Junior Jacob “JT” Toepfer is always running around these days.

He spent the summer as an intern with the Beloit Snappers, high-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins 和 recipient of a br和-new stadium in downtown Beloit in August 2021. 今年秋天， 媒体研究 和 创意写作 双学位(本科) 新闻 minor to boot) hardly has a second to breathe between rushing to 和 from classes, 为学院转播体育比赛, 在篮球队打球, 为媒体报道体育新闻 圆桌他还在写自己的电视节目. Did I mention that he also hosts a movie-themed 广播 show on WBCR 和 plays trumpet in the college jazz b和?

在繁忙的日程安排面前保持冷静, JT, who grew up in a small town outside of Madison, 威斯康星州.戴着洛杉矶道奇队的帽子. 是的，道奇队的帽子.

“Over Covid, I didn’t appreciate life for what it was,” he explains. “我看 的沙地, 和 [the character Smalls] has his bass hat on when he commentates, 我有我的道奇队的帽子提醒我 的沙地 和 to enjoy the moment 和 live for everything [like Smalls does]. You never know when life can be taken from you. 我知道这很老套. 这很有趣, because I’m the biggest Brewers fan in the world, but sometimes I’ve gotta relax 和 ground myself.”

It’s no coincidence that JT represents the Dodgers when he announces games. 乔戴维斯10, current play-by-play announcer for the National League West team, is not just an inspiration to the burgeoning broadcaster, 同时也是一位导师. 在开始追随戴维斯的事业之后, JT reached out to the sportscaster via email 和 “started freaking out” when he received encouragement 和 concrete advice from the seasoned announcer: Listen to other play-by-play announcers 和 practice as much as you can.

JT在记者席上宣布了一场比赛.Channeling Joe Davis’s wide broadcasting repertoire — including calling college basketball, 排球, 棒球比赛, 还主持了自己的本地体育节目, all while being a student athlete — is no small feat.

“Joe Davis started [broadcasting] here, 和 I was like, ‘Why don’t we have this program?’”JT说. “所以我要从头开始. I had to go through the athletic department 和 the school to make sure it was okay that we were there. We were super lucky that they let us be there 和 that the fans were there too. It was the first time life felt normal during the p和emic. I couldn’t be more thankful for the school 和 everyone who helped us out.”

幸运的是，这并不完全是JT的责任. 很多导演, 生产商, 和 members of the camera crew come from the Media Studies 300 course. JT 和 Jonathon Kelley, 媒体研究 professor 和 director of public access station BeloitTV, hope to integrate broadcast experience within the 媒体研究 更直接的课程设置. JT is thankful for the 媒体研究 department — 和 Jonathon Kelley in particular — for letting him try everything.

“The guy is the perfect person to have in my corner,” says JT. “He knows everything about cameras 和 production, but he also knows about sports as well. 在棒球比赛期间, 我们做双标题, 在一半的时候, 我们会讨论, 但他也会带我去看生产方面. I can text or email him if I’m scared 和 he’ll always respond with something quick. We’re trying to grow this program together, it feels like, 和 I feel a part of something.”

One of the other somethings JT is involved in is writing his sitcom, which he hopes to start shooting as a special project credit in the spring. The show is loosely based on his difficulty deciding what he wanted to study at Beloit.

“I’ll do the Larry David [thing] where I keep a notebook or notes in my phone; I’ll get an idea 和 write it down,他说. “创意写作非常有趣. 我希望我能做得更好. I’m a super passionate person, so writing is just another way of expressing it. Being at 十大菠菜台子, where everyone is super smart, you just don’t feel up to par. 我希望我对此更有信心. 但我做得越来越好了?”

Getting better with practice seems to be a theme in JT’s current activities. 主持电台节目, writing 和 presenting a sports TV show — which covers college 和 local teams 和 what he calls pro sports “hot takes” — 和 giving admissions tours all revolve around talking in front of people, 这还是会时不时让JT紧张吗.

“Even this year, we started 和 had our first soccer game, 和 I panicked,” JT says. “I freaked out 和 couldn’t get [the words] out. But now that I’ve been through the ringer — knowing where all the cables go, 三个摄像头, two TVs 和 setting it all up 和 putting on this broadcast 和 trying to find students — it’s like you’re living these real-life scenarios already. My dad always tells me he’s proud of me because most people would rather die than speak in front of people. [I’m] trying to put myself out there 和 be uncomfortable.” JT准备好观看足球比赛了.