Unlike most students at UM, Justin Antweil dove right into campus involvement when he first arrived, and has been making a statement ever since. Although many are overwhelmed by the bombardment of new classes and student activities, Antweil advises that students take advantage of every opportunity.
“After three weeks of being at UM, I had a job on a sports talk show on campus. You have to be proactive,” Antweil said.
And that’s what he’s been doing ever since. In his four years at UM, he has written for Distraction Magazine, the Ibis yearbook and The Miami Hurricane. He has worked on UMTV and WVUM, all of which are on-campus media productions open to students.
Antweil was the sports editor for The Miami Hurricane for three semesters and was the sports director on WVUM for two years.
During his time at WVUM, he traveled with the women’s and men’s basketball teams to broadcast all of their games. Head baseball coach Jim Morris said Antweil is professional and enjoys what he is doing.
“Justin is an amazing sports director!” said Amber Robertson, general manager for WVUM. “He not only knows how to manage a staff of volunteers, but also sounds like a professional on-air broadcaster when calling games. I’m sad to see him go.”
As Antweil pointed out, its not just about putting yourself out there. It is pertinent that you also work hard if you want to be successful. He has worked from the bottom to being courtside with the esteemed. Antweil used to be the ticket taker and usher at the BankUnited Center just so he could be involved and go to games.
“You have to grow up fast in college and be independent. No one is going to make you do it,” he said.
Most of the School of Communication classes require students to contribute to the organizations Antweil participated in. He credits those classes for the real world experience it taught him.
Last summer, Antweil took part in an ESPN radio internship in New York, during which he applied everything he had learned in class. He said he felt ahead of everyone else because the technology the station used were the same ones he was taught in class.
“The School of Communication is like a family,” Antweil said. “There is a strong faculty and you learn more than what’s taught in class – you learn life skills.”
Antweil broadcasted for the Hurricane baseball team over the summer. Now, he plans on taking those life skills he learned at UM so he can apply them to his future.
“I admire Justin for his sports knowledge, his dedication to the U and for his straight-forward, no frills approach,” said professor Ellen Fleysher. “I expect we will be hearing great things from him down the road.”