Columnist and writer for "The New York Times" and St. Bonaventure alum Dan Barry visited campus this week to give the freshman class some insights into this year's All Bonaventure Reads book, "The Boys in the Bunkhouse." The book dives into the harrowing events that unfolded with the help of Barry's reporting, following the lives of a group of men with disabilities who were severely underpaid, impoverished and forced to work under inhumane circumstances. Barry took the time to sit down with a group of student reporters, myself included, who had the opportunity to ask him questions about his career and passion for writing.
One of the first questions that hit home for us Bonaventure students was if Barry would be where he is without Bonaventure. "I really do embrace the Franciscan values," Barry said. He didn't hesitate to add some comedic relief by saying that The Burton was an integral part to his college life. On a more serious note, Barry, who graduated with a degree as a major in journalism with a minor in English, went on to talk about how the journalism school impacted him during his time at Bonaventure.
"I gravitated a lot toward the English department because I wanted to read and write literature," said Barry. Several professors, including Rich Simpson and Dr. Russell Jandoli, were just a few influential people when it came down to his career in journalism. Poetry also played a big role in this part of Barry's life. "Poetry teaches economy of language and getting the most out of every word," Barry said.
In a world where print is becoming more and more digital, the roles of journalists, especially when it comes to newspaper outlets, are greatly affected. Nonetheless, Barry says that his transition to the digital world wasn't all that bad. "I kind of straddle both worlds," Barry said about going back and forth between print and digital. "I come from a print background. Early on, it caused great stress. Regardless, [journalism] is about storytelling -- mechanisms are unimportant."
Barry's time with the few of us taught us all a little bit more than we had known before. One of the last questions of the short half an hour session was also one of the most important. As for the biggest skills that a journalist can acquire, Barry had a lot to say as an accredited journalist himself. "You have to be satisfied with the work other than the compensation," Barry said. "I think that it's about retaining curiosity. It's absolutely essential that you develop a command of language -- perseverance is also important."
