Asbury Student Wins Award for Poignant Radio Drama

November 13, 2019

Asbury University’s School of Communication Arts prepares students for success on film sets, in radio studios and newsrooms across the world. Recently, Asbury student Ty Schadt ’20 found success in being awarded first place honors for his radio drama at the College Broadcasters, Inc. (CBI) convention in St. Louis, Mo. this month. Schadt was recognized for writing and producing the radio drama “The Drive.” 

“The Drive” will air on Asbury’s student radio station Air90 (formerly WACW) on Nov. 15 immediately following Chapel and again at 5 p.m. Listen online at asbury.edu/air90.

“It’s a story about a father and son who are faced with a startling reality and must come to terms with an uncertain future through elements of fatherly love and youthful innocence,” Schadt said. “It’s 10 minutes long and I originally wrote it as a short film for a class freshman year. When the opportunity to create a drama came up in Dr. Doug Walker’s radio production class, I thought I’d pull the story off the shelf and see if I could rework it into the necessary format.”

The drama was completed in last spring’s radio production class and aired on WACW (now Air90). The CBI contests are highly competitive; nearly 1,200 entries were received for the 30 categories.

Schadt, a media communication and journalism double major, was unable to accept the award in person because he is completing an internship this semester with NFL Films in New Jersey.

Dr. Doug Walker, who teaches the radio production course, encouraged Schadt to submit his drama in the competition.

“It was wonderful to see Ty’s drama stand out in such a stiff national competition,” Walker said. “What’s especially encouraging is how he was able to write, produce and act in a drama that hits the listener with such a powerful message.”

Schadt is incredibly grateful for Walker’s encouragement in submitting “The Drive” and also for the many faculty members who helped make it possible for him to complete an internship this semester in New Jersey.

“I’d like to thank all the professors in the media communication and journalism departments for their incredible efforts throughout my time at Asbury,” Schadt said. “If it weren’t for Dr. Walker pushing me last spring to revise and submit “The Drive” to the CBI, I wouldn’t have. If it weren’t for the tremendous efforts of [so many faculty members], I wouldn’t have been able to leave for this internship and still graduate in May. I am eternally grateful for their willingness to make this a truly unforgettable year for me.”

Schadt has learned to be a “jack of all trades” thanks to his studies in Asbury’s School of Communication Arts.

“Being a media communication major has taught me the value of always having something else going on,” Schadt said. “I’ve tried to say yes to as many opportunities as possible to learn new things at Asbury, whether it be co-hosting a radio show, working on the Collegian, assisting in live broadcasts or offering a hand on film sets. All of the experience I gained helped give me the confidence to comfortably enter a professional work environment outside of school.”

Learn more about the School of Communication Arts at Asbury University.