Always on the Air — students tune in to WLBN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Albion students who are either interested in pursuing a career in radio broadcasting or just enjoy listening to the radio are excited to see the sudden emergence of student-run radio broadcasts.

With over 35 shows on air throughout the five-day week, WLBN has become a fun way for students to express themselves. According to Steve Maisel, Grosse Pointe senior, and station manager of WLBN, approximately 50 students are involved with WLBN this semester.

“The requirements for being a radio host are quite easy,” Maisel said, “Just commit to a time, show up when you’re scheduled, and follow the few station rules.”

Albion’s own station is just one of over 500 college radio stations throughout the United States, according to Yahoo News.

 Avid listeners to WLBN such as Stephan Sissom, Grass Lake sophomore, enjoy the variety of different shows the station has to offer.

 “Sometimes I leave WLBN on my T.V. and listen to that instead of my iPod for few hours,” Sissom said. “I just love how each show has its own unique flavor to it.”

Keegan Mogg, Troy first-year, was surprised that she was able to obtain a time slot in such a popular student activity.

 “I actually wasn’t planning on doing a show, even though it seemed like a good idea when I heard about it at Briton Bash,” Mogg said. “Now that I look back on it, I’m glad I did it because I’m able to see self-expression from so many different angles.”

 Shows like “This is Noise with Brandon & Chris” feature popular rock music while others such as “The Bodhi Tree” feature new and undiscovered independent artists. While a majority of the shows have a music-based theme, there are other types of shows on WLBN that have a special tweak of their own and give the station its own unique personality.

 Cassie Simmelink, Avon Lake sophomore, and host of the show “Cassie After Dark,” decided to host a radio show because of various opportunities that may arise from it, whether it be from a social or professional aspect. While on the air, she discusses the ups and downs of various types of relationships and how we grow from them along the way.

 “(Radio) has always been something that interests me and it’s something that I’m considering pursuing after college,”  Simmelink said. “WLBN definitely helps kids who are interested in radio bring a diverse array of interests to the booth—it’s not your everyday college radio station.”

 Eric Jenkins, Grosse Pointe sophomore, adds a different twist to his Friday night opus on WLBN, “Pirate Radio”. His show in particular doesn’t match up to the traditional “chit-chat” or music and talk radio; rather, he bends the generic approach of having a show and plays underground music while “b.s.ing” in between songs.

 No matter the amount of tune-ins or song requests, student disc jockeys continue to pursue their love for music and conversation with those that they walk to campus with–the voice of Albion College seems to always be soaring through the airwaves.

  “I’m purposely trying to be a little bit different,”  Jenkins said. “I like to play music that probably wouldn’t fit F.C.C. standards, but I don’t really care. I like being myself in the booth, there’s so much freedom in there. I guess that’s all that really matters, right?”

 Tune in to WLBN on local cable channel 19 or online at http://campus.albion.edu/wlbn/