My WNYO Experience

WNYOI have always believed that it is a good idea to set goals for the future. One of the biggest goals I set for myself – from the very first day at Oswego – was to get involved with the campus’ TV, radio, and newspaper organizations. My ultimate goal when I leave Oswego is to be able to say that I was a member of WTOP, WNYO, and The Oswegonian.

I started my first semester here as a member of the PRSSA, the Public Relations Student Society of America, which I have blogged about in the past. For my first semester, that was the only club I joined. With my classes, PRSSA, and my obligations of writing about motorsports, I was quite concerned about overbooking myself as a first year student, so I took a conservative path for getting involved.

As the second semester approaches, I cannot wait to get involved more.

A friend of mine, Justin Dobrow, happens to host a radio show on WNYO every Saturday night, called Saturday Night Beats.  I have had the privilege of getting to know Justin through my classes – he is in four of my five classes this semester.

Justin took the opposite path I did – he is involved with just about everything, it seems. Being involved with WTOP, WNYO, and having a job on campus with the responsibilities of class (just to name some of his activities) is a lot to take on, but he balances it quite well. Fortunately for me, he was generous enough to invite me to the studio to watch him in action. I, of course, jumped at the chance.

Quite honestly, I did not – and still do not – know a lot about radio. I was not even sure if this is something that I would be interested in. Having a chance to see how it works was exactly what I needed.

Thanks to Justin, I was able to watch and learn along the way. He answered every question I had, and even put me on the air. It was pretty amazing and was the highlight of my weekend. I left the studio more excited about radio than I was when I walked in. I also had a lot more knowledge about WNYO and I now know that I am extremely interested in becoming involved with the organization.

So, as next semester nears, I am excited to join at least another club. Whether it’s The Oswegonian, WTOP, WNYO, or a combination of them, I am eager to get involved. Even if I don’t check everything off of my list next semester, I know that I one day will.

I would like to thank Justin once again for inviting me and introducing me to WNYO. It certainly was a great experience.

About the Author

Travis Barend is a first year student at SUNY Oswego majoring in Public Relations. In addition to his studies, Travis is a member of PRSSA and is a student blogger for SUNY Oswego's website. Travis enjoys writing about NASCAR racing in his spare time. He has spent the recent years writing for various websites, including Speedwaymedia.com, a website a part of NASCAR's citizen journalist media corps. He also contributes a weekly news column for NASCARTheGame.com, the official website of the NASCAR video game series. Travis also has his own blog, TracksideChatter.com, where he also posts racing content. You can follow Travis on Twitter @TracksideTravis, but be warned. He tweets about NASCAR. A lot.
Email: tbarend@oswego.edu
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