Tag Archives: Stony Brook University

Looking Back at JRN 320

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So this is it, the final blog post for JRN 320. I’d be lying if I said it was an easy journey from that first day to now, that’s for sure.

If I had to give advice to someone just entering this class, first and foremost, it would be to not underestimate this class. It can be rough at times, but you do learn a lot, both on a technical level as well as setting a new level of standards for yourself and your work. You can’t just skate by on mediocrity, and you need to work for those better grades.

The thing that I wish I had taken to heart more, and would advise any and all future students taking JRN 320 is to properly manage your time. Don’t take having several weeks to complete an assignment as meaning that you can wait to do it. Often times a source or a story can fall through, and you’ll need to resort to scrapping the whole thing and starting over. Sources bail out, stories aren’t always what they see, and equipment, both on the high-end and the entry level, are more prone to error and hardware failure than I’d like to admit, so plan for all of that. Have contingencies, and make sure you have the time to execute those contingency plans. You don’t want to be left out in the cold and

Like I said, the course load can be rough, but you’ll ultimately be better for it. Did I myself do great at everything I did? Nope, in fact there were quite a few train wrecks over the last few months, but even so, I’ve gotten so much out of it, and my skills have certainly advanced quite a bit as a result of the standards set.

Oh yeah, and they should watch what they say on Twitter. Professor Ahmad can and will call them out on their shenanigans. He sure did for me.

Through all of this, my thoughts on online journalism as a medium haven’t changed much, if at all. It’s a great delivery method to present content that otherwise wouldn’t make it to publication in print and broadcast, be it due to length, time, content, and can be a great place to experiment with new types of multimedia and digital storytelling techniques, and I still feel that it is the superior medium.

Some Tough Love from JRN 320

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We’ve all heard the stories. Super tough Professor Ahmad, and all that jazz. What you really don’t hear is what his students got out of his class and what all that tough love was for.

If there’s anything I can say about taking 320 this semester, it’s how much I’ve learned, and even that’s an understatement. Even my film major sister’ll probably have trouble keeping up with me on Final Cut.

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Coded Out. But Still Smiling.

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This class was very challenging for me, but  I am very happy I took it. For other graduate students I would recommend taking it either before your master’s project or during it, particularly if you are doing a broadcast piece. Learning illustrator and motion were vital to my final project. Having a place to present your work is also beneficial.

Advice I would give to fellow classmates is to start early. Know within the first month of the class what aspects you want to include in your website- videos, infographics and words, because it will help you when designing the website. Your one print or video piece and an infographic are not going to cut it. Knowing going in that you are going to have to create more than is actually required to make a good website.

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The End of the Road: My Thoughts on JRN 380

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Everyone in the journalism program talks about how JRN 380 is the hardest class in the entire curriculum. I think that answer is only partially correct – like any class, the level of difficulty depends on how much effort you put in from the start.

Granted, this was a difficult class, but I’ve learned so much and grown as a photographer and videographer enough to warrant the amount of work given. Before this class I had only shot video with a dslr camera once or twice; now, I feel confident shooting anything with my dslr.

If you want to succeed in this class, don’t just do what’s required of you – put in some extra hours here and there. Professor Ahmad offers several opportunities for extra credit, and some of them are actually really fun, like shooting pictures at Occupy Wall Street. And having an extra credit laying around means that you’re covered in case you have a really bad shoot and get a lower grade then you hoped.

And remember to go to Professor Ahmad’s office hours. When he says to stop by so he can look at your work, he actually means it. Take 20 minutes out of your week and stop by to talk with him, because you’ll often find out that the shot you thought was really good needs some work, or something you overlooked is worth adding.

Above all else, remember something: If someone doesn’t like your photo or video, it isn’t something to be taken as a personal offense. Too many people get scared off from this class because they know their work is going to be critiqued in front of the rest of the class. But if you’re afraid to hear constructive criticism, you’ll never get any better. Take class critiques as a way to make yourself better, and you’ll be a better journalist for it. After a while, you may actually appreciate it when someone points out something small and seemingly insignificant, because it will help you improve in the long run.

So overall, I thought this was a really interesting class and definitely worth the work. Just remember that your effort is a direct reflection of what you’ll get on your final grade, so don’t expect to skate through this class. If you make it through you’ll look back and realize that everything you did was worth it after all.

Seawolves defeats their first FBS opponent in school’s history

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The Stony Brook University’s football team proved that the Seawolves are getting better each season when it beat a Football Subdivision team for the first time in its history on Saturday, Sept. 29.

The Seawolves defeated Army 23-3 at Michie Stadium in West Point, N.Y., setting a new record for the Big South Conference team.

Stony Brook’s quarterback Miguel Maysonet, who scored two touchdowns, broke his own record by rushing for 220 yards.

This was the Seawolves’ third win and Army’s fourth loss this season.

Environmental Portraits

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So far, taking portraits has been the biggest challenge of my undergraduate career, harder than any final exam or research paper. Taking photos is an art, one that involves not only knowledge of what makes up a good photo, but also an extensive knowledge of how different settings on the camera work. Throw in the use of a flash and things get pretty complicated. I now have a much bigger appreciation for all of the wedding photographers out there. Portraiture is time consuming and frustrating at times, but thankfully, I had two very cooperative subjects. Continue reading →

Auto Restoration of Long Island

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Auto Restoration of Long Island from James Medley on Vimeo.

Auto Restoration of Long Island, located in the Flowerfield industrial development in St. James,  N.Y., does not appear to be much except a warehouse from outside, but things could not be further from the truth. The business has been owned and operated for the last ten years by Chuck Ragusa. Ragusa is a short, balding man, with patchy long hair and a brown beard with white highlights. His demeanor is mundane until conversation moves to his one true love, the automobile, in particularly hot-rods. He becomes excited and can explain every part and screw and their crucial role in great detail, without losing the smile off his face. Continue reading →

Hurricane Sandy hits Stony Brook Campus

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While much of Long Island suffered great damage as a result of Hurricane Sandy, Stony Brook University students were mostly safe from the winds and flooding.

On the University’s campus, only minor damage occurred  in the form of downed trees. According to an article in the Statesman, several power lines on Nicolls Road and Health Sciences Drive were knocked down.

As a result of the weather conditions and the aftermath of the storm, the university cancelled classes for the entire week, from Monday, October 29, to Friday, November 2.

Hurricane Sandy: Before, during and after

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I have lived on long Island al of my life. To me, long Island is a great place to live while growing up. I had it all, the beaches, the city and the quiet upbringing. I have been alive for 21 years and the only disaster I have ever witnessed around my home would be the September 11th Attacks. Other than that, Long Island has been a pretty quiet place for me.

That all changed this past week. It has been said for a while now that Long Island was “over due” for a hurricane. Last year we witnessed Hurricane Irene. She was given much hype, but didn’t bring much with her. The lack of power Irene brought and the hype that everyone gave leading up to her left many skeptical when it came to Hurricane Sandy.

A week later, hundreds of thousands of power outages, 48 deaths in New York, homes lost and devastation all around, Hurricane Sandy was not a joke.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to cover this storm. It was a long process. I did before, during and after. I started on Sunday, Oct. 28 and followed it until days after to document everything that occurred. It was an experience that I can’t even put into words.

BEFORE: Sunday, Oct. 28:

Pawel Bistram, a 34-year-old Sound Beach, N.Y. resident, kite boards at Cedar Beach on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, while the impending arrival of Hurricane Sandy brings higher than usual waves to the north shore beach.

Higher than usual waves wash up on the shore line at Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai, N.Y. on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. The day before Hurricane Sandy was due to arrive, the north shore beach experience 4-6 foot waves.

THE START/DURING: Monday, Oct. 29

A Port Jefferson constable drives through the flooding on East Broadway in Port Jefferson, N.Y. hours before the rain and winds began to pick up as a result from Hurricane Sandy. Flooding reached 4 feet at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 29, 2012.

Mike Franquiz, owner of Artemios Salon in Port Jefferson, N.Y., checked out downtown Port Jefferson on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012 to see the start of the flooding from Hurricane Sandy. Being a local business owner, he was “nervous about the damage that could be done to his salon.”

 

Downtown Port Jefferson, N.Y. is flooded on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. Storm surges from Hurricane Sandy flooded the area hours before the strong winds and rain began. Floods reached  3 1/2 feet by Noon Monday. Businesses in the area put bags the sand at their entrances in hope of preventing the water from entering their stores.

A tree on the corner on Crystal Brook Hollow road and Junard Boulevard is uprooted as winds reach over 50 miles-per-hour from Hurricane Sandy in the afternoon on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012 hours before the storm made landfall on Long Island. Residents called for help hoping to get the tree removed before the storm got worse.

AFTER: Tuesday, Oct. 30

A traffic light hangs down at the intersection of Route 347 and Jayne Boulevard on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 the day after Hurricane Sandy hit Long Island with winds as high as 90 miles-per-hour. Suffolk County Police can be seen in the background directing traffic. Bumper to bumper traffic surrounded the area as many other surrounding traffic lights were out due to fallen trees and snapped power lines.

Crew from the town of Brookhaven fix the dangling traffic light at the intersection of Route 347 and Jayne Boulevard. Arriving at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, the crew worked to fix the light that snapped of the wire due to the high winds Hurricane Sandy brought the night before. Police directed traffic while the crew worked. Winds reached 90 miles-per-hour as Hurricane Sandy ripped through Long Island.

The Walmart and BJ’s Wholesale Club sign that once stood at the entrance of the south Setauket, N.Y. stores was destroyed from Hurricane Sandy after winds reached higher then 90 miles-per-hour on Long Island. Taken on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, the store remained closed for the remainder of the day.

An uprooted tree, snapped pole and downed power lines on Jayne Boulevard just north of Dillon Avenue in Port Jefferson Station, N.Y. are a result of Hurricane Sandy . Taken on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, the road was blocked off for most of the day and alternate routes were used.