They returned to Erie with two trophies for national championships in content creation and leadership. Social Media Manager Madeline Emerson was named Best Social Media Manager in the nation – competing against five other university finalists. Sports Director Trevor Kubeja also brought home a trophy in Best Sports Play-By-Play (Hockey) for his call of an Erie Otters game.
Operations Manager Dr. Chet LaPrice and his students boarded the AMTRAK Lake Shore Limited for The Big Apple early in the morning on Feb. 29. Panels at the conference included identifying pop-culture trends, crafting an on-air personality and style, career development, news writing, and sports play-by-play – all hosted by industry and academic professionals from around the country. Emerson stated, “It’s so hard to put into words the feeling I had when I heard my name announced as the winner. Never in a million years did I think that I would be where I am: a national award winner for Gannon’s radio station. The radio has felt like home to me ever since I first began, so to be able to represent and acknowledge all the hard work that has been put into WERG is so special. I can’t thank the rest of the staff and Chet enough for giving me this opportunity and for always participating in my ideas for [our social media accounts].” about her win.
Everyone also took time to sightsee while in Manhattan: enjoying some fine dining, visiting museums and Midtown Comics, and attending “& Juliet” and “Spamalot” on Broadway.
The radio station has previously won awards from the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, including Best College Radio Station in the Nation (Universities Under 10,000 Enrollment) in 2014 and 2021. In 2014, 90.5 WERG was named outright the best college radio station in the United States. The 86th conference will be held in New York City in March of 2025, and students have already begun preparing work for next year. News Director Jem Neumann (21, from State College, PA) is excited to submit their broadcasts in 2025.