My mother always tells me it takes about three years for me to get comfortable somewhere. She was right about UMass ‘- it took me three years to find my home down in the basement of the Campus Center. The Collegian became a place I could call home.
I started writing movie reviews, about independent films at Amherst Cinema. My passion for writing and film got me through the tough nights of writing, even though no one read any of my reviews. It can be tough being a writer here at UMass, people only see the negative things in your articles.
No one discusses on the comment boards. People argue or attack one another. And from a general consciousness of comments, people don’t seem to understand a review is biased ‘- it is the opinion of the knowledgeable reviewer. But still, I did it to the best of my ability and as often as my schedule allowed.
I moved on to become an editor in the Arts and Living Section and to writing different stories. I became a reporter over the past few years, not just an opinionated know-it-all. I wrote a story about Amherst Cinema for last year’s Minute, an experience in feature writing flavoring my tongue for more in-depth reporting.
I wrote a preview of Homecoming on deadline while working the arts desk, with a day of reporting at my disposal. It wasn’t my best writing, but I got the story done and learned a few valuable lessons: you can’t please everyone and how to write with editor’s breathing down your neck and when the pressure is on.
I learned over the past few years from the professors in the journalism department that no story is perfect. It is good advice for future journalists. I learned from Howard Ziff ‘to keep it moving,’ and to ‘use strong verbs.’ His advice will stick with me like a soccer ball sticks to Ronaldhino’s feet as he dribbles.
Finding a concentration in the journalism field finally came this year. I came into school wanting to write about sports. I studied Jackie MacMullan’s profiles, Bob Ryan’s commentary, Peter Gammon’s rare columns on ESPN.com, and read Bob Halberstam’s marvelous books.
But I started writing about movies, pigeon holing myself in the arts section, but branched out in my writing style. Then I met Norm Sims and Maddy Blais, and they changed how I wanted to write and what I wanted to write about.
Now, I am interested in longer narrative writing that explores the bounds of fiction styles while incorporating journalistic reporting and integrity. The non-fiction narrative has become my passion. I have begun working on ideas for future stories, and seeing stories everywhere I go. I want to explore the everyday and the mundane, because everyone has a story to tell.’
My story mirrors many who come to UMass. I came to college shy, lost in the haze of the large University. I came from a high school class of 70 or so students and was confronted with 400 students in a classroom.
It was a shock. Now, I feel I can walk into any room and speak my mind and ask questions. I call anyone and everyone when doing a story ‘- I learned what my parents have always told me ‘it doesn’t hurt to ask,’ because the worst outcome is you end up where you started. But more often than not you end up with something you never expected.
I never expected to have the friends I do now, writing credits in the daily newspaper, being an editor at that paper. But I am happy I finally branched out. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Kevin Koczwara was assistant Arts and Living editor. He can be reached at [email protected].
