Dial Tone: How I Came to Sympathize With Telemarketers

It was my first call as a telemarketer. Saying it wasn’t going well was an understatement.

“Sir, I know you said you aren’t going to be able to give this year but we really like to encourage all of our alumni…”

"Like I said before, I can’t believe you are asking for money during this economy. Do you even know what’s going on in the world right now? I just lost my job. I’ve got three kids in college. Stop calling here or I will sue you.”

Spending my weekday night at the New York University Phonathon center calling alumni for money was not the college life I pictured.

“Sir, we understand that now may not be the best time, but…”

“No you don’t. You really aren’t listening. I have three kids in college and don’t have any money coming in. Any extra money I have will not be going to NYU. Do you get it?”

Thirty of us students were cooped up in a room with 30 outdated computers and headsets, facing a brick wall at the front of the room.

“That’s understandable. But support from alumni can help students like me, who aren’t sure we can come back next semester…”

“I guess you will have to get a job and work through college like I did.”

[Click]

“This is my college job,” I mumble as I hang up the phone and take off my headset.

Before this job, I remember nights back in Colorado—when my whole family would sit down to dinner, just about to dig in, the phone would ring with someone trying to sell something to the anonymous someone. We had a solicitation blocker on our phone to weed out most of the telemarketers, but some still managed to get through. And those who got through, my mom met with a curt, “We don’t accept phone solicitations,” and a heavy click.

Now, I'm that phone solicitor who gets through. I’m the person on the other end of that phone call. I am the one calling people during dinner, while they are putting their kids to bed, during family functions.

And because those people, who have cursed me out, yelled at me, told me to jump off a building, claimed that NYU degrees were useless—I feel guilty. Every time someone tells me they lost their job, they just had a baby, bought a new house, or to ask Madoff for any money that I need—I feel bad.

But, it’s my job.

I am a sophomore in college, a complete stranger, who has done nothing to them but dial their phone number. Alumni really don’t have any right to curse at me. And I guess I really don’t have any right to ask them for money. But it’s my job. So that’s what I do. And that reason is good enough for me.

“Hit them where it hurts,” my supervisor at the NYU Phonathon once told me. “Even the people out of work have a little extra money to give. So ask them for it.” She chuckled, but was completely serious. I raised one eyebrow in a question of “Is that really what we do here?”

The CEO, Al Ruffalo, of the company we work for, came in one day to talk to us and thank us for all the hard work we do on the phones. Standing just a few inches above 5 feet, the man looks like a very tan Oompa Loompa. Strapped in his best suit, he scanned the room full of students and pointed to one of the phones.

“What you do here is magic.”

…

Wait. Rewind. One more time.

“What you do here is magic.”

All the callers looked at each other and stifled our snorts out of respect for the head of our company. But really magic?

Last time I put on my headset, there were no white rabbits, no black wand, no pretty assistant in glitzy evening wear and definitely no ‘ooohhs’ and ‘ahhhhhs’ from an audience.

There is nothing magic about what goes on in that dungeon of an office. Actually, magic is the last word that comes to my mind when I think of what happens at the NYU Phonathon. Better words would most likely be torture, exhausting, awful, soul-crushing.

There is nothing magic about asking people to rework their finances to donate to NYU. There is nothing magic about asking a wife whose husband just died if she would like to make a contribution to NYU in his honor. And there is nothing magic about reminding a 1918 graduate that yes, he did in fact go to NYU, and should make a contribution to increase the value of his degree.

Maybe what’s missing from the phone numbers, the hang-ups and the yelling, is the human explanation. The people on the other end pretend I am just like every other telemarketer that calls them. And I pretend like I understand their financial situation. That relationship leads to a lot of talking and less listening.

The call comes down to one thing: money. I need to get it. They need to keep it. These little green bills cause me a lot of emotional stress at my job. But it will never go away. Money is always in the driver’s seat and the rest of us, well, are just along for the ride.

How am I supposed to fit that all into a 1-minute phone call?

I put my headset back on and dial the next phone number.

Ring, Ring, Ri…

“Hello?”

“Hi, my name is Kelly Burke and I’m a student at New York University…”

“NYU again? This is the third time you called today. These calls are getting really aggravating. Looking for money I assume?”

I sigh. “Yes, one of the reasons we are calling is to ask for money…”

[Click]

Dress Code Violation: UN Headquarters

Senioritis always hit hard the last few weeks of high school. Hallways abandoned, lack of enthusiasm, countless absences and unproductive students. All the seniors were itching to leave and move on to the next phase of their lives.

And after a visit to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, that atmosphere was all too familiar.

From the outside, the sleek 18-acre site on the East side of Manhattan posts an air of sophistication. Flags from around the world stand erect at the entrance, welcoming all onto international territory.

I walked up the stairs to the plaza where the visitors enter, to be welcomed by a beautiful, magnificent and glorious tent. A canvas tent with a sign saying VISITORS crudely pasted on the front. I didn’t realize that the Ringling Bros. were part of the architects who constructed this place.

After shuffling into the hot tent, I encountered a third rate airport security checkpoint. Two metal detectors on either side of the welcome tent with people quickly walking through into the Headquarters.

In a building that calls itself the “headquarters” of the United Nations, a place that is supposed to facilitate international relations and developments, I expected the hustle and bustle of Times Square or Wall Street (perhaps not lately!). But the only crowds of people I saw were the tourists crowding the information desk waiting for their tour to begin.

The place felt like a museum. Don’t talk. Don’t touch anything. Stay in a single file line. Keep moving! The hallways were virtually empty for a building with as many foreign connections as the UN has. I have seen a rest stop bathroom more crowded than this place. I was incredibly underwhelmed.

I witnessed one international meeting about the Middle East and the question of Palestine. And apparently, this meeting is not really a course for concern but rather a monthly activity—like paying your phone bill.

“The Middle East has become a bit cliché here. It’s always the same questions, the same argument and nothing gets done.”

It’s no secret that, for the last eight years, the UN has been the girl on the wall at a high school homecoming waiting for the most popular guy in the school, the class president, to ask her to dance. But as Obama is being ushered in, “there is a sense that the UN will once again be engaged in international affairs” according to a UN official.

It’s about time.

The same UN official claimed, “This place is 60 years out of date and has asbestos in it.”

With a $1.8 billion construction project underway to renovate the UN Headquarters, hopefully these physical changes will create a more inviting atmosphere so people will actually want to come into the building rather than admiring it from across the street or across the Atlantic.

It’s graduation time. It is time for the UN Headquarters to wave to the crowd and leave "high school" behind.

Jack Passion: Mane of a Man

Jack Passion is a 25-year-old writer, musician and the 2007 World Beard and Mustache champion, courtesy of the fiery red whiskers that extend nearly to his belly button.

Local facial hair competitions that are held annually (with the world competitions held biennially, in various cities around the world) attract wicked sideburns, 70’s porn ‘staches, ZZ Top beards and facial hair enthusiasts from all over the world. Think Miss America and slap a beard on it. Trade in the hairspray, make-up and bikinis for wax, combs and outrageous costumes.

In this world, Jack Passion is like a God.

This past March, Passion defended his beard at the local New York City Beard and Mustache Championships (NYCBMC) in Brooklyn, winning the “Full Natural Beard” category. This competition likens itself to the hype and prestige of Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest with a $500 prize and categories like full beard, sideburns, patchy beard and recession beard (for those who have been growing their hair since September). The event is packed with entertainment from bearded comedy groups, bearded bands and even a beardless burlesque trio.

Now, he’s releasing his first book, Jack Passion's Facial Hair Handbook and his solo singing debut At the Opera. These projects, he says, set out to address and rectify some of the misconceptions about beards.

“We have all these facial hair stereotypes. That it's dirty, unkempt, smelly, a sign of laziness. That's why it's so awesome when someone pulls off some facial hair with class. I want to bring it back from the fringe, and let the everyday man feel comfortable with who he, naturally.”

His book, Jack Passion's Facial Hair Handbook, is a handbook for the bearded, complete with Jack’s personal tricks and grooming tips. “My book goes through the lifecycle of facial hair. It's as much a motivational book as it is a straight follow-the-steps guide book of grooming. What I focus on is arming the modern man with the theory and knowledge to grow and wear good, stylish facial hair.”

Inspiration stemmed from the volume of questions Passion received on growing beards. “It turns out there isn't any collected body of knowledge about the subject. There used to be, but in the last 75 years or so, wearing facial hair has fallen out of favor,” he says.

While Passion plans to keep his beard for a while, he wants to pursue projects outside his facial hair. “The beard gets me a lot of attention,” he says, “but I am so much more than the beard.”

His CD, At the Opera, plans to prove just that. “At the Opera is a concept album based on the Impressionist painting by Mary Cassatt. I am not afraid to be dramatically epic as I walk the line between rugged American and expatriate poet/author,” Passion said.

While Jack won’t be singing about his whiskers, he won’t leave the beard too far behind. Expect to hear “power anthems a la Bon Jovi and The Boss set on a Southern California beach played by cowboys from San Antonio,” says Passion. “It's party rock with some island roots. Picture Sheryl Crow at the beach with a huge beard.”

Despite recent acclaim, Passion’s beard success didn’t always come so naturally.

Born to blue collar parents in San Francisco, Passion’s beard days began with an unfortunate adolescent shaving incident that left him cut and bloody. “Maybe that action encouraged me to grow facial hair, or maybe it made me never want to shave,” Passion said. And the hair has been growing ever since.

Passion said he had a normal childhood, although he experienced difficulties “living in a suburb where when anyone grows the slightest bit of facial hair, it throws the town average way off.” And Passion was about to tip the scales.

At 19, Passion began growing his fiery red beard. Soon after, he solidified his spot in the facial hair community by taking his beard professional.

He entered his first beard competition on Father’s Day in 2005. And won. Passion then went to Berlin for the 2005 World Championships and placed third. “That kind of put me on the facial hair scene,” Passion said. And after two years of preparation, he traveled to Brighton, England in 2007 for the World Championship, winning the title for “Full Beard Natural.”

At the World Championships in Brighton, Passion sported, for the first time, what would soon be his signature costume: a tailored white suit. While many others dress themselves in outrageous capes, turbans, or hats, Passion keeps it simple with a sleek white suit. “I've always thought it takes a lot of balls to wear a white suit. I went to England in it, and I guess I looked like an 1800s man at a wedding. I was beard of the ball, so to speak. Since then, people have expected me to show up in and take pictures with them wearing the suit.”

Early success at these competitions thrust Passion into the spotlight and made him a celebrity. Matthew Saccoman, organizer of the NYCBMC, met Jack at the NYCBMC in 2006. “He was dressed as a pirate and I was dressed in my work clothes. My first impression was shock and righteousness. I wasn't worthy.”

Despite admiration from fellow bearders, not everyone appreciates Passion’s mane. “I've had people grab their kids and jay walk across the street so they don't have to walk by me, but I make a point to look good and smile and be nice. Having a big beard just makes it easier for them to remember that you were nice to them.”

Taking this to heart, Passion hopes to revolutionize the way people think of facial hair—both those who have it, and those who don’t.

Passion will be returning to competition this year for the 2009 National Beard and Mustache Championships in Anchorage, Alaska in May.

Many think that Passion has a good chance at nabbing another title. “He is a contender and it's obvious that he's in it for the long run. A beard is only able to portray so much, but Jack is the whole package.”

To see more of Jack Passion, visit his website at http://jackpassion.com/

Mane of a Man: Jack Passion, Beard Champion (Condensed Version)

(http://www.fearthebeard.org)

Jack Passion is a 25-year-old writer, musician and national beard champion. That’s right, a beard champion. Passion is the 2007 World Beard and Mustache champion courtesy of the red whiskers that extend nearly to his belly button. The Beard and Mustache competitions are held annually, attracting wicked sideburns, 70’s porn ‘staches, ZZ Top beards and facial hair enthusiasts from all over the world. Think Miss America and slap a beard on it. Trade in the hairspray, make-up and bikinis for wax, combs and outrageous costumes.

And in this world, Jack Passion is like a God.

Passion entered his first beard competition on Father’s Day in 2005. And he won. Soon after, Passion went to Berlin for the 2005 World Championships and placed third. And after two years of preparation, he traveled to Brighton, England in 2007 for the World Championship, winning the title for “Full Beard Natural.”

Since his recognition, Passion has been working on a lot of upcoming projects that he hopes will revolutionize the way people think of facial hair—both those who have it, and those who don’t.

At the end of March, he will release his first book, Jack Passion's Facial Hair Handbook and his solo singing debut At the Opera.

Passion’s book is a handbook for the bearded, complete with Jack’s personal tricks and grooming tips. “My book goes through the lifecycle of facial hair. It's as much a motivational book as it is a straight follow-the-steps guide book of grooming. What I focus on is arming the modern man with the theory and knowledge to grow and wear good, stylish facial hair.”

While Passion plans to keep his beard for a while, he is looking to step out of his bearded comfort zone. “The beard gets me a lot of attention,” he says, “but I am so much more than the beard.”

His CD, At the Opera, proves just that. “At the Opera is a concept album based on the Impressionist painting by Mary Cassatt. I am not afraid to be dramatically epic as I walk the line between rugged American and expatriate poet/author,” Passion said.

While Jack won’t be singing about his whiskers, he won’t leave the beard too far behind. Expect to hear “power anthems a la Bon Jovi and The Boss set on a Southern California beach played by cowboys from San Antonio,” says Passion. “It's party rock with some island roots. Picture Sheryl Crow at the beach with a huge beard.”

In a New Digital Age, People Will Not Be Outdated

Watch out for websites taking on their own life. Be prepared to learn new things. This was the advice Diane Dragan, Online executive editor of Every Day Rachel Ray gave to journalism students at New York University while discussing the possibilities of a new digital age.

Dragan, who has been working online for more than 10 years, has seen the digital age evolve since its birth with the dot-com boom. And despite the fact Reader's Digest recently cut 8% of its workforce, they remain optimistic about the need for professional journalism, Dragan said.

“People equate online with putting up anything you want,” she said. “But this stuff still needs some editing.” This need for editors and a journalistic eye is temporarily reassuring to journalists that are worried about the death of print journalism.

(http://designxpress.wordpress.com/tag/hearst-corporation/)

Still, amateurs are on the rise as the digital age is ushering in non-professionals, looking to get the reader involved and to give readers space to express themselves.

Dragan said that while many publications will have to succumb to financial pressures and move online, traditional journalism will never go away. “People coming in with good ideas are always going to be valuable,” she said. Dragan suggests changes thatengage the reader by giving them a place to voice opinions and pitch ideas, will prevail. In a time of new ideas and alternative models, it is Dragan’s belief, she said, that people will never be outdated.

City Budget Lede

New York City’s Independent Budget Office proposed restoring the commuter tax as a potential budgeting option. The tax previously equaled .45 percent of wages earned in the city by commuters and would generate an estimated $3.1 billion by 2013.

I must say, this city budget lede writing was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I couldn't decide between writing a lede on what had the most impact, what was most recent or which proposed budget option would save the most money. And trying to navigate through that document AND read all the potential options as well as write the lede in 30 mins was a ridiculous time crunch. I think I escaped in 28 mins. Whew.

The New York Times is Here to Stay

(http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_1943_nytimes.htm)

The New York Times will not be going away any time soon, according to Jill Abramson, managing editor at the New York Times.

Adam Playford, Gallatin senior and former Washington Square News editor – in – chief, introduced Abramson at the Albert Gallatin Lecture Series,sponsored by New York University, with a quip about his journalism future. “2009 isn’t a good time to be a graduating senior. The only thing worse is to be a graduating senior going into journalism,” Playford joked. “What we need now is hope.”

The past few years have not looked promising for the life of newspapers. According to the American Journalism Review, over 15,000 journalist positions were cut in 2008, with many more coming in 2009 as a result of the digital age.

“The New York Times is highly profitable,” Abramson commented, “With 830,000 people still paying for print, we are going to be around for a long time.”

She brushed aside any thought of the Times existing solely online, saying that the Times isn’t rooted in any platform, whether it be print or digital and because of the Times global readership, the paper was “much better equipped to whether the storm.”

Abramson’s words seemed to reassure students and professionals in attendance about the need for newspapers. “Americans have a genetic need for news,” Abramson stated.

Much like everyone else, Abramson is looking to the future. She mentioned that the future is sure to hold yet another revolutionary “gadget” within the development of news.But regardless of any technological developments in the future, Abramson made note that the Times would stick to what it knows how to do best: quality reporting. “We know our readers,” Abramson said, “Our strategy is journalism."

My First Love

I like to think of journalism as a love-hate relationship. At times, things are going fantastic. Journalism and I are getting along great, nice walks through the park, holding hands, very lovey-dovey. But other times, oh god. We have knock down, drag out brawls. Throwing punches, screaming at the top of our lungs over how I want the lede to be longer but Journalism wants to keep it to a tight 33 words.

Enough of the personification. Truly, I love journalism and I am continuing to learn more about it every day. And in the few weeks I have been in the Inquiries class, my mind has been filled with all sorts of information about how to write, where to look, what to look for, when to look for it, who to talk to, why it is a story. Ah yes, the 5W's and 1H; the two letters that will define the rest of my life.

And I must admit, I have never had a blog before. I'm not sure about the format or the length or what exactly you are supposed to write, so I will consult the tiny checklist Hamburg gave us for things to talk about here.

Lessons I have already learned about myself/Challenges I have faced in Journalism:

1. I cannot write a hard news lede to save my life. I'm working on it. I'm trying. For some reason, my mind wants to spit out alternative ledes. No matter how hard I try to convince my mind that the story requires a hard lede, it shouts back that they are too formulaic and boring. What a wacky mind I have.
2. 33 words for a lede is incredibly tough for me. I bet you can tell that I am a little verbose.
3. Interviews are just as awkward as I always knew they would be. And that's the exciting part. Walking away from a totally weird interviewing experience makes me chuckle and definitely puts a smile on my face.
4. Trying to decipher handwritten notes after an interview is the hardest task I have ever faced.
5. I have never used a tape recorder in an interview....yet. I'm sure when I do, it will make me feel like a true reporter.
6. The history of Journalism fascinates me more than anything.
7. When someone stares at you for a long time, waiting for you to respond, you obviously missed a question they asked because you were furiously writing everything they said.
8. I realized I need a better way to close the interview. It is always so weird.
9. I also need to work on asking better questions in an interview. I need to DIG DEEPER.
10. I need to remember, after an awkward interview, my first misquote or after ripping my hair out after realizing I have 40 pages of notes and nothing to work, that Journalism is fun. NEVER FORGET.

I cannot wait to do more reporting and produce some work I am really proud of. For all our quabbles, anniversaries and divorces, I will love Journalism until death do us part.