BRYAN
LA MADRID
Writing Samples
#2
#3
Assignment: Profile Story – Shawn Woods
Written by: Bryan La Madrid
Assigned by: Professor Myron Belkind
Class: Intro to News Writing and Reporting
Standing in the front area of the 5th floor of the School of Media and Public Affairs, more often then not you will hear the excited banter between the work-studies and staff about some sport, mostly basketball.
Here is where Shawn Woods’ office is located. As you walk into the lobby, you will see his office, usually with the door open and Shawn sitting at his desk in a casual untucked button up shirt, khakis, and dress shoes. If he knows you, it is almost certain you will hear him call out your name and greet you. If you don’t know him, he will walk out, extend his hand, and introduce himself.
Shawn Woods is a young 40-year-old Media Lab Supervisor for the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University. For the last six years, Shawn has ran the media equipment checkout office, and assists professors with technical issues, acts as a liaison between GW’s Office of Technology Services, manages the 5th floor facilities, and is responsible for the media equipment inventory.
Growing up with a father in the Air Force, Shawn moved quite often. Born in South Carolina, he lived in Nebraska, Pennsylvania, England, Italy, and eventually settled in Yorktown, VA. Shawn dealt with the issues usually faced by children of military families. “You couldn’t get too used to having a set a friends that you will be around for forever. You were changing friends based on where your dad was stationed,” he said as he looked back on his childhood.
From a very young age, Shawn wanted to be an actor, and as he got older, his interested shifted to production and staff. All of his interested were sidelined once he got to high school and found his love for basketball.
“Believe it or not, I was a small forward, but we had a very short team and we were fast and we could jump,” he stated.
After playing basketball all four years of high school, he applied and was accepted to George Mason University, and as a freshman he was a walk on to the college basketball team. As with any college basketball player, Shawn had high hopes to one day make it to the NBA.
“I don’t think anyone was on a college basketball team that didn’t have that hope, some players lie and say they are here just for the academics but everyone who plays a college sport will have that hope and desire to compete,” he said.
All of the work he put into basketball and his hopes of one day playing in the NBA were derailed during an unfateful day his freshman year when he tore his ACL, permanently sidelining him from playing varsity basketball for the rest of his college years.
“I just remember life changing,” he said simply. “I started working full time doing audio visual work for the college TV station in the communication school”.
After graduation, Shawn moved back home to Yorktown and entered the job market. After a year of unsuccessful job searching, he moved back to Washington, DC, and became an audio/visual man with Swank Audio Visual, which worked events for different hotels.
After working himself up the ladder to assistant director, he decided that staying at the company was not an option and moved to his current job at The George Washington University.
Shawn is known for his dedication and work ethic around the 5th floor. From being the first person that professors turn to, to managing the work-studies within the 5th floor, not one person has anything negative to say about him.
“Shawn brings dedication to the table. He is extremely dedicated to his job, bends over backwards to take care of faculty and students, and he is a pleasure to work with,” said Jeff Sliauzis, an audio/visual engineer for the school.
Shawn is not just known for the work he does for the 5th floor, but for his laidback and easy-going personality and friendliness towards students, other staff, faculty, and his employees.
“He’s incredibly friendly and always has good rapport with students. I haven’t heard a single person say anything bad about him,” said Josh Trupp, a lab assistant and work-study who works under Shawn. “He a weird hybrid of someone like a professor or mentor, and someone you would see as a friend or peer. You look up to him but you also feel like an equal or a friend.”
Shawn is comfortable at GW and in his job on the 5th floor, but eventually he sees himself moving to screen writing, which is both a hobby and a passion of his.
“On my off time, I like to screen-write. I like to dabble in everything, but I’ve written comedy and psychological thrillers” he said. “I’ve always dreamt of writing Friday for Ice Cube, I love comedy, I love to laugh.”
Assignment: FSU Shooting
Written by: Bryan La Madrid
Assigned by: Professor Myron Belkind
Class: Intro to News Writing and Reporting
Three students were wounded after a gunman open fired at Florida State University Thursday morning, according to University authorities. The incident took place in the University’s Strozier Library.
Two of the wounded students were hospitalized with one in critical condition and the other stable, according to a spokeswoman at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Hospital. The third student was treated at the scene for a graze wound and released. The gunman was killed at the scene.
Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo identified the shooter as Myron May, a 2005 graduate of Florida State University, who went on to graduate from Texas Tech University Law School. According to DeLeo, May was a lawyer in Texas and a prosecutor in New Mexico before returning to Florida three weeks ago.
According to university authorities, approximately 400 students were studying in the in the five-story building when the shooting started. University and local police forces responded within three to five minutes, according to Mayor-elect Andrew Gillum.
Police forces found May near the entrance of the library shortly after 12:30 a.m. After ordering him to drop the weapon, May opened fire and was fatally shot by authorities.
“The suspect did not comply with commands, and actually shot at one of the officers. They returned fire, and the subject was killed,” said David Northway, Tallahassee police spokesman.
“I can’t imagine the concern that parents have right now all across our nation who have a student here at FSU. We live in a world today that’s always moving on to the next thing. But want to encourage everybody to take time and process the tragedy,” said Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who visited the campus after the attack.
“We are increasing security measures and providing a strong law enforcement presence on and around campus today,” said FSU president John Thrasher. He also explained that this weekend’s football game between the FSU Seminoles and Boston College will still go ahead as planned.
“These are things I think the Seminole family want us to do. We are a Seminole family. And when something like this happens, a tragedy like this happens, we all reach out to grab a hold of each other, and that’s what we are doing right now,” said Thrasher.
Classes are cancelled for Thursday and will resume Friday.
#1
Assignment: Feature Story
Written by: Bryan La Madrid
Assigned by: Professor Myron Belkind
Class: Intro to News Writing and Reporting
A fraternity chapter at The George Washington University has raised more than $27,000 to help a fellow brother’s ailing dad and to support rare-cancer research, according to the chapter’s vice president. The chapter of Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity at GW dedicated their fall philanthropy week to raise the funds.
“To my knowledge, this was the most successful Delt philanthropy at GW in terms of gross fundraising,” said Charlie Temkin, the chapter’s vice president.
Over a one-week period, brothers of the fraternity banded together to have multiple fundraising events and activities for the numerous sororities and students at GW. The week-long events were called “Delt’s Tau-Gate”, and it all culminated into a final corn hole tournament on the last day where the sororities on campus competed. Approximately $8,000 was raised through these events, with the other $19,000 coming from direct donations.
Half of the $27,000 will be donated to the Katie Moore Foundation, which raises money for rare-cancer research. The other half will benefit Tom Syron, the father of one of the brothers of Delta Tau Delta.
Tom was initially diagnosed with colon cancer in 1988. After defeating it, he was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1996 and stomach cancer in 2012, both times successfully fighting the cancer and going back into remission. In November 2013, during a check-up, he learned that his stomach cancer had come back, and this time it spread to his liver. This being his fourth battle with cancer, he also learned that this time the cancer was terminal.
Casey Syron, a brother within the fraternity and the son of Tom Syron, explained that as his father has battled cancer, his production at work has slowed down, lowering his income while his healthcare costs have risen. “The money raised will be going towards paying off his monthly health insurance bill, which is about $1,900 a month, but it will also go toward paying off his medical debt,” said Casey.
The idea to raise money for Tom Syron first came up when the fraternity’s vice president, treasurer, philanthropy chairmen, secretary, and media relations chair met and put their heads together in order to figure out ideas for their upcoming philanthropy. Normally, the chapter raises money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which is the philanthropy that their national fraternity has partnered with. After looking at their past philanthropy efforts, they decided that they needed to change it up and find a cause that many students on campus could relate to; cancer.
“We were talking about a more meaningful way to impact the community and we all kind of agreed, while JDRF is a great organization, given the gravity of some of the things Greek organizations at GW raise money for, it seems there is not much interest in JDRF,” explained Temkin. “Casey brought up the idea and told us of his family story, which sat well with us and that’s how it started”.
The cause also helped the fraternity brotherhood kick off the new semester right and help the brothers become closer to one another.
“I think that it brought the chapter together a lot,” said Temkin as he reflected on the events. “Having this big week-long event really allowed an opportunity for everyone to work together for something… it was a really good kick-off to the semester with everyone showing that this is more than a place to party, it is a place where we can make a difference,” he said.
Casey also had a message for his friends and fraternity brothers. “I wish I could express just how grateful I am for my fraternity,” said Casey when looking back at how they came to his family’s aid. “What your friends will do for you when you are in need, it’s just a true testament to friendship and brotherhood” he continued.
For more information and if you would like to help the Syron family, go to
© 2023 by TOKYO DESIGN. Proudly created with Wix.com