Seven Days Hires Lauren Ober as New Staff Writer

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From our latest Seven Days press release:

Seven Days, Vermont’s only alternative print and online weekly, has hired a new staff writer — reporter Lauren Ober, formerly of the Burlington Free Press.

Ober received her master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University in 2003, and worked as a reporter for The Citizen in Auburn, New York, before coming to the Free Press in December 2005. In 2007, she received first-place honors for “Best Daily News Story” from the Vermont Press Association.

Ober is also the author of a blog, “Ober and Out." Recent posts include her reflections on bowling, rap and her neighbor’s squirrel feeder. As a news and features writer at the Free Press, Ober often reported on issues also covered in Seven Days, earning her a reputation as “the Seven Days-iest” writer at the state’s largest daily newspaper. Her move to the weekly makes it official.

“We’re excited for Lauren to join our team,” says Seven Days publisher Paula Routly. “She’s smart, funny and creative, and she’ll fit right in here.” Ober replaces staff writer Mike Ives, who left Seven Days in April and is currently traveling in Asia.

Comments

[Tela,RN,BSN]

Shame on you,Lauren.
Signed,
A wife,mother and nurse in her thirties, who will be making the 14-hour round-trip to VT with a car full of kids' clothes and and some nonperishables to donate. I think that you owe The Phish and the fans an apology for making a mockery of this very special event. How dare you stereotype all Phish fans. News flash: We've grown up,we are professionals and parents now. We have sump pumps that were workin overtime during the hurricane too. Tell me, how many volunteer hours do YOU rack up every year? I'll show you mine, if you show me yours? And please,for the love of God,don't ever do that "Ph" thing again. That's an insult to lovers of the written word everywhere.

[Sam]

I agree. Phish fans do deserve an apology from you Lauren! Phish is stepping up and doing something great for this state and its fans are 100% them as always, and that is very inspiring. If you have a problem with Phish and/or its fans maybe your in the wrong town. Please apologize Lauren and while you're at it please publicly post the number of hours you have volunteered and/or money you have donated to the Irene recovery effort.

[TJ]

Maybe you should write an article complaining about all of the bands and their fans that chose to do absolutely nothing instead of picking on phish and their fans for not doing enough.

If I were going to that show (which i'm not) and a group of people got together and said "let's go help this family" or whatever, I would be so eager to help...but presuming that we're doing no good, insulting us, and then complaining that we're not doing enough is just foolish and rude.

Maybe next time you're bashing on a group, instead of listing every stereotype in the book, you just go with one or two for humor and leave it at that. But honestly I hope to never see a piece of your writing again in any VT publication.

[Literate Professional]

You simple aren't funny. The utter stupidity that you spewed across the internet regarding a huge benefit for the state of Vermont would have been forgivable if, for even a second, it was funny. It wasn't. Can't do hateful without funny, your writing is atrocious. I guess that's why even with a master's degree you are writing for this meaningless skidmark of a online publication. Pathetic.

[Tim]

THE OUTRAGE! Heh. Still laughing at the hippy angst. Congrats Ms Ober.

[Mag]

Just a helpful hint, deary... When you want someone to do something, you should avoid spewing your rotten bile at them. I think you just undermined yourself with your post.

And while I agree a sudden surge of non-natives can be very frustrating at times, you should be thankful that they spent $75 dollars for a ticket, that they spent more money for gas, are spending even more for food and a place to stay. You're thumbing your nose at a boost to Vermont's economy, which can also make a difference.

[neverspendinganotherpennyinVTbecauseofyou]

Stereotypes and insults aside, your writing skills are terrible

[LJ]

Here in Central NY where we've had much larger devastation (thousands of homes destroyed) than in Vermont with so much less publicity we'd be grateful if all the Phish fans were coming back to the scene of this summer's festival. We'd be happy for any help (time OR money) and we certainly wouldn't be scolding Phish fans the way you did, Lauren.

[Burlington Reader]

Not a Phish fan at all, just a Burlington resident. I am disgusted by Ms. Ober's article. Really bad taste, and not the type of journalism that belongs in a great community like Burlington. I hope Seven Days looks closely at this.

[Vermont Fan, Phish Fan]

Lauren Ober, You do know that some fans gladly paid $250 for special seats basically as a donation? You do know that most of the people at the concert were local folks, since there were a very limited number of tickets available online? You do realize that the Waterwheel Foundation has given millions of dollars back and has a table at every single show, before Irene and after Irene? You do realize the police had nothing but positive things to say about all those who attended and not a single arrest was made? Want to see the future? Here it is. You will write an apology, because until you do, you have now stereotyped yourself as an ignorant, classless, self absorbed, lazy dolt of a journalist to an army of intelligent, web-savvy fans who don't take too kindly to being stereotyped in the same manner that I just stereotyped you. Prove you are not these things, because Phish fans already have. Go do some research. Interview somebody from The Waterwheel Foundation. Talk to some real Phish fans. Write the apology. We will forgive and forget. After all, we forgave Phish for Vegas '04. (They weren't the best shows, Lauren. That's intended as a little inside joke, but you wouldn't know that because you know nothing about Phish, and less about journalism. You screwed up. I think you're probably realizing it right about now.

[Cathy Resmer]

Fyi, phriends, Lauren did, in fact, apologize a couple days ago:
http://7d.blogs.com/blurt/2011/09/phish-post-response-phail.html

[Jcarter]

Man, you phish fans sure do hold a grudge. I am curious how you made it through life being so sensitive, constantly getting your pheelings hurt.

For CHrist's sake, get over it. Don't you have better things to do and worry about?

Congrats Lauren!!