I remember being a hair away from losing my balance as my arm was jerked in a direction opposite of me.

Two seconds earlier, I had been listening to a guy from student government–and watching his hand motions, too. He was trying to convince a group of soon-to-be freshmen that student government could make us all we could be. He gave a good speech. I signed up, wondering where I would get clothes nicer than tanks and jeans I normally threw on. But then my eyes settled on the curly haired boy sitting behind a dwindling stack of newspapers. My friend had risked breaking my arm, just so I didn’t miss him.

“Look they have a paper here,” my friend said a little too loudly for 8 a.m.

That was the end of it. I picked up the newspaper, and after a few minutes with Diego – that was the boy’s name – I knew that the University Center, Rm. 214 would be the best room I set foot in all year.

I was wrong. Well, at least half wrong. Room 214 did beat every other room I had been in on campus – including the Breezeway cafeteria with Burger King – but down the hall I found a TV station and radio station that complemented the newspaper office as well as beer complements pizza (not that anyone under 21 should try that combo).

The “media circle” created by the three offices on the second floor of the UC has been an unending supply of experience, opportunity, and friendships for me. I doubt that it would be much different for anyone else.

The University Press is the campus newspaper where communication majors can get writing clips, art majors can build a portfolio, English majors can get published, and business majors can manage the agency’s $121,000 budget. The tabloid-size paper is published weekly during the fall and spring semesters, biweekly during the summer, and gives students the chance to experience the atmosphere of a newsroom.

Down the hall is WOWL 91.7-FM, the campus radio station. There, students can train to host radio shows, aspiring techno-artists can learn the turntables, and sports fanatics can see how to become a sports announcer. Airtime is allotted to students, but demand is higher than supply and the competition for a spot is fierce.

Around the corner, OWL TV broadcasts a variety of shows including news, Student Government senate meetings, and athletic events. Anyone majoring in film or media could get a head start on classmates by learning how to shoot, edit and add graphics to video in the TV studio.

For those of you as clueless as me about a major, do what I did-try everything. The media agencies offer training, so all you have to do is show up. If you have even a little initiative, it really is that easy. If you can imagine it, the “media circle” probably has a job position for it-that applies to non-media majors too.

I’ve been in the “media circle” for one year now and I have more work experience than some people will ever have. I might not be a reporter and maybe I’ll never be on TV or the radio, but I have no doubt that landing a job is a sure thing for anyone who gets involved.