UW-Whitewater is a school that has much pride in its athletics programs. Community members and students fill the stands of almost every school sporting event. But what can you do if you miss the game and want to know all the details? Whitewater\u2019s solution is Hawk Talk, one of the most popular sports shows in the Whitewater community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hawk Talk delivers all the latest sports news to the local community and allows students to produce an entertaining talk show while honing their broadcasting skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alex Manthei, a regular host of the popular Hawk Talk, discussed how he got into the show and his personal experience in professional broadcasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manthei came to Whitewater as a transfer student from UW-Milwaukee at Washington County. Manthei says that he enjoyed writing and had a strong passion for sports, which is what made him decide to choose sports journalism as his major. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When approached about how he got brought onto Hawk Talk, he said, \u201c It all started last semester, my first semester. I took the radio and TV practicums thinking they were just basic required classes, and then it just threw me into the deep end.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a requirement for his classes, Manthei had to audition with UWW-TV and received a part on \u201cPEOMIOSFYRDS\u201d as a sports announcer. Manthei\u2019s work on \u201cPEOMIOSFYRDS\u201d led to him being introduced to the Hawk Talk crew and eventually becoming a host on the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manthei admits that when he first came to Whitewater, he was very quiet, but doing Hawk Talk and the other UWW-TV shows put him in a \u201csink or swim\u201d situation to find his voice. \u201cMan, I never thought I would be the guy on screen or the voice everyone would be listening to, but I have to admit I\u2019ve grown really comfortable and am having a lot of fun with it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manthei recommends for anyone considering broadcasting: \u201cThe best teacher is experience. It is about the only way you can truly learn. If you don\u2019t try something, how do you know if you\u2019re not going to like it?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also acknowledges that there is a strong feeling of anxiety that comes with broadcasting but says, \u201cIt never goes away entirely, but you realize it’s not so bad. Even for Hawk Talk, sometimes you get the jitters or just excited, but once you start rolling, it feels like you\u2019re just talking to friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n