Brianna Adams: Balancing Social Life and Journalism

Story and Photo by Rob Orazietti

SYRACUSE, NY--Imagine watching your school’s basketball team in the NCAA tournament at a the most popular student bar on campus. You’re surrounded by many of Syracuse University’s students going absolutely crazy for their school as they cheer on The Orange creating an ecstatic atmosphere.

Syracuse wins and the crowd of crazy students moves from the bars to Castle Courts which is home to many greek life students who are notorious for throwing parties.

           
            In the midst of all the post-victory celebration, Brianna Adams gets a text message from the sports director of Citrus saying, ““You need to get on camera now! They’re going to Castle. They’re going to riot. They’re going crazy."

Without any hesitation, the 22 year-old Broadcast and Journalism major heads over to Castle Courts with camera in hand.

            Going from a full capacity Chuck’s Bar to interviewing the student body of Syracuse fans celebrating the big win is just one of the many challenges of balancing social life of being a journalist at the Newhouse School.

“ Having to actually interview people even though you know all these people and you’re as excited as them but you have to be somewhat unbiased. That was absolutely insane—it was crazy."

Having been at Syracuse for four years and covering sports here, Adams has become very familiar with the challenges that come with being a sports journalist on campus.

AUDIO

Transcription 

RO: So Brianna, thank you for sitting down and doing this interview. First, tell me how your personal background influenced the direction you chose at Syracuse University.

B: I came to Syracuse originally for writing, so, I was an English major at the college of Arts and Sciences and during my undergrad I realized that essay writing and literature writing were not for me and I got into the Daily Orange, I got into Citrus—the TV station here—and the Daily Orange wasn’t my favorite. I had the cross country team which was very hard at the time because they weren’t winning national titles like they do now. So, there were very hard things to cover and they would cut my stories and as a little freshman I was really emotional about it so I did mostly citrus. There I really got into the television side of it. I really liked being on screen, being behind the screens, crewing, editing video, editing graphics I was really really good at. So, that I would do for four years. So, during my four years I was the softball league reporter, so I was-- they weren’t good but it was really exciting because it’s the closest thing we have to baseball. I covered Syracuse during their latest final four run. I was an analyst for Cuse Town Down (a school sports network) and I was actually the first female analyst they’ve ever had. I got to preview the Gonzaga game and give a tournament preview, which at the time we didn’t know we were going to do so well so we kind of were a bit harsh to Syracuse but it got really exciting later on.

RO: You are involved in many school run organizations. As a Syracuse graduate, now involved in the graduate program, how crucial is this college fieldwork experience? 

B: Well, it’s definitely crucial because its extra work. It’s extra exposure that you’re going to get to the field and it’s kind of like real world but not being a broadcast journalism major I had no idea what I was doing. I learned from the other students. I learned about Avid Technology, which isn’t used much in Newhouse. I learned aftereffects for graphics and stuff like that. So, everything I learned was through conversation. I learned little shortcuts that I needed to know to do my work. Coming here for the fifth year, I’m learning things that I never knew before. Little bits and details of writing, little details of audio editing. I never used audacity in the form that I am using it now. So, yeah, the fifth year is a lot different than what I have been doing.

RO: What was the craziest experience that you’ve had during your journalism career, whether it was something to get a story or even chase down someone for a story?

B: Well, any experience interviewing Boeheim is crazy because you think you’re going to get yelled at and you will half of the time but I would have to say this past year going to the final four was unreal. Like, right after the sweet 16 game I remember I was at the student bar, Chucks, watching the game because they have this huge screen, everyone goes, it was packed. You couldn’t move and we won and I get a text from the sports director being, like, “You need to get on camera now! They’re going to Castle. They’re going to riot. They’re going crazy.” So, from there for being in a bar, being a fan, going straight back to work, being a journalist, and having to go to Citrus, run, get a super expensive camera and have to run it all the way to Castle court when there are all these crazy drunk people. Someone set a car on fire and stuff and having to actually interview people even though you know all these people and you’re as excited as them but you have to be somewhat unbiased. That was absolutely insane—it was crazy.

RO: I can only imagine that excitement. I look forward to following up with you about new experiences throughout your graduate program. 

B: Yeah, that would be great! Especially in this course.