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RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019 Part II: We're Just Gonna Complain, Don't Bother Reading

Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019 Part II: We're Just Gonna Complain, Don't Bother Reading

Just realized: It also doesn't help that the school administration tosses the kids out for a semester on a forced co-op. Even the band has had to adjust.

Does anyone know when that started? How so the hockey players deal with that?
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019 Part II: We're Just Gonna Complain, Don't Bother Reading

However, one problem with sending a tandem of students to an away game is that neither of them are likely to be 25 years old. The school renting cars for students under 25 is going to be a very expensive proposition for both rental rates and insurance the school must carry for under age drivers. An older alumni broadcaster would have to always be involved as the driver of the rental vehicle.

Not necessarily in terms of rental rates. Going through the 'tute would mean 18 is the minimum. If they had to get it personally, then yes it'd be 25. I recall this when I had to rent cars for work travel under 25.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019 Part II: We're Just Gonna Complain, Don't Bother Reading

We all have lives. WRPI’s problems go hand in hand with the lack of student interest. If they don’t want to walk the couple of blocks to the Field House to watch a game, why would they want to drive themselves to places like Potsdam, Hamilton, and even Schenectady to broadcast them? Perry’s first priority is his job in the SID’’s office, Kurt wants to deservedly have a lighter schedule, I need to concentrate on my growing family, Tom has a growing family and a mayoral campaign to worry about, and Joe is himself a student athlete. If you are, or you know, a current student with interest in broadcasting, we’ll teach you the nuts and bolts. We all can’t be Tim Heiman, whose broadcast career is very successful.

I am not a student or alumnus. I don't know how my comment about creating funding to encourage student coverage of away games could be viewed as a critique of alumni broadcasters, but it is too bad that students are disinterested. I called a baseball game once at my undergrad many years ago and it was a blast. I assume that the WRPI bylaws limit participation to current students and alumni, otherwise it would make sense to open the role up to others. There has got to be an aspiring broadcaster somewhere looking for some quality airtime.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019 Part II: We're Just Gonna Complain, Don't Bother Reading

Could a broadcaster legally travel with the team on their bus?

I like the idea of course credit, but I think riding on the team bus would depend on when the team travels. I have been told that the team travels on Thursday afternoons for a number of the road trips to get in a morning skate on Friday at the away rink. I don't know if a student would get a pass to miss classes for this.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019 Part II: We're Just Gonna Complain, Don't Bother Reading

I like the idea of course credit, but I think riding on the team bus would depend on when the team travels. I have been told that the team travels on Thursday afternoons for a number of the road trips to get in a morning skate on Friday at the away rink. I don't know if a student would get a pass to miss classes for this.

You are correct that the team usually travels on Thursday.
 
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Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019 Part II: We're Just Gonna Complain, Don't Bother Reading

Why not? We have a couple loaded classes in terms of quantity, so why not balance it out a little bit?

I am not thrilled about getting players for only 1.5 years.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019 Part II: We're Just Gonna Complain, Don't Bother Reading

I am not a student or alumnus. I don't know how my comment about creating funding to encourage student coverage of away games could be viewed as a critique of alumni broadcasters, but it is too bad that students are disinterested. I called a baseball game once at my undergrad many years ago and it was a blast. I assume that the WRPI bylaws limit participation to current students and alumni, otherwise it would make sense to open the role up to others. There has got to be an aspiring broadcaster somewhere looking for some quality airtime.

Bylaws must not limit participation to only students and alumni. A professor (assuming he is not an RPI grad) does some baseball and hockey. A member of the media (know he is not an RPI grad) also does baseball and basketball on RPI TV. Both of these guys are always very polished and very good on the air. Fortunately, these two guys provide the bulk of the non student and non alumni air time. After them, there is a severe drop off whenever non students or alumni come in to play.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019 Part II: We're Just Gonna Complain, Don't Bother Reading

Bylaws must not limit participation to only students and alumni. A professor (assuming he is not an RPI grad) does some baseball and hockey. A member of the media (know he is not an RPI grad) also does baseball and basketball on RPI TV. Both of these guys are always very polished and very good on the air. Fortunately, these two guys provide the bulk of the non student and non alumni air time. After them, there is a severe drop off whenever non students or alumni come in to play.

The quality of the play-by-play isn't a big issue for me. The experienced folks are fine and it is ultimately a student radio station, so there is going to be a learning curve as students get experience and polish. It is just unfortunate that the station is unable to cover the away games.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019 Part II: We're Just Gonna Complain, Don't Bother Reading

The quality of the play-by-play isn't a big issue for me. The experienced folks are fine and it is ultimately a student radio station, so there is going to be a learning curve as students get experience and polish. It is just unfortunate that the station is unable to cover the away games.

I used to be concerned over the quality and the sound of the voices, but much less so now. What I do appreciate is that the announcers do try to be neutral, even though I am sure that they all root for RPI. Homerism is the thing that bothers me the most when I have listened to some other broadcasters. I also appreciate the hockey knowledge of the announcers.
 
Re: RPI Hockey 2018 - 2019 Part II: We're Just Gonna Complain, Don't Bother Reading

Bylaws must not limit participation to only students and alumni. A professor (assuming he is not an RPI grad) does some baseball and hockey. A member of the media (know he is not an RPI grad) also does baseball and basketball on RPI TV. Both of these guys are always very polished and very good on the air. Fortunately, these two guys provide the bulk of the non student and non alumni air time. After them, there is a severe drop off whenever non students or alumni come in to play.

It could also include staff. In addition, it may be not be in WRPI's by-laws, but it is their preference.

Let's also remember that WRPI and RPI-TV are not the same entity, and have different bylaws for their participation. RPI-TV has partnered with TWCS in the past to broadcast their product on cable access.
 
I am not a student or alumnus. I don't know how my comment about creating funding to encourage student coverage of away games could be viewed as a critique of alumni broadcasters, but it is too bad that students are disinterested. I called a baseball game once at my undergrad many years ago and it was a blast. I assume that the WRPI bylaws limit participation to current students and alumni, otherwise it would make sense to open the role up to others. There has got to be an aspiring broadcaster somewhere looking for some quality airtime.

Not your post, per se, just a culmination of everyone’s complaining theoughout the year, although given the thread title I shouldn’t be surprised. Just that we, as broadcasters, can’t do anything about it. Student apathy runs deep and life gets in the way with the announcers that are there. Sorry for sounding bitter.

My suggestion for an off-season thread title: RPI hockey: Where’d everyone go?
 
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