Chris Down and Diego Allessandro Win for Their Achievements in Radio and TV Broadcasting
Chris Down and Diego Allessandro, both seniors and communication majors, were recently awarded grand prizes in their fields of submission by the National Broadcasting Society (NBS) for their achievements in radio and television broadcasting.
The NBS began its award tradition in 1962 with the intentions to highlight worthy college students with a passion for broadcasting. NBS student chapters are featured at college campuses nationwide, including at the University. In fact, Allessandro is president of the University’s chapter of NBS.
“I am a musician and amateur music historian so radio just made sense. I was doing internet radio a few years before I came to Monmouth and declared my major,” Allessandro said. “I just need to be around music, it’s all that I am.”
Although he received two honorable mentions last year and three honorable mentions this year, Allessandro was still in shock when he won the grand prize. “Going from a high school dropout to a college grad with a national award has been a hard, long road. It’s so fulfilling to have come so far from someone with no future to someone with a chance. I was so excited.”
Allessandro won the grand prize for his WMCX Core Music Sweeper. His honorable mentions were for three of his creations: Project Paul PSA, Project Paul Feature, and Jersey Devil Sweeper 2.
While all of these productions hold great value and show Allessandro’s diligent work ethic, the Project Paul Feature is embedded into his heart. When asked the reasoning behind Allessandro’s creation of the eight minute clip, he said “I wanted to help out this wonderful organization who does so much for the hungry and homeless in Monmouth County.”
All of Allessandro’s submissions can be heard at soundcloud.com/diego-allessandro.
Unlike Allessandro, Down chose to follow the television side of broadcasting, a path which was not always in his mindset. “Originally, when I was applying to Monmouth, I was coming in to be a graphic design major, but during my orientation I had a big change of heart and ended up pursuing a communication degree with a concentration in television and radio,” Down explained. “Now, since I have been here, what keeps me here is the wonderful TV station and the tremendous opportunities and experience I get here.”
Down was familiar with the NBS submission process as he submitted three productions last year but did not have any make it to the final. Due to this factor, he was even more surprised when he won the grand prize.
“When I saw that my video had actually won a grand prize I was quite shocked, and I believe that showed in the quite lackluster acceptance speech that consisted mainly of me saying thank you about three times and walking off the stage awkwardly,” Down said.
Down notes that he did not expect to win an award at all in this category because the video he submitted for judgment was the first video he created for his job. “I made this video for my job in Enrollment Publications here at Monmouth. This was the first assignment I was handed and it took me a while to complete but I eventually got it put together,” he said.
After 14 years of being part of the University’s NBS chapter, co-advisor Chris Cavallaro believes every student victory should be given proper acknowledgment. “Of course I was very, very proud and very, very happy for them,” Cavallaro said. He also mentioned Allessandro’s grand prize award came from a project produced in one of Cavallaro’s class.
Both seniors intend to graduate come May with communication degrees and concentrations in TV/radio degrees. “At age 28, I’m tired of saying I’m a senior,” Allessandro said. “Proud to be Monmouth Class of 2013.”
