"As soon as my

feet hit the campus

grounds at Hofstra,

I said ‘This is it...’"

Tyler GreenPope, a broadcast journalism major, knew what he was looking for in a university. As president of his high school television station for three years, he knew he wanted a college with a strong communication program and excellent facilities. With a newly opened converged newsroom and multimedia classroom, Hofstra offered the facilities he was looking for. They were “one of the things that convinced me to go here,” he said. “And you can start working with them at the end of your freshman year, the beginning of your sophomore year – instead of your junior or senior year.”

For Tyler, though, it was really love at first sight. “As soon as my feet hit the campus grounds at Hofstra, I said ‘This is it,’” he recalled. “I knew I needed to be here.” An interview with Dr. Doug Friedlander, director of writing and assessment in the School for University Studies, convinced him that this was the right choice. “He was very friendly, funny, welcoming,” Tyler said.

As a student in the School for University Studies Freshman Program, Tyler enrolled in courses with smaller than usual class sizes and worked closely with his professors. “The SUS program helps you transition from high school to college,” he said. A writing course with Dr. Friedlander was one of Tyler’s favorite first-year courses. “He challenged me to dig deeper and really analyze the writing,” he said. Another favorite was AVF10 with Dr. Kristi McKim. “I can tell she really loves what she’s doing,” he said, “that she really wants to be here teaching about film.”

Tyler, a Student Government Association representative his first year, was selected to chair the student committee for Educate ’08, a year-long series of conferences, lectures and other events leading up to the October 15 presidential debate at Hofstra. As chair of this committee, Tyler will have a unique opportunity to participate in a national media event. “I was really honored, as a freshman, to be asked to take a powerful role like that,” he said.

Tyler also served as a representative to Hall Council, the student governing body for residence halls, and worked in the Admission Office as a tour guide. “Hofstra’s strengths are the extracurricular activities the university offers,” he said, “whether it’s the internships or the different clubs you can join here on campus. There’s a club for anything you want to do.” Next year, he plans to be a resident assistant.

Looking farther into the future, Tyler plans to stay in the New York area and one day work for a major news network. “I’m interested in being on air, being in front of the camera, reporting the news,” he said.