Uncle Brian from America

Brian MacKenna had a spare half an hour after press conference was over and before he had to leave the School. I was lucky to talk to him face-to-face for all this time. We've had a cool talk! Looks like his main rule says "to be a good listener means to do great in a conversation!" From our talk I have learned that Brian teaches journalism in a high school in California and helps his students to make a newspaper. His favorite hobby is yaghts; his major goal, to be a friend for his students.

Brian spends lots of his spare time talking with them, quenching occasional quarrels between the students, giving advice to those who are lost in the complexity of life. In short, he does his best to help the kids who need the help. If the students have problems with parents, Brian tries to to speak with both parties and find a good solution for all. Many students in his school choose journalism as their elected course, and according to Brian they do it not only because the subject is interesting, but also because there's a friendly air in the class. Brian knows better than to treat high school students as babies and does truly respect them, is ready to listen to their opinions, takes them seriously for persons with strong personalities. Anya Semenova,
YUNPRESS Agency

(The article appeared July 14, 1995 in "The Master-Class" newsletter, a training daily published at International School of Journalism)