This past Saturday night, staff members of 9.11 the Globe, Goshen College’s very own radio station, found themselves surrounded by some of the nation’s best in the business. The 75th annual Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) conference was held in New York City this year, and 15 GC students, along with Jason Samuel and Kyle Hufford, represented Goshen College well.
Among institutions with less than 10,000 people, WGCS was named best college radio station. Other award recipients were Tony Miller, who graduated in 2014, for “Best Basketball Play by Play” and Victor Garcia, a junior, for “Best Live Music Broadcast.” Ashley Davenport, a junior, also came away with a win for “Best Underwriting Campaign.” Davenport was also a finalist in the category for “Best Newscast.”
Other finalists include Andrew Snyder, a sophomore, in the category of “Most Innovative Program,” Dalton Shetler, a sophomore, for “Best Sports Update,” and Danielle Kerschhackl, a senior, for “Best Community News Coverage.”
The group left at 1:30 in the morning on Thursday March 5 and made the 18-hour trek to the city by train, arriving late Thursday evening. Friday morning’s schedule consisted of a special tour of Madison Square Garden and registering for the conference. The group had the opportunity to hear speakers and attend seminars all of Friday afternoon and most of Saturday.
“We’ve heard a lot from Jason about what we should be doing at the station and how we can improve,” said Snyder. “To go to New York and hear from professionals and be reaffirmed of what we’ve already learned was the best part.”
“We got the opportunity to explore a great city and the chance to learn from some of the highest professionals in the field that we’re pursuing,” said Brad Stoltzfus, a first-year WGCS staff member who attended the conference. “One of the best things was hearing Valerie Geller, the author of one our textbooks that we use in class, speak to us and really take in what she had to say.”
After the awards ceremony, the students had the choice to attend either a Pacers and Knicks game or see a show on Broadway, as well as explore the sights of the city before heading home on Sunday afternoon.
