Big Changes - Coming Soon

It's been pretty quiet on the blog since my graduation in May. However, that does not mean I haven't been busy. In fact, this June has been packed with things to do as my departure date for Turkey creeps ever so closer. I promise once in Turkey, I will start publishing more content and photos of the interesting people I meet and places I see.

Speaking of Turkey, that brings me to the next big venture: The Turk Film Project. In collaboration with BC, I will be uploading raw video and small video segments about Turkey, its culture, and my exploits throughout the year. As the year moves on, I hope it will also include segments either designed or at least inspired by the Turkish students I will be working with in Kayseri. We haven't officially "launched," but if you're reading this, you may as well check out our website at TurkFilmProject.com. Once everything is running, we hope that people from both the US and Turkey can comment, and we also hope that a forum about Turkey can develop on the site. Ideally, this will be a highly collaborative project where online responses will help steer the content I produce and also contribute to the final look of a documentary finished post-trip.

It's been a long road to get to this point. In fact, I can say that literally as I finish the second 4 hour bus trip from New York to Boston. I stopped by both the Institute of International Education and the Turkish Consulate to finalize details for my trip beginning next month. I'm thankful to all the support of my colleagues, friends, and family who have helped me get this far. I look forward to showing you all some fantastic images and hopefully treating you to some great stories once the journey begins.

Ken Burns to BC '09 Grads: You have been drafted

"The virtual world of Blackberrys, video games, texting and Facebook, is causing real experience to disappear for many...testing our very membership, our founder Thomas Jefferson might suggest, in our democratic possibilities. And that could, without a single shot being fired, divide our country more surely than a seemingly ancient Civil War that killed 620 thousand of us...It is into that world that you now plummet, unprotected from the shelter of family and school, but drafted nonetheless into a new union army that must be committed to preserving the values, the sense of humor, the sense of cohesion that have long been our hallmark and beacon." - Ken Burns, May 18, 2009

On a morning far too cold and misty for the middle of May, Ken Burns reminded us frankly about the challenges we now face, along with the rest of the country. The U.S. and the world continue to reel from the largest economic crisis since the Great Depression. The U.S. faces some of its toughest foreign policy challenges since the two weeks America held its breath during the Cuban Missile Crisis. But, Burns reminded us that we do not go into this world alone. "Seek community," said Burns about what we should do.

I've taken the notion of community for granted during the last four years. Since Day 1, I was embraced by one of the many amazing communities on campus. When I walked out of my car on the first day of freshmen year, I met my roommate Huy Trinh. Since then, I've lived with Huy for three out of four years, and we have a friendship that I hope will last until the end of days. Along with Huy, I lived with 18 others in BC's Shaw House, an intimate community that always encouraged me to go beyond my expectations. Later, I would join the CCE Improv Comedy group, and also Now You Know (Television Variety Show). I'm thankful for all the friendships I've made in both groups during these last four years.

I've never believed in good byes, and senior week had one too many of them. I saw the look in many of my classmates faces, the same look I carried with me all week. It was a look that said, "Are we really leaving? Is this it? Am I really not going to see you again?" There is a lot to be said about the problems of our "virtual bubble." I agree with Burns that unless we can escape it, and form lasting friendships with communities outside our four walled homes, our democracy cannot be saved.

In the spirit of last years election, I have hope. For my class and I, I believe we have the "weapons" necessary for this "new fight." For the last four years, we've been told to serve others, not waste our surpluses, and find the vocation that will not only bring us joy but make us an asset to our community. We were given an education from Boston College, and now we must use what we've learned for the betterment of the communities we enter.

It's true that I may have said "good-bye" to some people for the final time last week, but our common membership in the BC community is a lifetime one. I am proud to be a BC alumnus, and I look forward to coming across other BC alumni in the communities I visit. I hope that all my classmates worried about what the future holds (like myself) take solace in the fact that we are taking this trip together, even though our destinations may not be the same.

Congratulations BC Class of 2009, set the world aflame.


From left: Myself, Yousef Mustafa '09, and Huy Trinh '09

Concerns Over Swine Flu Mixed at BU

The W.H.O. elevated the Swine Flu pandemic to its second highest
level. With more cases of Swine Flu being diagnosed in the nation and
across the globe, Matt Porter looks at what preparations BU students
are taking.

Mixed Feelings at BU about Possible MBTA Cuts

The sound of a train rolling in just before class may become less frequent on BU's campus. According to a report released by the Boston Globe (April 10, 2009), the MBTA is considering cutting service at several BU stations and reducing service by half on nights and weekends. Feelings were mixed on campus, and BU officials say they will adapt to any changes as they develop.

Green Jobs Growing in Massachusetts

When almost every industry seems to be pulling back, energy and
environmental companies are showing new life. Massachusetts is setting
the stage to be one of the premier hubs of "Green Jobs" with over 20
new companies setting up headquarters in the state, and also with the emergence of new legislation passed into law including the state's first "Green Jobs Act." Matt Porter reports on companies and training programs now operating in the state.

A sports debut

This week I had the chance to produce a complete sportscast for BUTV-10's Midday News. It was a great experience, although I think I should probably stick to the news.




Today's Sports:

The Boston Celtics pull out a 111-109 double overtime squeaker against the Charlotte Bobcats. Former Patriot Dante Stallworth turns himself in to Florida police on DUI manslaughter charges. The Red Sox prepare to leave Florida for Fenway, and say their pitching staff is armed and ready. 150 Boston College students prepare to run the Boston Marathon for a school dedicated to teaching students with multiple disabilities. And the Boston Bruins seek to extend their winning streak to 4 games tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

Baldwin Award Time!

Just recently, Boston College announced it's Fifth Annual Baldwin Award nominations. I'm proud to say that four of my submissions received some sort of nomination.

If you have a Boston College user name, you can check out all the nominated films this year and vote for your favorite. Below are my four submissions.

For Others: Nominated for Best Documentary and Viewer's Choice. "For Others" profiles Boston College students who volunteer every week to help teach GED prep and ESL classes in Brighton. Thanks to Dimitri Papetsas, Brendan Quinn, Joe Zaleski, and Naz Keskin who all worked on the film. Thanks also to Jeremy Marks and the rest of the 4 Boston volunteers for helping us arrange the film. Thanks also to John Michalczyk, the Salamanowitz Program, and the BC Film Department for their help.


The Fabulous Life of Bienvenu Mayemba: Nominated for Best Comedy and Viewer's Choice. This short video is brief profile about one of Boston College's most renowned Jesuits, Fr. Bienvenu Mayemba, S.J. Thanks to Patrick Corcoran and Maggie Rulli for giving their commentary, and of course, thank to Bienvenu for being absolutely amazing.

In Good Faith(Trailer): Nominated in the Viewer's Choice category. The full length film was too long for this year's submissions, but the committee did nominate the trailer for the Viewer's Choice competition. Thanks to everyone who made this film possible!

The Backstage: Nominated for a Viewer's Choice. This ten minute spoof on the office was made with the most amazing tech crew I ever had the pleasure of working with. Thanks to the entire cast and crew of "A Dancer's Christmas 2008."

IGF Screens at ISBCC

I'm pleased to say that "In Good Faith" had a very good reception at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center(ISBCC) last Sunday. About 100 people from all different communities filled the room to see the film. There was a little technical trouble early on, but eventually the film went off without any more glitches.

Below are a few pictures from the event.

In Good Faith - Screening March 22, 2009

For those who haven't been following this blog, I recently completed a documentary about the Muslim Community in Boston and the controversy over the construction of their new mosque (the largest in New England) last fall. There was a preview screening in April 2008, but at that point the film was still lacking original music that would make the film complete.

Now that the final touches have been made, the film is ready to screen once again. For those interested, the film will be screening Sunday March 22, 2009 at 5:45PM. The screening will take place at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC) at 100 Malcolm X Boulevard in Boston. Following the screening will be a panel with four experts on the situation:

Bilal Kaleem, Director of the Muslim American Society (Boston Chapter)

Dr. Diana L. Eck, Director of the Pluralism Project and Professor of Comparative Religion at Harvard University

Dr. Larry Lowenthal, Former Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee

Fr. Raymond Helmick, S.J., Mediator and Professor at Boston College

There will also be a small reception and volunteers from the ISB will be on hand to answer questions about the mosque and give tours.

Motorists react to Gov. Patrick's "Hummer Tax"

This package is from my TV Newsroom class at BU. I've had the privilege to work with an outstanding team every Thursday to produce a newscast. Below is the package I assembled with the outstanding Ashlie Anctil, it was the quickest I've ever put together something for broadcast and my first live shot. It was definitely a learning experience, and I am excited to try it again next time.



Deval Patrick suggested on Wednesday during a meeting with the
Chamber of Commerce that the time may call for "a Hummer tax."
According to Gov. Patrick, the plan would add a fee to the
registrations of gas guzzling vehicles that get less than 20mpg while
possibly discounting the registrations of highly efficient vehicles.
Some motorists were less than pleased at the thought of having to pay
more for their car during this economic crisis, while others thought
the plan could be a step forward for the environment.

The Governor's office refused to comment on the situation further, saying that "there
is no official plan as of yet and that the Governor's comments are his
own."

One of the things that kept me busy this February!

Okay, so most of you noticed I've posted only one day this month. Along with 24 hour theater, RA duty, and more work than expected, it has been a busy month. I was working on several side projects. Below is one of them. It's a promotional video for a really outstanding organization called Citizen Schools. They are located above the Boston Children's Museum, and bring in professionals to teach classes in their field along with mentoring eighth grade students.

If you're interested in education or working with youth, you should definitely check them out.




On January 19, 2009, 75 students and 75 mentors got together to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of service and how they can play a role in helping to solve America's problems through service. Our students and mentors wrote joint letters to President Obama, not to ask what he would do, but to tell him what they will do.

This video was made as a promotional video for the non-profit Citizen Schools organization.

Boston bans sale of tobacco in pharmacies and on college campuses

If you're looking to buy your next pair of cigarettes, you better check where you're going. The Boston Public Health Commission has banned the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies and convenience stores located in college campuses. The ban began on Monday February 9, effecting about 100 stores within the city of Boston.

Pharmacist Gregory Laham has mixed feelings about the ban. "Its difficult to lose one customer, let alone lose 20 or 30 a day," said Laham, "but my feelings are as a pharmacist, how can you reconcile selling cigarettes? If you've got somebody that's on numerous heart medications, its tough filling prescriptions for them and then having them go buy two packs of cigarettes in your store."

Thawing out the blog

Okay...it has been almost a month since my last post. The last few weeks have been some of the busiest so far this year. With that said, I have a lot of great news.

First, I have an update in my Fulbright status. I have made it past the second round of deliberations and my application is now under final review. Also, many of my friends on campus also got good news on their applications as well. Congratulations BC!

Last week, I also had the chance to join my friend Orhan, a Cambridge College grad student I met at the TCC, for some delicious soup, tea, and Turkish desserts. Orhan introduced me to a really, great Turkish musician, Bariş Manço (pronounced Barish Mancho). I can only describe him as an eclectic musician because some of his songs are really folky, others are more new age, some sound like disco, etc etc. Here is a photo from one of his very early music videos.


Also, it looks like there will be a screening of "In Good Faith" at the Roxbury Mosque on March 22. The screening is tentatively scheduled for 6PM, and will include a panel of those involved including someone from the Muslim American Society and Father Raymond Helmick, S.J.

That's it for now. I've also been very busy finishing a video for Citizen Schools, a non-profit interested in providing better after school options for inner city students, and also a report for my TV Newsroom class on Boston's new cigarette ban. I will be posting those soon.

New year, new changes for the MBTA

Commuters are turning to the MBTA in record numbers since the
beginning of the nation's oil crisis in 2008. Meanwhile, the MBTA is
trying to avoid severe cuts and fare increases while enacting new
programs to manage the increased ridership. At the same time, an 8
billion dollar debt weighs down the MBTA budget, the largest of all the
nation's transit authorities.

There's something about Morrie...

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." -Morrie Schwartz


Last night, I had the chance to see the made for TV movie, "Tuesdays with Morrie". I will admit, I have not read the book. (It's now on my reading list.) I saw the title on my Netflix and thought it would be a good movie to see. Little did I know what it would have in store.

Maybe it was the fact that it was the first day of my last semester at BC, maybe it was because I had just finished a philosophy course where my professor went on and on about the future we can't see as we graduate, or maybe it was just because I had just gotten home after my first Capstone seminar where we were discussing the very merits addressed in the movie.

In any case, what I'm trying to say is that for only the second time in my movie watching history, I cried. I thought back to the experiences of seeing some of my own family members age, the people I've lost touch with since moving on to BC, or leaving several of my old hometowns. Morrie's understanding of life and living life was something straight from the lessons the Jesuits have taught me for nearly the last eight years. The idea that we need to be open to love, to share it, and more importantly to know how to receive it ourselves.

Of course, it wasn't the first time hearing any of these sentiments, but Morrie's life story and his death story struck a chord. At only 22, I know that I have so much to learn, but learning about Morrie's story made the lessons my educators and family have been trying to impress upon me more palpable. If you haven't read this book, you should. Morrie's poignant wisdom illustrates the importance of recognizing the loving connections we have in life.

It's amazing how sometimes something totally unexpected can happen, and the changes those experiences can bring. And last night, I experienced an emotional release for things I hadn't had a chance to fully feel before. Sometimes wisdom comes in great and profound packages and sometimes it comes in a little red envelope.

Two new promos

Over the break, I've been working on submitting two documentaries to the College TV awards. I have no idea how they'll do, I'm not expecting much since it's a national competition. However, it did require me to cut 45 second promos of each film. So, for those of you who haven't had the chance to see either "In Good Faith"", my hour long documentary on the Boston mosque controversy, or "For Others", a short 17 minute profile of 4Boston volunteers, here are 45 second clips of each.

"In Good Faith: Building a mosque and a community"



Concerns over radical extremism fill newspapers and blogs daily.
"In Good Faith" takes a look at the Boston Muslim community and their
personal struggle to establish themselves in an atmosphere of fear and
speculation.

Through one on one interviews with community
members and leaders, Matt Porter examines the local Islamic population
and the stereotypes they face while building New England's largest
mosque. Also interviewed are leaders of the American Jewish Committee,
Hebrew College, the Boston Archdiocese, and Muslim American Society.

"For Others"



About 20 Boston College students volunteer four hours a week at
the Jackson Mann School Adult Education program. At the program, BC
students are helping prepare adults for their GED or assist in English
as a Second Language (ESL) classes. "For Others" is a documentary
profiling four of those students and their experiences at Jackson Mann.

2009 has never looked better

2009: A year I first considered seven years ago at Boston College High School when I realized it would be the year I would finish college. Of course, at that time, I was naive enough to think that 2009 would be the end of my academic career, now I am much wiser to know that my academic pursuits won't be over until I'm six feet underground.

Since then, 2009 has continued to be a marker for me. 2009, the year I would finish my undergraduate degrees. The year I would have to make some choices on where to find my first job. The year I may or may not have to leave home. Personally, 2009 represents dozens of choices I'm going to make in the next year. As the year drew closer, I had feelings ranging from nervousness to excitement. At this point, after wishing my family and friends another happy new year, I finally feel ready to move into this uncertain territory.

Meanwhile, our country and the world stands on the verge of a great change. Optimists are hopeful and pessimists are concerned, but still, none will deny the importance of the decisions to be made by world leaders and the people they serve. On the cusp of the first day of the New Year, I'm more inclined to be optimistic. I think that when the time comes for serious change, people will rise up to the challenge.

But don't take my word for it, below are two quotes from an optimist and a cynic. The optimist is William Arthur Ward, an American author known for his inspirational quotes and our playing the pessimist is American satirist Mark Twain. A note, I do agree Twain had a lot of optimistic thoughts about the American dream, but he also addressed them with biting commentary.

“Another fresh new year is here...
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest...
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”

-William Arthur Ward

“New Year's Day - Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.”

-Mark Twain