Invasion of Privacy: Nathaniel D’Amato, The Lamron’s Editor-in-Chief
Photo courtesy of Web Editor Rachel Turner
Nate’s contribution to The Lamron has been greatly appreciated. His impeccable leadership, skills, and humor in the office will be greatly missed.
If you have ever heard a voice echo through the bottom floor of the MacVittie College Union, chances are that was Nathaniel D’Amato. D’Amato has been The Lamron’s Editor-in-Chief since the Spring 2024 semester, having previously served as Arts & Entertainment Editor for two semesters and the Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor for two semesters prior to that. He is set to graduate at the end of the Fall 2025 semester, so The Lamron got a chance to sit down with him to discuss his time at this lovely newspaper and at SUNY Geneseo.
D’Amato came to Geneseo because of its English program, remembering meeting former Associate Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing Kristen Gentry and a student who ran the Creative Writing Club (CWC) during Admitted Knights Day in 2022. Both individuals showed D’Amato their enthusiasm for writing, and how Geneseo is a place where they can express it. Even though Geneseo was the only college he toured, he figured it would be fun and committed—the rest is history.
D’Amato is an English major with a concentration in creative writing and minors in film and sustainability studies. When asked whether he always knew he would pursue creative writing in college, he explained that “I had my heart set on the English major, but I didn’t know creative writing was something that I could do. So when I found out that I could focus on that, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m in.’”
He went on to explain that he has always been passionate about film, so he wanted to take classes and eventually learned about the film studies minor through them. Discussing these classes, D’Amato said, “I really enjoyed the professor [Johannes Bockwoldt]. He challenged me and pushed me to do more. So, I decided to stick it out and take more classes with him, and in the process, I got to meet some other film professors, and they were very lovely. I chose it because I just wanted to take more of those classes and with them.”
Regarding his sustainability studies minor, D’Amato connects it to The Lamron: “a lot of the news articles I’ve done are environmental-based and are focused on stuff happening in the broader community, regarding the ecosystem and the environment in different capacities. So, I chose that just to try to focus my skills on doing [environmental-based articles] more, which is something I wanted to do.”
Before discussing his role in The Lamron, D’Amato was asked why he joined and whether he had planned to do so. D’Amato recounts a funny story about initially going to The Lamron, thinking it was Gandy Dancer, SUNY’s literary magazine. “I was really hopeful for Gandy Dancer, but I didn't remember the name Gandy Dancer. I just remembered it was a publishing magazine. I saw the newspaper, and I was like, ‘Eh, that’s pretty close.’ I talked to someone in Creative Writing Club—shout out Matt Keller [former CWC president and Arts & Entertainment Editor before D’Amato]—and he heavily influenced me to join The Lamron.” Although D’Amato would quickly learn that Gandy Dancer and The Lamron were different things, he decided to stick around because he “thought it was a fun environment and [he] enjoyed the people.”
It is a great thing that D’Amato decided to continue his involvement in The Lamron, as he would become one of the most senior e-board members by his second year as an editor. Although D’Amato’s stepping into the Editor-in-Chief position started as a joke among the fellow board members, he grew increasingly fond of the idea, knowing as he grew more confident in his skills that he could bring a lot to the table.
D’Amato is very proud of his time in The Lamron, mentioning that he has “written over 100 articles for The Lamron on a variety of topics.” He talked about how it is fun that he got the opportunity to publish these ideas; they are “not just going to live in my head. It’s going to live on the internet forever and in physical archives. There’s a paper trail of my whimsical thoughts.”
The articles written by D’Amato span across every section, but he is possibly even prouder of how he has transformed The Lamron during his time as Editor-in-Chief: “It feels like a lot of what I’ve done is similar to a teacher making a lesson plan for their sub, basically. I’ve made a lot of game plans for the future of The Lamron and things like that. So I’m definitely proud of the structure I’m leaving behind, and the idea that my articles will be used as reference.”
Reflecting on the transition between himself, the incoming Editor-in-Chief, Brooke Klugewicz, and the entirety of the staff, as his final note, he said, “The Lamron is being left in very capable hands. I’m very proud of the staff that I’m leaving behind; they’re really eager and ready. I’m very ready to see what they do, and I can’t wait to see what they do.” Additionally, D’Amato wants the overall Geneseo community to believe the same: “I hope the rest of the general community will open their arms to them [The Lamron] as they get more professional, get more journalistic.”
D’Amato’s time in both The Lamron and Geneseo overall is difficult to encapsulate in a single article. Serving as CWC president, a Writing Center consultant, a Lamron e-board member, and so much more (sometimes all at once) means D’Amato has accomplished a great deal of things during this period. As he embarks on new life experiences, the rest of The Lamron is equally excited and proud to see what D’Amato accomplishes, knowing he is more than capable!