This podcast is being brought to you by WXAV 88.3 FM and wxav.com WXAV bringing the best podcast to you. Hi, my name is Peter Creighton and I'm the director of student media here at Saint Isavia University in Chicago. I'm joined right now with Sean Anderson. Now Sean, you're my music director at WXAV 88.3 FM Chicago and you're also a student here at Saint Savia University.
So can you kind of talk to me a little bit about what your experience has been like this far here at Saint Savia? Well, so far, I mean, my experience here at Saint Savia has been the best years of my life. I mean, it's only been two short years and those two short years have flown by the quickest years of my life as well. It was a tough decision to finally come here to Saint Savia.
But once I was going through the student media camp, I started before my freshman year. And then once I got into my years here at Saint Savia, it's just been absolute blast. I mean, I've been able to have some of the opportunities to the radio station, some of the opportunities in my academic career. And then also just in my personal life, I mean, it's just been the best choice I've made so far.
And we're going to get to some of those opportunities you had in just a few minutes. I'm just kind of curious, before we get to that, has your time here, I mean, you've only been here about two years so far. Has your, have they met your what you expected your college life to be hasn't met your expectations? I mean, it's not a traditional college life.
I mean, most of Saint Savia is 60% commuter. So you're not going to get the traditional college life of, you know, animal house or, you know, the, what you see in the movies, at least from Saint Savia, but you will get, I mean, I met all my expectations from the academic prospect, my job prospect. And it's just met my happiness. I mean, you know, the biggest thing is, you know, yes, you're not going to get like an animal house style party every Saturday, but you are going to get something where you do feel welcomed.
And it's more of a family here at Saint Savia. It's, you know, it's people taking everything serious because what I've heard mostly from my classmates, it's stuff where people are all first year reference, our first time in their family graduating going to college. And it's people that are really taking this seriously and people that want to help each other thrive and succeed. So I think it's exceeded my expectations because I came from a place that was very similar at brother Rice High School that was built around a family.
And I didn't expect that, you know, a college like that was right next door to it. So I think it's exceeded my expectations because I kind of went in with a negative mindset, but it's surpassed my expectations in every single facet. And not only that, it seems like your transition from high school to college life has been pretty smooth thus far with it as well without without, I mean, it was just, you know, placing it into a bigger area. I mean, they had more windows here at Saint Savia.
Now you mentioned earlier, some of your opportunities that you've been able to have your ex-engsavior. What are some opportunities that you've been afforded here since you've come here? Well, when I was a high school student, I had to pay to go to music festivals and concerts. And now, at least through the radio station, you'll be able to work with these bands, being able to work with promoters, getting the ability to go and say, my job is covering these events.
And yes, it is still work. But you know, I don't complain about it because my work is covering also, but bands and listening to music and you know, interacting with people. And you know, I've had so many opportunities for attending RIFES for the past three years, well, two years, and then this year will be the third year. I'll now lose the last year, pitch for glass year.
We went to Pearl Jam when they came to town, Southern Oakley Field and you'll say, that's my job and many other concerts. Saying that's my job is unreal. And also, I think the biggest thing is going to the White House because it just still blows my mind. I'm able to say that we were able to go with Cal Dray Day through your former boss, Rob Quik, who and you know, your help with the Cal Dray Day Foundation and Cal Dray Day Foundation that Rob helped set up, they were able to go to the White House for a second straight time and we were invited.
And it was just the most inspiring experience I've ever had because I wasn't interested in politics that much before I went there. But you know, getting to talk to these people, getting to interview the people that can put spin on in their professional spin artist pretty much, you know, being able to interview them and trying to get the most out of them was the most difficult part of you know, being a journalist and trying to, you know, make that a tool in my asset. I mean, it was the most useful, most professional experience. And I think the one that's going to have the most impact on my career because I was able to talk to the people that know how to spin the best and I had to make sure my questions were completely worded correctly so they couldn't spin it in a certain way.
And also, they were just extremely nice people who wanted to do their job well. Well, that's awesome because it seems like you had a lot of great opportunities to practice your craft because your communications major, you want to get into this. So I mean, what a great opportunity for you. You're going to the White House, you're going to pitchfork, you're going to La Palusa, Ridefest.
I mean, these are like the main event, things that everyone wants to cover. And you're doing here now in college. But even my day to day life, I mean, when my job is music director, wherever my job is played by play announcer for women's basketball or football or color commentator for women's basketball, being able to go to the NAIA National Championship game with the Saints, everyone's team and being able to count, you know, commentate on that and be a part of that experience. I mean, that's what I dreamed of being a young kid wanting to be on ESPN.
That was my goal was to make it to an event that large and being able to have that experience was something that I wasn't didn't even mention. But even the day to day aspect, where my job is talking to music promoters and building relationships, getting music, reviewing that music, putting into the system. And that's just a fun job right there. And then also, I get to talk on the radio for every single week.
And that's just fun in itself because, you know, I get to use creative expression and then I get to, you know, mold my own thoughts and expressions and put it out in the right, put it out over the airways for people to listen to. I mean, you have so much creative freedom at least in the radio station. I would even say my classes too. I mean, there's multiple classes where it was all about your creativity and all about your product and what you put into the class is what you're going to get out of.
So from the classes from my work life to the many opportunities I've had through that work, I mean, it's just been spectacular. Awesome. How has St. Xavier changed you?
I would say that I've become a more professional person because I still maintain that sarcasm and I think I had in high school when I think I've kind of developed that as well. But, you know, I started taking things more seriously because at least in grammar school, I was a person that really didn't study and I didn't really do my homework. But now, you know, looking at St. Xavier, I don't have to be forced to study.
You know, it's something I want to do. And you know, I'm taking classes that I love. I'm taking classes that are going to pertain to my life. And you know, I'm not asking the question, well, how am I going to use this in my future now?
I'm actually using things in the communication field, in the production field that I'm actually going to be able to use. And then I take that into my job, which happens right after class. So I think that I've just become more professional. I think I've been able to take a more serious mindset but that also seriousness didn't hold back the fun I'm able to have because my job is fun.
I'm enjoying what I'm doing. So do you have any advice for any potential students that are thinking about coming to St. Xavier or for students who have made the commitment they are coming to St. Xavier?
What advice do you have for them? I think the biggest advice is coming with a positive mindset because I think I came in with a negative mindset early on. I think that affected my early life here at St. Xavier.
I think I took it more seriously and I just was open to things more. I think that would have been made my experience better because at least as a commuter who lives five minutes away from it, I was like, I have to go to St. Xavier. And now I'm like, yeah, I'm going to go to St.
Xavier. I'm waking up and you're super excited to go. So I think that's the biggest thing is if you come in with an open mindset and you get involved, I think that's the biggest thing because I know when I came here and going through orientation, they're like, you got to get involved. I was like, oh my God, stop.
But I was able to get involved. And even though that was something that I was like, well, I'm only going to do the radio side. I'm only going to do this. There's so much to do over here that I am involved in that I didn't even know there was ways that the radio station and the actual school got involved.
So get involved and have a positive mindset because that's the only way you're going to have the true experience of St. Xavier because again, it might not be like a huge party school or anything like that, but it's people who truly care about what they're doing. And it's people that are going to have fun. So I have one final question for you.
What's one takeaway that you would like to share from your experience here at St. Xavier? The biggest takeaway I would say is you find or do your best at least to find what you love because I know people come in here with undecided majors or they have their mindset on what they want to do. You know, if whether it's a nursing major, whether it's a communication major, whether it's a business major, make sure that's what you want to do because, you know, if you do have that drive and that mentality of this is what I want to do, this is what I want to strive to be, I think you're going to put all of your work and effort into it.
And I think you're truly going to enjoy St. Xavier. And if you are even an undecided major, take classes. I took a graphic design course and it didn't pertain to communication at all, but I really enjoyed it.
I mean, it was creative expression. I learned programs like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign that are going to help me in the communication field. So yes, you might be taking a random history course, but that random history course might be one that sparks a certain interest. You might take it on politics in the media and that might spark your interest in politics and media.
So I think the biggest thing is to take away it would be to be open-minded, but also have that drive where if you know what you want to do, go for it because, you know, I've gone for what I wanted to do and I've been a completely happy person with what I've been able to accomplish and been able to experience here at St. Xavier. Hi, I'm Sean Anderson and I'm a part of St. Xavier's class of 2018.
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