Brian Hayden - Fall 2008
Click on photo to enlarge or download: Brian HaydenGrowing up in Buffalo, N.Y., I was always taught that everyone has a story. If you learn what someone else has been through, you will better understand them, my parents and teachers at the Catholic schools told me. That interest in others' stories led me to where I am now, looking out the window of the Scripps Howard Foundation Wire news bureau in downtown Washington.
The journalism bug first hit me when I was in third grade, when I began building my own media empire: The Hayden Herald. The monthly newspaper with a circulation of two (one for my parents, the other for extended relatives) tried to capture the critical events affecting the Hayden household and all those who lived there (my parents, two sisters and me.)
That passion for writing and meeting others continued in high school, when I wrote for NeXt, the teen section of the Buffalo News. The experience of writing for a large audience was a big jump from my previous position as editor-in-chief of the Herald. It was there that I realized journalism wasn't only fun, but also played a major role in how the public views the world. My passion for my hometown and journalism combined at NeXt. While the other correspondents wrote about music, movies and fashion, I reported on Buffalo's architecture, waterfront and issues affecting urban teens.
I continued reporting in college, majoring in journalism at Syracuse University and writing for the student newspaper, the Daily Orange. After interning for public television and radio in Buffalo last summer and the Buffalo News this summer, I am thrilled to spend the fall in D.C. Every day on my way to work I pass the White House, eyes widened and jaw dropped. I hope I never lose that awe of working, writing and reporting in Washington. The lessons I learned growing up in Buffalo - that everyone has a story to tell - have served me well.
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During Washington transition, embassies re-evaluate their roles
December 12, 2008 6:02 pm
Click on photo to enlarge or download: Finnish singer Meri Siirala performs the Finnish national anthem at the independence day ceremony Monday at the Finnish embassy. SHFWire photo By Brian HaydenWASHINGTON- As more than 600 men and women dressed in dark suits and cocktail dresses exchanged business cards and formalities, waiters and waitresses served hors d'oeuvres of salmon and reindeer. A computer projected pictures of smiling Finnish tourists on a wall.
It’s a Red, White and Blue Christmas at the White House
December 3, 2008 6:00 pm
Click on photo to enlarge or download: The White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room is visible to visitors as soon as they walk into the main foyer. SHFWire photo by Brian HaydenWASHINGTON - Christmas for First Lady Laura Bush will be different when she and President George W. Bush move to Dallas.
Turkeys Pumpkin and Pecan pardoned at White House
November 26, 2008 1:37 pm
Click on photo to enlarge or download: President Bush pardons turkeys Pumpkin and Pecan at the White House Rose Garden Wednesday. Pumpkin was out of sight to the president’s right, while Pecan was in “an undisclosed location.” SHFWire photo by Brian HaydenWASHINGTON- Pumpkin and Pecan are on the adventure of their short turkey lives.
While other turkeys across the nation are served for Thanksgiving dinner, the two birds have been spared with an official pardon by President George W. Bush.
"Just to be safe, I will be pardoning a second bird in the unlikely event the main act chickens out," Bush said Wednesday at a Rose Garden ceremony.
Families say Pan Am 103 settlement is blueprint for future terror cases
November 21, 2008 4:59 pmWASHINGTON - It's been 20 years since Kara Weipz lost her brother, Rick Monetti, a Syracuse junior, when terrorists bombed Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
After 2-year renovation, National Museum of American History set to re-open.
November 19, 2008 5:55 pm
Click on image to enlarge or download: The Star Spangled Banner now sits in a darkened, climate-controlled display for preservation. Illustration courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.WASHINGTON - Beyond the main entrance of the National Museum of American History is a new gallery housing the 30-by-34 foot Star Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key in 1814 to write the national anthem.
Three states, two rivers, history, views, music, ghosts – a weekend in Harper’s Ferry
November 10, 2008 5:50 pm
Click on photo to enlarge or download: The challenging Maryland Heights trail leads to this breathtaking overlook of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers and the town of Harper’s Ferry, W.Va. SHFwire photo by Brian HaydenOct. 31, 7 p.m.:
Darkness descended on Halloween as the train rolled into the Appalachian Mountains. "Next Stop: Harper's Ferry," the conductor announced to the few remaining passengers.
The historic West Virginia town that borders Maryland and Virginia at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers is history filled hiker's paradise. For a college student in Washington who checks off his annual earnings as "far less than $25,000," it was an affordable weekend getaway.
Nader optimistic despite certain defeat
November 5, 2008 4:05 pm
Click on photo to enlarge or download: Independent candidate Ralph Nader delivers a speech Tuesday night detailing the progress his campaign made in 2008. SHFwire photo by Brian Hayden.WASHINGTON - As the news broke that Barack Obama was the new president-elect Tuesday night, Ralph Nader could hear the roar of excitement in other rooms of the National Press Club.
The Youth Vote: Students, scholars disagree on impact of young voters
October 30, 2008 4:53 pmWASHINGTON - Get into a conversation with Elizabeth Richardson, and she'll let you know why she's voting.
"I want to be able to say that I decided the election," said Richardson, 20, a junior journalism and American studies major from Los Angeles at George Washington University. She plans to vote for Barack Obama.
She's not alone.
Paterson urges Congress to rescue New York, other ailing states.
October 30, 2008 9:13 am
Click on photo to enlarge or download: Gov. David Paterson speaks with reporters following his testimony on Capitol Hill Wednesday, where he urged Congress to help rescue ailing states. SHFWire photo by Brian HaydenWASHINGTON - Gov. David Paterson said Wednesday that the state will take an "even handed" approach in reducing spending next year.
Niagara Falls and Buffalo will face proportional cuts compared to the rest of the state, he said.
Ever ‘The Entertainer,’ Billy Joel delights Press Club audience
October 23, 2008 4:23 pm
Click on photo to enlarge or download: Billy Joel plays the piano at Thursday’s National Press Club luncheon, where he talked about celebrities and political candidates. SHFWire photo by Brian HaydenWASHINGTON - Don't compliment the "Piano Man" on his playing abilities. "The guy in the lobby is probably a better piano player than I am," Billy Joel cracked.
Those who attended the National Press Club luncheon Thursday expected the Grammy award winner to discuss celebrity endorsements of political candidates. Instead, Joel had no prepared remarks, turning the entire hour into an impromptu question and answer session with Sylvia Smith, NPC president.
