3 minute read
From KENW to CBS and NFL
By Peter Ewan
Joel Hahn (BS 91) has parlayed his Eastern degree into a dream job as a photographer for the NFL, college basketball, the Masters Golf Tournament and producer of several documentaries.
Joel’s documentaries include “Hear Me Now,” “Hunger in America,” and “Nashville Rises.” “Hear Me Now” tells a tale of bullying in schools around the country. “Hunger in America” is based on the statistics that six out of ten people in America are faced with hunger every day. It is Joel’s most rewarding project because it touches many different demographics. “Nashville Rises,” narrated by Billy Bob Thorton, provides a voice to the communities of Nashville that came together after the May 2010 flood.
March Madness is one of Joel’s favorite times of the year because of the games and upsets that go along with the NCAA Division I tournament.
At the Masters, which is one of the four majors in the PGA tour, Joel is able to capture and witness the events on the “Amen Corner.” The “Amen Corner” is a set of three holes on which a golfer can either win or lose the tournament, depending on how he plays those holes.
Eastern allows students to ‘go for it’ in so many different fields of study and I would encourage each one of them to take advantage of this.
On February 3, 2013, Joel worked the Super Bowl XVII. “The coolest thing for me at Super Bowl XLVII in February was giving a private demonstration of the 4K camera and Dreamcatcher edit system to Les Moonves, President and CEO of the CBS Entertainment division and Sean McManus, CEO of CBS Sports Division. Mr. Moonves is probably the most powerful TV Executive in Hollywood... That was an amazing moment.”
During Joel’s undergrad years, he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. “The Greek system was thriving, all the fraternities got along and shared a fellowship and camaraderie that doesn’t exist on most college campuses today,” Joel reflected.
“I met my wife, Denise Haeber (BS 92), in a Video Production class... I taught her how to edit and directed her during our nightly newscasts on KENW-TV. She was an amazing anchor and is still an amazing writer to this day! She’s a walking AP Stylebook. Dr. Schroeder would be so proud,” Joel said.
Joel recognizes KENW-TV for influencing his success. His time spent at KENW Broadcast Center had a great impact on his career. Joel would stay up with other students until 2 a.m. to edit and piece together the news segments.
“Eastern allows students to “go for it” in so many different fields of study, and I would encourage each one of them to take advantage of this. This is a rarity in college campuses today. Being a small school allows this type of atmosphere and I love it!” Joel said.
