Jeremy Hayes’s goal of becoming a professional sports reporter is headed in the right direction, fueled by his creation of a campus sports talk show.
“I grew up with a love for sports and a love for writing,” says Hayes, a broadcast journalism major. “Being part of a sports talk show is something I’ve thought about doing since the sixth grade.”
As a freshman, Hayes approached Jerry Glendye, manager of Studio 73, Suffolk’s on-campus television studio, and pitched his concept for Clash of the Rams, a sports talk show involving Suffolk students, athletes, and coaches.
“I thought it was a great idea,” says Glendye. “It’s another avenue for our students to use the studio as a learning tool and get hands-on experience, both behind the scenes and in front of the camera.”
And Glendye likes having student athletes and coaches involved in the show.
“It is an opportunity to get more people involved in a spirited environment while allowing our broadcast students a real-life experience they wouldn’t get anywhere else,” he says.
Clash of the Rams aired a few episodes a year ago, but it waited until September 2012 for its official launch. The 30-minute show–featuring interviews, debates, and discussion of University and professional sports–is shot on Monday afternoons and posted on YouTube in the evening.
“The feedback from our viewing audience has been extremely supportive,” says Hayes. “We had two high school seniors follow us on YouTube last year, and now they’re here at Suffolk and involved with the show. We’re building momentum because we’re getting better as a group every week.”
Like Hayes, sophomore Eric Russo knew at a young age what he wanted to do with his life.
“I came to Suffolk because I wanted to be a sports writer, and it has a good journalism school,” says Russo, a print journalism major and high school sports correspondent for The Boston Globe. “When I heard about the sports talk show, I jumped at the opportunity. It was a natural fit because I want to be as well-rounded a reporter as possible.”
The number of students involved with Clash of the Rams has doubled in a year.
“Any student interested in learning every aspect of the business–from pre-production to on-air to post-production–can get involved,” says Hayes, the show’s host. “We rotate assignments each week so everyone has a chance to learn something new. We’re training for our future and having fun at the same time.”
Athletic Director Jim Nelson, a big fan of the student sports talk show, was interviewed on the inaugural program.
“I was most impressed with the enthusiasm of the students working on the show,” says Nelson. “I now look forward to future programming that will give our community even more energy and excitement about Suffolk athletics.”