The last hurrah!

Well, this seems to be it for the Capstone experience. There’s been so much to ponder, create, develop, and complete these past two semesters and, to tell you the truth, I’ve grown from it all. When I walked through the doors of our Capstone classroom last January, I had no clue what to expect and was even more dumbfound when it came to thinking of a project idea to draft. I was struggling for ideas and was extremely frustrated. In fact, I was so frustrated; I gave up on thinking up ideas. Thankfully, Dr. B, the department chair, and Mr. Weaver, our Capstone adviser, really pushed me and gave me a solid idea, which became the recruiting video for the Westminster Football Program. My project was quite an undertaking. I had to understand my client’s (Coach Jeff Hand) ideas for the video as well as communicate my own ideas, without being intrusive or shrugging off his. I had ten game’s worth of highlights to compile and cut down to the very best plays from the season into one minute clips for each game. Then there were the interviews. A critical and senseless, yet unintentional, error on my part in setting up my shot for my player and coach interviews nearly ruined the project I had poured so much of my time into. Thanks to my fellow broadcast communications majors, Mr. Weaver, our chief engineer, Chuck Chirozzi, and the understanding from Coach Hand, coaches, and players, I was able to re-shoot the interviews and make my project look a hundred times better than it did before. Without those people, it would not have been and I fully realize that. After countless hours in the edit bay toying around to find the right shot and the perfect graphic and meeting with Coach and his staff, I completed my Capstone project. No one could have prepared me for the feeling I experienced upon total completion Capstone. Looking at the recruiting video, knowing I had labored so intensely and diligently to make it the best work possible, I felt a sense of accomplishment I have never felt before. I knew at this moment I had really grown worlds from that clueless person last January who couldn’t even think of a project idea. I was watching something that I knew would satisfy my client and his staff, but, moreover, I knew this project would serve me in the near future when I begin the job hunting. Walking away from the Capstone experience, I am taking a new positive attitude and sense of confidence in my work with me. These two things have, along with my project, developed as I ventured through the Capstone process. In the beginning, I thought very negatively about whatever my project would be and how it would probably not be good enough or measure up to anyone else’s. Then, once my idea developed and the ball got rolling, my attitude did a total 180. Soon, I realized this project was going to be as good as I could make it as long as I stayed positive and confident. Branching out into the real world with this attitude change and a boost in my confidence will serve me well with whatever job I undertake. Having confidence really gives you a leg up in interviews and in a job situation and coupling that with a positive attitude makes you an easy and pleasant person to work with. I’m looking forward to staying true to these qualities and contributing my ideas to the work force no matter where I end up. I feel now, more than ever, that my experience through Capstone really gave me a better sense of myself, in addition to making me realize my full potential and that’s something absolutely necessary to have when entering the real world. I walk away from this experience well tested, confident and ready to tackle whatever the real world has to throw at me!

Tripping, but never falling

Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches and keep going. You may stumble and of course it's never easy, but we all have doo it at some point or another. For me, Monday proved to be that day when I stumbled.

I’d be having some second thoughts about my interviews for my Capstone project for a few days and finally came to the logical conclusion that I should consult my adviser, Mr. Weaver. I knew he would have some insightful words and even some criticism, which I needed being that my presentation date is looming in the distance. Looking at the interviews more, I knew they were not up to, not just my standards, but broadcast standards in general. I tried to be creative with a shot of the player standing in front of the grandstands and the “Westminster” board in the background. My attempt at creativity was foiled when I knew I left far too much headroom was left from the subject’s head to the top of the shot

I feared the worst and got it. Mr. Weaver confirmed that the interviews were not of good broadcast standards and I should reshoot them. Naturally, I panicked and cried (yes, I cry sometimes), fearing I would not be able to finish everything in time. I quickly collected myself and headed down to the athletic office to reschedule the interviews with some of the players and coaches I had originally interviewed. Thankfully, they were more than willing to help me out and we settled to reshoot the interviews on Tuesday all right in a row.

All went well and here I am, nearly 72 hours removed from the whole ordeal, realizing this has proven to be a blessing in disguise of sorts. I have edited for hours on end the past two days and am slowly reaching the end of my Capstone process.

In retrospect, after originally conducting 10 interviews (12 including coaches), I am extremely pleased with the six (four players, two coaches) interviews I did. I guess the saying’s true then; it really is quality over quantity in most instances. My brief, 30 second interviews with the players and coaches produced a wealth of information and a professional setting from the TV studio, making my Capstone look professional and more eye catching.

I’m now moving with great progress and really think that, though Monday seemed like the end of the world, it was just there to remind me that I can always produce better work and there is always room for improvement, large or small. You always need to look at the glass as half full. It really helped me this week.

As I move into the final phases of editing my last two interviews and taking care of small items and details in my project, I realize that this project is really bringing out the best in me. It’s challenging me and I’m actually enjoying it. It’s making me produce my absolute best work possible, not just for a grade, but for the football program who will use it when recruits come to visit in a couple short weeks.

As my presentation date draws nearer, I know that I am capable of creating and showing a polished, professional and enticing piece of work to the football coaches and players, my fellow professors and classmates, as well as my family and closest friends. I’m really looking forward to Monday in hopes that my project will be a complete and final display of my entire work in the broadcast communications department at Westminster College.

Dining 'n Shining my way into the real world!

Upon first thought, I didn’t really want to attend the Career Center’s annual Dine ‘n Shine event. I thought I knew all there was to know about interview and dinner etiquette, but I could not have been any more wrong. There were so many things I never even though of before. I was surprised to learn that around 80% of second interviews are conducted over lunch or dinner. That’s quite a staggering number. The other tips and tools I learned will certainly help me for that second interview, should it be over a meal.
Most people would never think to eat before attending a dinner or luncheon, but when you’re dealing with a second interview or conference where there will be a meal served you should eat beforehand. The reason: You’re not really going to have time to dedicate to eating a full meal if there’s discussion and questions going around. It seemed a little odd at first, but now I realize how smart of a tip this is. Not appearing gluttonous or over ordering food creates a good impression on a future employer or co-workers. It also gives you more time to discuss important matters or convey why you would make a stellar employee in an interview. I would hate to be trying to tell someone about myself and my work ethic while trying to eat a full meal. Having smaller portions is a great idea and it allows more time to have important discussions. Going along with the food, I also enjoyed the list of foods NOT to eat while at a luncheon or dinner interview/conference. Topping the list were French onion soup and spaghetti. Many people wouldn’t even think twice before ordering, so having that in mind comes in handy when ordering. Generally, the rule is to avoid anything remotely messy or something that could become messy.
In addition to the eating dos and don’ts, there were also some other table tips and tricks that will certainly come in handy someday. Cutting a few pieces of your meal is the polite way to eat and also eating continental style, keeping fork and knife in hand and not switching after cutting, cuts down on noise. Even the dress tips they showed us on how to tell the difference between business casual and business professional. It was a refresher on what to wear during interviews once I step out into the real work and what a potential dress code will be like in my given work environment. I now know what the true definition of business casual is and what is acceptable for that and business professional.
All of these tips, from table manners to dressing properly, really impressed upon me the value of knowing what to do in these situations once I apply for jobs and even when I am well into the work force. I plan on carrying all these tips with my as I embark upon my job interviews, knowing well that my follow up interview for any job could be a meal. It’s always helpful to have instruction on how to properly conduct yourself in those kinds of settings and now, with that knowledge, I can feel confident when I find myself in these kinds of situations.

Getting on the ball with job hunting

This week for our blog posting our assignment was to find an actual broadcast related job posting and write a cover letter for it. I found it a little difficult at first to find a job that I thought fit me best, but eventually I came across an on-air talent job at WXDX 105.9 Pittsburgh. I listen to "The X" quite frequently and think that my experience here at Titan Radio has preparred me well for a radio on-air job. I am very open to working on-air for radio and the job description suits me very well. There are also components to this job, not just on air, which is a plus. I am able to multitask and feel that I am capable of undertaking this job. Hopefully, this cover letter will help me and communicate my talents and responsibilities.

Clear Channel
200 Fleet Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15220

To Whom It May Concern:

I recently discovered your posting for an on air talent at 105.9 WXDX Pittsburgh. As a Broadcast Journalism major, who works extensively for my college’s radio and television stations, I believe that I am qualified to undertake an on-air job with Clear Channel, particularly WXDX Pittsburgh.

At Westminster College my responsibilities include writer, news reporter, producer, disc jockey and interviewer for our radio station, Titan Radio Digital 88.9 FM. Working as a regular disc jockey and radio news reporter, I am able effectively prepare myself for news shifts and on-air spots. I adequately research and create effective and entertaining talk break segments for radio and am able to ad lib confidently. I believe my knowledge of your alternative radio format will benefit both WXDX and myself.

I have also served as an on-air color commentator for Wilmington Area High School football game broadcasts on Titan Radio, in addition to sidelines reporter for Westminster College football. I am experienced in the television field as well. I am a regular interviewer for our “County Close-Up” segment and have anchored on some occasions. Also, I write and present a weekly on-air sports report for the Presidents Athletic Conference on our “Coach’s Corner” program.

I have produced, written, filmed, and edited a public service announcement and am currently in the final stages of producing and editing my senior Capstone project, which is a high school recruiting video for the Westminster Football Program. I feel that my experience with radio, television, sports broadcasting, and creating a PSA, have provided me with the proper training required for employment with this station. My coursework in broadcast journalism, sports broadcasting, radio and television announcing, public relations, media management, and audio production have fully prepared me to undertake this job with Clear Channel.

I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you about this employment opportunity. Please, feel free to view my resume and contact me to explore my background further. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Christina Roseto

A challenge to face

Over the past four years, I’ve genuinely enjoyed all of my broadcasting classes; however, there is one class that, despite my enjoyment, was extremely difficult. broadcast journalism, or simply BC 311 to students, was quite a bridge to cross for me. It wasn’t so much the difficulty, but really the work and extreme effort that needed to be put forth. Broadcast journalism forced me to strive for perfection in my newscasts before they were aired. Week after week, I found it challenging to collect sound bites or to form stories around the sound bites I already had. Attending the New Wilmington Borough meetings was a great help. There was always a story going on there and borough council members were always willing to speak on the record after the meetings. Most of the time, they gave great information that could really enhance a story.
Weekly deadlines for ACTs and WRAPs really put the pressure on me. When there were weeks when the news around the area was slow, I struggled and really went hunting for things or looked for updates on a previous story of great importance. The other issue was people not wanting to talk or refusing to comment over the phone. Hospital employees and police stations were some places where comments and sound bites were hard to come by. That was another difficult issue, because when a big story broke, especially an accident or fire, sometimes police or other emergency authorities could not comment on the situation or victims involved. It was a struggle to call them sometimes repeatedly in a newscast, but when you need information it became a necessary component when I was in the newsroom.
Things eventually got easier. I began preparing earlier and more often before my newscasts. I even made breakthroughs with the emergency agencies, which began to realize my persistence and would disclose information once it became available. My stories became stronger as the semester progressed, through hard work within class and having my peers along with Prof. Weaver read and revise each of my stories. The red marks on my stories decreased and I became more confident when seeking out stories. Borough stories became more vital to campus and the borough itself, such as the construction on Maple St. and the eventual elimination of some parking along that same street. I made sure my bites were concise, but to the point, and involved the most important people tied to that story.
Since completing broadcast journalism, I have kept all of my air checks from each newscast as well as a copy of many of my scripts. I’ve been able to help younger students in the major with their newscasts, in addition to their EP. The stories I wrote for broadcast journalism helped me overall with my writing and my confidence in asking and calling for sound bites. It also challenged me to go after the hard and sometimes controversial stories. It also helped me when I had to call for stories in the sports department this summer at KDKA. While I wasn’t collecting sound bites, many times we needed a comment from a coach or athlete regarding a story or situation. I made the calls and without hesitation. I knew my experience from broadcast journalism had prepared me for this. This experience will help when I enter the professional world, whether in news or in another career. I will be creating stories and need to use what I learned to create an exceptional piece of work.
Professionally, broadcast journalism was a wake up call. It forced me to act even more professional than I ever had before. I’m actually very thankful for this class. It forced me to work my absolute hardest, please my executive producer as well as my peers and professor, and make my stories interesting and informative, while also being easy to listen to and read. Since broadcast journalism, I’ve taken my new work ethic and ability to write concise and radio worthy stories, along with new found confidence in seeking out news worthy stories and making calls for exceptional sound bites. It was a challenging class, but in the end became the most helpful. Through all my hard work, I believe I can effectively craft news stories and all the challenges that go along with it.

My hope for a close friend in the furute

Going back to Westminster after 10 years is an interesting thought. When I arrive back on campus in 10 years one of the first people I hope to see is Nate Dodd. Nate is one of my closest friends both in and out of the newsroom. We met when he transferred from Bloomsburg University after first semester of freshman year. We remain extremely close and I consider him one of my few best friends. It’s great having something as understanding and fun loving as him around to give both advice and humor.
Nate’s work ethic will take him far in life. Since his arrival at Westminster, Nate has jumped head first into broadcasting. He has had many Titan Radio news shifts along with a radio jock shift every semester. Nate has also lent his hand into production, camera, and several other duties on the set of The County Line. His positive energy and hard work always shine through, even in seemingly difficult situations. Both of these qualities are testaments to Nate’s ability to take his career to the highest level. I have no doubt that they, in addition to his charismatic personality and assertive nature, will carry him far. These qualities will shine through in the future as he embarks upon his career.
Along the way, Nate developed an interest in public relations, which resulted in him picking up a minor in it. His work within his public relations courses improved his work within the broadcast department. Nate incorporated what he learned in PR into broadcasting by creating promos and other valuable ways of informing the public about the work within the broadcasting department. Despite a busy schedule of both PR and broadcasting classes, Nate remains involved in both departments. Along the way, he has gained a great deal of responsibility in both departments along with exuding much personality and ambition to succeed. Through his senior Capstone project of better promoting The County Line and Titan Radio, Nate has used both broadcasting and public relations skills to convey his message. His course work in both departments has enabled him to craft a professional and informative Capstone. With this display of work, Nate has put himself in a versatile position to pursue a career in either broadcasting or public relations. That said, I can easily see him working in a public relations department of a television news station. This gives Nate the best of both words. He loves working in television and public relations all at the same time and with a stellar background in broadcasting and grasp of public relations would be able to find a great job that incorporates both. Nate could use his saved work from broadcasting and PR, such as air checks, news scripts, production run downs, experiential work in PR, and overall Capstone project, to obtain a career that incorporates both fields. I believe he could really establish himself as a leader with his experience in these fields.
Nate may have to start out small, just as all of us may have to, but I can see his professional career moving along at a good pace if he pushes himself to work to the best of his ability, which I have seen him done many times before. In 10 years, I hope to see Nate back at homecoming gabbing about his job in both broadcasting and public relations. I certainly will not be surprised if Nate is very successful in one field or the other after his hard work and dedication in both departments during his time at Westminster.

Someone to look up to in broadcasting

There are several alums within the broadcast department here at Westminster that have helped me adjust over the past 3 years. While all of them helped me in their own way, one person stands out amongst the rest. Mike Wolenski was a great help when I became involved in broadcasting. From the time I took on my first jock shift, Mike was around to show me how to operate the board and teach me about doing a good talk break and how to lead into songs effectively. It was a great help to have someone who knew what they were doing helping me making each shift better. At the time, Mike had a busy schedule and was in the radio station constantly. I know there were probably days where he had a ton to do, but still stayed to help me get adjusted to the station. Mike was always very understanding and great with explaining how to operate everything. He always make sure that I had a good grasp on what I was doing and if I needed any other help. Best of all, Mike was personable. I could comfortably ask him for help, even if it was something really insignificant that I forgot to do. Mike used his Titan Radio expertise to give us tips and tricks on how to improve our presentation on the radio. He was also around when I transitioned into radio news. Though another BC major was my executive producer, Mike was always there for extra help. It was reassuring to have someone around who was as helpful as Mike. Because of him I was able to have great talk breaks for my air check tapes and to be creative during these breaks and when I introduced songs with long intros. Mike was also someone who was really driven and always working hard. He really provided a great example to follow for the students that he helped.

Someone to admire

When I look back at my time at Westminster, I know I could not have accomplished as much as I have if it weren’t for some professors and a few older student mentors. I’ve recently blogged about a couple professors I admire and who have helped me, but now it’s time to put the focus on someone who I’ve continually looked up to for many years now.
I met Jordan Hinds in grade school at Holy Trinity. I was good friends with his sister, Haley, and their family lived right down the street from us. Jordan has been a shining example of strength, hope, courage, and unfailing work ethic. I watched him go through many medical issues throughout his childhood and teenage years. Though Jordan overcame some serious obstacles, he always remained positive. I remained friends with Haley throughout our time in high school and watched Jordan graduate in 2002 and ultimately go onto Westminster. When the time came for me to apply to college, Jordan’s family encouraged me to visit Westminster. When I arrived on campus Jordan was one of the first to greet me and also one of the first to help me in the broadcasting department. As a broadcasting minor, Jordan helped me out when he was around the station with little things for my jock shift.
Jordan’s work ethic was an example I made sure to follow. As a speech communications major with a double minor in broadcasting and public relations, Jordan was always busy and working to his potential. I recall enjoying listening to his radio shows he had on Titan Radio and talking with him on almost a daily basis my freshman year. He was always good for advice on what to do for my breaks in between songs during my radio shifts.
Jordan’s professionalism is something I would like to emulate as I leave Westminster and enter the real world. He remains involved with causes such as the Darfur Emergency Coalition and the ONE Campaign, both causes committed to helping other people. He has remained extremely dedicated to these issues and to advancing their causes. Jordan has always maintained a positive and driven demeanor in his personal and professional life. It’s really no wonder that so many people who have come into contact with Jordan look up to him and consider him their role model. In all my years of knowing Jordan, from grade school to now, he has been dedicated to whatever challenge is facing him and to furthering his professional life by working for these causes. Jordan has and always will be someone I really look up to in a professional and personal sense. His unfailing dedication to hold down a major, two minors, and running cross country, in addition to his other activities, is a shining example of someone who strives for the best. I hope to continue to model my professionalism and personal outlook to that of Jordan’s.

Westminster College Football: Recruiting the best from the rest

In the college athletic recruiting world, schools at the NCAA Division I level have extensive tactics for recruiting blue chip athletes. They have the ways and means to visit and contact each athlete individually, conduct extensive recruiting events for these athletes, and obtain the best players in the country. But what about the talented players who may not be big, tall, or fast enough to get to that level? Are they excluded because they’re not NCAA Division I material? What about the young student athlete with a stellar grade point average who is his high school’s talented quarterback? That is where recruiting at the Division III level comes in to play. Recruiting high school football players at Westminster is crucial to the football program. Players must have ambition both on and off the field. They must be willing to play for the love of the game, since no athletic scholarships are given at the Division III level, as well as handle a full course load of work during the season. Players must be excited to compete for their school and have the talent to back it up. These players must be intrigued to attend Westminster by being exposed to the team, best plays, and overall atmosphere. A well crafted, edited, and produced recruitment video can showcase all these aspects of a college and its football program.
Through my Capstone project I plan on capturing all the elements that make Westminster football so enticing, in addition to selecting the best plays to show perspective student/athletes. This project, titled Westminster College Football: Recruiting the best from the rest, will be a complete recruiting tool with background music, such as the Westminster fight song, and brief interviews with the coaching staff and current players. This product will be a change from a normal recruiting video, which sometimes may only have a compilation of the best plays from that season. By showing eye catching graphics, interviews, cut away shots of the band and crowd at a game, but keeping the focus on the best plays from each game, the video will keep perspective recruits interested during the visit by the Westminster coaching staff. The coaching staff will be able to view my project as it progresses to suggest any changes or additions they would like to see included. I want to produce this video to their expectations and make sure they are completely involved in the entire production.
I will produce every aspect of this product for the Westminster football program. I believe this is an extremely interesting project, especially for someone like me who enjoys football and all of its aspects. I am working on a week to week basis, editing the weekly highlights to select the best plays and implementing graphics that fit with the video. My final product will be shown on Monday, November 24, 2008 in the Sebastian Mueller Theatre on the campus of Westminster College. I will show my final product and explain my journey through producing the project. It is my hope that the final product will please the Westminster coaching staff and that it will be a valuable tool as they embark upon recruiting the next Titan football players.

The Epitome of Sportscasting

In the sports world, there are many broadcasters who are able to break into the business as former sports starts with many accolades. Then there are those broadcasters who aspire right from the get go to become sportscasters. Bob Costas is one of these sportscasters. Born in Queens, New York, Costas attended the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. During his time at Syracuse, Costas became an announcer for a minor league hockey team, the Syracuse Blazers. Despite never graduating, he was able to secure a job as the play by play announcer for American Basketball Association team the Spirit of St. Louis. After two other brief stints at KMOX radio in St. Louis and WGN-TV doing play by play for the Chicago Bulls, Costas joined the NBC network, where he is still employed, in 1980. Costas has also hosted “On the Record with Bob Costas”, a celebrity and sports star centered hour long program, as well as “Inside the NFL” and “Costas Now”, another interview segment show. From football to baseball, basketball (college and professional) to hockey, and even the highly coveted Olympic Games, Costas has been there with the call. He has proved to his viewers time and time again that he is the face of sports broadcasting. His knowledge and ability to articulate play by play for almost every sport makes him the most versatile voice in sports. Bob is a shining example of having to start off small in the business. His example is a good one to follow. Even if I decide to not do on air sports, starting out small is a good idea for my career. I’ve always admired and looked up to Costas, along with his versatility and presence. Much of what I have learned about sports and certain jargon have come from watching Costas’ broadcasts. Being extremely conversational is a key part of his broadcasts and a big part of what I try to include in mine. It’s one thing to just read sports; it’s a totally different thing to understand and convey it to your viewers. Costas’ broadcasts are so well crafted that someone with absolutely no knowledge of the sport could understand. That element is a must in sports. Costas also puts feeling and emotion into his broadcasts. This isn’t just reading news; it’s a sportscast. Yes, there are newsy parts of sports, but for the Olympics, World Series, Super Bowl, etc. there has to be feeling and emotion. It’s the rush of the game. As a person who aspires to work in sports, I’d love to meet Costas and ask him where he acquired the knowledge on all the sports he’s commentated and how he generates the emotion for every single sport. I feel like watching a sportscast from him would give me many ideas on how to greatly improve my own. It is my hope that I can follow Costas’ example of solid and enthusiastic sportscasts to build my own career.

Growing to appreciate and enjoy my academic life

Throughout my years at Westminster, I have grown fond of a handful of my professors. Dr. Jeff Bersett is one of those professors. From intermediate Spanish II to Hispanic American Literature, Dr. Bersett has been there for me every step of the way. In a way, he has become a second adviser to me, guiding me through my Spanish minor and my overall collegiate career.
When I met Dr. Bersett my freshman year, I was still scared of college and certainly scared of taking up a minor in Spanish, despite a year of honors Spanish IV to close out my high school career. It didn’t take long for that fear to go away. With Dr. Bersett’s encouragement to embrace college for what it is and to work extremely hard on my Spanish studies, it was easy to see he would become a major influence on me, not to mention one of my favorite professors. He understood I was nervous, but he also recognized my eagerness and willingness to learn. For the first time in my overall scholastic career (grade, middle, high school AND college thus far) I genuinely enjoyed class. Starting with Spanish, my interest spread to speech class, broadcast writing, voice and diction, and others. Through Dr. Bersett’s encouragement, I learned to love college and the challenges that came with it. I saw my grades rise from a 3.1 my first semester to a 3.6 my second semester. I credit him a great deal for that increase, because, if not for his motivation, my grades may have slipped or just stayed the same.
To this day, Dr. Bersett remains a critical part of my academic success. The classes’ a part of my Spanish minor have remained extremely important to my scholastic and social life. I study Spanish extensively and speak it almost daily, whether to myself, in class, or to others who understand. It is my hope that this minor and one day being bilingual will carry me far into my career. It is because of Dr. Bersett’s urging that I am even in this minor. He saw potential in me and pushed me to study hard and work with the language. His assistance and advice has carried over to broadcasting. He has always been an avid supporter of my work within the department. It is with his help and excellent class instruction that I now love class and embrace my broadcasting and Spanish studies. I credit Dr. Bersett, along with a handful of other professors who have taught me, with enriching my academic life as well as my daily life. His concern has gone a long way with my pursuit to learn and ultimately succeed.

An outstanding impact on my professional life

Although many people may claim Bob Pompeani as their role model, I am one of the few that can say they have been directly affected by his unbelievable professionalism and undying support for a young broadcaster. This is why he has become one of my role models and an influential person in my professional life. Though Mr. Pompeani has not seen me through my entire collegiate career, he was with me every single day this past summer at the KDKA studios. Bob, as he insisted I address him, was a constant fountain of advice. Not only that, but he asked me daily if I was having fun working, because, according to him, if you weren’t having fun there was no point to being there. The more he asked the more fun I found I was having. Even during the stressful points of the internship, I could always think of something I’d be doing later that week that would make me happy. Bob made me read all of his scripts for the news. It became routine after a while. He’d read over his scripts and, upon finishing, would hand them over to me and say, “Read it like you would on TV.” I would read and he would sit there and ignore everything else around him (phones, orders from his producer, etc.) and when I was finished he would critique me. After an entire summer of practice like that, I gained a better way of speaking and being more animated.
Bob always pushed me, as well. At KDKA, he treated me a like a real employee, not just a peon intern. He insisted I take on all the duties that a producer would do, in addition to practicing the live shots, stand ups, live reports, and at the desk reports he did live. He always took time out of his busy schedule to make sure I was taping all of my stand ups and to offer advice, especially during Steeler Training Camp. He made me do stand ups everyday and conduct the interviews with the players and coaches with my own questions I crafted. Halfway through the summer, I began to see that Bob was pushing me to do on air sports coverage. Reading all the scripts and taping my stand ups were building up my resume for my future career. All the practice began to pay off and both Bob and I, along with my supervisors, noticed. Bob continued to urge me to pursue being an on air sportscaster, saying that my voice was easy to listen to and that I had the drive and heart to succeed. It’s hard to ignore something that significant come from the most widely recognized and veteran sportscaster in Pittsburgh. It was plain to see that he was simply making me realize my goals and manifest them.
Bob has proved to be a role model and guide for me as I pursue my professional career as a sports broadcaster. He took the time to help me mold my skills, such as reading scripts and doing stand ups. It was an experience and advice that I will never take for granted, because it’s not everyday that you work side by side a veteran sportscaster like Bob.

An experience of a lifetime

I knew it from the moment I walked in the door. I had been skeptical of taking a strictly Sports-TV internship at widely renowned KDKA-TV, but it proved to be one of the most valuable experiences of my life. In a way, it was a blessing in disguise. I was seriously considering straying from the business once I graduated, moving into the direction of marketing, athletic directing, or graduate school. Once I got to work at the station I knew my mind would quickly change.
Meeting my supervisors along with the sportscasters was both an overwhelming and exciting experience all at the same time. They laid down the guidelines and what my assignments would be all while reiterating that this would be exactly like a job in the broadcasting field. While intimidated, I knew this would be a defining moment in my college career and in the decision of which career path I chose. I thought for a few days about the experience that was about to unfold. I knew my schedule would be out of the norm and that I would be doing several different types of work. I felt that I was ready to undertake the challenge of a real broadcasting internship.
During my time at KDKA, I felt myself grow into the broadcasting world. From the shaky first interview to my somewhat polished last interview and all the video logging in between, I discovered that I really enjoyed all the facets of this job. Unlike my regular summer job and various classes at school, I looked forward to what KDKA had in store for me that day. The experience and advice I received from the producers and anchors was continual and motivated me to present my best work. Photographers constantly made sure my stand ups were excellent pieces of work. These people took the skills I learned at Westminster and built upon them with their advice and assignments. I shouldered a large amount of responsibility, such as conducting interviews, selecting adequate sound bites for stories, logging video, placing calls to schedule interviews and shoots, and the list goes on.
This experience showed me what a job in sports broadcasting really entails. I worked the same long and unusual hours at the producers and anchors to see what their days consist of. I learned the news system the station uses to become better acclimated to different AP systems. I wrote and rewrote scripts to brush up on my writing skills. I did it all and, most of all; I loved every single minute of it. It was something I never truly complained about, which is how I knew it was my true calling. It was the hardest I have worked and the most fulfilling when I finished a given task. Most of all, it was a test in what growing up and post graduation life will hold for me. I know now how difficult it is to break into the business—it took an experience like KDKA to show me that.
Support was also easy to come by. The producers and anchors I worked with directly urged me to look at other careers involving sports, such as marketing and athletic directing. They claimed I would still need my broadcast expertise to be successful in those careers; however, they pushed me to produce and write, with the hope of one day becoming an on air sports talent. That push was all I needed and, honestly, I don’t even know if I needed it in the first place. I knew by about the second week of long days and lots of sports knowledge being thrown around that this is the career for me. I think I knew it all along, but it took the positive and amazing internship I experienced at KDKA to reaffirm that sports broadcasting is the career for me.

A reflection on an amazing opportunity

As the days draw closer to my starting day at KDKA, I keep trying to comprehend what an opportunity I have been given. I’ve been very blessed to have the talent to compete with so many talented individuals for this position. I’ve been taking time to realize that and truly express how thankful I am. Working at KDKA was something I aspired to since I was a little kid. Now, it’s becoming my biggest reality! I’ve really been thinking about this opportunity lately. According to my supervisor, this will run like an actual job. I will be on assignment at Pittsburgh Penguins and Steeler mini-camp practices, along with logging tape and actually writing some of the scripts for the sports anchors. I was shocked to hear that I would be playing such an integral role in the sports department. There is only one other intern, so we will be splitting duties and occasionally working together on certain things. This leaves the job on my shoulders during my shift. I need to take the time on my first day, Wednesday, to become acclimated with how the job is done there. From that point on, I will work hard to ensure that all work gets done, since I will be the only intern on the job during my shifts. From speaking with my supervisor, I gather that I will be playing an active role in the sports department. From what he said there never seems to be a dull moment. As far as my schedule is concerned, I have absolutely no complains. For the next two weeks I will work from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. During those hours my duties will range from attending Penguins practices at the Mellon Arena and Steelers practices at their facilities on the South Side to taking notes at the practices for potential stories to assisting the photographer and/or reporter. Once June rolls around, I will be taking on more of a night shift, specifically 5 p.m.-12 a.m., in which I will work with sports during the 5, 6, and 11 p.m. newscasts. Many people would groan about these job hours, but I am really embracing them. I think it’s the best time to be at the station. It’s not nearly as busy during these hours as it would be during the day, so I have a much better opportunity to learn from the professionals around me. The other good thing about KDKA is they said I would be able to assist the Sports Production Department, who produce such shows as “The Hines Ward Show” and other special sports programming at the station. Working with this area would give me an extremely broad base in sports, so I am really looking forward to that opportunity. As I continue to write this I can feel myself getting really excited to get on the job. Working at the station and working with professionals, such as Bob Pompeani, will be an amazing experience. Most of all, I’m really looking forward to enhancing my sports knowledge. In order to get a job in any kind of sports marketing or directing you need to know what you’re talking about. I have a really good feeling that this internship will do a phenomenal job of increasing my sports knowledge. I also think it’s a blessing and an excellent opportunity to work for a television station that I grew up watching and work under Mr. Pompeani, who I’ve admired as a sports caster for many years. Finally, I want this internship to test me. I am really looking for a challenge. I want to experience hardships and I don’t want to just breeze through this. You can’t just cruise through a job or a career. You really have to experience the good and the bad. That’s really what I intend on doing. I’m really motivated to give my absolute all at this internship and I can’t even begin to express my excitement. This is really going to be the opportunity of a lifetime and I can’t wait to start. T-minus 48 hours and counting!

Some goals I have in mind...

So, I’ve realized I haven’t a clue where junior year went. One minute I was unpacking all my stuff and buying books for my first semester courses and now I’m repacking and preparing for my finals and the upcoming summer. I know time moves at the same pace, but I really believe each year here at Westminster goes faster than the previous. With the semester coming to an abrupt end, I’ve been trying to organize some goals for the summer and when I return for my first semester of senior year. Mainly, I want everything with my internship to run smoothly. I’m scheduled to call my supervisor this week and establish my schedule and discuss my duties at the internship. I want to make the best of this internship and firmly believe I will. An obvious goal for this summer is to keep up with the blog on my experiences at the internship. Another goal for this summer is to devise a plan on how to efficiently complete my Capstone project in the fall. I’m thinking much of what I learn at my internship can be applied to how I complete this project. I also need to map out the design for my promotional posters for the upcoming football season. Basically, I’m going to be insanely busy this summer between my internship, my job, and all these plans. I don’t really mind though, because I like staying busy and interning in downtown Pittsburgh is really a dream come true for me.
As far as the fall semester is concerned, I plan on making sure I really adhere to my calendar I created for Capstone. I really want to be on top of managing the highlights for Coach’s Corner, our weekly sports feature show, and Titan Town Sports. Also, week by week I want to implement the highlights that I edit into my compilation video for my project. It’s going to be a great deal of work for me, but I really believe I can do it and make it look amazing. I’m confident that I will really enjoy this project and with the goals I have set, I’m confident that this can be a fantastic project to present come December.

A presidential address close to home

Last weekend I had an opportunity that not very many people get. I was able to not only attend a rally for Hillary Clinton, but I had the opportunity to meet former president Bill Clinton as a audience member standing in the front row. Aside from being an extremely nice and personable guy, he is also a prolific speaker. Working the crowd before and after his speech, encouraging citizens to cast their vote for Hillary in the Democratic primary, he spoke with many people throughout the entire crowd like they were his own friends. Not surprisingly, President Clinton also knows how to interact with media. Around four television stations and three newspapers from Pittsburgh and Erie were present at Allegheny College last Saturday for the former president’s speech on behalf of his wife’s run for the presidency. If you worked for any of those media outlets, you would be hard pressed to not find a good sound bite to air on the news that night or publish in your paper the next day. Clinton’s speech was well crafted and he barely looked down throughout the entire hour long address. His animated hand gestures, pertinent subject matter, and occasional jokes to keep the crowd going for a speech that never felt like the hour that it lasted. Clinton’s uses his experience in the public eye to his advantage. As he spoke, he looked around at the crowd, making eye contact with various members of the audience, perhaps making them think he was speaking directly to them. During some of the speech, he directed his vision and motions towards the cameras set up on a platform behind where I was standing, as to directly address the media for that perfect video clip. It was interesting to observe Clinton’s mannerisms and his media savvy ness. It was also strange to see the media so reserved, since they were confined by Secret Service personnel to the single platform 20 feet from the stage. Obviously, there was an abundance of Hillary supporters in the crowd, but there were also some Obama supporters that created some controversy by waving signs against Hillary’s campaign and sporting Obama apparel. For the media present, there were a multitude of shots that could have been used. The area where President Clinton spoke was outside and on the smaller side, making the 2,000 person crowd look near massive. The speech was held on the most central, and probably the most picturesque, part of the campus. The speech and overall atmosphere at the speech was an amazing experience, not to mention meeting the former President. Even after being out of office for 8 years now, President Clinton still knows how to work a crowd and work the media.

Entering the world of the E-portfolio

This week I, along with the rest of the Capstone class, had the opportunity to visit the career center to work on our portfolio building skills.  This made me a bit anxious, since the only experience I have with portfolio building is creating my resume and some air check tapes.  Much to my surprise, the informational meeting with Career Center Director, Jackie Meade, and Assistant Director, Kati Edmiston, worked much to my benefit.  Jackie explained the importance of building a professional portfolio and what to include in it.  She talked at length with the class about what the difficult aspects of broadcasting are for each of us.  Many of us commented on the deadlines and how that could possibly the most difficult part of being in broadcasting.  Others mentioned working odd hours and being on call, while some others mentioned coming up with fresh story ideas.  Jackie explained that in there will always be difficulties, no matter what career we choose to pursue, but if we work on those difficulties now we will better handle them when we enter the professional world.

After speaking with Jackie, Kati Edmiston took us into the workroom of the Career Center to show us, first hand, what an E-portfolio looks like.  She featured many examples, especially ones regarding broadcasting.  Going through the set up process for an E-portfolio was particularly easy.  Kati explained we could set our up on PowerPoint and format it anyway we wanted.  The examples she provided were filled with all the information a potential employer could want, as well as colorful and artist design to easily catch someone’s eye.  She showed us how to link our resume, cover letters, demo tapes, and other examples of our work within the E-portfolio.  After showing us how to set up the E-portfolio, I felt much better about creating it.  I’m not entirely technologically savvy, so when I heard about this E-portfolio business, need less to say, I was skeptical about doing it.  Kati’s instructions and tips really helped me and made me look at the E-portfolio in a whole new way; she even provided a help sheet with the full instructions and some of her own tips to the class.  I believe her presentation was helpful for the entire class, especially with us getting ready to begin our internships for the summer and having time to start our E-portfolios before our final semester of Capstone starts up this coming fall.  Overall, the trip to the Career Center is exactly what I needed to cure my fears of making an E-portfolio.  I learned many valuable tips from both Kati and Jackie and will be putting them to use in the very near future as I continue developing my Capstone project and, consequently, when I matriculate into the professional world. 

My Capstone proposal: A touchdown in the making?

I had an interesting, yet extremely busy week. Scheduling my classes brought me to the realization, once again, that my time is quickly dwindling here at WC. Trying to accomplish all my work with my upper level Spanish course, combined Psychology and History cluster course, Digital Photography, all on top of Capstone, is extremely difficult. The good news is I’m making progress with all my other classes, in order to focus more on Capstone. I actually had a breakthrough this week with my project. First, I have to say, I was a little shaky on what I actually wanted to do for my project, but after thinking it over and some guidance from a few minds in the Broadcast Department, I came to reach a pretty solid decision. I narrowed my project down to working with the football team, since I must present my project before next semester is over. I was informed that the assistant coaches of the Titan football team produce a compilation video of highlights from the entire season to present to the players at their banquet in January. I found this especially interesting, so I thought I would contact Coach Jeff Hand, the head coach. It didn’t take me long to find him, since he was helping out at registration. I spoke with him about the possibility of undertaking the production of the highlight tape, while the assistant coaches would tell me which plays and other highlights they would want to be shown on it. He agreed and thought it would be a fantastic idea. He was really excited that someone wanted to base their project around the football team. I also mentioned my other idea to him, regarding promoting every Titan football game as well as Westminster Cable Network and Titan Radio where the games would be broadcasted. He told me that promoting the football team could potentially attract many more students and community residents to the games, as well as boost WCN viewers and Titan Radio’s listeners. I plan on staying in close contact with Coach Hand for the remainder of the semester, especially over the next two weeks leading up to my project proposal for the department. Coach seemed like he had a ton of great suggestions for my project. I really look forward to working with him in the near future. I’m thinking now that I’m on track with my Capstone, I can actually begin to plan it out. I will keep in contact with Coach Hand and begin my poster design for promoting the team, WCN, and Titan Radio over the summer. Being that I only live an hour from campus, I could drive up one day to go over the design with Coach Hand and his assistants and anyone in the Broadcast Department if they happen to be on campus. I’m planning on editing highlights for Coach’s Corner this fall and using those highlights in the video for my project. I will be able to put the film together, once the season is over in early November. Until then, this summer is going to give me a prime opportunity to adequately plan my project and how things will go next semester. Keeping in contact with Coach Hand and Mr. Weaver, my Capstone professor, will keep my planning moving right along. I have to move fast, though. Time is already flying, with the semester just about over, I’m almost finished here. This is the final hurdle I’m going to have to jump and it seems to me, I’m already off to a dashing start.

References: What can they do for you?

I breathed a sigh of relief this week. After first thinking that I would have to complete a literary review for my Capstone project by the end of this semester, Mr. Weaver informed us that we should stick to sources in the form of our references that we have been establishing over the course of the semester. This was possibly the best news I’ve received all week. I’ve been steadily working to develop more references for this very assignment. When the semester first started, I didn’t think I had any connections or references that would benefit me, but as time moved along and I went through the internship interviewing process, I came to understand that there were many people I already knew that would make great references. I also came to realize that these people don’t necessarily need to be involved in sports or marketing, they can be just about anyone who knows the broadcasting business or has given me advice. Some of these people I have met by accident. Others have been formally introduced to me. And a few others I still have yet to contact to see what advice and counseling they can offer.
A few of my references are pretty obvious, simply because I have been around them much more than my others.
Lead sports newscaster and also Sports Director at WYTV in Youngstown, Bob Hannon, offered his knowledge to a number of broadcast majors the ways of announcing sports last semester in his Sports Broadcasting class. It was quite an experience and an honor to have someone so well respected in the profession teaching us the ins and outs of sports casting. Mr. Hannon was a great person to go to with advice on careers and was always willing to offer advice to how to make our broadcast projects better.
Bob Pompeani, lead sports caster and Sports Director at KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, is someone I have enjoyed watching on KDKA for many years now. I have also been fortunate enough to come to know him through various community events. He has always been someone who always has the time to speak with me about my career path and goals. He is always one to offer great advice and was the first person to suggest that I should apply to the internship at KDKA. He has been a great help and, I believe, will become one of my greatest references as I complete my Sports Internship at the station.
Current athletic director and volleyball coach at my alma mater, Michael McDonald (aka Coach Mac to students, friends, and parents), proved to be an unlikely resource in my quest to locate references. At first, I just thought that I could only use his expertise on being a long time athletic director, but once I thought about it, I realized Coach Mac has done so much more than that. He currently sits on both the district and state committees for boys and girls volleyball, in addition to being a long-standing athletic director. He deals extensively with the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) through being both a volleyball committee member and also athletic director. He has always been someone willing to help me and could provide great advice and insight on working with school districts and/or leagues, like the WPIAL.
These are just a few of my potential references. All three of these resources can provide me with a wealth of information, primarily in sports, I will need upon entering the job race. I have many other references that I am seeking, but I believe this is a great start. I plan on keeping open communication with these, and many of my other resources, in hopes that they can provide constructive criticism, guidance, and positive reinforcement as I work my way into the wide world of sports marketing.

Some thoughts on my Capstone...

This week could be coined the beginning of the end…the end of the spring semester, that is. I’m slowly working on my proposal for my senior project and mapping out my strategy and timetable for it. Tentatively, I am thinking I will work in cooperation with the athletic department here at Westminster in order to market and promote the sports teams. I’m hoping to gain many connections from the athletic department through doing this project. By deciding on this choice for my project, I have come to a realization that I would like to put all my efforts into pursuing sports marketing. I understand it’s a general term, because there are so many facets of sports (high school, college, and professional) but I think it’s a great starting place for me. I have an immense love for sports, so it would be something I could really enjoy, no matter where I ended up. My internship will also help me to make connections and, perhaps, narrow down the area of expertise I choose to pursue. At the moment, working with Westminster will be a great experience. The school has a wealth of athletic talent for only being a Division III school. It will be a great introduction to sports marketing and give me insight for planning for my future profession.
As far as mapping out my project, I’m thinking Prof. Weaver’s assignment of creating a calendar of daily or weekly goals and assignments we have will be the best way to keep organized and on top of things. I’m working on my rough version of my calendar as I write this. I’m hard at work jotting down what I will do each week, such as blog and help with The County Line, and what contacts I have to make. One of my main objectives is to keep in good contact with the people that I will be seeing on a regular basis. There is nothing more important than communication, especially when it comes to something as serious as my senior project. I want to ensure that everything I complete is up to their standards. Another important thing to document in my calendar will be how much of my project will I undertake in a week. I would like to dedicate as much time as I can on a weekly basis to my project. This will require scheduling around other classes, events, and meetings. I really believe that this calendar will be an excellent tool in scheduling and keeping up to date with my senior project. I’m also thinking that this project, while challenging, will be a true testament to what I have learned here as a Broadcast Communications major and what I can contribute to a career when I graduate. It’s really going to be interesting to see how this project works out. I’m off to a good start I think, with working out the details in my mind. Now, all I have to do is get a formal plan ready and in the works. I think once I start putting more of my thoughts and ideas on paper this project is going to be full speed ahead.

The Search Ends: KDKA it is!

So, spring break is coming to a quick close and it feels like I never even got to unpack. Wait a minute, I was so busy, I didn’t even get to unpack. I still had interviews to complete for a few internship opportunities. I had three interviews this past week. All of them went extremely well, but none really appealed to me like the three others I had done previous to the break. I took time after all the interviews were completed on Thursday to review each and everyone I had done. It was shaping up to be quite a decision. With the many excellent and reputable places I had interviewed at, I had a ton to think about. I had barely had half a day to think, when I received my acceptance to the Sports Department internship at KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh. As soon as I opened the letter, it felt like the best thing to do. I knew it would be the best opportunity out of all the interviews I had attended. This internship could not be better. I have long wished to work for KDKA and now I will get my chance in the department that is my forte!
On a grand scale, this whole internship search was a ton of work, but it has really paid off. I interviewed at numerous places with different areas of work. Through the experience I verified that I wished to actively pursue my dream of interning at KDKA, while also taking time to weight the other possibilities. I looked at it this way: KDKA was my best interview. The person who interviewed me really cared what I had to say and really enjoyed the interview as well; it just didn’t seem like a mundane thing to him. KDKA was also, I felt, the most reputable; they are well respected and some of the best professionals out there. The final, and most important reason, was that it just felt right. When I opened the letter and saw that I had been accepted, I felt like a kid on Christmas. I knew, with a reaction like that, it was my calling, so to speak. Now comes the real task: the internship! I spoke with my supervisor and have my start date finalized. He also was extremely helpful in detailing what I would be doing as one of their two interns. It seems there will be equal time in and out of the station, from assisting their on air talents with scripts to heading out into the field with the crew. I honestly couldn’t think of anything better! I’m really starting to think that this could be the experience of a lifetime and I’m pretty sure I could be right.

The Hunt Continues: Part II

I have a feeling that for the next few weeks I’ll continue to blog about my ongoing internship hunt. After all, it’s still going to be a few more weeks until everything is all wrapped up and I have decided where I wish to complete my internship.
On Monday I interviewed at a local TV station for three separate departments. It was quite an intimidating setting, in that there were about 70 people there all interviewing for 14 separate departments. It was reassuring to talk with other people from different schools about where they were planning to interview and what their aspirations are. I even saw some old friends from grade school at the interview and catching up with them between interviews was really nice.
The day was particularly long, starting at 10 in the morning and continuing through 2 in the afternoon. The interviews were out in the open and you were called completely at random for whichever three you chose. The waiting was what made me the most nervous. I had at least a 40 minute wait between interviews. The first two I had for marketing/special events and commercial production went fine, but were unusually quick. In a way, I guess they had to be quick with the amount of people there wanting interviews. My final interview with the sports department was my best. I actually interviewed with one of their on air sports talents. The actual interview was a total no pressure situation. No grilling questions, no questioning my resume or activities at school…He just wanted to know what I enjoyed about Westminster and my activities there. The rest of the interview was talking sports. He inquired as to what I knew about sports, what I enjoyed about them, and how I felt I could contribute my love for them to their department. It was the first time in an interview where I felt I could speak without a great amount of pressure and stress weighing on me. In that aspect, I have a very good feeling about that interview. And after careful consideration, I think I may want to jump on that opportunity, if given the chance to intern there. I’m actually hoping for that chance.
In some brief other news, I was offered an internship at another local news station with their marketing department. I am thinking I want to wait to hear from the two other places I interviewed before I give them a definite answer. It was exciting, though, to get the phone call and hear someone say that they think I can excel at their company. The woman really wanted a “yes” when she contacted me on Friday, but I thought it best to take the weekend to think about my decision and weigh the other options. I’ve taken most of this weekend to think about my options and where I really want to end up. I’m still contemplating, but I’m sure by the end of tomorrow, when I have to contact the other station, I will know exactly where I want to intern. Until then, I have the rest of the day to think.

The Internship Hunt...finally over?

It’s really unbelievable to think that this semester is already half over. Even harder to fathom is that my internship search is winding down. I know I’ve been talking about it for far too long at this point, but it’s quite a relief to know that I have a mock interview and a real one under my belt and a few more on the way to muster through. Last Friday, I scheduled a mock interview at the Career Center, in order to prepare for the upcoming interviews I have. I was actually really nervous getting ready to head over there that morning. I felt like it was going to be an actual interview that would be taken into account for a job. I made sure to be adequately prepared: resume cover letter, letters of recommendation, transcripts and all. I also made sure I was dressed properly. It’s such an oversight sometimes, but you really have to be careful about how you look when entering a workplace. I went with a nice professional pants suit. I went over my answers to the questions that I thought were most likely to be asked. I did everything necessary to prepare, despite the fact that it was not an actual interview for an internship.
Upon my arrival, the director of the Career Center greeted me as if she was my interviewer. We went through questions, some of which were pretty difficult to answer quickly. I did my best to answer without stumbling over words or saying too many “likes” or “umms”. Making proper eye contact was the most difficult thing for me to do. I always have a tendency to look away or let my eyes wander around a room while talking, but in this interview I was able to stay focused and keep solid eye contact with my interviewer. Overall, it was a fantastic experience. I was able to focus and answer all the questions with solid answers. I was finally able to make my debut at a real interview.
Last Tuesday, I interviewed with the marketing/advertising department at a local television station in Pittsburgh. The woman that I interviewed with was the head of the department, so she was, understandably, busy. To be honest, her questions were very tough. She wanted to know basically everything about me. Unlike the mock interview, she asked nothing about what I knew about the station and its history. She focused on the internship itself and the departments I would be working with. I must admit, it was difficult answering her questions, since I was in the actual interview. I realized about two questions into the interview that this was the real deal: I was applying for an internship and had to prove what I have is worth her hiring me. Overall, the interview went well. I was nervous with her being extremely busy, but I managed to pull through. I had survived my first interview.
Now comes the rest. I have four more interviews coming up within the next three weeks. I know now what to expect. I know how to keep myself calm during interviews. I know how to stay focused and on the right track. The career center proved to be a great practice tool to zero in on my skills or any problems I might have had. I know now that I will be totally prepared and ready to answer the toughest of questions in order to obtain that dream internship I have wanted all along.

Double Yoi: The Legacy of Myron Cope

As I sit here this morning in my over worn Pittsburgh Steelers shirt, I can’t help but think, “Yoi: we’ve lost a legacy.” Myron Cope, the man with the screechy voice who served as color announcer for the Steelers for 35 years, passed away this past week. Call me biased, which I’m not, but Cope was an institution, not only in his native Pittsburgh, but also across the entire nation. After all, the Steeler following doesn’t stop as soon as you leave the greater Pittsburgh area; therefore, Cope’s fans don’t either.
Cope was, perhaps, best known for his over-the-top persona during Steeler games and his sports show on WTAE radio. He coined the very phrases that Pittsburghers emphatically yell at their TV screens during games to this very day.  Every Pittsburgher knows them.  “Yoi”, a commonly used word for a good play. “Double yoi”, Cope’s saying for an outstanding play and also the name of his autobiography. “Okle-dokle”, simply, “okay” in the grand book of Copeisms. “The Bus”, the nickname for former, Super Bowl winning running back, Jerome Bettis was also Cope’s doing. I could go on for hours; as a lifelong Steelers fan, I’ve heard them all time and again. Cope exuded life on the radio. It was almost entirely by accident that he became as popular of an announcer as he did. Cope periodically appeared on TV and radio for WTAE, but the station was looking to hire him full time. Cope was reluctant about his voice being broadcast over the airwaves, but his boss quickly reassured him that obnoxious voices were in and that he should consider the proposal. Cope took the position and changed the face of sports broadcasting forever. Never had anyone ever heard a voice like his. Cope made the likes of Howard Cosell and Harry Carey sound like polished newsmen. You could not and will not ever hear someone quite like Myron Cope in this day and age. By broadcast standards, his voice defied the refined way broadcasters are trained to speak. It didn’t seem to matter: Pittsburghers loved him, squawks and all. His voice became synonymous with everything Pittsburgh.
The thing about Myron Cope that most people don’t realize is that he was a true writer. He was, first and foremost, a journalist. His journalistic career began at the Erie Times, where he only stayed 7 short months before retuning to Pittsburgh to work for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Cope soon realized, though, that his future was as a free-lance writer in the sports magazine industry. An acclaimed career at Sports Illustrated earned Cope numerous awards for his writings. Cope, as in his radio broadcasts, reverted to humor in his articles. According to many of this colleagues, his writing was unparalleled to anyone’s they had ever read. His columns exuded energy and humor, but never strayed from the facts.
Despite his excellent writing abilities and signature voice on the radio, Cope will forever be known as the creator of the symbol that separates Pittsburgh Steeler fans from the rest, The Terrible Towel. Shortly before a playoff game in 1975, Cope suggested Steeler fans bring towels to the game and wave them to give the Steelers a bit of an edge. And, well, the rest is history. Cope’s invention went on to become a trademarked, officially licensed product of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise. Fans, players, coaches, and countless others, whether in Pittsburgh or abroad, carry or display the towel with great pride. Cope’s success from The Terrible Towel went to a cause greater than any Super Bowl win. Proceeds from The Towel went to Allegheny Valley School, a private school for children and adults living with learning and developmental disabilities. Cope’s own son has been a resident of the school for a number of years. Because of Cope’s generosity, $2.2 million has been given to Allegheny Valley School as a result of profits from The Terrible Towel.
Myron Cope will forever be remembered as a colorful broadcaster, who surprised even his toughest critics. He tackled the world of broadcasting, while enjoying every broadcast he did. Cope had a genuine love for the Steelers, the fans, and, undoubtedly, all of Pittsburgh. As I finish here, I can envision myself at my home with the volume turned down on the TV and the radio turned up, listening to Myron Cope, wearing the same worn Steelers shirt and twirling my Terrible Towel as the final seconds tick down to a Steelers’ victory. I can hear him say, “Double yoi, what an exciting game for them Pittsburgh Steelers!” and ending the broadcast with his signature sendoff: “Bye now!” His abilities have made him a permanent fixture in Pittsburgh sports lore and radio broadcast history. Now that deserves a definite double yoi!

Internships and Capstone...surprise, surprise!

I had a variety of ideas flowing through my head this week, so bear with me on this one. This past week was quite busy, between the massive amount of work I had in my classes and trying to finalize my project idea for Capstone. However, I pushed all of that to the side on Wednesday when three of the seven places I applied to for internships contacted me, requesting interviews. At first, it was an extremely overwhelming feeling. Trying to figure out my schedule with two tests looming in the next two weeks was a task in and of itself. Then, I actually took a minute to think that there was no reason for me to feel overwhelmed. In fact, I should have been overjoyed from the beginning to be past one of the waiting phases: receiving a response. The best news, two out of the three places that contacted me are the top two places I would love to intern. I scheduled interviews for all three places (all in Pittsburgh) and am anxiously preparing for them. I’ve been working closely with the career center since last semester and now it will come full circle with a mock interview coming up on Friday. My fellow classmate/friend Doug Kunst noted in his blog last week that the interview that career center gave was extremely challenging. So much so that it was actually much more difficult than his actual interview for an internship he is pursuing. In a way, I think I will enjoy a challenge before the real deal. It will probably put me much more at ease for when I enter the actual interview. Many of the interviews are for marketing and advertising departments of these companies, which couldn’t be anymore perfect. One actually deals with sports marketing, advertising and media relations, making it ideal for what I am looking to pursue.
The other thing running through my head this week, before the internship interviews, was the topic of my senior capstone project. We took class time in Capstone last week to brainstorm about potential ideas and this week we took time to discuss some more options and what would actually go into our senior project. I began to put more thought into my very vague (and that’s being nice about it) idea for my own Capstone project. After much consideration and though, I’ve narrowed it down to working with the athletic department here at Westminster and trying to promote the college’s sports through a series of posters and other graphics or working in conjunction with development department of my alma mater in order to appeal to many students in the area (my alma mater is a private high school), while still working with the current students on ways we can better the school as a whole. It also crossed my mind to possibly check into doing this for Westminster, since transportation may become an issue for getting back and forth to and from Pittsburgh. In both instances, no matter which one, I would still use posters, flyers, and other tactics of advertising to put its name out there more than it already is. I’m still testing the waters to see if anything else in the field of marketing/advertising develops, but for now I will continue to plan on developing these two ideas into a compromise or “all in one” project. It will certainly be exciting once everyone has selected a topic of interest. I enjoy the discussion in Capstone and have been relieved that many others are still pushing around a variety of ideas on what they could possibly do. In my case, I’m looking for this to be a shining example of what I have done in the Broadcast Department here at Westminster. For now, it’s a slow moving process, but I know in about a month time will start to fly, so that’s why I keep the ideas flying through my head at all times. I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to projects and other school work, so, needless to say, this is something that I am going to keep considering and brainstorming about until I have the perfect idea in place. This project and my continuing internship search are two things that I can’t make major mistakes on. I guess the pressure, so to speak, is on me to make my interviews and every component of my Capstone shine through. Until next time…

Broacasting: It's everywhere I go

I beginning to think I’m on the brink of a revelation as far as career options are concerned. After my blog regarding academics versus athletics in our nation’s schools I’m feeling more motivated to pursue a career in athletic directing or perhaps development at a college or high school. It’s taken me this long to realize that my calling in the professional world doesn’t necessarily involve broadcasting on the surface, but if you look beneath the outside description you can find the many ways broadcasting will play into these two types of careers. Athletic directing and development require daily interaction with the public. You need to know how to communicate adequately and properly with your peers and others you are doing business with. As silly as it seems, reading the news on air for Titan Radio or The County Line here at Westminster has forced me to speak more carefully and with better diction, thus training me for sounding professional upon entering an interview or job/internship setting. I truly believe that speaking properly is in the top three most important tools when you are in an interview or gaining a job. If you’re going around the office Monday morning “hollerin’ ‘bout how dem Stillers beat dem jagoffs from Cleveland again, ‘n at”, you’re clearly not going to be taken seriously, at all. Luckily, though I never have spoken like this before in my life, I have erased much of my Pittsburgh accent that I arrived here with. Though I do have minor slips with the words “slippy”, “gumband”, and “pop”, I feel that for the most part I’m a pretty professional speaker, capable of thriving in a work environment that requires constant communication.
Broadcast writing has prepared me for the world of athletic directing and/or development. This may seem strange, but writing concisely and with descriptive, but not over-the-top, sentences are imperative in the professional world. This, coupled with learning how to write a press release in last semester’s public relations course, is something needed at an athletic directing and/or development job. Athletic directors are responsible for many things, including dispatching scores of games to the local media outlets, contacting other athletic directors regarding games or other matters of business, and sending out newsletters or forms to parents. All these job assignments listed above require some form of concise writing. Media affiliates don’t want to read through endless sentences of play-by-play descriptions of the game. They want to know: final score, score after each quarter, leading two scorers from both teams, and any other vital information about the game (i.e. the leading scorer was out with the flu and was not playing). To do that in today’s world of technology, you text or email the media outlet. More and more TV stations and newspapers are relying less on phone calls after games from athletic directors. You have to be to the point about a game recap or you’re going to make the people publishing the story pretty unhappy. You also won’t win fans or praise if you send out long and over exaggerated newsletters or forms to parents of children in the district. This, too, must be short and easily readable. Whether it’s the athletic director sending the yearly reminder regarding sportsmanship at athletic events or the development director notifying the parents of an upcoming project at the school, these notices must be explanatory, but not overdone. Parents are busy and, at times, may only read over the first few lines of a letter. Make your point in the first few sentences to get their attention and then you have a much better chance of them reading the rest.
There are many other ways broadcasting will help me when I embark on one of these careers. Media management, a BC elective I took last spring, taught me the value of using the media as an aide for promoting a particular event or happening. Broadcast Journalism gave me a broad perspective of how to use certain media elements. It could prove important someday if the school needs someone to be interviewed by a local media outlet. Going into the interview, I can safely say that I would know what types of questions would be asked and how I can answer them. In the worst case scenario, I could do some major damage control if the school district I am working for gets them into some trouble. It’s good to know the ins and outs of the media. Building relationships with the media is a must. It’s their business to know you and what’s going on with your program, so should you make it your business to know them and how they’re going about that.
There are so many more aspects of broadcasting that could potentially play out in either of these careers. However, there are so many that it would take far too long to list them all out on this blog. The ones listed above are the most vital ones to those careers. I never thought I’d say this, but broadcasting really does play into these careers more than I ever thought it would. The benefits of the major are endless and, hopefully, they will help me when I go to land that big job someday. For now, I’ll just keep it concise by saying that broadcasting, as a whole, has more than prepared me to speak, write, and overall communicate extraordinarily for whatever future career I decide to undertake.