A Series of Life-Changing Events
In late spring 2002, Paul Oren ‘02, ‘10 M.S., was back home in Milwaukee. After completing his bachelor’s degree, he had been applying for jobs in sports journalism. Nothing seemed to be working out. Taking notice of her son’s frustrations, his mother asked what was bothering him. Through tears, he replied, “I mattered at Valpo. I don’t matter to anyone right now.” Paul explained that he had everything when he was in college and was feeling like he had lost a part of himself after graduating just a few weeks earlier. His mom’s advice was simple: “Go see your friends.”
Taking her suggestion, Paul met up with several of his fellow Valpo alumni at a local bar that evening, which would lead to a job interview for a position he’d spend the next three years in – one where he’d hone the skills needed to eventually bring him back home to Valpo for good.
This Valpo story, though, begins – like many – on March 13, 1998. Valparaiso University was thrust into the national spotlight on this day when Bryce Drew ’98 scored a buzzer-beating 3-pointer with just 2.5 seconds left in the first round of the NCAA tournament. “The Shot” would give 13-seed Valpo an upset victory versus 4-seed Ole Miss, and become one of the most iconic plays in March Madness history. A young Paul Oren was watching that very game. “If Bryce Drew misses that shot, I never look at Valpo,” he says.
Knowing of the University’s connection with ESPN, and with aspirations of becoming a sports writer, Paul came to Valpo in hopes of landing a job with the television network. He sat down with his academic adviser who would help him craft an individualized major – a combination of communication and theatre classes that culminated in a degree in broadcast journalism. Now friends with Drew, Paul takes every opportunity to let him know of the impact his iconic play has had on his life. “I didn’t choose Valpo because of “The Shot,” but I discovered Valpo because of it.” He says, “I still tell Bryce every once in a while that he changed my life.”
While on campus, Paul dove into the theater community, while also writing for the student-led campus newspaper, The Torch, broadcasting on campus radio station WVUR, and becoming a resident assistant (RA). He traveled with the men’s basketball team to Cedar City, Utah; Hawaii; and Arizona – an experience he says would not have been possible without Valpo. “I remember calling my mom from Utah, and telling her, ‘I made the right choice. I’m getting to see the world because of this place.’”
Another poignant, albeit harrowing, moment during Paul’s time at Valpo was broadcasting for 13.5 hours on the day of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. “I was on the air doing my five-day-a-week morning show, and we got word that this had happened, and everybody that worked at the radio station just showed up that day. We didn’t call people in to the station; they just came in and said, ‘What can I do?’” He says, “As much as I would never want to relive that tragedy, I vividly remember the power that we had collectively as a group and the responsibility we had to report the news.”
The experiences Paul had as a Valpo student began to shape the person he was becoming in ways he wouldn’t realize right away. Like many alumni, he explains that Valpo is a place where he found himself – a place where he could experience people who didn’t look, sound, or act like him, and learn from them. “It’s the people,” he says, “The people are what make Valpo as valuable as it is. Many different people have come and gone through these doors over the years, yet the same spirit has carried on.”
And the people are what brought him back, too.
After three years of working at a rock radio station in Wisconsin, Paul wanted to give sports journalism another chance. A writing opportunity was calling in Northwest Indiana, and he needed more than the part-time offer would provide. Looking for guidance, he called his former academic adviser for assistance. This is when the chance to teach first came up.
“After I was done laughing at him, my adviser told me that I had real-world experience and they needed me in the broadcasting department. He told me to come back for my master’s degree, which would be paid for, and teach broadcasting.” Paul says, “My mom worked very hard to put me through my undergraduate program, and I loved the idea of her being able to tell people that I had a master’s degree. So, at 25 years old, I packed up and headed back to Valpo. And I’ve never left.”
Unexpectedly, Paul fell in love with teaching and realized that the students in his classes were a lot like him. They come to Valpo at 18 years old, not really knowing how the world works, and then at 22, with a little experience under their belts, they leave and are ready to give back to the world. These days, Paul is both a professor and a journalist as the owner of The Victory Bell, a subscription-based journalism site featuring in-depth coverage of Valpo Athletics.
“The Victory Bell is a love letter to Valpo, a love letter to storytelling, a love letter to collegiate athletics in a time when collegiate athletics has changed a lot.” He says, “I don’t care if Valpo wins or loses. I care about good stories. Journalism is at its best when it gives a voice to the voiceless, and when the stories can make you feel something. I want to tell stories about people facing adversity, overcoming odds, accomplishing great things, even making a game-winning shot now and again.”
Even as a professor, Valpo is a place that doesn’t make Paul choose just one version of himself; rather, it’s a place that allows him to explore all the different possibilities his interests have to offer. “As people, we shouldn’t color within the lines. We are not black and white individuals; we are colorful. We are more than one pursuit in life.” Paul adds, “That’s what I love about Valpo.”
