Category: Billy Langdon ’21

By Billy Langdon ’21

“This is the ultimate game.  This is the ultimate game.”

Those are the words that Jared Kass spoke when he came up with the name for the current sport of Ultimate.  I heard of this story when looking up the prices of discs with my father over spring break.  The sport of Ultimate originated only 50 years ago at a high school in New Jersey.  It spread from there, as it was a great sport for the non-athletes to play to get some exercise.

That especially is very relatable to me, being nowhere near what anyone would call an athlete.  I play the game since it is a great excuse to get outside on a nice day away from studying for a little while, as well as because I love the sport.  There is a grace to the disc arcing through the air, floating down gently into the arms of a waiting teammate.

Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way.  That’s the way that it works for the players on the team who can throw a disc well, but for me it generally ends up with the disc slicing away sideways and into the ground.  Sometimes however, my throws end where I want them.  It is so satisfying when it goes the right way, and floats as if held by an invisible hand toward a teammate.

And that brings me to my absolute favorite part of the sport.  The team.  Here at Saint Michael’s, we have a great team that works together and has fun every day.  Monday through Friday we are out on the Library Lawn at 4:00, throwing the disc about and having a great time.  We are always welcoming to anybody who wants to come and play..

By Billy Langdon ’21

Hello and welcome.  This is Billy on 92.5 The Mike, serving Burlington and Colchester, as well as streaming worldwide at wwpv.smcvt.edu.  I hope to show you a little bit of music you may not have heard before today, as well as some old favorites.  To start off, Telegraph Road by Dire Straits.

That’s how a typical radio show might begin for me.  This semester, I am in control of the station, ranked 8th for college radio stations by the Princeton Review, every Wednesday from 2pm to 3pm. I thought it would be easy – just pick a few songs and hit play.  How wrong I was…

First, there is the selection of the songs.  This starts with a choice.  Do I want to focus in on a niche market, or do I want to let my wide range of musical tastes explode over the radio?  I decided to play my whole range of musical taste, but that presents the next challenge.  How do you transition from song to song?  If you speak in between, any transition is acceptable.  However, nobody wants to hear me speak that often, so I must meld together my musical taste so that one song can smoothly flow into another.

Next, I must actually figure out how to play the songs.  This is the challenge of where to find the song, and also how to get it over the radio.  This is something that I will get better at with experience, but for now it is stressful.  The control panel is awash with buttons and dials to understand, but that is not even the most stressful part of the process.

Yet again, I am sure that this will become less stressful with time, but for now it is not easy.  Speaking.  I have to broadcast my voice over the air to an unknown amount of listeners and not mess up.  This is a tall order for me, so I set my goal at not messing up too badly.  With that goal in mind, all the components of the radio show are complete!

You may be wondering why I would want to do this.  I just said that it is more work than I expected and stressful in more ways than one.  However, I have not yet touched on the advantages of having a radio show, and they make it worth it.  I get to spread music that I love to other people, and hopefully that gives them joy.  I also get experience for any future career and, additionally, it helps me decide if I want a career in the broadcasting industry.

Overall, it has been a great experience so far.  I really do enjoy putting my music out into the world every week, as well as gaining experience with broadcasting.  I know this experience will stick with me and be useful in my future.

 

By Billy Langdon ’21

In life, it is important to have role models to look up to. Having someone available whom you admire and can aspire to be like can make a huge difference in your future. I speak from experience, since I have had many role models over the years, each teaching me something new to carry with me for the rest of my life. I now work hard to be that role model through the DREAM program – a mentoring program pairing Saint Michael’s students and area children – helping my mentee Christoph be prepared for life in the future. It makes me think of the chorus of Lean on Me, by Bill Withers.

Lean on me, when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend
I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need
Somebody to lean on

While being someone Christoph can look up to and lean on is rewarding in itself, I think it would be a shame to forget what else I get out of the relationship. I have learned so much by being a mentor, and know that I will learn much more. I have learned about some of the challenges fora family that sometimes struggles financially, some difficulties faced with being an immigrant, and some differences in cultures. Overall, I have experienced the effects of a positive attitude, as well as how much of a difference a few hours a week can make in someone’s life.
I am extremely grateful for the DREAM program at Saint Michael’s College and cannot imagine my life here without it. I look forward to Wednesday nights, meeting and planning with the other mentors, and then I always enjoy spending time with the children for a few hours doing new and exciting activities on Friday afternoon. I know that I am making a difference in the life of a child, and I know that he is making just as much of a difference in my life.