2022 WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony June 12, 2023

Posted by Mike C. in Audio, Baseball, Basketball, Education, Football, Health, History, Hockey, Internet, Media, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Radio, Rock, Sports, Technology, Travel, TV, Video.
add a comment

Other Hall of Fame ceremony recaps: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-21, 2023

On Saturday, June 3, 2023, the WCWP Hall of Fame 2022 class was inducted in a ceremony at LIU Post‘s Alumni Hall.

As noted during the announcement in October, there were eight inductees (listed by name and graduation year):

• Jon Cole, 1980
• Kim Dillon, 1980
• Cosmo Leone, 1980
• Dan Reagan (“reegan”), 1981
• Suzanne Langwell, 1983
• Roger Luce (Lussier), 1984
• John Mullen, 1988
• Travis Demers, 2003

(In full disclosure, I was on the 2022 Hall of Fame Committee.)

WCWP station manager (and 2019 inductee) Pete Bellotti tapped me as the ceremony’s official photographer, in addition to the supplemental video I shot with my camcorder and GoPro to later combine with what his students recorded.

(NOTE: In prior recaps, I used the title “director of broadcasting” in place of “station manager.”)

Despite my best efforts, the performance anxiety issue I had with Smooth Jazz for Scholars affected me again ahead of the WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony. My essential tremor got progressively worse, reaching its peak when my dad dropped me off outside Alumni Hall at around 12:30. I’m feeling stressed again merely writing about it.

I put my equipment down on a table in the back and began snapping away while also talking to inductees and attendees.

The ceremony was hosted by Dan Cox, WCWP’s station manager from 2002 to ’22:

Current station manager Pete Bellotti had opening remarks:

John Mullen was the first inductee, presented by Dan Cox:

John’s acceptance speech:

Rich Kahn presented the second 2022 inductee, Jon Cole:

Jon’s acceptance speech:

Inductee 3 was Cosmo Leone, presented by Larry Lamendola:

Cosmo’s acceptance speech:

Kim Dillon had three presenters, led by Ellyn Solis:

Next, 2019 inductee Lew Scharfberg:

Third, Cande Roth:

Kim and her three presenters:

Kim’s acceptance speech:

At the halfway point, the Art Beltrone Founders Award was presented to graduating senior DeAnna Aguinaldo. After Pete Bellotti’s introduction…

…there were presentations by DeAnna’s WCWP colleagues: senior director Michael Moffa…:

…and Vincent Randazzo, student program director and vice president of The Wave (formerly WebRadio WCWP and MyWCWP):

DeAnna’s acceptance speech:

DeAnna with Pete, Michael and Vincent:

Before introducing Dan Reagan’s presenter, Dan Cox had kind words for his former student:

Like last year, the ceremony was streamed live on Zoom:

2019 inductee Fred Gaudelli presented Dan Reagan (“reegan”), the fifth ’22 inductee:

Dan began his acceptance speech by acknowledging Fred’s upcoming honor in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: the 2023 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.

With eight inductees, WCWP’s 2022 Hall of Fame class matched the amount of players, coaches, and executives enshrined annually in Canton, Ohio.

This shot my camcorder viewinder became the new cover photo for my YouTube channel and LinkedIn page:

Dan thanked me at one point, which explains why he emailed me before the ceremony asking how to pronounce my last name.

He also talked about Post professor Chris Dodrill, who I remember fondly from my time as a student. I asked Dan for Professor Dodrill’s email address the following Monday. Chris replied to me the next day, noting that he watched the ceremony on Zoom, and congratulating me on my induction last year (2021 class). He gave his regards to my aunt Robin Rose, who was an academic counselor at then-C.W. Post, and the reason I went there in the first place. Dodrill is now a music researcher for the Library of Congress, to whom he generously donated his vast John Philip Sousa collection, answering questions from fellow Sousa enthusiasts.

It was 20 years ago in April when Fred Gaudelli and Dan Reagan spoke to a class taught by Prof. Dodrill, after which I posted for a photo with them:

2013 inductee Bill Mozer presented Suzanne Langwell, and tied up loose ends from his brief acceptance speech when the ceremony format was different.

Suzanne receiving her plaque from Bill:

Once I took the photo, Bill introduced me to the ceremony attendees as the station historian, a moniker he first bestowed upon me at the 2014 ceremony. Perfectionist that I am, I don’t know if the title fits since I don’t know everything about WCWP’s history, though I’m flattered to be called that.

Suzanne’s acceptance speech:

John “J.P.” Parise presented his radio co-host, inductee Roger Luce (Lussier):

Roger and J.P.:

Roger’s acceptance speech:

Roger spoke to broadcasting students at Humanities Hall in March 2002, and again, a photo was taken with me afterward:

The inductee presentations were bookended by Dan Cox, presenting the last of the afternoon, Travis Demers:

Travis’s acceptance speech:

The ceremony concluded with Dan’s closing remarks:

After the ceremony, we see seven of the eight inductees and the Art Beltrone Founders Award recipient:

DeAnna Aguinaldo and her parents:

Dan Reagan and Cosmo Leone:

Fred Gaudelli, Dan Reagan, Brian Miles, Mike Maimone:

A group photo with inductees, presenters, friends:

Travis Demers with 2021 inductee Mike Chimeri (me):

Travis and his wife Hannah:

A selfie with Joan Yonke, LIU Post Director of Development, formerly Director of Employer and Alumni Engagement:

To paraphrase Bob Barker, Joan is a loyal friend and true of WCWP.

Mozer and me:

Bill was praised by several inductees and their presenters, and rightly so.

Me with Roger Luce (21 years after the first time) and Dan Cox:

Roger and his sister Christine:

Roger, Christine, and her husband Neil Sass, editor for ABC News’s Nightline:

Finally, candid shots:

Preliminary stress aside, it was a pleasure to capture the day, catch up with those I knew, and meet those I hadn’t.

Congratulations to Art Beltrone Founders Award recipient DeAnna Aguinaldo, and to the eight Hall of Fame inductees: John Mullen, Jon Cole, Cosmo Leone, Kim Dillon, Dan Reagan, Suzanne Langwell, Roger Lussier (the one time I didn’t use his on-air name), and Travis Demers.

As of publication, I am working on the ceremony video and will update with the video once it’s ready. Thank you for reading this recap.

7/9/23 UPDATE: The video has been ready for a few weeks, but an unofficial announcement made at the end has yet to go official. So, I uploaded a version without the announcement yesterday, and after hours of processing, it’s ready for publication.