Inspire, Winter 2007

10Winter 2007 Feature : Jay Benson ’ 85 Whether he’s talking about his community, his industry, his family, or his church, communicating well is natural for broadcaster Jay Benson ’85. The same is true when Jay is telling others about his alma mater. “In every area of my life, sooner or later, the subject comes up, ‘Where’d you go to school?’” Jay said. “And then I get to tell them about Cedarville.” Since Jay has a passion for spreading the news about Cedarville to others, it may sound strange that Jay’s first CU visit was in the middle of summer to a virtually empty campus. Even so, Jay described it as a watershed event in his life. “I had a peace and a certainty that this was where God wanted me. Walking around, I just knew that this is where I was to go” — a sentiment God confirmed when Jay stepped on campus as a freshman. Jay was challenged early on at Cedarville by communication arts professor Dr. Wes Baker. “If you are interested in a lot of different things in life, and if you like to learn,” Jay recounted Dr. Baker’s words, “then broadcasting is the place to be.” After two decades of experience, Jay agrees. “There’s more information coming into our stations than you can shake a stick at,” he laughed. “On both the broadcasting and the business sides, there are opportunities to learn every day.” Other individuals, including professors Jim Leightenheimer ’80, Kurt Moreland ’76, and David Robey, encouraged Jay into broadcasting as well, both because of Jay’s natural speaking ability and because of the opportunities to learn and influence in the field. Jay also spent his time at Cedarville involved in student senate and spirit org CZ, a group founded to clandestinely promote “Cedarville zeal.” Jay cited the influence of men’s dean Dick Walker ’74 as an “impressive” example of living for God that helped shape his Christian walk. Even amid all of this, it is no surprise that for Jay, meeting his wife, Shellie Beaman Benson ’85, was the “major positive event” of his college experience. After graduation, Jay followed an opportunity to work in sales and advertising at a radio station south of Zanesville, Ohio. “I had gone to school to be on the air; my first opportunity to be in broadcasting had come from the business side, so I took that because I wanted to get my foot in the door. But I got on the business side and never looked back; I have enjoyed it more than being on the air.” In 1990, Jay had the opportunity to jump to nearby WHIZ Media Group, where he now serves as general sales manager. Despite being on the business side of broadcasting, Jay has had the opportunity to “wear a lot of different hats” in his job, something common in smaller media markets. “I’ve done play-by-play, air shifts, and live remote broadcasts before; I’ve been on TV and on radio. I was prepared for that at Cedarville,” Jay emphasized. Jay also understands the importance of serving as a gatekeeper — a Christian working in the secular world who makes decisions based on moral convictions, not just what sells. “We are not a Christian station nor a Christian organization, but I have had the ability to shape what can get on the air,” explained Jay, “not by Broadcasting the Influence of Cedarville University by Andrew McKenzie “There were people at Cedarville who really invested and continue to invest in my life. ... I still want to be a part of that, to feel that connection.”