Charlie Knezevic Senior Column
It feels like just yesterday that the clock would hit 5:30, and I would run from the Forum to the bus stop to catch the Red Link to Innovation Park to make sure I didn’t miss a second of the CommRadio sports meeting. Now here I am, graduating in just over a week.
Over the past year or so, I haven’t done as much with CommRadio due to starting another production job with Penn State Athletics and life getting in the way but man I can’t thank CommRadio enough for what it gave me and the foundation it laid.
I came into Penn State as an introvert from just outside of Chicago and didn’t know a single soul on campus. But CommRadio was the first place I ever felt like I belonged. I would rush to the meetings, sign up for articles, and podcasts and remember being the proudest freshman getting to do the “Heisman Watch” series every week.
As a lifelong sports fan, there was no cooler feeling than picking up and being able to wear a media credential around my neck for the first time. I learned how to watch and appreciate games from a new perspective, learned how to prepare in a new way and met some pretty amazing faces along the way.
While my passion first drove me to CommRadio, I think it was the people who made me stick around. Connecting with other members on the rides up to Innovation Park, calling a new sport with a new person every weekend, and the amazing mentors and leaders I got to observe and learn from as an underclassman were just the start.
As I continued to move through my years, I began to branch out into other opportunities, however, I still continued to call games and wrote the occasional article. But the one thing I never missed, was CASH, my weekly talk show.
I couldn’t have been more excited to have a platform to share my sports takes and couldn’t have asked for a better person to do it with. Austin Groft was one of the first people I ever connected with in CommRadio and we never lost that connection and finally decided to do a show together second semester of sophomore year. For the next five semesters, our common passion for College basketball and sports, in general, had us excited for our show each and every week.
The other thing that will never leave me was our CommRadio Intramural Basketball team. The looks on the other team’s faces, when a radio club started running them up and down the floor, were priceless week in and week out. All of us getting together each week, playing together, and sharing laughs and good times is all anyone can ever ask for.
At the end of the day, through all the words typed, all of the words spoken on air, and all of the games watched, I really can’t thank CommRadio enough. Not only did it help a quiet kid from Chicago find his voice on air, but it helped him find his voice in everyday life. Whether you know me or not, if you’re reading this here is my advice to you. Enjoy every second of the journey, because the moments fly by and before you know it you’ll be in my shoes, typing your last words.
Thank you to CommRadio, for giving me a chance and shaping my college career. Without it, I don’t know where my four years would have gone or who I would be. My experience in CommRadio has made me realize that sometimes all you need is a place to start.
Charlie Knezevic is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him email Charlieknez@gmail.com.
