• The “How IC Sports” podcast was launched by The Ithacan in September 2017
• Co-hosted by sophomore Samantha Cavalli and freshman Nick Friend, the podcast features a new IC athlete and member of student media very week
• The show covers sports on the South Hill as well as national topics
• Check out the show HERE

Late nights at the Park School are likely not uncharted waters for many students at Ithaca College. Some work on assignments while others unwind after a day of classes. But for freshman Nick Friend and sophomore Samantha Cavalli, the dark of a Tuesday night means it’s time to record.

The Beginnings

Launched this fall by Ithaca College’s weekly student-run newspaper The Ithacan, the “How IC Sports” podcast offers an extended look at the sports both on campus and the hot topics sweeping the nation.

Cavalli recalls how the podcast got its start.When she became assistant sports editor of The Ithacan last semester, there was talk of creating a sports podcast.

“And this year our podcast editor, Kendyl Bennett, came up to me and said, ‘Hey I remember you said you wanted do a sports podcast, do you still want to be the host of it,’ and I said, “Absolutely I want to be the host of it!'”

Having just arrived on campus, the process was a bit different for Friend.

“I went to the Ithacan recruitment night and met Kendyl and expressed interest, and then a couple weeks later after I showed her my own personal website I’m running for sports, she came back to me and said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in co hosting?'”

One of the calling cards of the Park School is the fact students have the opportunities to get involved right away, and as a sophomore-freshman duo, Cavalli and Friend are an example of this.

When their status as first and second-year co-hosts of a podcast for one of the nations top college newspapers is brought up, Cavalli smiles.

“I didn’t even think of it like that,” she remarks. “It is really cool.”

Friend is especially grateful for the opportunity.

“To be on campus for literally a week or two and then have an offer from one of the nations top [college] newspapers to host a podcast as a first-year student was incredible and something I take a lot of pride in and respect in.”

Trust The Process

There is a process that gets the duo to their Tuesday night recording sessions.

“Nick and I meet on Thursdays and we’ll talk about the past weeks podcast-what we should change, what we like, what we didn’t like-and then we’ll talk about the upcoming week,” Cavalli says.

The two then reconvene on Sunday or Monday to go over the weekend’s happenings. The show is also unique in that it adds the voices of an IC student-athlete and a member of the student media on campus, whether it be television, radio or the newspaper. For players, they will normally plan for two weeks out and have backups in case an athlete backs out at any point, which has happened in the past.

The Balancing Act

The shows start with an interview with the athlete before bringing in the other guest and diving into national topics. It hasn’t been all smooth sailing, as athletes can be less-willing to get involved than the students who take part in ICTV or the radio network. Cavalli says that in these instances, they will try to make the questions broader so that the athlete can get involved easier.

Friend says it’s a juggling act making sure all parties are providing insight.

“The biggest balance for us as co-hosts is its our job to make sure all the guests get involved, but also give our opinion and trying to balance those two things out,” he explains. “To make sure if an athlete is reluctant to become involved in the conversation, how can we get him or her to become more involved in the conversation.”