He’s got the Islanders covered

(Page 2 of 4)
The students balance their broadcasting and production duties with their class schedules, which is no easy task. But the extracurricular work has fast-tracked their professional development beyond that of most collegians, throwing them into the trenches of an industry whose consumers demand top-notch content. “What makes this unique,” said Mullen, “is the … broadcast is major-market quality. We’re proud of that.”

Savarino, who grew up a hockey fan, watching both the Islanders and New York Rangers, said that even when he is working, alongside dozens of reporters in the press box of a major arena, he still makes sure to take a minute to soak it all in. “I got to do some amazing things before I turn 21,” he said. “And that includes interviewing Sidney Crosby, to Henrik Lundqvist, to John Tavares.

“That’s kind of the dream,” Savarino continued. “You get to cover hockey at 20 years old. What’s cooler than that?”

A student-run operation

Savarino’s connection with the Islanders was formed at East Meadow High. As part of a school marketing program, he worked with Islanders marketing officials. That led him to discover Hofstra’s radio partnership with the team, which, combined with his desire to stay close to home, made the school an ideal fit.

But first, Savarino underwent rigorous training, a requirement for all students looking to join WRHU. Hundreds of students are involved with the radio station, said Mullen, either with music, news, talk shows or sports.

Those who choose sports gain their initial experience broadcasting Hofstra’s teams — 17 in all, covered by WRHU, gohofstra.com or WGCH in Connecticut. “The students that we send [to Islanders games],” said Mullen, “even though they’re young in numeric age, they have an enormous amount of experience.”

About 15 students work on each Islanders game, said Mullen — five on site and the rest at Hofstra’s studio. They rotate duties, he explained, to accommodate class schedules and also to ensure equal opportunity. The exception is games on the West Coast, when students produce solely at Hofstra.

Page 2 / 4