Candidate Statements: Student Representative

Please consider statements below from two candidates (Tara Howell and Pia Rizzo-Wittlin), presented alphabetically, for CBI Board Student Representative:

Tara Howell

My name is Tara Howell, and I am currently a graduate student at Loyola University Maryland, and the student General Manager at WLOY Loyola Radio. Looking back on my experience in college, it would not have been nearly the same, or nearly as meaningful without my time in college radio. And a big part of this experience was my time spent at CBI’s NSEMC each fall, where I spent time learning and growing – growing as a leader and a manager, but also personally. This experience each year allowed me to fell incredibly appreciated, understood, lucky, and fortunate. My most inspired moments are the days and weeks I leave NSEMC each fall (which I am incredibly grateful for!), and I try to carry that with me at all times. I’ve had the opportunity of serving as the GM at WLOY for 3 years, and attending NSEMC for the past 4 years. Now that I am looking at the end of my career in college radio and forward to my career, it’s important for me to have the opportunity to give back, and to possibly serve as the student representative on the CBI board. I want to bring my experience and love for college radio and CBI with me, and use that to promote positive change to CBI and NSEMC. I am an incredibly hard worker, and I feel like I have a lot to contribute. It would be an honor to serve as the student representative for the CBI Board! 

Pia Rizzo-Wittlin

My name is Pia Rizzo-Wittlin. I’m a junior at Ithaca College, studying Television-Radio with a focus on Production Management in the Roy H. Park School of Communications. I also hold a minor in Art History and am working towards a second minor in Legal Studies. I believe my academic and professional experiences qualify me as an excellent candidate for being the Student Representative on the CBI Board of Directors.

Since becoming a student at Ithaca College, I’ve had the privilege of being the Local Music Director for WICB, the college’s student-run FM radio station. In this role, I host the station’s local music show, Homebrew. Broadcasting to the Ithaca community, WICB places a large emphasis on local programming. On-the-air, I try to shed light on the local music scene, inviting artists and bands into the studio for live performances and interviews. Last spring, I hosted a local 10-piece group called Fall Creek Brass Band. This on-air performance took five months of planning, and involved the help of several audio engineers, WICB’s General Manager, Social Media Strategist, and Programming Coordinator. In order to prepare for this show, I had to edit and revise my interview questions, come up with content to market for WICB’s and Homebrew’s social media platforms, reserve studio space and equipment, and work with the band’s manager to accurately portray their image. Because of all the hard work that was put into this broadcast, it became an instant hit with our listeners.

Aside from radio, I’m proud to be the Technical Producer for Ithaca College Television’s (ICTV) news show, Newswatch. Similar to WICB, ICTV prioritizes local programming. Newswatch is the only local TV news program for Tompkins County residents, and broadcasts three days a week. As the Technical Producer, my job focuses on ensuring our show airs at exactly 7:00 PM. I’m also responsible for researching news stories, creating appropriate graphics for our show, and being a guiding hand to our staff and crew. Some of my favorite stories to have been featured on Newswatch this past year included coverage of the 2018 Congressional Election, the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, conflict over the U.S. Mexico Border, and the 2018 shooting in Downtown Ithaca’s Commons. One of the primary reasons I’m drawn to television production is because it is a team effort. Everyone is working together in order to achieve a similar goal – to create first-rate content in which an audience will want to watch. My experience as a Technical Producer has allowed me to explore the various ways to engage an audience, while also working effectively and efficiently alongside my crew members.

Outside of Ithaca College, I’ve interned within the communications industry at Brick & Portal, Perlow Productions, and Well Said Media, working in all stages of production. Most recently, I’ve joined the Packaging Department at Ramo Law PC, as well as the Creative Development Department at Film Rites in Los Angeles, California. For both of these internships, I do script coverage, typecasting, and provide guidance in digital marketing for feature films during the pre-production process.

Student media, whether it be in the form of print journalism or digital production, allows a student to create a product that is innovative, creative and unique. Students are given validity to make mistakes, learn from them, and encouraged to use what they’ve learned to produce higher-quality content. In my roles at both WICB and ICTV, I have learned how to effectively

meet deadlines for projects, strategize and plan for all phases of production, acquired the ability to analyze and critique content for public distribution, and have successfully developed my skills as a collaborative leader.

Through my interactions with peers, faculty, and industry professionals, my point of view would offer a distinctive outlook in which CBI could provide instruction and resources for students and advisors. With the rapid changes of the television, radio, and film industry, the way in which production companies distribute their material is drastically morphing in order to stay up to date with the times. With my experience in both traditional broadcasting and digital production, I would be a voice on current trends in media. This would allow students to achieve a greater production value from projects, while working at the current industry standard. As the Student Representative on the CBI Board of Directors, I confidently believe I can bring a unique perspective to other students striving to achieve their goals and dreams in the field of broadcasting.