes, it’s very saddening to me because I don’t understand why it happens.

10. Do you believe that humans have it in them to solve the environmental crisis?

Yes, because in December of this year, all of the international leaders are getting together in Copenhagen and are going to discuss the environment. Even if it’s not the complete action that should be taken, the will be action taken, and it will be dramatic. My prediction is that the results of the meeting will cause a huge blow to the economic systems because it will be something that they won’t be used to. It’s not…well I’m not going to get into the economy, but yes, I think that we can and will change the environment. Maybe the change will not be as much as we should or happen as fast as we want, but it will happen.

We are actually in the middle of a mass extinction right now. I don’t know the numbers but something around 90 species a day are going extinct, which is crazy and people don’t know about it. It’s because people are escalating climate change. Something has to be done and something will be done.

Fairfield Dorms Stuck in the 20th Century

2009-12-03T12:43:00.020-05:00

Cinder blocks. Cold tile floors. One window.

Prison?

Actually, these three words describe the average student living conditions at Fairfield University, which have left many Fairfield students unsatisfied and annoyed that many of their residence halls are over 40 years behind the times compared to schools like Sacred Heart and Loyola University of Maryland.

As schools throughout the northeast build new dorms and renovate current ones, Fairfield has yet to update its facilities or build new student living areas.

The dorms for freshmen and sophomores make up the quad and Kostka, Claver and Dolan Halls. All seven of the buildings were constructed between 1957 and 1970, but only Dolan Hall has been renovated (1990). The school has more recent housing for its upperclassmen, constructing the most recent townhouses in 1987 and the village apartments in 2000.

But for freshman and sophomores, the options are still limited.

Fairfield’s sophomore living does include the option of suite-style, but there is no kitchen and the building with the suites, Kostka Hall, has not been significantly renovated since its initial building in 1970.

Student Discontent
Larry Cornelia ’12 thinks Kostka could use some improvement. “It's nice to live with friends, but it’s tough with the size of the rooms and it’d be nice to be able to make our own food sometimes,” he said.

Many Fairfield underclassmen feel crammed in their rooms and envious of those at nearby Sacred Heart University, who provides its sophomores with an upgrade that does not compare to Fairfield’s sophomore housing.

Michael Bennett ’13 lives in Gonzaga Hall and while it provides him somewhere to live, he isn’t satisfied with his situation. “Compared to other schools I’ve been at, the freshman rooms don't compare. I always have to listen to my friends talk about how big their rooms are. I feel like the freshman rooms are tight here,” he said.

Living Well at SHU
As freshman at Sacred Heart, there are two dorms with double and triple living arrangements and one dorm that offers suite-style living with a kitchen and living room. Sophomores can live in a suite style dorm with four students or live suite-style with 10-12 students, according to Matt Fitton, a junior at Sacred Heart.

Photo courtesy of Sacredheart.edu

There are also a limited number of apartments available for sophomores. While the suites offer a kitchen and bathroom, the apartments include a dining room.

Fitton was pleased with the housing he experienced during his freshman and sophomore years. “I thought I had plenty of room in my dorms my freshman and sophomore year. The fact that they were brand new helped….the space and conditions of the living area were very good,” he said.

Sacred Heart built their dorms between 1992 and 2004 said Sacred Heart Director of Residential Life Joel Quintong. As a result, their buildings are newer with nicer amenities, leaving Fairfield in the past.

Photo courtesy of Sacredheart.edu

Learn more about Sacred Heart's dorms here

Plans to Improve

FUSA President Jeff Seiser ’10 thinks that the housing at Fairfield could use some improvement.

“Yes we do need to upgrade our facilities but it is in our plans. It is something you have not heard about because of the current economy,” he said.

There are plans to construct new residence halls in the future, according to the Fairfield University’s Associate Director of Residence Life, Jason Downer. He said there are plans to build a new traditional style dorm between Campion and Jogues, but it hasn’t been decided whether it will be for freshmen or sophomores.

The University has plans to remodel Dolan Hall and make it into apartments for juniors. The current parking lot next to Kostka and Claver halls is being looked into as a possible location for more apartments, said Downer. Some of these projects, once finalized, could begin as early as the fall of 2010.

Fairfield does have plans for upgrades to housing, but when will we see these changes? The fall of 2010 is a target, but a variety of factors, including the economy, could cause a delay.

Although there is no current construction of new student housing, a new Jesuit Community Center is in the finalizing stages of being built, costing about $10 million, according to Mark C. Reed, Vice President of Administrative and Student Affairs at Fairfield University. The center comes as a result of several years of planning and is part of a bigger plan for new student housing.

In building this new center for the Jesuits, Fairfield gained ownership of a piece of property on the corner of campus previously owned by the Jesuit Community. This property includes St. Ignatius Hall, the current housing for Fairfield’s Jesuits. The new Jesuit center is more compatible than St. Ignatius was for the size of the Fairfield Jesuit population. In acquiring St. Ignatius, the university intends to upgrade it and convert it to student housing.

“I don’t understand why Fairfield is building a new Jesuit Residence. I feel bad for the underclassmen and hope that Fairfield upgrades its dorm soon for future students,” said Jake Herman ’11.

Freshman and Sophomore Living Options:

AIDS Day

2009-12-02T21:07:00.000-05:00

"Fairfield University students watch the a film about AIDS during the AIDS Awareness Week on Mon. November 30, 2009."

Typical FUSA (Fairfield University Student Association) event.

No one was there.

However, an atypical event. AIDS.

The Fairfield student body, save for those individuals who protested the "He Said" article, have a constant problem be active or for that matter, caring about anything.

I am a hypocrite.

Live from T5

2009-11-24T23:43:00.001-05:00

"A JetBlue AIRBUS A320 waits at a boarding gate at the newly re-designed T5 terminal at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. The terminal is continually updated, and recently added was a Best Buy vending machine, new touch screen restaurant menus, and live bands."

I've been meaning to do a photo story on the acclaimed JetBlue "T5" terminal for a while, but never got around to it.

I even started a post about if a year ago, but well, you don't really care about that.

Anyways, I've seen this terminal from its beginning as a humble, dark typical disorganized airport terminal to a completely re-designed modern terminal. It has everything form touch screen menus to a Best Buy vending machines and free wireless internet.

Since I fly through there quite often, you'll here and see much more from me about my favorite terminal.

Meteor Fail

2009-11-18T16:46:00.000-05:00

"Clouds streak over the Bellarmine Hill on 3:30 am at Fairfield University on Monday November 16, 2009. As a result of the heavy cloud cover over Bellarmine, less then ten meteors were seen streaking across the sky."

Monday night was a disappointment. I was checking Facebook and my email, when I see status updates telling of a meteor shower that night (It's quite sad that I learned of the meteor shower through Facebook).

Nonetheless, one of my editors informs me that she needs a picture of the meteors.

I have a 9:30am class on Tuesdays. Oh well.

Next thing I know, me and the boys are rolling out in the Nissan Xterra up the hill to Bellarmine lawn to watch the shower. Unfortunately, I must bring the clunky tripod with me.

I hate tripods.

So we wait with the rest of the brave in the windy cold night waiting for the meteors to rain down on us. We see when, I leave to get more cloths, they see another without me.

I wait until 4am and nothing happens.

The news said there would be 20-30 an hour, but the cloud cover must have prevented us from seeing most of them. Also, I later heard that most of them could only be seen from Japan.

The only good photo I got was a two minute exposure of the clouds streaking by, which fortunately the editors used.

When It Rains it Pours (Sorry)

2009-11-18T02:19:00.000-05:00

I don't mean to be cliche, but the statement was true for Fairfield men's soccer team on Friday, October 13, 2009.

Not only did they play one of the hardest teams in the their conference during the opener of the MAAC championship, but they also had to play in the FREEZING pouring rain.

The image above pretty much represents the game, and if I was a Fairfield soccer player, I would despise that goalie.

I'm not saying I no much about soccer, but I've seen my fair share of games, and that goalie was abusing his privileges.

Anytime the ball came near the 18, he would run out, try to grab it, and basically knock down every player in the process.

Sorry Fairfield, but we'll get HIM next year.

The Watchful Eye

2009-10-07T17:00:00.000-04:00

Updated security systems.

False Hope

2009-10-04T16:01:00.001-04:00

Save for a few, the entire freshman class voted in the 2009 Fall FUSA (Fairfield University Students Association) elections.

If they didn't go, they would fail FYE (Freshman Year Experience)

Too many acronyms.

Bribery at its finest.

Wanted

2009-10-03T01:24:00.000-04:00

The Cure

2009-10-01T11:24:00.002-04:00

"Two Fairfield University students write words of protest because of the offensive nature of the "He Said / She Said" column of the Fairfield Mirror, on Wednesday, proving that the youth is still interested in quality journalism."

Newspaper circulation is falling, veteran journalists are losing jobs, and aspiring young storytellers are looking elsewhere for careers. So who is to blame?

Connecticut Post editor Thomas Baden believes that newspapers must take it upon themselves to cure the dying newspaper industry and doing so may not involve paper at all.

Baden told a journalism class Monday that a common misconception with newspapers is that the media is only concerned with the decline in newspapers sales, but fails to notice the sharp increase in online readership.

However, while the Internet provides the convenience of regularly updated news content, it has been a nightmare for journalists since readers do not need to pay, and read the news before it would have hit their doorsteps in the morning.

Baden began his career at the Syracuse Post-Standard after attending the University of Maryland. After working as the city editor for the Post-Standard, Baden became a national political writer and the White House stringer for the Newhouse News Service located in Washington, D.C. While at Newhouse News, he covered President George H.W. Bush’s campaigns and administration and the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe.

He has worked in the journalism field for 28 years. Prior to becoming editor at the Connecticut Post, Baden was editor of Utah’s largest daily newspaper, The Salt Lake Tribune. Baden replaced former editor James Smith of Oxford who worked as editor for the Post for three years.

With an extensive background in journalism Baden has a plan to face the circulation problem head-on, and he is starting with the youth.

Baden said he is working to make the news content look and feel different, such as shorter, snappier stories, interactive blogs, and provocative, youthful voices, to attract younger readers.

Nevertheless, Baden is aware that he cannot forget his adult readers and dumb down newspapers to only cater to the youth. He is still vested in a complete re-design of not only the website of the Post but also the print edition.

In this new age of journalism, says Baden, it is important remember that the diversification of news content will win the day, and in the end, information is what the people want.

When it Rains it Pours

2009-09-30T22:09:00.002-04:00

The dishwasher broke today at the campus center.

Guess where it ended up.

Right, you guessed right, it burst through the ceiling of the popular coffee spot (no more coffee).

I suppose students should get more sleep tonight.

So Much for Consistency

2009-09-16T18:12:00.004-04:00

"A fan takes a photo during a Cleveland Indians game on August 20, 2009."

The game was nail biter during the first 7 innings.

Unfortunately, it started raining and we had to leave.

The Indians lost to the Angels.

Indians are 61-84.

Angels are 86-58.

Total opposites.

Yet, you could have fooled me.

I'm glad it rained.

Forever Young

2009-09-16T00:25:00.005-04:00

"Joseph Lenihan, 9, and his family carefully lays roses in remembrance of his father, Joseph A. Lenihan on September 8, 2009, who perished in the 9/11 terrorist attacks."

About a week ago, my editor notified me of an assignment that I should cover.

It was a 9/11 memorial service.

I though little of it when I received the email since I thought that it would only be a small ceremony, but it was much more important than that.

When I arrived at the Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, CT, there were hundreds of families of the victims waiting to pay their respects to the victims for the 8th time.

As with all of the other photographers and journalists covering the ceremony, I felt that I was exploiting each family that I took picture of, but it needed to be done.

While some seemed angry and rightfully so, denied me their names when I asked them. However, others, like Joseph Lenihan, were happy to tell me their sad, but harrowing story.

Even Steven

2009-09-06T19:50:00.005-04:00

"During the final seconds of the Fairfield vs. Towson men's soccer match, players wait in anticipation for the ball after a free kick by Fairfield Senior midfielder Christian Uy on September 6, 2009."

After shooting my second soccer game this season, I've confirmed a valuable lesson that a friend taught me once, "arrive early, stay late."

It was hot. I was tired and the camera was only getting heavier.

I easily could have left with the frames that I already had. Of course, then I would have missed this shot.

But really, I mean, really, what does this shot have anything to do with the game?

Nothing to the viewer, but everything to me and I hope, the players. You see, Fairfield and Towson were neck and neck the entire game, but Towson held out in the end.

This frames really shows it. The ball suspended in the air. It could go any way. Too bad Fairfield.

Just Mowin'

2009-08-07T20:08:00.002-04:00

Great day for a mow, you know?

New Portraits

2009-07-27T11:53:00.006-04:00

Brenna

Laura

Ian

Brian

Good Morning!

2009-07-27T09:33:00.003-04:00

This is the best part of waking up, seriously! I should probably make eggs or something, but this cereal is just too good. Over the past year I have missed it since the infamous Fairfield University dining hall does not supply this in the cafeteria. Nevertheless, it's probably better that way since I know I would clean them out. Plus, everything tastes better when you've been without it.

Always in moderation.

Fun after Work

2009-07-14T18:29:00.003-04:00

Maintenance workers enjoy drinks and food after work during the annual barbecue on Tuesday, July 14, 2009.

No More Complaining

2009-06-21T13:36:00.002-04:00

As with many photographers I know, I have always opposed video. Yes I've tried it with those Flip videos and other more bulky types, and I've always found it cumbersome and very time-consuming. However, with the introduction of the Canon 5D II and the Nikon D90, the game has completely changed. Still photographers can now use their fast primes to create some pretty stunning videos as opposed to the more expensive lenses on video-dedicated camcorders. Pretty sweet if you ask me.

My friends Brian and Julie recently updated their 5Ds to mk IIs and I got to try out them out last week. To put it simply, the camera is awesome. It is lighter, has a better LCD, and the menu system is amazing (It actually is quite similar to the menus in modern cell phones).

As to be expected, the image quality is stunning. The frame above was taken at ISO 1600, and while one can't tell from this web version, trust me when I say it is virtually noiseless at 100% crop.

While the video function on the mk II is great, there is quite a steep learning curve to it for still photogs. I made a test video shooting with a 17-40 lens and even at that extreme angle, the video was uncomfortably shaky. However, once mastered and paired up with some nice primes, the 5D mk II cleans up nicely.

It Rained a Sunny Day

2009-06-09T14:36:00.000-04:00

I worked out in the yard for a while until it rained...came back out and saw this awesome flower. Even better, the droplets on it are real! Otherwise, I probably would have sprayed some water on it (don't tell anyone).

Ivan the Donkey

2009-06-07T22:19:00.000-04:00

Went to the Buffalo Zoo this weekend, well excuse me, apparently it's called the Buffalo Zoological Society, my mistake. Anyways, I haven't been to the Buffalo Zoo or any zoo for that matter in a few hundred years, so I decided to hit it up.

It was in a bit of a depressed state, but seeing that the economy is in a "recession," it seemed relatively logical - visiting zoos is not a life necessity. For the most part though, the animals seemed to be in good condition.

However, one animal caught my attention in a very bad way. His name was Ivan and he was a donkey. He was currently living in the petting section of the zoo and seemed to be doing a great job of tolerating the hyped-up kids. But there was a problem - he looked utterly depressed.

It is clear in the picture the he is not happy. Granted, he is twenty years old, which is relatively old for a donkey, but I mean come on, look at his eyes!

Ivan's current state of mind breads the question, is it cruel to subject animals to the utter dreariness of a zoo?

This argument could go a million different ways, like animals are safer in zoos or it is not their natural habitat. Nonetheless, Ivan's blank expressions and the sadness bleeding from his eyes gave me the only answer I need.

Dog Days of Summer

2009-06-02T21:58:00.001-04:00

Boys and Girls

2009-05-31T23:11:00.001-04:00

Only one word can describe the 400m dash - grueling.

Ok, well I could think of several others, like, punishing, torture, misery, agony, etc. - well you get it. Nonetheless, I don't even think these frames do it justice as they were taken only half-way through the race. A real good one would have been to stand near the finish line - then you'd see some real pain.

These kids have it lucky, well not at this moment, but in the long-run. I never came to appreciate organized-type sports until college (when I didn't participate in them), where you are forced to work out on your own.

There is something about exercising with a team that motivates a person. Maybe its because everyone else is doing it or being part of something larger than yourself (horrible cliche?), but it really gets you in shape and all those other things that your parents tell you - just a thought.

I have an idea...

2009-05-15T19:02:00.001-04:00

Like I said, I have an idea. It came to me after I processed two photos that were similar in that they both had one "striking" color that made the picture...view the other one here.

I think I'm going to try this out and see what happens. I'll take my camera with me most of the time and try to find these striking colors. I'm not sure what to call it yet, but it doesn't really matter because I only have two photos.

In addition, I will obviously take tons of images, but I'll try to edit them down to about ten. A Salt Lake Tribune photographer named Trent Nelson has inspired me in one of his posts called "Back in the Day"

He describes the days when photographer still used film and there was no online section.

In those days, photographers had to make one photograph that told the story, instead of ten images on a Flash slideshow. I am often guilty of this as a usually give the sports editor at The Mirror far too many photo each issue.

Well I've talked long enough.

Check for updates on my flickr site, but forgive me it might take awhile.

Sometimes It's Better in Black and White

2009-05-11T18:51:00.000-04:00

The Fairfield women's volleyball team plays Loyola Maryland back when I used the D70 and the 70-200 VR.

A Loyola player over-reacts to a hit in hopes of a yellow card - no dice.

Senior Jon Han left the Fairfield basketball team in a controversial decision during the end of the season, and he now plays for Puerto Rico.

Cheerleaders at Harbor Yard during a Fairfield Men's basketball game.

Four Fairfield lacrosse players enter the Alumni Field during the second half of a game against the University of Vermont.

Happy Feet

2009-05-11T13:33:00.000-04:00

It's good to be back home again.

Closing Time

2009-05-08T20:09:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again, school is over and summer is starting. Things are obviously much different at home - quieter, better food, better food, oh wait, did I mention better food?

There are some drawbacks of course, one which I experienced tonight, and that is cleaning up. At school, I just toss the junk food on a tray and it disappears to a magical dishwasher, but at home, I have to clean all the dishes myself.

Ok, so its not that bad.

Another change from being at school is my car. I drive a 1990s era Volvo that I don't take to college since I'm pretty sure it won't make it. Trust me, I have weighed the pros and cons, and it is definitely worth it to only have it for a quarter of their year so it doesn't die on the highway.

Since I don't have a car, I am stuck bumming rides from people, and after a while I'm pretty sure they make up excuses to avoid driving me. Heck, I would probably do the same.

Lift Off!

2009-05-05T16:28:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, the Fairfield Stags soundly defeated the St. Johns 17-5 in their final game of the regular season. The game could not have come during a better times in the season. The fine weather during Fairfield's Spring Weekend drew a large crowd or parents and students.

Dusting off the (digital) Cobwebs

2009-05-01T02:48:00.000-04:00

Often times while insanely bored, I look through old photos in my external hard drive.

Lame.

Well, not always.

Usually I just find outtakes from old sports assignments and wonder to myself, what was I thinking when I took that picture? However, there are always those gems that I missed or maybe did not realize their significance at the time.

I recently found a few photos from my photoshop class last semester that my eye never caught, but I re-edited them and I am satisfied.

If you take one thing out of this post, do not let it be the fancy adjectives I used. Instead, I urge you to go treasure hunting and re-visit those old folders sitting in your hard drive.

You never know what you may find.

The Lost Portraits

2009-05-01T00:19:00.000-04:00

Portraits of my friends from photo classes and feature assignments for the Mirror.

This Time It's for Real

2009-04-26T21:47:00.000-04:00

The week of April 20, 2009 was Earth Week at Fairfield University and boy did it remind us how much our planet needs saving. It went from scorching heat on Saturday and Sunday to winds and rain throughout the week and then back to the blazing sun this weekend. It looks like the climate is getting weirder as predicted.

The good news, summer is here.

The bad news, it came suspiciously fast.

More good news, thanks to global warming I had a great weekend in the sun at Fairfield and if these are the effects of global warming, I gladly welcome it!

No, of course not, but again, it did provide for an enjoyable weekend.

The New Originals

2009-04-24T22:58:00.001-04:00

Those new Audi Q5 ads that make fun of the uniformity of the Lexus RX-series have me thinking...thinking that the RX itself has a unique design that rivals the Q5, and maybe we'll begin to see packs of Q5s lining up outside of private schools. Just a spontaneous thought. Oh, and of course this was taken in Fairfield County, I'm just trying to perpetuate the stereotype.

The Road to Rhode Island

2009-04-09T00:02:00.001-04:00

As I have travelled around the country, I have noticed that most of the highways, thruways, expressways, and whatever else they're called, look exactly the same. How would anyone know where I took this picture? Unless you were with me or own a white 5th generation Toyota Camry, it would be difficult to guess the location.

Sure, each state in America is unique in its own right, but getting there is downright dreary. Mile after mile of trees, decrepit rest stops, mile-markers, and bored state troopers looking to pull someone over.

If getting there is half the fun, then I think I'll fly.

I could also go on about how the once "unique" towns covering America are becoming the same generic places with Wal-Marts, Burger Kings, and Rite-Aids galore, but I'll spare you for now.

Slightly Problematic

2009-03-28T14:21:00.002-04:00

Last Wednesday, March 25, 2009, I shot the Slightly Stoopid concert at Toad's Place in New Haven. Accompanying me to the show was a fellow Mirror staffer, the lovely Annie Rooney. She planned on writing the article and I would take the pictures. While I have been to concerts before, I had never photographed one.

As with any assignment I've done, my preconceived notions of how the assignment would play out went right out the window once I got into the show. I had envisioned myself moving deftly through the crowd getting different angles of the venue and of the band, but the night played out much differently.

We got into the concert with ease (thanks JP), but the bouncer then informed us that there was no photo pass reserved under our names. So for the next fifteen minutes Annie and I stood a few rows back from the stage crammed in with the rest of the raving crowd.

After a few minutes of hearing, "Nice camera dude!" and "If I had that camera, I could take good pictures too," I was fed up with my position. I told Annie to hold the spot just in case I couldn't find anything else, and went searching for an explanation.

After arguing with the security guards, I found two other photographers who told me to put on the Associated College Photo Pass I had brought along. I didn't think it would work since the other photographers had "official" venue photo passes, but I was hopeful.

Ironically, a few minutes before Slightly Stoopid went on stage, I asked a security guard if my ACP photo pass could get me in the pit with the other photographers and he said sure, no questions asked. Wonderful. I spent an hour chasing tour managers, security guards and other employees to get a "special" photo pass when the one I had was perfectly fine.

In the end, I had a blast shooting the concert and after the first three songs (an industry standard) the other photographers and I were kicked out of the pit.

We Beat Siena (In Baseball)

2009-03-22T17:11:00.001-04:00

It's the start of the baseball season, oh wait, not for them, for me, they've already played 15 games. Fortunately, the first game I went to the Stags were coming off of a two game winning streak against MAAC rival Siena.

The Stags defeated Siena 10-8 this Sunday, which means they swept their conference rivals 3-0 in the MAAC season series. The key hits came from Mark Skrapits '12, Tucker Nathan '11, Chris Horning '11, and Ryan Furbeck '12.

While the Stags seemed to have no trouble with Sunday's game, I certainly did. Shooting a sport for the first time in a year will make every photographer a bit rusty at the beginning, and I am no exception. It took me a few innings to figure out the best position to stand, and by the time I found one, I swear the temperature dropped by 10 degrees.

For the shot above, I was standing directly behind the plate shooting through the fence. Since I was using an f-stop of 2.8, the fence was completely blurred out and the pitcher came out relatively sharp.

For more photos of Sunday's game, visit my Flickr page.

A Worthy Attempt

2009-03-16T16:12:00.001-04:00

"Two Canadian geese graze on the hill in front of the DiMenna-Nyselius library at Fairfield University on February 14, 2009."

I am by no means a nature photographer or a "birder" as they are often called. For one, I don't own any super telephoto lenses (500, 600, 800, or 1200mm) and usually don't have the patience to sit around and wait for some miniscule stinking bird to fly past me.

Nonetheless, I did find it fun to photograph (saying shoot would sound like I am a hunter) these two Canadian geese. I was coming back from an assignment at the PepsiCo theatre when I saw them grazing near the library. Luckily I had my 2x tele-converter with me since I was shooting the men's lacrosse game earlier that day.

The extender helped immensely while I was shooting (oops) the geese. It turned the long end of my lens (200mm) to 400mm and since I was shooting on a Canon xxD body the focal length was 640mm. However, it essentially killed the great contrast that I get with my 70-200 and I had to under underexpose by one stop to compensate for the tele-converter. I can now see why serious bird photographers spend thousands on a nice super telephoto lens.

I better stop photographing birds soon or else I may just try to justify myself going into debt and buying a 600mm.

The Parking Debacle

2009-03-16T15:34:00.001-04:00

With two new dorms being constructed this year, parking will be tight. To make it worse, the University recently announced that Sophomores will no longer be allowed cars on campus next year.

It looks like most of the underclassmen will have to revisit the StagBus next year.

The StagBus experience is awful. The drivers will make you nauseous and/or nearly kill you while taking the corners and always show up late. Now I'm not one who should brag about perfect driving skills, but driving a full-sized bus like a compact car is a little ridiculous.

The University NEEDS to increase the parking on campus (or hire new StagBus drivers). While I am a Sophomore and do not have to worry about the parking next year, I sincerely feel bad for the future underclassmen. Having a car makes the whole college experience better.

Think about it.

No longer does one have to plan out their weekend based on the ever-changing schedule of the StagBus or look like a fool sprinting to the bus as the driver pulls away after being 20 minutes late.

I have a feeling that the change may not only be because of the new dorms, but also in lieu of the recent "greening" of the campus. Regardless of the decision, I'm sure the underclassmen will find a way to bring their cars to campus, we certainly did.

A Big Impact

2009-02-27T21:07:00.000-05:00

The Fairfield Stags defeated the Delaware Blue Hens 10-9 on Saturday February 20, 2009. The new head coach for the Stags, Andrew Copelan, won his first career game this Saturday and seems to have breathed new life into the team.

After all, he is 27.

After over-hearing remarks from some reporters and players, it seems that because of his young age, the players can relate to him better. From my personal experience with lacrosse, I always found that the younger coaches were more patient, while the older ones would just yell. Okay, well that's a stereotype, but regardless, the players like him and the team is doing well and that's good enough for me. After seeing the team suffer through last year, it is great to see them back to were they belong.

Oh and I forgot, Delaware head coach Bob Shillinglaw has been coaching the men's team for 31 years, which is longer than Copelan has been alive. All things considered, Saturday was a great start to the season.

Imagine...

2009-02-24T23:31:00.000-05:00

I was looking through the drawers in the office and came across this lone 35mm slide from who knows when.

Digital technologies certainly have made our lives easier and I couldn't imagine, after an assignment, going to a darkroom to develop my own film. The last time I did that was high school. Most sports games I shoot over 600 frames, which would be about 25 rolls of film...ugh.

This single slide gives me inspiration as a photojournalist to find a single shot that defines the assignment, not eight or ten that I would throw online, only one.

Farewell to Winter

2009-02-20T17:07:00.001-05:00

With all of the crazy weather in the past few days, it's hard to tell when Spring will actually come. However, since the lacrosse season officially starts this Saturday, regardless of the weather, the Spring sports season has begun.

The Fairfield men's team plays Delaware at one o'clock this Saturday at Lessing Field. I am shooting the game along with some people from my visual journalism class. Lacrosse is an easy sport to shoot because the players run back and forth across the field often, unlike soccer where the players may stay on one side for a while. In other words, lacrosse gives photographers plenty of chances. I'll write another quick post after the lacrosse game tomorrow.

Down Under

2009-02-18T11:11:00.000-05:00

The Fairfield Men's Hockey team recently played at home against SUNY New Paltz on February 6, 2009.

Was the game fun? Yes. Did Fairfield play well? Definitely yes. Does anyone at the University care? Sadly no.

It seems that the University only funds the big sports teams and pays little attention to the hidden gems, such as hockey and skiing. After not playing in a single game since Winter break, the men's team skated circles around the New Paltz Hawks, beating them 7-3. Also, the so-called "fans" that attended the game really showed their Stag pride by leaving in halfway through the second period.

On the same weekend that the men's hockey team defeated New Paltz, the men's and women's skiing team both won first place in their respective conferences, beating teams from Princeton, Scranton, Columbia, Rutgers, Lafayette, and Lehigh, for the first time in club history. Great performances from the team came from Nick Carlucci '10, his brother Patrick '09, Greg Peterson '10, and Caity Barber '10.