SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- An aspiring motion picture screenwriter is taking the Sports Communications Emphasis program at Syracuse University's Newhouse School? Sounds like a interesting, jumbled mess.The culprit--Ivan Traczuk agrees.
As I stumbled to Food.com, a food and gathering spot in the Newhouse building, I saw a bright and cheery smile and an even brighter shirt. Traczuk greeted me with excitement. He was ready to begin his interview.The Ocean City, N. J. native began his life on, what some might argue, "the wrong foot or wrong side of the bed." Why? He is a Philadelphia fan. Literally, I mean a fan of every sport in Philadelphia. Traczuk was exposed to sports through his father. His love for Philly teams are beyond measurable
"It's deep. It's a little too deep, and I think to be a real true fan you have that deep passion for them. I was born in Philadelphia," Traczuk said. "My father was a huge Eagles fan. So, some of my youngest memories are just watching the games with him. The Eagles will have a Super Bowl...in my lifetime."
When efforts to get into the Newhouse program as a undergrad failed, he ended up much farther south--Miami. The University of Miami exposed Traczuk to a lot of sun, fun, responsibilities and sports. He even had to drop classes in order to attend basketball games. Leading the student section was more important, obviously. Despite his busy schedule filled with classes, business fraternity affairs and being a residential assistant, he had time to be the best sports fan his dad always envisioned.
Even though he did no sports coverage at the university, Traczuk says he knew he wanted to tie his career to sports. With a degree in motion pictures and a concentrating in screenwriting, one might wonder what is his plan to merge it all together.
"That’s a great question and you're just going to have to stay tuned because I'm still curious to know as well. I'm trying to find that perfect marriage between sports and writing," Traczuk says. "I think that this SCE program is a great way to figure out my alternate routes for that."
Ivan Traczuk is determined to find the common denominator between the two. People say there isn't such a thing. Will he discover..."the perfect marriage.?"
A transcription of my conversation with Ivan is below but you can check out the audio version here
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Interview: Q&A with Ivan Traczuk
A: I-V-A-N T-R-A-C-Z-U-K
Q: Thank you for meeting with me. How are you today?
A: I'm doing great.
Q: You’re from Ocean City, New Jersey. So from New Jersey to Miami how in the world did you get all the way to Miami. I mean, why did you pick that school?
A: I didn’t get into Newhouse when I was in undergrad. Otherwise, I prob would've came here. Miami was one of the only places I had visited when I was looking for my undergrad it was really Miami or Syracuse. On The same week I got wait listed for Newhouse I got my financial aid package from Miami, so I took it as a sign of God to take my talents down to South Beach. I’ve lived within an hour of Philadelphia my entire life I knew wanted to get away and experience something new. I didn't know how I was going to feel about Miami being warm all the time. No seasons. I thought it was going to be a great four year experiment and it definitely was.
Q: Why do you love all these Philadelphia teams? How deep is your love?
A: It’s deep. Its a little too deep and I think to be a real true Philadelphia fan you need to have that deep passion for them. I was born in philly my father was a huge Eagles fan. So, some of my youngest memories are just watching the games with him. The Eagles will have a Super Bowl…
Q: And when do you think that will happen?
A: Uh, in my lifetime. The Phillies did me a solid in 2008 where I was able to see them in the World Series. Went to the parade and everything. It was a nice sigh of relief that I've seen championship for one of the greatest sports cities in the country.
Q: You said that you played 11 different sports growing up do you remember all 11 of them?
A: I probably couldn't list them off to you right now but the main ones. I played a lot of baseball, a lot of football. I swam my entire life towards the end of my high school career. I was big into track and field. I rode crew for a season; water polo was a lot of fun. I tell people to try that out all the time. I snowboard. Tennis, soccer, all the t-shirt league things. I never had a day off and that’s how I liked it.
Q: You had to juggle school and being an RA and you also had to juggle your fraternity. How did you juggle everything on campus?
Q: You’re from Ocean City, New Jersey. So from New Jersey to Miami how in the world did you get all the way to Miami. I mean, why did you pick that school?
A: I didn’t get into Newhouse when I was in undergrad. Otherwise, I prob would've came here. Miami was one of the only places I had visited when I was looking for my undergrad it was really Miami or Syracuse. On The same week I got wait listed for Newhouse I got my financial aid package from Miami, so I took it as a sign of God to take my talents down to South Beach. I’ve lived within an hour of Philadelphia my entire life I knew wanted to get away and experience something new. I didn't know how I was going to feel about Miami being warm all the time. No seasons. I thought it was going to be a great four year experiment and it definitely was.
Q: Why do you love all these Philadelphia teams? How deep is your love?
A: It’s deep. Its a little too deep and I think to be a real true Philadelphia fan you need to have that deep passion for them. I was born in philly my father was a huge Eagles fan. So, some of my youngest memories are just watching the games with him. The Eagles will have a Super Bowl…
Q: And when do you think that will happen?
A: Uh, in my lifetime. The Phillies did me a solid in 2008 where I was able to see them in the World Series. Went to the parade and everything. It was a nice sigh of relief that I've seen championship for one of the greatest sports cities in the country.
Q: You said that you played 11 different sports growing up do you remember all 11 of them?
A: I probably couldn't list them off to you right now but the main ones. I played a lot of baseball, a lot of football. I swam my entire life towards the end of my high school career. I was big into track and field. I rode crew for a season; water polo was a lot of fun. I tell people to try that out all the time. I snowboard. Tennis, soccer, all the t-shirt league things. I never had a day off and that’s how I liked it.
Q: You had to juggle school and being an RA and you also had to juggle your fraternity. How did you juggle everything on campus?
A: Let me just clarify and say it was a business fraternity. So all of those stereotypes that you all have are not true whatsoever. Instead of being forced to do things I didn't wanted to do while pledging they kind of equated to a three credit course, where I learned the history of the fraternity. We learned a lot of business skills so I feel like my interviewing skills, my resume skills and how I present myself professionally has increased a lot. That being said, I did take on a lot of leadership roles in that business frat which was difficult to balance with my school life and also being an RA. Whenever you're not in class, you are an RA. We like to call it the fishbowl affect. You don't get to clock out as an RA; its a 24/7 job, even if your not on campus or even if you're at home your known as Ivan the RA. Even though, it wasn’t so much of balancing the work load, it was getting into that mindset the I'm a role model throughout my entire life now I can't be doing the same stupid things I did when I was a freshman or even in high school. I have to be someone that these freshman can look up to.
Q: How do you plan on combining your motion picture screenwriting degree with sports in the future I’m to curious to know.
A: That’s a great question and you're just going to have to stay tuned because I'm still curious to know as well. I'm trying to find that perfect marriage between sports and writing I think that this SCE program is a great way to figure out my alternate routes for that.
Q: Second to last question, Did you cover any of the sports games in Miami for a blog or any other outlet?
A: Unfortunately I didn't. When I was at school, I never missed a football game I never missed a basketball game. I actually had to drop class because it conflicted with the basketball schedule. But, I was solely a fan. I was leader of the student section for the basketball team my senior year. I didn't really even think about covering anything else. I, kind of, left that to the broadcast students. Looking back, I wish I would have got some sideline access or on court access. That would've been a lot more fun.
Q: You know I have to ask. I used to love the Jersey Shore show. Would you fit in on the show if they brought it back?
A: Absolutely not. I'm not Italian. I might look tan, but it's really just a lot of burn. I don't particularly like going tot the gym or doing laundry. New Jersey is a very interesting place you have to split it up between North and South Jersey, which are completely polar opposites. Then, if you live anywhere inland its completely different from living on the beach too. So would I consider myself a Jersey boy? In a sense yes, but I would definitely consider myself more of beach bum.
Dominique: Well, thank you for meeting with me
Ivan: Thanks, Dominique.
Q: How do you plan on combining your motion picture screenwriting degree with sports in the future I’m to curious to know.
A: That’s a great question and you're just going to have to stay tuned because I'm still curious to know as well. I'm trying to find that perfect marriage between sports and writing I think that this SCE program is a great way to figure out my alternate routes for that.
Q: Second to last question, Did you cover any of the sports games in Miami for a blog or any other outlet?
A: Unfortunately I didn't. When I was at school, I never missed a football game I never missed a basketball game. I actually had to drop class because it conflicted with the basketball schedule. But, I was solely a fan. I was leader of the student section for the basketball team my senior year. I didn't really even think about covering anything else. I, kind of, left that to the broadcast students. Looking back, I wish I would have got some sideline access or on court access. That would've been a lot more fun.
Q: You know I have to ask. I used to love the Jersey Shore show. Would you fit in on the show if they brought it back?
A: Absolutely not. I'm not Italian. I might look tan, but it's really just a lot of burn. I don't particularly like going tot the gym or doing laundry. New Jersey is a very interesting place you have to split it up between North and South Jersey, which are completely polar opposites. Then, if you live anywhere inland its completely different from living on the beach too. So would I consider myself a Jersey boy? In a sense yes, but I would definitely consider myself more of beach bum.
Dominique: Well, thank you for meeting with me
Ivan: Thanks, Dominique.
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