Glassberg is a Management major with a minor concentration in communications and a great deal of interest in broadcasting. "One of the reasons I came to RPI was because of WRPI," says the Maryland native. "It's the largest, and most powerful student run radio station in the country.
Simon is a Computer Science major with a life-long attraction to hockey. "I've been playing hockey since I was eight years old," says Simon, "I used to hang around the arena where the Long Island Ducks of the Old Eastern League played. I grew up watching the Ducks and working at the games."
"I think Dave and I are a good team," says Glassberg. "I paint the picture of the game by just verbalizing what I see. Dave can tell everyone why or how a particular thing happens. He brings a real knowledge of the game to the broadcasts."
Glassberg and Simon have been doing football and hockey games on WRPI since 1981. Hockey got the ball rolling and then it was just determination that got RPI football games on the air.
"In my freshman year I decided that I would like to get involved in the hockey broadcasts," says Glassberg. "They made me Sports Director," he says with a laugh. He decided that football games should become a part of the program schedule so he put up $200 of his own money for the telephone connections needed to broadcast the RPI-St. Lawrence game from Canton, NY. "We did the game in a snowstorm," recalls Glassberg. "we couldn't even see the field from the press box, so we just made up plays for the first five minutes of the broadcast."
Simon and Glassberg began broadcasting hockey during the 1981 Empire Cup Tournament at the Glens Falls Civic Center. "That first year saw a lot of improvements," offers Glassberg. "We began to use more expensive long lines to provide broadcast quality audio for our listeners. Other changes instituted in the past four years include new equipment which improves the quality of the sound and a rental agreement with a car rental company which provides low cost transportation for the radio crew in exchange for promotional announcements.
Management personnel at WRPI are beginning to search for two or three teams of announcers to prepare to take over when Glassberg and Simon graduate next May. "Dave and I really love doing the broadcasts so we put a lot of extra time into it," says Glassberg. "Not everyone is willing to put as much time into the broadcasts as we do, so we want to have two or three teams that can do hockey and football on a rotating basis." Simon agrees. "The thing I will remember most about my college life is the friends I've made and the good times I've had doing hockey games."
Both Glassberg and Simon would like to make a career in broadcasting, but they are also preparing for careers in their respective fields of major study just in case the broadcasting opportunities don't materialize.
"We both enjoy bringing RPI hockey back to people who can't get to the games," says Glassberg. "RPI hockey is important to the Capital District community and we're proud to be able to bring the games to the area fans," concludes Glassberg.