For the first time in 15 years, the W Quaker Friends School radio studio, or WQFS 90.9 FM, at Guilford College underwent some renovations over the summer, funded by the club’s budget, to upgrade the aging equipment.

The renovations to the WQFS station started on May 1, and it was up and running by July 1. Almost all of the radio shows were paused to allow time for the renovations during this period, but the brand-new look and feel to the studio made the two-month break worthwhile. Bec Cormack, the general manager of WQFS, notes some of the changes, like “new turntables, new CD players, a new (sound) board and the whole space got repainted.”

The station spent years advocating for a complete renovation of the WQFS studio. Some of the equipment was starting to fail at times, while other equipment was simply out-of-date. With the new updates earlier this year, listeners can expect to hear a noticeable boost in sound quality, but most of the new changes were “focused on the side of the DJ,” said Cormack. DJs can now share music and stories easier and faster with the help of modern technology.

Most of these changes were fulfilled by the WQFS engineer and DJ Roy Moore, who decided which areas of the station to invest in and managed logistical hurdles. As a radio station engineer, Moore typically works to install, maintain and repair the technology needed to broadcast. Moore and Lynne, another DJ at the station, considered the needs of the DJs and staff sent over the phone and planned renovations accordingly, even when Cormack was in Australia. Cormack says “Roy spent hours and hours over those two months figuring out all of the equipment and putting it all in, but now the space is just incredible.”

So far, the DJs love what Moore did with the studio. Jamal Pitts, a new manager for the WQFS station, walks through his experience with the updated equipment. His favorite upgrade is the new console, which includes easy access to the turntable and CD player at the press of a button. Even starting the radio transmission is just a button press, instead of requiring a login process every time.

“Before, you had to log into a computer and type in a passcode which was a little confusing,” Pitts said, “but now you just press a button to turn it on or off.” Another small but much appreciated change is the mic indicator which now features a red light to indicate whenever the mic is on.

Some DJs have had a different experience with the older equipment. Krish Soni, a former DJ who co-hosted the “Run It Back with Krish and Jaido” radio show on WQFS a couple years ago, says “the equipment was kind of dated, but it worked. He (Roy) did a great job making sure everything was working, so I don’t really have any complaints about that.”

These renovations were funded using the station’s club budget, which have not been decreased for any clubs this year. According to Soni, about $5000 to $6000 dollars of the budget goes towards keeping the channel on the air every year, but these costs are covered by advertisements. This allowed the station to fund its anticipated renewal.

The changes to the studio might not be over yet. Cormack expects a new mural to be painted by a Guilford College student within the next year to add to the studio’s ambiance. Pitts notes the old chairs that survived the overhaul has another possible area of improvement in the future. Whatever it may be, the WQFS station is always changing.