After almost 50 years, St. Louis Park alumnus and former Echo staffer Mark Rosen said he is taking on the next chapter in his life after retiring from WCCO in early January.

“I was ready to look for some new challenges and take a break from the relentless schedule,” Rosen said. “I realize now, three weeks into this so-called retirement, that it has been quite liberating to be home and not have this crazy schedule every day in my life.”

According to sophomore Sam Hunt, Rosen added a sense of happiness to the sports community.

“I think he provided the sports world with joy, and that’s all we can ask for,” Hunt said. “I hope he has a wonderful retirement.”

Rosen said he began his time at WCCO while he was a junior at Park and he was originally hired part-time and eventually full-time.

“I went (to WCCO) on a Saturday and instead of having me leave after 2 months, they hired me part-time in August of ‘69,” Rosen said. “I was a part-time employee even though I was still (going to) Park.”

According to sophomore Alanna Franklin, the thought of someone having a successful career in the sports world encourages her to investigate the possibility of taking the same path.

“Knowing that the path was able to be taken through our school and in a career that is both fun and long-lasting motivates me to learn more about sports and see if being a sports anchor could be a profession for me,” Franklin said.

According to Hunt, Rosen had all the qualities a sports anchor needs to capture an audience.

“(An anchor needs to be) someone who is kind, knows the sport they are talking about and needs to have the right type of voice,” Hunt said. “(Rosen) was very personable and had the right personality and voice for the job.”

Rosen said the best part of the job was the friendships that followed.

“To me, it’s always been about the relationships which I still have with some of (my co-workers),” Rosen said. “(I made) some of my best friends on and off the air (and) I can still see the people I want to see.”

Rosen said he will still be on the radio but will have more control over his schedule.

“I’m still going to be covering sports I just get to pick when I want to do it, as opposed to ‘I have to do this’. This will give me a lot more flexibility,” Rosen said.