An English Major at the Center of the Action

John Bonazzo (RH '15) writes the same kinds of exams and essays as do most Fordham English majors, for courses such as "Introduction to Old English," "Modernism and Cinema" and "Oddity and Creativity." In between those scholarly pursuits, he writes stories with headlines such as "Thousands Gather in Midtown to Protest Eric Garner Decision," "300,000 New York Workers Are Paid Less than Minimum Wage," and "Diocese of Brooklyn’s New Ad Campaign Employs Selfies and Hashtags." 

These are not the titles of English papers. John is finishing his second semester in an internship at the New York Observer, one of the few New York media companies  where interns actually get to write--which, he says, is a "big plus for an English major." On the days he works at the Observer, John files at least one story a day for their website. Some are small, aggregated blog posts, while others allow him to go into the city and report live on breaking stories.

Most recently John had the opportunity to cover the protests of a Staten Island grand jury’s decision not to indict NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner. He has also been featured in the print edition as part of their Education Supplement, keeping the metro area abreast of big news at Fordham. "Working at the Observer," says John, "has been a great opportunity for me to hone my craft." 

For a complete archive of stories John Bonazzo has written for the Observer, click here.