Communiqué
Former WOUB students talk about life “Covering the CAVS”
< < Back toBy Lauren Novak
ATHENS, OH– With the Cleveland Cavaliers sitting at the top of the NBA Eastern Conference standings, CAVS Video Producer Nick Langer ’21, CAVS Beat Reporter Ethan Sands ’21 and CAVS Podcast Host Carter Rodriguez ’13 have had a busy season covering the CAVS. The three former WOUB students spoke virtually with current students on Wednesday, February 19 as part of the WOUB Wednesday speaker series.
“WOUB was the #1 foundational building block for my career,” said Rodriguez, who launched an independent podcast called The Chase Down, initially just for fun. However, the CAVS took notice and reached out, leading to an official affiliation with the team.
Sands is a CAVS beat writer and reporter who also records and publishes a podcast for the website Cleveland.com. He enjoys the fast-paced, hands-on nature of his job, but admits the pace can be challenging. Sands says what he enjoys most about his job is simply that it allows him to work in the field of journalism, a profession he is passionate about. Sands believes the key to success in sports journalism is finding ways to keep your work engaging.
“It’s like playing a sport,” said Sands. “You have to remember what you love about it.”
While Rodriguez and Sands both host podcasts about the CAVS, there is one key difference—their connection to the team. Rodriguez’s podcast is officially affiliated with the CAVS, so they have to be more selective about the topics they cover to strike a careful balance between in-depth analysis and maintaining their partnership with the organization.
Langer also works for the CAVS organization, serving as the senior video producer working in-house at Rocket Arena. One of the aspects he loves most about his role is having the opportunity to film and interact with the players while “making them look epic in all of the content.” However, he acknowledges that the job can sometimes fall into a routine, acknowledging the importance of constantly finding new and creative ways to approach his work. Langer thrives on collaboration and enjoys bouncing ideas off his coworkers. He believes the best concepts do not come from formal meetings but rather from spontaneous brainstorming sessions where ideas are thrown around freely.
“It’s mostly throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks,” said Langer, emphasizing the importance of identifying social trends that can be leveraged for engaging content.
During the discussion, students asked the three to talk about preparing for life after graduation. Rodriguez reassured students that they are “more ready for it than they think.” He emphasized the importance of finding something outside of work to be excited about, helping to maintain balance in this new phase of life. Sands advised students to approach their jobs with humility, learning from those around them rather than pretending to know everything from day one. And Langer encouraged graduates to keep an open mind, reminding them that “there’s no recipe to say that you’re successful or not.” He stressed that confidence is key and that one of the most valuable traits in any career is being a strong collaborator who remains open to opportunities rather than self-limiting.
The next WOUB Wednesday is scheduled for March 5 at 7:30 p.m. with CNN Content Producer Danielle Sills ‘09. WOUB Wednesday virtual discussions are held on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and are open to all current and former WOUB students, Scripps College students, as well as WOUB staff.