Last Friday WPRK invited Rollins students, faculty, and staff to celebrate College Radio Day in the basement of Mills, the radio station’s home. Here, individuals who could have been strangers came together over the most bonding commonality in our world: a love for music.
Festivities included enjoying a live interview session with a local steel drummer, a visit from President Cornwell, CD grab bags, sharing a groovy cassette tape cake, and mingling surrounded by the close to fifty thousand CDs in the studio.
Maggie Finley stood out from the crowd with her lime-green hair, but her history with the station is what set her apart. When her roommate wanted to do a talk show, Finley agreed to interview with her. However, after her friend decided to forgo training, the DJ decided to stay in the game, graduating from running classical hour to subbing for a show, which she eventually took over in 1999. Now graduated, Finley has hosted “Punk Rock In Your PJs” for 16 years running.
When asked what brought her back each week, she answered without hesitation, saying, “I’ll keep doing it as long as it’s fun.”
WPRK is home to over 100 DJs, age 17 to 80, who host shows weekly—some as early as 1 a.m. and others well into the evening, catering to listeners of all schedules. The 14 staff members are divided between students, alumni, and professionals.
Greg Golden, General Manager of Student Media said of the diverse crowd, “Everyone involved really cherishes the opportunity to contribute to their culture.”
Contributing was a major theme of the College Radio Day meet-up. Paz Gutierrez ’16, Station Manager, emphasized the ways students at Rollins can get involved. Among the many avenues to get involved was, of course, DJing—applications can be found online at WPRK.org—but she also suggested reviewing new CDs with the Music Department (meetings Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m.), becoming a critic for the website, and creating podcasts.
As she put it, “We’re always looking for creative opportunities.”
Rollins audiophiles should tune in to 91.5 FM and be on the lookout for Fox Fest 2015’s lineup. For listeners looking to be on the other side of their radios, questions can be directed to WPRKmanager@gmail.com.
Be First to Comment