Senior Patrick Garcia wears a few different hats around campus, so to speak, serving as general manager of WKNH, KSC’s student-run radio station, social media manager at Keene State Media Productions and as a tech team lead in the L.P. Young Student Center; a true polymath of the media spaces on campus.
Garcia, a film studies major, reflected on the beginning of his journey to Keene State.
“Keene State was not my top choice, but I ended up going here for financial reasons and the distance from here to home,” Garcia said. “It worked out far better than I could have ever imagined.”
As the general manager of WKNH, Garcia oversees the e-board and the orderly operation of the station
Garcia said he became very involved during his first year, but was also working far away from campus during that time. He said juggling school life and personal responsibilities brought him away from his involvement in his organizations and his major, film production, at one point. He soon quit his job to come back to focus on his academics.
“From there, I became in love with the technology behind everything, especially sound, which is what pipelined me into radio,” Garcia said. “Now I almost do this more than my major.”
One of Garcia’s specific loves for radio is that it helps him get involved with the local music scene.
“Music is something I hold near and dear to my heart,” Garcia said. “Being involved with radio means that I get to know about local music, I get to listen to a lot of local and upcoming artists before they make it big, so just being able to have a new way to be in touch with music really helped connect me to not only the local music community, but the campus community as well.”
Along with radio, Garcia said he has a love for collecting audio technology, specifically headphones. He also has a love for drawing and animation.
“What’s nice is that there’s so many forms of art to try, there’s a little something for everyone,” Garcia said. “My favorite part of the creative process is translating anything from your brain into whatever physical medium there is.”
Film Studies Department Chair Jo Dery spoke highly of Garcia as someone who has taught him before.
“I only really knew him as a student.” Dery said, “I know he’s very thoughtful. He is very funny, confident and quirky in the best way possible. I find him to be really supportive to everyone in the film department and WKNH as well.”
Tyler Desjardins, a fellow senior who works as WKNH’s program director, also spoke highly of Garcia, not only as a co-worker but as a friend.
“I think he is a phenomenal person,” Desjardins said, “He’s one of the most driven people that I’ve ever met. Both when it comes to WKNH, and when it comes to film programs.”
Desjardins said working with Garcia at WKNH is a “fun experience.”
“Patrick got me back into Gorillaz. I stopped listening to them back in high school, and we got to talking about them again, then it made me regain my love for that band,” Desjardins said. “That’s a general saying for all of WKNH, just discovering old tunes again, y’know?”
Garcia said he hopes his legacy at KSC will be leaving the student media spaces he occupies on campus in a better place than ever before.
“My goal leaving here is to leave WKNH and Keene State Media productions, which is another club that I’m an e-board member of, in good hands with lots to do in the future,” Garcia said.
Michael Ardita can be contacted at
mardita@kscequinox.com
