Alumni Profiles
Sports keep father and son connected
Another Day on the Hill
Sports keep father and son connected
By Kim Walker
For David Edwards BA ’67 and Tye Edwards BA ’95, sports is a tie that binds.
By the tender age of five, when most little boys are swinging their first bat, Tye was already an avid sports enthusiast in his role as mascot of the Highland High School football team his father, Dave, coached. When Tye became a doubles all-state tennis player in high school, his father was in the same building, offering encouragement as athletic director of the school.
Today, father and son live 3,000 miles apart, but sports still bridge the chasm in the form of a weekly sports radio show they host together on WHBU every Friday evening.
“I don’t know that anyone else has a father/son sports show like ours,” says Tye. “I report what’s going on in the West Coast, and Dad reports the world of sports from the East Coast. We each do our own research and talk over the phone a few times a week to practice before going live. We have great fun with the program, and best of all, it has become an integral part of our relationship.”
"The Sports Arena" is an hour-long sports show now in its fourth year. The duo covers timely sports issues in all major college and professional sports areas on both coasts. Reporting from two home bases (California and Indiana), they say, allows local listeners a broader view of the world of sports.
“I’m still surprised at the number of people who stop me to say they enjoy our show and the diversity of sports topics we offer our community,” says Dave. “We have some very loyal fans who enjoy not only the broad view of sports, but the unique father/son angle the show provides.”
The duo considers their show a hobby, yet their professional backgrounds and interests assured its success. Dave’s 32 years of experience coaching and teaching, including a stint as general manager of the Lawmen baseball team, shine through his performance as he recounts plays with an expert eye.
Tye’s expertise comes with his knowledge of the telecommunication and performance industry. As a telecommunications major at AU, he gained experience that enabled him to acclimate to his role. Additionally, his involvement with AU’s Cheap Thrills jumpstarted a love of performance that evolved into the stand-up comedy and various productions he does in L.A. and the impersonations he does on "The Sports Arena."
“I always knew I wanted to perform and that my drive to perform would take me away from Anderson and my family. That’s why this sports show is great – it keeps me connected with my family and reminds me of the constant support they give me,” Tye says.
Whether it’s the impersonations or sports knowledge that drives the show, each sees the other as vital to success.
“I’m just the ex-coach with a passion for sports,” Dave explains humbly of his role. “Tye brings the professionalism – the telecommunication skills and voice to the program. I’m the one who is always mispronouncing names, and he’s the one who is always correcting me. But they (the corrections) have become part of the flavor of our show; our strengths and weaknesses make us a team.”
Another Day on the Hill
By Rachel Johnson
My feet were sore from trekking up Capitol Hill and my makeup was running with sweat. I was trying to hide the fact that I’d been crying — and I was over an hour late. But my worst day as a Hill intern ended positively. An AU alum named Kristi Stone Hamrick BA’85, whom I’d never met, had been waiting in a hot car with her three young children at the end of Metro’s orange line. I was welcomed into her home when I really needed a friend.
Washington, D.C., can be an intimidating, impersonal place. It can also be welcoming and beautiful thanks to a thriving AU community that has supported me through two internships, a job search, and a permanent move after graduation. I owe many meals, rides, and words of encouragement to Loretta Rogers Cooper BA ’88, Heather Nalbone BA ’00, Bill Ferguson BA ’82, MDiv ’86 and Deb Yerden-Ferguson BA ’85, and David Harness BA ’89, MDiv ’95 and Beth McCracken-Harness MA ’93. Their friendship shored up my confidence, dispelled my homesickness, and helped me make the transition to life in the Beltway’s fast lane.
After my summer Hill internship, I returned for a semester stay at the American Studies Program (ASP), a program of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). I discovered that my D.C. story was similar to other young professionals with one exception: I had alumni connections that my colleagues from other Christian colleges lacked. But not for long. My AU friends were more than willing to share their lives with my ASP friends.
Keeping in contact with AU alums when I returned to campus, I received prayer and support throughout my senior year. I also gained great resources to interview for Andersonian stories and research papers. Having a place to sleep was never a problem during my frequent D.C. getaway weekends.
I never doubted that I would live in Washington after graduation, and these friends made the move possible. Crashing at David and Beth Harness’ house enabled me to do on-site interviews, eventually leading to a job offer. They even gave me rides to the Metro during D.C.’s hottest “code red” days so I’d look professional. Others passed around my résumé and kept me informed of job openings. Our AU enclave expanded when Travis McSherley BA ’03 accepted a job with the Independent Women’s Forum. Then Rebecca Moses BA ’03 was recruited as a news editor for a daily paper in Culpeper, Va. Now I enjoy my own version of life in D.C., and spending time with an ever-widening circle of AU friends is a huge part of it.
Washington, D.C., is a diverse, pluralistic society full of disparity. I’ve seen the homeless sleeping one block away from the White House. Commuters drive their BMWs just outside D.C.’s toughest neighborhood, where elementary children steal cars and wreck them for fun. The AU friendships I’ve made in Washington challenge me and help me to decipher life here. Thank goodness for alumni connections. Who knew that a common college could bond people together instantly?
Rachel Johnson BA ’03 lives in Alexandria, Va., and works in Washington, D.C., as a communications project assistant at the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU).
