{"id":218793,"date":"2022-08-08T10:56:27","date_gmt":"2022-08-08T14:56:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=218793"},"modified":"2022-08-18T10:16:25","modified_gmt":"2022-08-18T14:16:25","slug":"the-opportunity-of-a-lifetime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2022\/08\/08\/the-opportunity-of-a-lifetime\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The Opportunity of a Lifetime’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The August 6 ceremony enshrining former Montclair State and NFL star Sam Mills into the Pro Football Hall of Fame<\/a> marked the culmination of an incredible career. For five School of Communication and Media students who made the trip to Canton, Ohio, to cover the ceremony and a series of related events, their hope is that it will build on their Montclair State experiences to launch their own impressive careers.<\/p>\n

Under the guidance of Professors Stacy Gitlin and Steve McCarthy who accompanied them on the trip, students Teni Bello, Matt Bruchez, Gianna Daginis, Jason Naccarella and Matt Orth covered events ranging from a Fashion Show<\/a>, to a private BBQ for the Mills family, to the Class of 2022 Enshrinement ceremony<\/a>. The experience helped the students improve their technical skills such as writing, editing, producing, and interviewing, and \u201csoft\u201d skills such as teamwork and leadership.<\/p>\n

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Leading up to the trip, Orth, who takes the reins as The Montclarion<\/a>\u2019s sports editor this fall, said, \u201cThis trip to Canton is going to be one of the biggest moments of my life. I hope this trip will inspire me to continue to become a better journalist and person in my last year and beyond. I have already learned that in this business, you need to be proactive and communicate as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The students prepared for the trip all summer. \u201cWe all had different roles preparing for this trip and we\u2019ve had great teamwork,\u201d said Bello, who completed an internship at the Men\u2019s Final Four this past spring. \u201cI researched and have been preparing to interview Melanie Mills, the widow of Sam Mills, and captured footage and researched the history behind the annual Fashion Show.\u201d<\/p><\/div>

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Senior Teni Bello’s internship at the Final Four prepared her for the team’s trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/p><\/div>
\nBruchez, who does play-by-play and color commentary for the Red Hawk Sports Network<\/a>, echoed the importance of research and preparation. \u201cI have prepared for this trip like I prepare for my broadcasts, with lots of research. I want to know everything about everyone we are interviewing as well as the other inductees to be prepared for every situation. I learned a lot more about who Sam Mills was as a person, and the type of impact that he made on others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prior to the national event, Naccarella, who is also part of the Red Hawk Sports Network and interned with CBS for the Heisman Trophy presentation this spring, noted that the weekend would test the skills of all the student journalists. \u201cI\u2019m excited to see how I perform,\u201d he said before leaving for Ohio. \u201cThis is also a fantastic opportunity to learn more about adjusting on the fly and executing our plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know the students\u2019 work will be fantastic and we will all learn more about Sam\u2019s life and legacy through their storytelling efforts,\u201d said Dr. Keith Strudler, Director of the School of Communication and Media, who along with Professor Kelly Whiteside, Director of Sports Publicity Mike Scala, and Sports Information Coordinator Pat Duffy prepared the students for the trip. \u201cI am happy that the experience they\u2019ve gained in the classroom, at our student media organizations and internships has led to this special opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Story by Keith Green<\/a>, School of Communication and Media<\/p>\n