Garrett Boorojian

Date of graduation: May, 2010
Employer: ESPN
Location: Bristol, CT
Job Title: Production Assistant
Carolina Week Title: Reporter
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Carolina Week Testimonial: An experience like no other! In a small, busy newsroom where shows are produced and directed by people who rely on others to anchor and report, and vice-versa. Questions: Who are these people producing, directing, anchoring and reporting...? Are they working professionals in the business...? Answer: No. They're COLLEGE STUDENTS, yes college students, who are aspiring to be the news industry's next great wave of working professionals, whether in journalism or elsewhere.
A student-run, Emmy-Award winning and semi-weekly television newscast, Carolina Week (CW) and his/her loyal friend, Carolina Connection (CC is the radio show version of CW), make up the heart and soul of the Electronic Communication sequence. You'll remember your first VO (voice-over), VO/SOT (voice-over/sound-on-tape) and of course PKG (news package). You'll remember your first stand-up or some of the countless times editing alone in the early morning hours in the cold newsroom or in one of the edit bays while frantically trying to stay awake (stretching or going for a walk to recharge your batteries, and probably the camera's as well), sipping your hot coffee and eating your favorite sandwich from 'Alpine Bagel Co.' ...might I kindly suggest the 'Pilgrims Pride' sandwich...fitting for those like you entering this new world of digital journalism. You'll remember your first show directed and/or produced and/or anchored....when you first ran the teleprompter, operating a floor camera, and rolling tape up in the 'Ps'....obviously your first time out reporting in the field...audio-level checking...white-balancing, shots-need-of-framing ('rule-of-thirds', not 'rule-of-threes'...there's a difference!), and afternoon-lighting (Professor Cupp's lighting preference)...the list goes on and on! And you certainly won't forget the first time watching your story air on television with others in the newsroom...a special, momentous occasion for you. Don't forget to send a copy of your masterpiece to your family...a nice birthday gift for Mom and Dad. After doing several packages, it becomes standard procedure and you're in demand like never before. Why? Knowing Dr. T, he'll make sure to let everybody know after the show "what have you done for [him] lately?" And then it's on to the next big story on campus...covering the initial announcement and reactions (NAT-ural-sound worthy) from the newly-elected student body president...the game-winning shot against Duke...how the tough economy is affecting local businesses on Franklin Street....rising gas, tuition and textbook costs...stories that matter to the University and surrounding communities....stories that matter to people...to students...to YOU!
The beauty of it all is that you can get really good, hands-on experience during your time at Carolina Week working with its talented and highly-skilled broadcast journalism professors who've worked in the real world for numerous years as television news directors, producers, reporters and anchors. Think of CW as a simulated, local-media market with a series of test-runs...the equivalent to minor league baseball. From the first story pitch, it's up to you to make strides in the field, advance as far as you can, reach new heights and face new challenges. Sure you'll strike out if your story doesn't make it somewhere in the show rundown at first. But the following week, with perseverance and hard work, avoiding rundowns and errors, you'll slide in safe after rounding all the bases because your story was a home run. From the beginning to the end, this experience teaches you the importance of meeting deadlines around the clock, receiving quality and constructive criticism of your work (ask questions because that's how you learn!), being detail-oriented and cognizant of what's expected of you, working as a team to get shows on the air in a timely fashion (never go to 'black' on the air), and holding yourself accountable for everything you say and do, just like you would in a real-world working environment. Witnessing the fruits of every one's labor as a collaborative effort unfolds when putting together a highly anticipated, well-developed, perfected (if possible), and finely-tuned program makes for a great 30 minutes of on-air splendor!
Just a sneak peek of how Carolina Week will only scratch the surface of your journalistic career. It's an experience like no other. Are you game?