Ryan Makuch's Selected Works

Ryan Makuch

Thank you for viewing my work! All of my written work for any organization/publication is available for viewing here, organized by the organization. I have also selected some of my favorite pieces of writing, and presented them here, featuring excerpts and links to the full pieces. Furthermore, all written content (unless explicitly noted otherwise within the work) on this blog is my own writing. 

I am available in a freelance writing capacity for features, journalistic work, and human interest stories. I can be contacted via email at makuchryan@gmail.com or on LinkedIn for writing inquiries -- please lead with this, either in the subject line or at the start of your direct message. Thank you again for reading and sharing!

Understanding 'Harold and Maude' Through "New Hollywood" and the Usage of Metaphor in Film

A look at the 'New Hollywood' classic Harold and Maude using the idea of metaphorical filmmaking as an analysis guide.

"Harold is supposedly drowning in the pool, holding his breath for an unfathomably long amount of time, as his mother completely ignores him. Note the shot starting at 21 seconds in the above video. This holds for almost 30 unbroken seconds as Harold's mother takes her time getting her robe off and stepping into the pool before finally the camera moves and we see that Harold has been attempting his drowning for this entire time, but the forced perspective of the camera demanded us to look at his mother, ignoring Harold just as she does. 

This is such an important sequence because through cinematic techniques alone, we are told a significant amount of information and we can view the heart of the film. Harold is underwater, a motif that is incredibly common and was used in The Graduate, another film of the 'New Hollywood' era, to great effect to convey a similar emotion. Harold, like Ben, is being forced underwater by his parents. The Graduate shows that in a very literal, physical, sense, as Ben's parents shove him into the pool, but Harold's need to shove himself into the water is very much psychological. He is doing this to get the attention that he craves and that he only felt incidentally when witnessing his mother's outburst of emotion when she thought she had legitimately died when he was young. The tone of this scene, and these suicides in general, also clues us into the fact that there is no real danger. No matter how long he is pretending to drown, or just how much blood there may seem to be in the bathtub, Harold will be fine, because, like any work of fiction, we are not meant to view events as they literally happen, but rather as images that convey to us something about the story being told."

Blake Corum Shows His Love for Service and His Community

Ahead of his honoring at the May 8, 2022, AFC Ann Arbor match with a community award, I spoke with University of Michigan All-American running back Blake Corum for a human interest profile about his interest in servicing the community.

Giving back is something he’s felt strongly about ever since his youth. He recalls regularly telling his father at red lights to reach out the window and provide a person in need of money with a few dollars. His father (seen with Blake in the image to the left) is a strong influence on his life of Corum, and he spoke of his parents as strong examples in his own life, supplemented vitally by other figures like mentors and football players. Roles that he intends to help play and fill through his own work. 

The passion Corum has for helping young people comes from those roles being filled in his own life. “I had people when I was younger that helped me and inspired me,” he would say. “Besides my parents, I had older football players or just older people in general which gave me motivation and some gems that I can use.”

He would continue: “With me having the platform that I have right now, being able to give younger people the motivation to see things they can’t necessarily see yet. So if I can see those dreams for them, that’s what I want to do.” 

Corum would also delve into the discussion about sport as a means for social change. “Sports can change people’s lives in ways that you might not even think of. It’s not just about being that professional athlete, but just being in sport helps keep kids off the streets,” Corum would say. He continued, “It helps build connections. Some people don’t have strong social aspects to their character just yet, so that can help with [by] being able to meet new people and being able to meet new people from different environments. Sports are huge, it does a lot, it teaches you a lot, and it teaches you things you don’t learn in school.”

Okumu in Two Chapters

A look at the career and journey of Kenyan CB Joseph Okumu during his 2019 season with AFC Ann Arbor, and his 2021 Belgian Cup-winning campaign with KAA Gent.

"The early days of the pre-professional season can be full of experimentation. Collegiate players set to come in for the summers are still at their universities in spring, everyone is still getting to know one another, and ideas about what formation works best for the given personnel are being worked through. And culture shock is very real.

Boyzzz Khumalo, current Women’s Head Coach and a Men’s Assistant Coach in 2018, was very close with Okumu during his time at the club. 'From day one, he was a professional,' Khumalo said. However, the early days in the U.S. were not the easiest ones. One massive dilemma was food.

Khumalo took Okumu and some of the team after training one day to get some pancakes. 'They didn’t even touch the food,' Khumalo says. 'So I took Stanley and some of the team to Jamaican Jerk Pit in Ann Arbor. And the guys ate away, licking their fingers.'"

Life on the Ground: Mike Lorenc Aids Humanitarian Efforts in Poland

Mike Lorenc, AFCAA co-owner, traveled to Poland in late March/early April to assist Ukrainian refugees in his home nation of Poland.

"The displacement numbers are immense and affect those still in Ukraine, as well. One in two children has been displaced in Ukraine after just a single month of the war. Casualty numbers during fighting are difficult to confirm given the very nature of war, as well as the secrecy of information during wartime, but estimates of 20,000+ fatalities already are difficult to stomach. It is the most deadly active armed conflict in the world. 

'While I’m talking to lots of people I’m realizing that many people aren’t shocked by what has happened,' said Lorenc, whose knowledge of Polish history makes him an excellent judge for taking the temperature of the nation. 'Poland, Ukraine, Baltic states, we [all] have a complicated history with Russia. There isn’t much love lost, so people were always kind of suspicious. What Putin did wasn’t a complete shock to everybody.'

However, Lorenc would follow that up by saying, 'What I think shocked everybody was how cruel and brutal the effort is. Hearing about Mariupol, seeing the tanks moving in, seeing how much of the damage has happened, is really tough to see.' The brutality of the war is difficult to interact with, and recent reports continue to be grave, with the AP reporting of civilian massacres by Russian troops in areas around Kyiv."

Emily Eitzman Embodies The Mighty Oak, Serves Her Community

A feature article was written for AFC Ann Arbor about Emily Eitzman, an actively involved community member, a member of the board for the non-profit wing of the club, and a player on the team. Also features a brief photography element to the story.

"In talking about how the time during the pandemic affected her line of thinking, she said, 'I think it’s really opened my eyes more to what I really cared about, because when I had extra time, what did I do with that.' She would continue: 'I got a little bit more in touch with myself in terms of just having more time to be with myself and see what I enjoy doing most. In general, coming to college for the first time, I’ve met so many people and I’ve been introduced to so many new things.'

Her desire to be an active participant in everything she does, while simultaneously keeping her plate full with activities to get involved in and organizations to aid, led to a bit of adjusting and time reallocation. Noting how she’s 'grown a lot' in that regard, noting how important it is to keep her energy and motivation high, she emphasized her love of volunteering. 'Every time I do that it reminds me of how many different lives there are,' she would share. 'People going through all these different experiences and stuff, and it also reminds me of how much I love to give back and contribute.'"

"Dreaming of a Girl Like Me": Maggie Chueng, Irma Vep, and the Being the Center of Attention

A deep analysis of the Maggie Chueng character in Olivier Assayas's firebrand 1996 film Irma Vep.

"Going back to Vidal's statement that 'Irma is an object', this scene between Maïté and Cheung makes that statement ring true, especially when you consider the placement of that scene with Vidal coming almost immediately after this one where Cheung is objectified by two separate people for two similar but different reasons. When Vidal says this, we are inclined to agree, not just because of what we're seeing in the film-within-a-film, but because of how Cheung is being treated. Cheung, ever the optimist, plays up Irma Vep as a character. Cheung notes how she's strong, she's courageous, and she's the center of the story. 

To this point, Cheung is the center of the story, but it is more like an object, echoing how Vidal feels about Irma Vep. Zoé calls her a 'plastic toy' in regards to her skin-tight latex suit and, in more ways than just the costume, she really is a plaything. 

Zoé is a costume designer that fits Cheung to make sure the Catwoman-esque suit is up to the demands of Vidal's vision. She is quite literally playing dress-up with Cheung. Likewise, Vidal is ordering around Cheung which emphasizes the director/actress relationship, but also within the context of Les Vampires, it serves as a way for him to (consciously or unconsciously) exert that power over her that Moreno does to her character when she is hypnotized. Sure enough, later in the film we also see her opposite lead across from her clearly possessing a crush on her. In their rehearsal of the scene, it's clear that he's fulfilling some sort of desire by exerting his power over her, ordering her to be scared for their scene -- another later example of Cheung being presented as a plaything in her latex suit."

2022 AFC Ann Arbor Matchday Diary

Two of the six diary-entry style works that were written in the first half of the 2022 season for AFC Ann Arbor.

Week One

"At halftime, Luana Grabias and Vitoria Sia, two more of those women, stood in the bleachers throwing frisbees given out to fans by Flint City back and forth to one another. 

'She is so terrible!' Grabias laughed, as Sia sent a frisbee sailing over her head and wide left. 

Grabias would then promptly shank her throw so badly that the frisbee had barely left her hands before she responded in horror gasping, holding her mouth, unsure where her errant throw would take the plastic disk. It fell harmlessly on a bleacher, about 15 feet from the intended target. Sia had a rebuttal.

'But I’m the terrible one!'

Grabias had to concede: 'We are terrible.'

The pair laughed and continued to toss the frisbee as the traveling support buzzed happily, simply thrilled to be back watching the team they love."

Week Two

"6:45 PM

Team news comes out. Which is a fun sentence to say, because what an integral part of world football is that little flicker of excitement that you get from seeing the starting eleven of your favorite team.

For this writer, that is his cue to split-screen his laptop, and move his chair out to the fire escape to enjoy the first truly sublime summer evening (85! And sunny!) here in Michigan. 

This lasts mere moments before carpenter bees swarm, informing me that now since it’s warm out, this rough, unfinished, wood fire escape is very much their territory during the day. They make a very compelling argument, and I scuttle inside.

...

7:38 PM

Another goal! The men make it 2-0, and Yushi Nagao played a central role in his debut for the club. 

Nagao made a critical impact in the midfield all throughout the evening, but his work on the second goal was the statement piece of his performance. First, Nagao received the ball not much past the halfway line. Carrying forward, he surged into space and forced the Lansing City defense’s hand. 

It was his free kick to take, and while he benefited from a deflection, the effort would have been on target and was struck hard off the boot. The goal came in the 36th minute, and it was a key goal for the side.

7:50 PM

I have in my notes “Nagao ends a career with a shoulder feint” as the last action of the first half for the men. It’s a decent summary for that match, it seemed The Mighty Oak had picked up straight from where they left off on the home opener.

The women’s side also has their final action of the first half at this mark, and it’s their best chance of the game to this point. Tatiana Mason forces the best save of the evening to that point from the Kings Hammer keeper. It’s a low shot that is kick-saved away, but it’s a testament to Mason’s ability to get into good spaces not just in the midfield and in deeper parts of the pitch, but also in the box and within the attack. More than anything in the midfield, she’s a connecter, and her job has been executed well.

7:58 PM

This writer uses halftime to chug a bunch of water and take out his recycling. The bees remain unwilling to share the space at this time, and I must respect their wishes."

Ella Fajardo Gears Up for Senior National Team Challenge

Written during my time at Fairleigh Dickinson University, I spoke with Ella Fajardo in her true freshman season ahead of her traveling with the Philippines national team to Malaysia for the 2022 FIBA Asian Cup.

"'I'm very, very, excited for this,' said Fajardo, her smile apparent through her mask. An already-experienced youth international with the Philippines, Fajardo has been involved in several three-on-three international tournaments. Her accolades include earning a bronze medal at the 2019 FIBA 3x3 U18 Asia Cup as well as placing eighth out of 20 teams that same year in the U18 3x3 World Cup. Set to return to the U18 World Cup this past summer, COVID robbed her of that last hurrah in the youth team set-up, but she can exchange that for a trip with the senior side for the biggest tournament in Asia. 

Fajardo's experience in the 3x3 sport has been able to provide the young point guard with extremely valuable experience, both physically and mentally. On the mental end, coaches are not allowed to speak to their players in the run of play. It is up to the players to understand the situation and take timeouts and call plays when needed. 

Physically, Fajardo notes, 'There's a whole lot of conditioning in 3-on-3.' With the shorter shot clock, the half-court structure, and the potential for plenty of mismatches onto taller defenders, Fajardo has had to place an emphasis on being in peak physical shape, while also molding her game to the rules structure and developing the ability to create her own shot."

Ryan Makuch is a writer and media and marketing professional with four years of experience in the world of amateur sports (collegiate sports and pre-professional soccer) in addition to four years of professional writing experience in both a freelance and an established organizational capacity, combined with over a decade's worth of writing experience as a hobbyist. He is particularly interested in film and soccer, and the intersections of sport, art, and society.