James Loy:

Major Insight is a production of Miami University. This is where we showcase successful students, their promising new research and its relevance in our world.

College is always a time of growth, transition, and change. And this episode reflects that same enduring legacy.  It’s graduation time. And as our host Peter Everett prepares for his new life after graduation, it’s also a chance for us to welcome Jason Meggyesy, who will take over as Major Insight host this fall

As a Strategic Communications and Sport Leadership and Management double major, Jason is interested in using a variety of media platforms, including broadcasting and film, to build and strengthen deep connections between people.

And on this episode, Peter and Jason both speak about the college journey, and about how it can lead to unexpected avenues that can be illuminating, rewarding, and even life-changing. Now here’s Peter Everett and Jason Meggyesy with more.

Peter Everett:

Hi, Jason, welcome so much to Major Insight. If you could, as my successor, introduce yourself to our audience.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah, for sure. My name's Jason Meggyesy. I'm a junior Strat Comm and SLAM double major, that's Sports Leadership and Management, and I'm originally from Columbus, Ohio.

Peter Everett:

What exactly maybe inspired you to really get into radio? I know you're really passionate about it.

Jason Meggyesy:

It's weird, I just remember growing up, I would just find myself watching these radio interviews from New York Radio and California Radio. They'd be interviewing basketball players or football players or rap artists or anything like that. I just really enjoyed the connection that they made with these people and the medium and the way that they were having these conversations just was really cool to me. Just recently I started getting into podcasts a little bit. Everybody starts with JRE, that's like the quintessential podcast now. And just from there, I found myself really falling in love with these conversations and the relationships that are built in this short timeframe. And I think that's where I found a passion. I like talking to people and maybe I could try my hand at it and see how I do at it.

Peter Everett:

So what experience do you have so far behind the mic?

Jason Meggyesy:

Actually, over quarantine, me and my buddy from home, we tried to start our own podcast. We did three, four episodes. And by the fourth one, you kind of start to build out a structure of what you want to do and you start to build a little bit of rapport with each other behind the mic. So that's the real first experience I had. And then here this past year, one of my buddies on campus, we have a RedHawk radio show on Fridays, it's called The Hot Ones.

Peter Everett:

Now is this related to the Hot Ones as in the wing interviews?

Jason Meggyesy:

They gave us a Google doc to fill out, and it's all these questions like, what time do you want to do it? What's it about? And then there's one slot that says, what do you want your name to be? And I'm sitting there thinking, I don't know, it's two guys just talking, and we play music sometimes. Hot Ones, that's what we'll do. And I told him, I was like, we can change it if we need to, but it's kind of just stuck. All of our friends that listen to it, they kind of know it as that now. We've branded it in a different way.

Peter Everett:

Gotcha. What exactly do you guys like to talk about? Is it talking about sports? Is it talking about just life, college life?

Jason Meggyesy:

What we like to do, every week, I'll compile a Spotify playlist, just mostly songs that I've been listening to that week or that he's been listening to. And then we'll get on there and we will just kind of go through just news that's happening in the past week, like pop culture news, sports news, big news, whatever. And at the end, we always round off with hard hat of the week and American hero of the week. So, those two categories, it's like a fun little reoccurring theme to keep it a little bit of consistency, but then there's also some variable with the news aspect as well.

Peter Everett:

I'm starting to figure out why you love podcasting, broadcasting, having these kind of conversations, because it is a very unique relationship building medium. Where does the sports aspect come in, the sports passion part of it? Is it just something that you've always loved?

Jason Meggyesy:

Definitely. Since I was younger. Since I can remember, actually, there's always been sports going on in my life. My mom is a massive, massive sports fan. I give all my love for sports, I give that credit to her. The Cavs were always on, the Browns were always on, the Indians were always on.

Peter Everett:

My condolences for the Browns for that period of time.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah, exactly. Growing up was tough. We finally got a little bit of payback now, so, it's all good. I think that's just where it started. And I remember when I was younger, I just wanted to try every sport. I remember we would watch the Olympics, we'd watch the world cup, we'd watch everything. As soon as the game would be over, I would want to go outside and try to imitate what I just saw on the TV. When I was younger, I would lower my basketball hoop outside all the way down so I could jump up and dunk like LeBron or whoever I was watching. And then when baseball season would come around, I would get my little glove and throw a tennis ball into the couch or whatever pretending to pitch. It's always been a part of my life and hopefully I can integrate it in some capacity in the future.

Peter Everett:

Yeah. So I'm also curious to hear about, now that I know, you have these interview skills, you have these conversational skills, you have the sports passion. What is it like being an athletic marketing intern here at Miami?

Jason Meggyesy:

It gives you a whole different side of the game. I grew up being a player, I grew up seeing the games, but through my internship with the school, with Miami Athletics, you learn everything that it takes to put on the game. So, you got to set up all the games, you got to set up all the promotions, the pre-game prep, the post-game prep, the social media, the this, the that. It's really a whole production when it's all said and done, it's not just the game. It's engaging the fans into the game, outside of the game, if that makes sense. So when the game's going on, obviously, all eyes are on the action, what's happening, whether it be basketball, football, baseball, whatever. But then when there's a break in the action, all right, well, we still got to keep their eyes, we still got to keep them engaged with what's going on with the players, with the school, with this, that, the other thing.

Jason Meggyesy:

So I think just giving a new perspective to something that I have loved my whole life is the best thing that I can say I've pulled away from it.

Peter Everett:

Sure. And would you say it's given you maybe more empathy for the front office type people or the people behind the scenes, that kind of thing? Has it kind of changed your mind on that?

Jason Meggyesy:

No, for sure. For sure. It's definitely a whole different experience when you're on the other side, and you see how much work goes into putting the product out onto the field or out on the court, wherever it is. Like you said, you build an empathy for those people.

Peter Everett:

Has there been any maybe moments in your internship where that crystallized for you or you really saw maybe, oh, this is what I want to do with my career? Has there been any pivotal moments throughout this time you've been working?

Jason Meggyesy:

I think I'm still learning, I'm still growing in this internship. Since I was a freshmen, that's when I first started the marketing internship. And since then, I've seen it grow and change so much. So now there's new avenues that I can try and new things that I can do. Just this year, I started writing a little bit for the athletic department so I've gotten to interview the basketball coach and a couple other players and some people on the softball team and the softball coach. So I'm still trying to figure out where exactly I fit in, where I can integrate all my passions into one cohesive thing, but I've enjoyed doing it every step of the way, it's been great.

Peter Everett:

So, if you were maybe giving advice to your freshman self or your senior in high school self, what kind of mindset would you tell him to walk into college with?

Jason Meggyesy:

When you're a freshman and you walk on to a college campus, you have this idea of what it's supposed to be and you know what you're supposed to do when you're on campus and when you're going through classes and you're going through school. I've heard a lot of people say this on the podcast, you really have to keep an open mind. These four years, while you want to have fun and make friends and stuff like that, they are for you. So regardless of what your friends think or what your parents may think, I know that can be tough for some people, but I think it's very important to do things that you think you're passionate for. And even if they don't work out, so say I were to go do this athletic internship when I was a freshman and I didn't enjoy it, well, that tells me one thing right there, it's not for me, it's not what I want to do. And I think just not being afraid to fail is the one thing that I would tell my freshman self because I think I did have that fear a little bit and I've started to grow out of that.

Peter Everett:

And if this is too personal you don't have to answer, but would you say that that whole, maybe, your goal not aligning with your parents' goals -- is that something you struggle with personally?

Jason Meggyesy:

No, no, no, no. Definitely, my mom, she is my number one role model in life, and she has just been so open with all the things I want to try, which is on one hand, I'm thankful for it, I'm blessed that she's been able to provide that for me and let me do that. But then on the other hand, it's like, oh man, not as much structure, not as much of a clear path, but in that uncertainty I think I've started to find a little bit of solace that everything will work out if I just keep going, if I put my head down, if I go find my own interests, then it will all work out, it'll come together in the end.

Peter Everett:

Absolutely. And in the middle of this freedom and the accompanying uncertainty, have there been any mentors here at Miami that have helped you maybe sort through some of that uncertainty?

Jason Meggyesy:

I don't know if they know it, but definitely Mary Jean Corbett, she's a professor in the English department. I took her class, for like an upper level writing class, I took her class the second semester my freshman year. And it was crazy because she actually gave us an assignment at the end of the year where it was completely open-ended, and you could kind of do whatever you wanted with it. And a lot of students, I remember, weren't too happy about that, because they wanted the rubric and they wanted this, this, cookie cutter. But I just remember having so much fun with that. And then Dr. Hillel Gray in the religion department.

Peter Everett:

I know Hillel.

Jason Meggyesy:

He's awesome.

Peter Everett:

I did my student research with him.

Jason Meggyesy:

He's awesome. I had him my freshman year, religion 101, it was amazing. That's one of the best classes I've ever taken. And that's another thing that class definitely was one that'll stick with me. Because even then in there, he kind of teaches you I think to keep an open mind about everything.

Peter Everett:

Be empathetic.

Jason Meggyesy:

Exactly.

Peter Everett:

That's his big thing.

Jason Meggyesy:

Yeah. And then the last one is Dr. Mack Hagood. He was my professor right before we got sent home from COVID, it was a sound studies class. And he's actually the one who directed me to this podcast because he has his own podcast, and I had reached out to him asking if he needed any help with that. And he was like, well actually, here's this thing that I just got an email for. So, check this out and see what you think, and now we're here.

Peter Everett:

Yeah. I've noticed you're very proactive about just reaching out to people and just asking can I help out with this. And I know one of the things he reached out about was something about a film that was going to kind of chronicle the African-American experience at Miami. And I was curious if you could tell me more about that, has anything come of that?

Jason Meggyesy:

I don't know how much I can say about it because I don't know if it's gotten approved yet. I think it still has to go through the university. Another professor I'd like to shout out is Professor Andy Rice. He taught media aesthetics, a lot of film, a lot of breaking down, okay, this is what they're doing with the lighting here, this is why this sounds this way, this is why this looks this way. I just became enthralled with that kind of stuff. He had reached out to me and said, I know you wanted to do more in film, in producing, and you were kind of good at editing. So here's this opportunity that we're trying to put together at the school, and I actually had made a student film for his class, a short five minutes, kind of in the same vein as what they're trying to get at. I actually filmed my friend who's also an African-American, just like a day through his life, and I kind of asked him some questions related to that topic and his experiences that he's had and his own thoughts.

Jason Meggyesy:

If it does happen, I've expressed this to him that I'd love to be a part of it, because I think it is important to highlight some of these underrepresented groups here at Miami.

Peter Everett:

What has your experience at Miami been like through that perspective, through that lens?

Jason Meggyesy:

I will say I haven't personally experienced any malice towards myself. I have a great group of friends. You're in this space you're supposed to be for a reason. Where I came from in Columbus, it's a little more diverse than here at Miami, but I think it's just, I'm not different, but I am different in a certain way. It's more little things.

Peter Everett:

Is it more like because of how I grew up and just from where I'm from and everything, I just have a different perspective and I see things a little differently? Sometimes maybe it's frustrating that other people can't see that the same way that you can? Is that more of what you're talking about?

Jason Meggyesy:

I think that's how it is with anything. You wish people would see it from your way, from your perspective. It just can't work out that way at the time. I do want to keep reiterating, my experience here has been amazing and positive, and I've grown so much as a person, as myself. Like I said, if I could go back and just tell my freshman self all the things that I know now, it'd be completely different experience. But I'm not regretful of anything that's happened because if that didn't happen, then I wouldn't be here where I am today.

Peter Everett:

I'm excited now that you ...you have a platform now you can share that perspective with everybody.

Jason Meggyesy:

Exactly. Exactly. No, it's awesome. It's awesome. This whole thing that you've helped build and that I hope to continue, I think it's such an opportunity to highlight the best parts of Miami, but also at the same time, giving new perspectives about what's actually going on here in Miami. We've talked about this before, the major is just a couple of words. It's the people that make the major and their perspectives and their experiences that really tie everything together. With this podcast and with this platform that we have, it's just such an honor to be able to talk to people like you and the people who I'm going to talk to, and I think it's such an opportunity to highlight, like I said, the best parts of what Miami has to offer.

Peter Everett:

Absolutely. I'm just so happy that you're going to be able to help bring all these majors to life and people to life, and all the diverse backgrounds here to life. We've had so many great guests and I've just been like, I don't know, I feel very privileged that I've been able to talk to so many different people and my mind's been opened so much. And I've learned that, okay, I even used to... I was kind of standoffish towards science majors, engineering majors. I didn't understand it because I'm a humanities guy. I just didn't get where that person's coming from. And then I've just met so many of them throughout the podcast where I've really, my mind's been opened to them. And it's almost a continuation of that empathetic research I was doing with Dr. Gray, where it's just like, that's kind of what I've seen this podcast as is a continuation of that, and just kind of revealing all of these things.

Jason Meggyesy:

I think a lot of the time, you meet somebody new for the first time and the immediate first question they ask you is, oh, what are you studying? What's your major? And based off of your answer, they draw, or they think they draw so many conclusions by what they hear.

Peter Everett:

I used to do it.

Jason Meggyesy:

No, exactly, exactly. I think through this, hopefully getting it out to a bigger audience and more ears, they can understand, well, it may not be what I would do, this may not be where I align my passions, but for somebody else, this does work, and I can see how it works for that person.

Peter Everett:

And I think you're going to do a good job doing it.

Jason Meggyesy:

I appreciate it, man. This officially your last episode? Is that what it is?

Peter Everett:

Yes, it is.

Jason Meggyesy:

So, through all the conversations you've had, what has this experience done for you being the host of this podcast and how can you see this taking you... What skills from this have you gotten that you're going to carry with you into the future?

Peter Everett:

I really I think just developed the skill to be able to talk to anybody from any kind of walk of life or major, we can at least find something in common, I can at least find some sort of touch point where I can really connect with them. And then that connection with them is really what makes a good conversation, a good interview, a good relationship. That's what really this is about. And so that's been a really awesome skill. And really that open-mindedness that keeps coming up in every ... I mean, a lot of episodes. As we talked about earlier, I've been able to really understand people from different perspectives and it's just been such a privilege to be able to really share their voices.

Jason Meggyesy:

That's awesome.

Peter Everett:

Well, thank you so much for taking over for me.

Jason Meggyesy:

I'll try to live up to the standard that Peter's set.

Peter Everett:

Oh, stop.

Jason Meggyesy:

I'm excited. I'm excited for the future and what we've got coming.

James Loy:

We want to thank Peter Everett -- for all of his time and effort and commitment, and for being a great host of Major Insight -- and we wish him well with everything he hopes to achieve after graduation.

We are also excited to welcome Jason Meggyesy on board as the new host who will take over for a brand new season this fall. And thank you so much for listening. Until then, this is Major Insight. More episodes are always available wherever podcasts are found.

SHOW NOTES:

Featured Majors: 

Strategic Communications, Sport Leadership and Management (SLAM)

Featured Organizations and Internships:

• RedHawk Radio

• RedHawk Athletics, Marketing and Communications Internship

Faculty Shout Outs:

• Mary Jean Corbett, Professor of English

• Hillel Gray, Assistant Teaching Professor of Comparative Religion

• Andy Rice, Assistant Professor of Comparative Media Studies, Film Studies

• Mack Hagood, Associate Professor of Comparative Media Studies

Career Clusters:

Arts, Communication, Media and Design