“How popular is the college radio station?” This survey question keeps Guilford’s radio station WQFS in the top ten rankings of the Princeton Review (PR).
WQFS is a great radio station and totally rocks. That’s just obvious, and when given the chance to cast our vote to the PR, we, the students, give our station mad love, every time.
So what is it that makes this station so popular and what hurdles do they have to jump to stay that way?
WQFS Promotions Manager Mike Wallace, a junior, says, “It’s because we are so connected to the community; the students are so involved here.”
The majority of the DJs are students and unlike at many other college-run radio stations it’s all-volunteer.
“The ownership is more open and community oriented,” said Wallace.
As it turns out, this is a good thing and a bad thing.
“It’s hard to get a long-term growth plan to happen,” said Wallace, “because there is so much turnover.”
Among the other challenges WQFS faces while trying to stay on top as a popular radio station is dedication of time.
“It’s hard to fit it into our schedules as students,” said General Manager Shaina Machlus, a senior. “It’s a lot of responsibility.”
Finding time in a student’s busy schedule is hard, but for socially conscious students like her it is worth all the work.
“Radio is so powerful; it gives us a voice for advocacy,” said Machlus.
Machlus is proud of what they are able to do, like supporting local North Carolina recording artists by playing one in every rotation. They also use local graphic artists for their flyers and promotional materials.
“It’s a cool thing to be able to empower artists in the community,” said Machlus.
If you want to become more a part of the WQFS community and want to know what is going on up there in Founders Hall, consider this your invitation.
“Feel free to stop by and hang out with your friends on the air,” said Program Director Heydn Ericson, a senior. “We just ask that you give one of the managers a call beforehand to give us a heads up.”
“I had a friend that was a DJ that brought me in and got me started,” said Ericson. “I had a fantasy of doing a video game music show.”
You can catch Ericson’s show “Geek FM” on Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
“Some of the music that brings back the memories of our childhood video games is just really beautiful music,” said Ericson.
That is wonderfully geeky of him, and as a fellow geek, I completely appreciate it.
If you have never seen the inside of the station, you should definitely go check it out.
It reminds me of CBGB back in the day. If you don’t know what CBGB is, just think of any punk god that has ever lived and now you know the club where they got their start.
Band stickers and flyers tattoo the walls. The place screams of artistic chaos.
It’s a bit cramped and badly in need of some updates, including a few new chairs, but it doesn’t interfere with the quality of the shows or the music they play.
“This station has a lot of soul!” said Ericson. “It’s not about the structure; it’s about the people.”
I certainly agree. So the next time the PR is prowling for surveys, make sure you vote for WQFS!