The Bronx Journal:September 2000-Community

Here's Gary

Bronx television personality Gary Axelbank joins Multilingual Journalism faculty at Lehman College

Roman Sierra
Bronx Journal Staff

With the addition of a well-known instructor to the full-time teaching staff this fall, Lehman College’s burgeoning Multilingual Journalism Program is preparing exciting new educational opportunities and experiences for hundreds of Lehman students.

Gary Axelbank, the popular Bronxnet talk show host, has been appointed to the Multilingual Journalism Program full-time instructional staff. “You can’t believe how excited I am,” Axelbank said. “Lehman is my alma mater and to be part of the development of this unique educational media program is truly a dream come true.”

Drawing media courses from throughout Lehman’s catalogue, the new Multilingual Journalism Program will build a focused media curriculum that combines classroom, studio, and real-world experiences. “The idea,” says the program’s director, Dr. Patricio Lerzundi, “is to give students a solid academic foundation in media, and also real, hands-on, one-of-a-kind experiences. This is how media careers are built.”

Dr. Lerzundi, who has headed Lehman’s groundbreaking Multilingual Journalism Program, has grand plans for Multilingual Media. To start, he’s pegged Axelbank to teach Audio Production, Television Production, and Broadcast Programming. But, that’s only the beginning.

“We plan to develop a course repertoire that will give students education and experience in all facets of modern media.” On the horizon, according to Lerzundi, are expanded courses in writing, production, theory, and on-air performance.

Although Lehman has offered various courses in media, so far they’ve not been the foundation for a cohesive mass communications program. Now, Dr. Lerzundi says, Lehman media students will receive mass communications training and experiences equal to that of private colleges renowned for their mass communications programs. “In New York City, the media capital of the world, the system of public higher education should be able to develop students in communications. Because of what we’re doing at Lehman, it’s finally happening.”

In addition to building the program’s academic portfolio, Multilingual Journalism students will be able to select from a wide-range of practical opportunities. While ultimately Lehman will work with networks and media corporations to provide internships, the more immediate goal is to create a network of opportunities right on the Lehman campus.

Axelbank says that a large college community like Lehman is fertile ground for the development of media. “It’s very basic, really,” he says. “Radio, television, newspapers by, for, and about the college can be integrated right into the fundamentals of the educational program so students can benefit from their own real-world experience. Of course, the college will also stand to benefit.”

Lehman’s Multilingual Journalism students will work on-air at new campus radio and television facilities, on The Bronx Journal, which has been an integral part of life at Lehman since the inception of Multilingual Journalism in 1995, and on BronxTalk AM and BronxTalk PrimeTime, Axelbank’s borough-wide talk shows, which are produced in the Bronxnet studios on the Lehman campus.

“As a community television station, we understand the importance of helping train college students,” says Bronxnet Executive Director Jim Carney. “Our association with Professor Lerzundi and his students has been important for Bronxnet and the borough of the Bronx. It’s great that the relationship is about to reach new heights.”

Carney, who also expects to teach in the new Multilingual Journalism Program, believes the sky’s the limit. “If you add the resources that Bronxnet brings with its four-channel, 24-hour, 7-days-a-week operation, This program will be unlike any other, not only in the CUNY system, but maybe even in the nation.”

“We are pleased that Mr. Axelbank is joining Lehman faculty. He is a Lehman graduate who understands the needs of the college and the community very well,” said the Dean of Arts and Humanities, Marlene Gottlieb. “We believe his presence on campus will prove to be beneficial to the program and specially to the students.”

Another aspect of Lehman campus life that will receive support from the new program is the Lehman Athletic Department. “We’re definitely excited about having Lehman MLJ students cover our games for radio and television,” said Marty Zwiren, the Director of Athletics at Lehman. “Also, as print sportswriters and reporters as well.” Writing about and broadcasting Lehman sports, according to Lerzundi, is another one of the valuable opportunities available to MLJ students.

In order to teach and train media students, facilities are important. Students will eventually be able to operate in state-of-the-art studios and facilities. “The college is making a real commitment to this program,” Lerzundi says. “Plans are being drawn for new radio and television studios which will contain much of the same modern digital technology used in professional facilities.”

Students interested in Multilingual Journalism and Mass Communication are urged to call 718-960-8217. Registration is slated to begin August 22, 2000.