Year: Junior, Class of 2016
Major: Media Studies
Hometown: New Hartford, Connecticut
Spectrum Newspaper Staff
What activities are you involved with on campus?
I am very involved on campus and, as a Media Studies major I am involved with a lot of media clubs. I am the current Managing Editor and News Editor of the Spectrum newspaper, Secretary of WHRT Radio, I host my own weekly radio show, and I am a member of the production crew for The Pulse, Sacred Heart’s TV News Magazine show. In addition to media clubs, I am also a Student Ambassador, and a member of the Thomas More Honors Council. I’ll also be an Orientation Leader for the upcoming summer helping to welcome the incoming Class of 2019 to campus.
How did you get involved with those?
I first got involved with Spectrum by taking a Newswriting and Reporting class the fall semester of my sophomore year. The class is required for Media Studies majors on a journalism track. By taking the class you become a staff writer for the paper. At the end of the semester my professor, also the advisor of the newspaper, offered me the position of Assistant News Editor. Ever since then I’ve been on staff. From that point on, I’ve also held the positions of News Editor, Managing Editor, and I will be the Editor-in-Chief next year. I became involved with WHRT my freshman year and co-hosted my show “Striking the Beats” with a friend who lived on the same floor as me. Beginning this year, I joined E-Board and now host the show on my own due to time constraints with my co-host. My involvement with The Pulse is very similar to what happened with Spectrum. I took a class, TV News Magazine Production I in the fall, and took Production II this spring. In the class we shoot, edit, write, and produce our own news segment pieces then combine them together into a full 30 minute TV News Magazine program. It is very similar to the CBS program “60 Minutes.” I am involved with the Thomas More Honors Council because I am in the honors program here on campus. I was looking for a job on campus, and a lot of my friends worked as ambassadors and loved it. I applied last spring and began working in Undergraduate Admissions as a Student Ambassador this year. Finally, I was looking for another leadership experience on campus and applied to be an Orientation Leader for the summer.
Spectrum Newspaper Staff
Were you planning on being a part of the newspaper when you started college or did the class (CM211 News Writing and Reporting) spark your interest?
When I began college I knew I wanted to major in Media Studies, but I never thought I would write for the newspaper. There are so many different tracks you can take as a media major, so I was only beginning to look at career paths and options. As I mentioned before, my involvement with Spectrum began when I took the CM211 class. I remember the first time I felt that writing for a newspaper could be something I would love doing. As part of the class you need to work either circulation or photography, in addition to writing articles. I chose circulation, which means you deliver the copies to the racks across campus on Wednesdays when the paper is published. I was delivering papers one day and happened to look down at the article on the front, and it was one of mine! I felt such a rush of excitement and had this huge smile on my face because I was so proud that my article was good enough to be placed on the front. After joining the editorial staff, it furthered my interest even more because it was such a great group of people to work with– this year’s staff especially! Sometimes I see them more than my other friends, almost everyday of the week. We have become so close; they are practically like a second family.
You get to interview many celebrities for the Spectrum. What was your most memorable interview?
One of the perks of being a member of the press is getting to talk to celebrities and people in high-profile positions. People I have interviewed this year have been: Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton from WFAN’s “Boomer & Carton,” Jack Curry from the YES Network, Chris Thompson (the drummer from the Eli Young Band), “Saturday Night Live” cast member Pete Davidson, Nev Schulman from MTV’s “Catfish,” and, most recently, The Chainsmokers.
My most memorable interview has to be my one-on-one exclusive interview with Mark Teixeira, the first baseman of the New York Yankees. Every interview has a story behind it, but I love telling this one. The event he was speaking at was being held at university but was not being run by Sacred Heart. So, in order to get the interview, I had to contact the outside organization directly and make several phone calls and emails over the course of a few days leading up to the event. The day of the event I showed up early and signed in. On the press list I saw ESPN, News 12, and other media organizations listed. I thought to myself, I’m only going to have the chance to ask a few questions, if that. I waited outside in the University Commons because set-up was still going on. I went in 15 minutes before the doors would open to the public. Teixeira was eating dinner so I was looking over my questions when his agent came up to me and said I needed to interview him now. I went and introduced myself, as he’s finishing up dinner no less. I had about five minutes to interview him and it was fantastic. I was extremely nervous because I had never interviewed a professional athlete before. The interview turned out great and I was the only member of the media there that night, so it was completely one-on-one. Although I am a Boston Red Sox fan, I definitely have respect for Teixeira after that interview.
Emily with Mark Teixeira
How does one become a writer for the newspaper?
You can sign up to take the CM211 Newswriting and Reporting class, or send an email to http://spectrum@sacredheart.edu expressing interest and we will add you to our list of contributing writers. Contributing writers are contacted when needed by editorial staff if they need an extra article for their section in addition to what is assigned to staff writers.
How do you manage all the activities you are involved in with academics?
I am very organized. I’m always writing myself reminders and to-do lists on sticky notes, whether they are on my laptop or stuck on the walls of my room. I also keep track of my weekly schedule so I know when all of my classes, meetings, and extracurricular activities require my time. So in between working on homework, editing newspaper articles or working on my next video project. I also leave time to hangout with friends and binge on Netflix every once in a while too. (As a media major, it’s kind of like my homework to keep up with current TV shows and movies).
What are your plans after graduation?
I’m thinking of possibly pursuing a master’s degree and enrolling in graduate school. The new Martire Business and Communications building is absolutely fantastic and is definitely an incentive to stay for a fifth year. If I don’t decide to do grad school, I would begin the process of job hunting. I am interested in working in production, possibly as a producer. That position combines all the aspects of media that I love: writing, editing, and producing news stories. For now, I’m just focused on enjoying the upcoming summer and my senior year at Sacred Heart!
Emily with The Chainsmokers…so cool!