Today’s “Streaks Alumni Profile” features Steven Nemeth from GHS’s Class of 1975.
Steve was active and involved at GHS. He formed and was the leader of the GHS Soccer Club. He was sports editor of the GHS Budget (school newspaper).
He showed an early interest in writing and sports coverage. Besides his work with the Budget, he got involved in the local newspaper and TV station. That led to an impressive career at the University of Iowa with the school paper. He has spent most of his career in DeKalb with NIU and the local newspaper.
It was exciting when the Streaks girls basketball team was making their yearly run thru DeKalb to the State Tourney, Steve was instrumental in making it great experience with his professional approach.
What were some of your favorite teachers / classes?
Will always remember Joe Patterson (who gave me the nickname “Nemo” that has followed me everywhere), Hal Devore, Glenn Busse, Art Fish and R.E. Wallace for lessons that went well beyond the classroom, plus so much time spent in The Budget office, especially advisors Linda Hauser and Terry Baker.
What sports / activities were you involved with
Organized the Soccer Club and served as president from sophomore through senior year --- envious of current students who now have a varsity soccer program --- which led to three years of involvement with the Interclub Council. Was a sportswriter first year, co-sports editor second year and sports editor senior year for The Budget student newspaper, plus vice-president of Senior Class with stellar president Shari Hertenstein.
Love for Silver Streaks athletics also led to work with the legendary Joe Morrissey of the Galesburg Register-Mail and Mike White with WNWI Cable Channel 7. I did play-by-play for junior league football and some play-by-play and color commentary for a few Knox and Carl Sandburg basketball games, plus camera work for Galesburg Pioneers summer baseball. I also did camera work for Gerald Ford’s White House Conference on Domestic and Economic Affairs in Peoria.
What are some of your favorite memories from your GHS years?
Covering so many Streaks wins and losses through all the seasons, various dances, and hours in The Budget office. Obviously, it became the cornerstone of my future as a journalist, but working on The Budget was exactly like a team in terms of developing skills, camaraderie, and life-long friends. And I’ll always remember operating the gallows from inside for the “Hang ‘Em High” first-place senior float.
Best memories growing up in Galesburg / attending GHS.
Only member of the family born in the U.S. after my parents and siblings escaped during the Hungarian Revolution and immigrated to Galesburg. Over the years we moved four times, usually when we could have enjoyed the fruit trees my dad planted everywhere along with his huge gardens. That meant going from St. Joe’s to Immaculate Heart of Mary, Churchill for one year and then on to a three-year GHS. Definitely a different era from today as our senior class itself had 572 students in contrast to the current approximate four-year enrollment of 1200. It was a great town for biking to Lake Storey or Knox so the soccer club to play on a real field, or watch Jorge Prats’ boys.
What did you do after GHS in terms of education / sports?
Attended the University of Iowa and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in both journalism and political science. Joined The Daily Iowan as a freshman and moved up the ranks to be sports editor as a senior. Fed my enjoyment of all sports and opportunities to deal with standout athletes (Ronnie Lester), coaches (Lute Olsen, Dan Gable), and administrators (Bump Elliot). Dr. Christine Grant was a major figure in the Title IX fight for women’s athletics and made it possible for me to interview the AIAW’s Washington lawyers working on that legislation.
Put together a stellar staff which had an impact on Iowa athletics. With the blessing of the men’s swim and diving coaches, my assistant (Howie Beardsley) detailed the UI Pool not meeting the NCAA standard for depth, resulting in the university lawyers closing the diving well mid-season; Mike O’Malley kept the insatiable Hawkeye wrestling fans and Gable happy; an avid runner herself, Cathy Breitenbucher had the men’s and women’s cross country plus track and field programs covered which led her to a Milwaukee Journal career of covering multiple Olympics, writing Gold Medal-winning speedskater Bonnie Blair’s autobiography and co-writing a New York Times best-seller (My Two Elaines) with former Wisconsin Governor on his wife’s battle with dementia. Stole Shari Roan from the copy desk although she went on to be part of a Pulitzer Price winning medical group for the Fort Lauderdale Sentinel and a featured guest on Oprah. Heidi McNeil merged her sports knowledge with the legal world and is recognized as one of the nation’s top attorneys for sports gambling and Indian affairs in Arizona. All of which is why she earned an Iowa College of Law Alumni of the Year honor.
On a lesser scale, I won a national award for hunting down and detailing the Iowa Field Hockey team being stranded by a blizzard in Minnesota en route to an AIAW National tourney. However my most notable achievement was putting together a great staff.
What career did your college experience lead to?
Upon graduation, I became the first person hired to publicize women’s athletics at Northern Illinois University but transitioned that Assistant Sports Information Director role into handling both men’s and women’s sports. In addition to writing press releases, researched, designed, edited and produced media guides and game programs for a variety of men’s and women’s sports. Served as the P.A. voice for many men’s and women’s programs.
Expertise in teaching and training statistical crew in basketball led to being named to the NCAA committee producing the national guide for statistics. Also branched out to be one of the original authors for first ever handbook for volleyball statisticians.
In addition to rising to Associate SID status, did play-by-play or color commentary for both NIU and regional sports coverage on TV and radio. After two decades plus in sports publicity, switched back to print roots and served five years as sports editor for The DeKalb Daily Chronicle (following in the earliest footsteps of Brent Musburger). But was asked to return to Huskie athletic publicity by then Athletic Director Jim Phillips, now Commissioner of the ACC.
Resigned to provide in-home care for my mother back in Galesburg until her passing and then had to overcome my own severe leukemia diagnosis. Followed that year of recovery with freelance sports writing for Chicago Sun-Times, Tribune, Arlington Heights Daily Herald and various other newspapers plus a variety of online outlets.
Used high school contacts to put together an 11-game summer exhibition tour for the Asker Girls Basketball (Under 16) Club out of Norway. They included a daughter and niece of Johan Bergseth, an All-America soccer player for NIU who joined parents bringing them to America. Have now served three decades plus with DeKalb County as an election judge for presidential, mid-term, and local voting.
Any advice for present GHS athletes / students
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