“Saturday Night Live” cameraman Jason Kasoff came to Iona to speak of his experiences in television. With his presentation held in the Murphy auditorium on Oct. 17, students slowly started flooding in to see the well-respected cameraman.

In front of the stage was a long table filled with Kasoff’s memorabilia, such as photos from NBC, pictures with celebrities and a heavy, shiny little award that we know of as an Emmy. Yes, Kasoff has succeeded in his 41-year career with “SNL” and is proud of every moment.

“I thought it was very interesting to have a man of such wisdom of the mass communication field [at Iona],” said junior Steven Burth.

“The stories he told were simply inspiring,” he said.

Throughout Kasoff’s speech, he kept referring to the fact that “SNL” has become an “institution,” making it one of the most unique shows of its time, considering it is live.

Kasoff went on to talk about the history of NBC, how “SNL” began and how it came to where it is now. He also revealed the hardships and pressures that come with being a cameraman.

Once Kasoff’s motivational and inspirational speech was over, The Ionian had a chance to ask him a few questions.

IONIAN: What engaged you to stay with “SNL” as long as you did?

KASOFF: “I liked doing the show, it was a fun atmosphere to work with. The hours were crazy; you don’t have weekends for a good part of the year. It was well worth it. It was tiring, demanding and also you get a lot of satisfaction doing the show.”

I: What field of TV did you enjoy filming the most?

K: “I liked entertainment. Sometimes I liked news as much, even though sports were fun.”

I: What inspired you to get into the telecommunication industry?

K: “Ever since I was 8 years-old I was always fascinated by how things get onto the screen. I was always interested in the technical end. When I watched the Academy Awards, my heroes were the cinematographers.”

I: Is there a certain hiring process to becoming a cameraman on “SNL?”

K: “They only accept certain people and you kind of build a reputation and you had to be on a list to be accepted.”

I: Out of all your successful years as a cameraman, what are you most proud of?

K: “I’m proud of a lot of the “Saturday Night Live” stuff. The shows that our crew won the Emmys for, that stands out in my mind. I enjoy covering a lot of the news and historical things and the Olympics, of course.”