News Center

Meadville, Pa. – May 10, 2005 – Allegheny College recently launched an initiative to post weekly “podcasts” on the school’s web site, allowing anyone from curious alumni and prospective students to casual internet surfers to learn more about the college’s offerings and current events.

Podcasting, a relatively new but rapidly burgeoning technology, allows listeners to plug into regular broadcasts of music, news or audio blogs, recorded and created for the public and accessible on the internet. The podcasts can be downloaded directly as MP3 files for playback on PC’s or portable MP3 players. Listeners can also subscribe to receive automatic updates using programs like iPodder, which notify them whenever a new podcast is available.

Allegheny’s podcasts act as a high-tech supplement to the college’s other news and marketing materials, says Mike Richwalsky, the college’s web administrator and host of the weekly program.

“Allegheny is one of the first colleges to use podcasting in this way,” Richwalsky says. “Other schools may use it for specific departments or programs, but Allegheny is employing it as a way to keep people connected with the college as a whole.”

Updated each Thursday, Allegheny’s podcast features updates on Gator athletics and campus events and highlights various academic offerings. The first two podcasts focused on student internships, senior projects and commencement. A different student is featured each week, with the chance to talk about his or her own unique combinations of interests and activities.

Part of the great potential in podcasting is the ability to connect on a more personal level, says Richwalsky. “Listeners can hear the real voices of real people in the Allegheny community,” he explains.

To hear Allegheny’s podcasts, visit https://webtools.allegheny.edu/podcast/.