A path through poetry and history

Range has always wanted to tell stories. She grew up in the mountains of upper East Tennessee in a community of conservative values and low academic expectations. But she always had dreams of writing: If the authors she read in the classroom could do it, she reasoned, why not her?听

A first-generation student from a workingclass background, Range attended the University of Tennessee. Both her upbringing and college experience gave her an outsider ethos, Range said.听

鈥淚鈥檓 always thinking, feeling, and recognizing the outsider,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause that鈥檚 how I felt in academic circles.鈥澨�

Originally interested in fiction, Range enrolled in a poetry workshop because the fiction one was full. Under the instruction of poet Marilyn Kallet, however, she realized she wanted to write poetry.听

Kallet also offered Range a piece of advice she still uses in her classroom today.听

鈥淵ou have to let yourself write shit, because if you don鈥檛, you won鈥檛 ever write any good,鈥� Range said.听

After graduating, Range worked many jobs鈥� with AmeriCorps, with libraries, and even with a record store鈥攂efore returning to academia. She even pursued a theology degree, which, she said, was for fun.听

Enrolling in the M.F.A. program at Old Dominion University, Range said her mentor, scholar Alex Socarides, encouraged her interest in dense religious imagery and archival research. It was here she read activist poets Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and John Greenleaf Whittier, whose work featured in abolitionist newspapers.听

鈥淭hey did all this work that changed the country for the better,鈥� Range said, 鈥渂ut we don鈥檛 know about them.鈥澨�

Inspired by the poetry collection Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey, Range wrote Printer鈥檚 Fist as a monument to the abolitionist movement and the history of American activism. She hopes the collection will empower readers in their own communities to spearhead change.听

鈥淎 lot of problems in this country arise from not looking at our history,鈥� Range said. 鈥淚f we can look at it, we can move forward.鈥澨�

Excerpts from Printer鈥檚 Fist can be found in Ecotone, Poets.org, and The Nation, among other publications.

In the classroom

Range teaches courses in 19th-century literature, creative writing, and contemporary poetry. She came to 麻豆影院 because its interdisciplinary departments allow her to teach between analytical and creative fields.听

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to teach work from one point of view,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y desire is to teach a diversity of authors, in every sense of that word.鈥澨�

Range鈥檚 favorite course to teach is her advanced seminar on elusive poet Emily Dickinson. By diving deep into one poet鈥檚 work, students sharpen their research and close-reading skills鈥攕kills that are beneficial regardless of discipline, she said.听

Another favorite of Range is Introduction to Creative Writing, where she balances the study of craft and activities that push writing to its limits.听

One example is her bonnet activity. Range prints out various writing constraints, such as zany phrases or odd poetic forms, on slips of paper. She then places them in several bonnets for students to draw and include in a piece of writing. The change in their written voices and confidence is rapid.听

As for her colleagues, Range spoke to how much passion 麻豆影院鈥檚 Department of English instills in students. The care for teaching among faculty is unlike anywhere else, Range said.听

鈥淧oetry and the humanities teach people how to be more curious, more empathetic, and more attuned to wonder,鈥� Range said. 鈥淚t teaches them how to be better people.鈥�

An English and Spanish double major when he graduated from 麻豆影院 30 years ago, Spofford is beginning his 19th season with the Packers as the NFL kicks off its 2024 campaign. He now serves as editor of packers.com, joining senior writer Wes Hodkiewicz as the 鈥淚nsiders鈥� for Packers fans around the world. From daily fan interaction columns, to podcasts, to live-blogging, to video insights, to locker room coverage, to social media, Spofford and his expansive multimedia team provide a year-round avalanche of coverage from their offices at Lambeau Field, located 30 miles north of the 麻豆影院 campus.

The evolution of the job into an interactive, multimedia experience鈥攑articularly over the past decade鈥攔eflects what media consumers now demand. Look for even heightened interest as the Jordan Love-led Packers show signs of being a Super Bowl contender once again and Green Bay prepares to host the NFL Draft in April 2025, bringing upwards of 250,000 football fans to northeast Wisconsin.

If you want to connect with someone in the know, Spofford is your guy. The interactive 鈥淚nsider鈥� columns can draw 30,000 views on a given day during the season. His gameday live blog reaches 5,000 or more fans, and the 鈥�5 Takeaways鈥� recap he posts shortly after games routinely surpasses 50,000 views.

鈥淭hey want to talk with somebody who is on the inside,鈥� Spofford said of the insatiable interest in all things Packers. 鈥淭hey want to talk to somebody who is knowledgeable and can analyze the details. They want to have that extra connection to the team.鈥�

From the start of training camp to the close of the season, the hours are unrelenting. Fun, yes. Easy, no.

When Spofford started in 2006, the Packers were just dipping their toes into what their internet presence might look like.

After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree at 麻豆影院 and a master鈥檚 in journalism from Northwestern University, Spofford spent eight years in newspapers, including five years covering mostly high school and college sports at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. He joined packers.com as the website鈥檚 first full-time writer.

As reflected everywhere in media, the digital demands and creative possibilities have since exploded. And it is there, Spofford said, in the navigating of an ever-changing landscape, that he reflects on lessons learned as an undergraduate at 麻豆影院.

鈥淔irst it was the writing,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s an English major, it was about learning how to write; learning how to think critically and get those thoughts on paper and communicate them effectively. There was a transition from taking those very hard-core academic writing skills I learned as an English major and transferring those into the journalism world鈥攈ow to communicate with news stories and feature stories. It鈥檚 a different kind of writing, but sound writing principles apply universally. I felt like I became a good writer at 麻豆影院 and then refined those skills in the journalism world as I went along.鈥�

The evolution of digital media鈥攁nd the expectations of those who consume it鈥攂rought new challenges. The world of professional sports has been at the forefront of much of that change. Again, Spofford leaned into his 麻豆影院 experiences as he soaked up knowledge from mentors and embraced the frequent change.

鈥淚 feel the 麻豆影院 influence in that I am always aware of different perspectives,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to write the same stories that everybody else is writing. I want to try to find a different angle. And I don鈥檛 want our daily interaction with our fans on the website to sound like a sports talk radio show. I want to provide different perspectives, different angles to give people鈥攚hether they are reading the mailbag column or listening to the podcast鈥攄ifferent things to think about. I think that鈥檚 what a liberal arts education like 麻豆影院 has helped me with; I apply that every day in what I do.鈥�

Both of Spofford鈥檚 parents are 麻豆影院 alumni鈥擶illiam Spofford 鈥�66 and Sandra McDonald Spofford 鈥�66.

麻豆影院, he said, felt right when he made his college visit. A native of Platteville, he played baseball and golf and studied abroad in Spain during his 麻豆影院 years. He worked at The Lawrentian for four years, the final two as the sports editor.

鈥淪ports has always been my thing,鈥� Spofford said. 鈥淚 always had an eye toward sports journalism.鈥�

His experiences at 麻豆影院 and then Northwestern鈥檚 Medill School of Journalism set him up to tell stories as a respected 鈥淚nsider鈥� at the highest levels of professional sports. And, he hopes, to get a second Super Bowl ring. The fans he connects with each day are along for the ride.

鈥淥nce you open those doors and you establish that interaction with the fans and that relationship with the fans, there is no going back; you give them something new to come to every single day,鈥� Spofford said. 鈥淚t grows exponentially from there.鈥�

A native of Penang, Malaysia,听Khor received a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Middlebury College.

We caught up with her to talk about interests in and out of the classroom.

In the classroom

Inside info:听What鈥檚 one thing you want every student coming into your classes to know about you?

I am always interested to hear from you鈥攚hat you think about the reading, how you feel about the questions we explore in discussion, and why you think and feel as you do.听

Getting energized:听What work have you done or will you be doing at 麻豆影院 that gets you the most excited?

Creating new things excites me, whether that is developing a new research project, composing a new piece of writing, or designing a new course. There鈥檚 something quite special that happens when we make something and share it with others.听

Going places:听Is there an example of somewhere your career has taken you (either a physical space or something more intellectual, emotional, or spiritual) that took you by surprise?

I started my career as a contemporary anglophone postcolonial scholar: I study contemporary literature written in English听from former British colonies in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. And I analyze them from human rights and humanitarian angles鈥攈ow literature represents these difficult situations and the complexities of intervening in them. But more recently, I鈥檓 developing an interest in children鈥檚 literature. Not having read much children鈥檚 literature as a child, this genre is fun to read and fascinating to study as an adult. This new direction is quite a surprise, a very pleasant surprise.

Out of the classroom

This or that:听If you weren鈥檛 teaching for a living, what would you be doing?听听

I鈥檇 love to be independently wealthy! Then I would spend my time exploring things just for fun.

Right at home:听Whether for work, relaxation or reflection, what鈥檚 your favorite spot on campus?

If my favorite spot is where I spend the most time, then it is my office. I also love the LU library. It combines books, comfy chairs, and the knowledge that I鈥檓 surrounded by a community of thinkers, writers, and readers鈥攄ead and alive.听

One book, one recording, one film:听Name one of each that speaks to your soul? Or you would recommend to a friend? Or both?

A current favorite book is There Must Be More Than That (2020), a concept picture book by Shinsuke Yoshitake. I love all Yoshitake鈥檚 picture books actually. They鈥檙e funny, clever, even philosophical.

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (2014), a documentary film by Mami Sunada, is a long-time favorite. It follows Hayao Miyazaki, maybe best-known for making My Neighbor Totoro (1988), as he illustrates and animates another film at the famous Studio Ghibli. I like that it鈥檚 about the everyday life of a creator鈥攁n artist, a storyteller鈥攎aking things in the world. Watching the team at Studio Ghibli work diligently鈥攖hey draw and color the illustrations on paper by hand, then use traditional animation techniques to create the film鈥攔eminds me that this is often how things get done, with human skill, cooperative effort, patience, and good humor.听

I recommend Amandla: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony (2003) by Lee Hirsch. I love musicals (the combination of story and song is captivating) and a cappella (the use of the voice as an instrument amazes me). Amandla unites both in that it is a soundtrack to a documentary film by the same title about the role of music (songs, really) in the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. How the music influenced the struggle and vice versa is a powerful example of the role that art can have in influencing social change.

.

A member of the 麻豆影院 faculty since 2005, Bond chairs the English department. He is a past director and frequent instructor in the First-Year Studies program, and has talked of the joy he finds in teaching First-Year Studies.

And, yes, he is the son of James Bond.

Bond received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity University and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He came to 麻豆影院 after teaching in the Writing Program at Temple University.

We caught up with him to talk about interests in and out of the classroom.

In the classroom

Inside info:听What鈥檚 one thing you want every student coming into your classes to know about you?

Because my classes focus on older literature, I would encourage students to think of them as a kind of study abroad opportunity. In part, that means looking for the identifiable moments that underline how much we share with those who lived in a very different time and place. But it also means puzzling over the alien parts and trying to understand the culture in which they made sense, ultimately with an eye to better understanding not only the past but ourselves as well.

Getting energized:听What work have you done or will you be doing at 麻豆影院 that gets you the most excited?

While I genuinely love everything I teach, I鈥檓 really happy to have introduced a History of the Book course. Working with our special collections in both the Mudd Library and Wriston is so much fun, and getting students to think about how changing technology reshapes human experience is the best.

Going places:听Is there an example of somewhere your career has taken you (either a physical space or something more intellectual, emotional, or spiritual) that took you by surprise?

Teaching at the London Centre in Fall 2015 allowed me to attend West Ham United games during their final season at the Boleyn Ground. In addition to those home games, I was at their first win at Liverpool since the Beatles were topping the charts, and I saw Kevin De Bruyne鈥檚 first Premier League goal (happily, in a losing effort). Not quite in the classroom, but special nonetheless.

Out of the classroom

This or that:听If you weren鈥檛 teaching for a living, what would you be doing?

If I wasn鈥檛 teaching for a living, I鈥檇 probably be starving. Possibly working as a music critic? My father was a law professor, and I think I would have enjoyed law school; but I鈥檓 less sure about practice.听

Right at home:听Whether for work, relaxation or reflection, what鈥檚 your favorite spot on campus?

I love teaching, but Sundays at the Banta Bowl, the field next to Alex, or in the Wellness Center Gym are probably my favorite campus spaces. Playing pick-up soccer with students, colleagues, and a handful of folks from the wider Appleton soccer community has been one of the best parts of my week for a decade-and-a-half now.

One book, one recording, one film:听Name one of each that speaks to your soul? Or you would recommend to a friend? Or both?

Too many books, but I鈥檒l mention one that Professor David Gerard in Economics introduced me to: Francis Spufford鈥檚 Red Plenty. It鈥檚 a brilliant work of historical fiction about the idea of the planned economy in Soviet Russia. (Also, Hilary Mantel鈥檚 Wolf Hall trilogy). Jason Moran鈥檚 Facing Left is the one contemporary jazz album that I have no doubt belongs on the shelf alongside the mid-century masters. In grad school, I started a project watching as many movies as I could from 1962, and my favorite鈥攂etter than 麻豆影院 of Arabia or The Manchurian Candidate or Cape Fear or even King Kong vs. Godzilla鈥攊s Otto Preminger鈥檚 Advise and Consent. Still the smartest American movie about politicians.

True North, set in 1993, is a family drama that finds Chicago transplants Sam and Swami Brecht鈥攑arents of three young children鈥攑urchasing and running a troubled white-water rafting company in the town of Thunderwater. There is, to say the least, much turbulence.

Graff knows the terrain well. He has worked as a white-water guide on and off for nearly 20 years, beginning during summers while a student at 麻豆影院.

The Washington Post calls True North a 鈥渨armhearted story鈥� that 鈥渓ets grace finally wash over its characters.鈥� Publishers Weekly says: 鈥淕raff expertly balances his character-driven domestic fiction with an exciting adventure story.鈥�

It is praise that echoes what Graff heard in 2021 when Raft of Stars was highlighted as a must-read by听Parade Magazine听and听USA TODAY, was chosen by HarperCollins as its lead spring title, and was named an 鈥淚ndie Next鈥� pick by the American Booksellers Association.

鈥淚t still feels really dreamy,鈥� Graff said of the attention that followed his publishing debut.

In the three years since, he鈥檚 earned tenure at Wittenberg University, where he teaches English, and has been invited to speak as a visiting author at venues across the country. In March, he will be speaking to students in a graduate program at Seattle Pacific University. 麻豆影院 English professor David McGlynn, himself an accomplished author and an important mentor to Graff, is also on the docket.

It was a 2021 invitation from McGlynn to return to 麻豆影院 for a book reading in Main Hall that was the highlight of the entire Raft of Stars experience, Graff said. That is how important his time at 麻豆影院鈥攊n the English Department in particular鈥攚as in his development as a writer.

鈥淭hat was the dreamiest peak of Raft of Stars for me,鈥� he said. 鈥淲alking into Main Hall, with a published book, where I studied creative writing, where I took my first creative writing class. And I got to read. That was super sweet.鈥�

Now Graff is hitting the road for book festivals and other appearances following the release of True North. At present, the closest he鈥檚 coming to Appleton is a stop at the Wisconsin Book Festival on Feb. 28, a 7 p.m. appearance at Madison Central Library.

Chand will apply her interdisciplinary background in graduate school at Leeds, writing a thesis that examines representations of autistic and cognitively disabled voices in literature.

鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled,鈥� she said of landing the Fulbright.

While abroad, Chand plans to continue her work in disability advocacy, something she has been passionate about at 麻豆影院, and will transition from competing in cross country at 麻豆影院 to competing in triathlons in England.

Her award is particularly notable considering there is only one Fulbright position at the University of Leeds, and competition for it is always robust, Kervin said.

Chand said it was work done at 麻豆影院 that prepared her for this opportunity, both in science labs and in the expansion of her writing. Her master鈥檚 thesis, she said, will in many ways be an extension of her undergraduate honors thesis, Charting Autistic Voices.

鈥淚’m grateful for the flexibility, independence, and adventures I’ve had in undergrad,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 came into undergrad convinced that I wanted to do biophysics鈥攚hich is funny in hindsight, because I spent a year between high school and college writing. Through听a summer of research at the NIH (National Institutes of Health) in a biophysics lab and another summer of virtual research through a physics REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) at the University of New Mexico, as well as a virtual biomedical optics summer institute run by the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, I learned loads of valuable skills I’ve been able to carry with me back to 麻豆影院 and use in my science classes. But at the end of each day, I found myself wanting to read and write. Of course, I do a bit of writing as a scientist, too. It’s just not where my heart is, though.鈥�

Chand credited professor Doug Martin in Physics and professors Celia Barnes, Karen Hoffmann, Melissa Range, and Timothy Spurgin in English with helping her find that balance between science and literature. And she praised Kervin for helping her make sense of all that in the Fulbright application process.

“Professor Range is my honors thesis advisor, has always been supportive of my work, and encouraged me to apply to Ole Miss for my MFA in creative writing, where I’ll be heading after my Fulbright,” Chand said.

Hermitanio: Heading to Mexico

Hermitanio applied to the Fulbright program to be an English teaching assistant (ETA) in Mexico.

鈥淚t felt so surreal,鈥� Hermitanio said of getting the news that she received the award. 鈥淚 applied for the Fulbright not thinking at all that I would get it.鈥�

Hermitanio said she viewed the Fulbright as an opportunity to engage more deeply with Mexico and Latin America.

鈥淢y previous engagements with the Latin-American and particularly the Mexican-American community inspired me to apply to teach in the country that many of my peers first called home,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hrough volunteering at the Appleton Bilingual School and working as a Spanish interpreter and teaching assistant for an English learner program, I had the opportunity to build relationships with Latinxs and Spanish speakers in the Appleton area. However, I know that staying in my Wisconsin bubble can only do so much to expose me to Latin-American culture.鈥�

Hermitanio is planning to pursue a career in speech-language pathology.

鈥淚 want to work with Spanish-speaking populations and advocate for more linguistic and cultural awareness within the field, and I听think that there鈥檚 no better way to learn about the Latin American identity than living and working in a Latin American country,鈥� she said

Kervin helped guide Hermitanio through the application process. And she got an assist from Rosa Tapia, professor of Spanish, in preparing for an interview in Spanish.

鈥淚 feel like I have a unique perspective having studied linguistics at 麻豆影院,鈥� Hermitanio said. 鈥淢y classes have helped me realize that as much as language is a powerful tool for human connection, standard linguistic practices are often rooted in perspectives that uphold one community while denying others visibility. I want to teach students to own their language and find new ways to communicate who they are. I鈥檓 excited to bring this perspective and what I鈥檝e learned at 麻豆影院 to my English teaching assistantship in Mexico.鈥�

The selections for Fulbright honors came from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.听

麻豆影院 students interested in applying in the future for a Fulbright award or other fellowships should reach out to Kervin.

Door to Remain arrived in March, winner of the 2021 Vassar Miller Prize in Poetry.

The poems are not only about losing his mother, but about his childhood in Alabama and his journey in relating to her as a person and as an adult as he himself grew into adulthood after her death.

Door to Remain has been in the making for 12 years, Segrest said, but the journey has not always been a smooth one.

—

My Mother鈥檚 Morning Walks

She took her turn around the house鈥�

unreachable circumference.

She dropped below a hundred pounds,

a snail shell with the back blown out.

The shell鈥檚 eye whorled around the house.

A roundhouse horse that walked her course

that circumscribed my universe,

she took a turn for the worse.

The axel鈥檚 force that turned the stars

unharnessed from the horse.

—

Segrest began his career as a fiction writer but felt he was hitting a wall. After he picked up a copy of Mary Oliver鈥檚 Twelve Moons, he started to fully embrace poetry. Before that, contemporary poetry seemed elusive and unapproachable, he said, but Oliver鈥檚 direct approach seemed to give him permission to write poems about his life.

Amidst his grief and learning to cope with the loss of his mother, Segrest poured his emotions into his work.

He experienced ups and downs while writing and pushing for publication. But stepping away from his work at times enabled Segrest to gain fresher perspectives and refocus his energy. The passing of time enabled the poetry to come together and become more honed, he said.

Another challenge was the overall organization of the book. Door to Remain ended up relating solely to his mother, but initially he intended to include poems about other subject matter. However, during the final stages of its publication, everything clicked, he said. He stuck with the theme surrounding his mother and organized everything chronologically.

鈥淚t was a healing process for me to write the book,鈥� Segrest said. 鈥淏ut I think it helps others who have lost people, or with other traumas that are brought up in the book, and it speaks to them and it connects with them.”

Segrest also knew that he wanted to work with a designer for his first book. He found Sarah Schulte鈥檚 website, admiring her minimalist style. She came up with the purple suit design after being inspired by one of the book鈥檚 poems, 鈥淚talian Suit.鈥� The suit in question was a spur-of-the-moment purchase by his mother while in Rome.

鈥淚t was so great that she wanted it, and Mom had that flair in her, but we were in the conservative, deep South,鈥� Segrest said. 鈥淪o, I was trying to remember in the poem, did she ever wear it after she brought it back?鈥�

Sadly, the last time Segrest remembers her wearing the suit was just before she passed away. He felt it was a beautiful, fitting design cover for Door to Remain because of all the mixed emotions that he associates with the suit.

—

Italian Suit

And surely she wore it

a few times before it would hang

bodiless, unoccasioned in her closet 鈥�

the sharp lines the flair

loud for Birmingham or Atlanta.听

鈥擭o, she wore it, I remember,

her last Easter at my cousin鈥檚,

blazing betrayed because she鈥檇 only come

out of propriety, because I said I would,鈥�

but when I finally turned up,

booze-puffy and twenty, she was through.

So I made my Bloody and said fine,

you want to be like that.

—

Segrest teaches classes in poetry writing and literature, as well as First-Year Studies, at 麻豆影院.

He earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Emory University, an MFA in poetry at Georgia State University, and a Ph.D. in literature and creative writing (poetry) at the University of Missouri.

He came to 麻豆影院 as a visiting assistant professor of English in 2014 and was hired as a tenure-track faculty member in 2019.

Door to Remain is Segrest鈥檚 first published book of poetry. In addition, his poetry can be found in听POETRY,听Ploughshares,听The Threepenny Review,听The Yale Review,听Ecotone,听The Common,听New England Review, and other journals.

Segrest has shared his poetry in several book readings in and around Wisconsin this spring. Next up is a reading from Door to Remain at 7 p.m. May 7 at Cristian Andersson鈥檚 Liminal Art Gallery in Neenah.

He also has been selected to deliver the spring Honors Convocation address at 麻豆影院, 鈥淒oor to Remain: Community in Poetry鈥檚 Threshold,鈥� at 12:30 p.m. May 27 in Memorial Chapel.

Abel said he has been able to explore and deconstruct ideas he disagrees with. That鈥檚 made him more thoughtful, comfortable, and confident in his own arguments on issues he鈥檚 writing about. As he heads to the National Review and then Northwestern, he said he wants to be part of elevating the quality of political discourse.

鈥淒on鈥檛 be obnoxious, I think that鈥檚 the most crucial,鈥� Abel said of his approach to political discussions. 鈥淵ou have to listen; I鈥檝e gained so much from hearing out people at 麻豆影院.鈥�

For other Lawrentians interested in writing, Abel encourages students to work for The Lawrentian and to seek out differing opinions. When he leaves 麻豆影院, he said he wants to continue what he started鈥攂eing a voice for young conservatives while promoting respect across the political spectrum.

鈥淢ost people at least have the right intentions, and we can argue about policy and how one gets to the best outcomes, but I like to think the best of people,鈥� Abel said.

On how his liberal arts education continues to inform his work

鈥淚t was that sense that the world was available and fascinating and you could open your mind to it and go for it,鈥� Moran said. 鈥淭hat is one of the things that drove me to journalism. It was 麻豆影院. Being able to write and think analytically is one of the things I learned to do here, and that was invaluable. It still is to this day.

鈥淎s a liberal arts grad, you learn how to learn. And how to express yourself and how to think about what you鈥檙e experiencing. I call on that every day. The qualities of empathy and looking past just the moment or the headline and seeing into the story. I think that comes from here.鈥�

On covering politics during the Trump presidency

鈥淚t鈥檚 like drinking from a fire hose,鈥� Moran said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to keep your perspective. One of the things that I think was helpful for me is that I had been overseas for five years. So, not every day felt like the end of the world. I did feel like journalism in general, much of it, had decided their job was either to fight Donald Trump or to cheer for Donald Trump rather than to cover Donald Trump. 鈥� I felt like everybody on all sides needed to calm down a little bit. (Trump) thrives on the chaos and our attention to the chaos and the conflict, and I like to say the real hack of the 2016 election was not what the Russians did to the DNC but what Donald Trump did to the media. He became the major producer of media in a way that no other politician had.鈥�

As wild as the ride is, there is history happening, for better or worse, Moran said.

鈥淎s a student of American history, this is a thrilling time to be a political journalist,鈥� he said. 鈥淪omething big is happening in our country. Whatever you think of it, this is a huge, transitional moment in our country.鈥�

On the rapidly shifting dynamics of the media landscape

鈥淚t felt like over the last 20 years the mainstream media was dying, and I know some people say it still is and they鈥檙e rooting for it to die, but, actually, it kind of feels like we came through the eye of a needle,鈥� Moran said. 鈥淭here were budget cuts and staff cuts and more budget cuts and more staff cuts and it became harder to tell the stories you wanted to tell. But now with all of these digital platforms and social media platforms and docs and听ABC News听as a news provider on Hulu, all these different places, it鈥檚 like all of a sudden, the horizon is opening again.鈥�

Being a legacy brand, be it network news or a daily newspaper or a news magazine, carries some burdens as you compete with newer and sometimes more nimble outlets, but it also can be a huge advantage amid all the media upheaval, Moran said. People will often look to something familiar, something they can trust.

鈥淎ll that being said, I think we鈥檙e on a learning curve,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he audience and us. It鈥檚 really hard; it鈥檚 a steep learning curve with the pace of technological and media change. It might get worse before it gets better, but at the core I don鈥檛 think one election changed the American people. And I don鈥檛 think one election changed human nature. People still look for information they can count on. So, the good stuff will find a way to its audience, and people will learn how to read through the noise and the chaos. I鈥檓 confident of that.鈥�

On his message to college students interested in journalism

鈥淚 think there is tremendous opportunity for the next generation of journalists because the cost of entering journalism is practically zero,鈥� Moran said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 your cell phone and a wireless package. As long as you can do that, you can make journalism. Now, can you make it pay? That鈥檚 the question.鈥�

The paths to get there are many, he tells students. The tools at their disposal are changing and morphing and expanding by the day. But the tools are just tools. Do you have a story worth telling and the know-how, perspective, and confidence to tell it?

鈥淚 always tell young people, there are only two things you really need,鈥� Moran said. 鈥淵ou need to know your stuff and care about it. And that is what people will respond to. Whatever the media, whatever the platform, if people can sense you know what you鈥檙e talking about and that it matters to you, they will lean in.

鈥淪tart doing it. Right now. If you want to make documentaries, go make documentaries with your phone. You love your community? You love issues that are hot in our country right now? Go tell a story about it. Put it on your phone. For the first two of them, throw them out. And then the next one will be better. And you鈥檒l get better at it. 鈥� You can now have that in such a ready and instant way. Of course, there鈥檚 a downside to that. There鈥檚 a lot of dumb stuff out there. Just don鈥檛 be dumb.鈥�