Me at Longley Field, MCing the Dean Dash
Being a part of a massive public event is no easy task, but it sure does pay off when it’s successful. On November 3rd, I had the opportunity to MC the annual Dean Dash 5K event, where I earned great experiences that will be beneficial to my future life.
It all started when my roommate, Kyle Perry, asked me if I wanted to help out with an event that he was running alongside his classmates. The event was to revitalize Dean College’s annual cross-country event known as the Dean Dash, which was placed under hiatus due to the 2020 pandemic. In an honor to support my friend, I took Kyle’s offer, which was to become the MC for this occasion. While taking up this offer, I did not know what an MC was, so I knew I was in for a big surprise.
To my knowledge, an MC is someone who is a host to a major event, where they organize the event’s festivities and make special announcements. I was never in the position to lead a large-scale event before, but Kyle and his classmates were nice enough to help me through the process. With two weeks before the 5K, me and Kyle’s group came together for a meeting to discuss what our duties would be.
Prior to this meeting, I thought that I accidentally walked myself into something that was too big for me to handle, which got me anxious. However, once the meeting took place, I realized that this job was not as challenging as I thought it would be. When reviewing my duties, all I really had to do was read off the sponsors for the event, tell people where they needed to go, and play upbeat music. Thankfully, Kyle was nice enough to write the script for me. All I needed to do was find a way to play music for the 5K.
One of the major takeaways from this event was that I learned how to operate a sound machine for the first time. I met up with Dean Men’s Cross-Country coach, Matt Schairer, to pick up some equipment that I needed for the 5K Dash, where he taught me all the ins and outs about how to set up and take down a sound machine. Learning how to operate sound equipment is vital for my desired career path, so I’m glad I was able to learn from Coach Schairer.
Once I had my script and sound equipment at hand, we were ready for Sunday. Me and all of my other friends that were involved with this event woke up at 6 AM to get ready for this occasion. It was a very cold morning with some windchill, and all of the crew members that arrived were still waking up. Despite these challenges, me and all of the other students persevered and started setting up for the Dean Dash.
While everyone was setting up concession stands and registration centers prior to the event, I spent my time setting up the sound machine. By the time I finished, I was surprised that I was able to set it all up without much help from anyone. I was not always the best at setting up fancy equipment, so being able to build the sound machine on my own boosted my confidence immensely. I guess this occasion really showed me how far my critical and attentive thinking has evolved since coming to Dean.
By the time the event was set to start, there were around 70 attendees that looked to participate in the race. When looking at the contestants, there were a mix of college professors, student alumni, and local residents from around Franklin. With my 80’s music playlist cranking, I knew for sure that people were enjoying themselves before the race had even begun.
By the time I read the opening announcements, I felt almost no pressure. It’s funny; I remember being so internally terrified about running this event, but now I did not feel any fear in my body. I guess it was the fact that my friends and classmates helped me prepare for the 5K, as well as my public speaking skills that I developed during my tenure at WGAO 88.3. Once I trusted my prior skills and preparation, I felt more comfortable with a situation that I never thought I could handle before.
Photo of the Racers beginning the 5K
Once all the contestants finished with the race, the event rallied up the top three finishers of two separate groups: one that was 21 plus, and another that was 21 under. The top three 21 plus finishers received prizes such as beer packs and fitness gift cards, while the top three 21 under finishers received prizes such as restaurant gift cards and other miscellaneous rewards. It was a lot of fun to witness the winners receive their prizes, and that ceremony felt like a celebration for all the crew members that managed to run this amazing event.
I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who assisted me prior to this event, including Kyle Perry, Mike Korzis, Tammy Silveira, Matt Schairer, and everyone else that I worked with during the Dean Dash 5K. I gained a lot of valuable skills from MCing this event, and I look forward to assisting the Dean community in any way that I can.
(Left to Right) Me, Dylan Fisher, Kyle Perry, and Andrew Chong at the registration stands
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