For the past twenty-six years, 93.3 WMMR’s Preston Elliot and Steve Morrison have partnered with Philabundance, the Delaware Valley’s largest hunger relief organization, for Camp Out for Hunger. For the past eight years, Neumann University media students have gotten the honor to assist behind the scenes.
The event was created to combat the issue of hunger that sweeps the nation, specifically in the Delaware Valley. Throughout a week in November, they broadcast their radio show from a separate location, recently the parking lot of the Xfinity Live! Stadium complex in Philadelphia, and collect both non-perishable food and monetary donations.
The entire event was streamed on YouTube by Neumann University and Neumann Media students. Director of Neumann Media, Sean McDonald, worked to engage the students in these learning opportunities while ensuring everything was run smoothly. These students volunteered their mornings in order to come out and gain real-life experiences behind the cameras and the controls of how a live stream works.
The opportunity to work with professional equipment in a professional setting was unique for all who attended. The equipment was provided by both Neumann University and IMS Technology Services in order to provide the best possible stream.
Three of Neumann’s very own students were presented with an award in the name of Mike Shinn, who was an incredibly important part of the technology work that happens at the event and who passed away in recent years. This award was presented to Sean Mack, Rachel Straub, and Allison Siravo in order to shine a light on the hard work and effort that those individuals brought to the event.
Straub, Mike Shinn award recipient and class of 2026, says, “It was exciting getting to learn about new skills that are different from the radio, which I normally do. It was eye-opening to see what really happens behind the scenes of something that I would normally watch from the couch.”
Neumann University strives to provide students with a variety of academic experiences, both in the classroom and out, including acts in the service of others. The opportunity that is presented to students through Camp Out for Hunger touches on both of these aspects.
