October 3, 2003

Photo by DORI BROOMELL Junior Mark Hackett broadcasts from the WVAW radio station in upstairs Batten Center.

WVAW is the newest feature to hit the Batten Center at Wesleyan this semester. It is a club that gives students the chance to experience radio broadcasting firsthand. Faculty advisor Stuart Minnis said that he has been trying to get the radio station going ever since the Batten Center opened.

"The hardware is really complicated to wire," said Minnis, as he explained the reasons behind why the radio station took so long to get up and running. "Since I was the only one doing it, it took a long time. "

Dori Broomell, a communications major in the adult studies program, is the station manager. "Right now we have 11 DJ's trained and ready to go," Broomell said. "They've started getting shows together." Senior Sean White has a program five times a week. A communications major, he said that he has always been music centered and was interested in working at the station.

"I was not sure if I was going to be good at it or even like it that much," said White. "But I love it. It's a lot of fun." For the moment, WVAW can only be heard in Batten Center. "We don't have a broadcast license," said Minnis. "And we can't get one anytime soon because there is no vailable airspace." The station is wired directly into the Batten Center sound system, which allows the students in the building to hear their classmates.

"The way we are set up right now," said Minnis, "is that we can start and stop whoever’s on air because we can always just switch it back to the regular radio tuner." Because the station broadcast is new, many students are not aware that there is even a radio station. "I don't think people really know when the shows are on," said White. "I believe hardly anyone knows it exists."

Junior Maggie Hosmer commented that sometimes the music is hard to hear. "It's decent when you can hear it," said Hosmer. "It's hard to hear, at least when I'm working at the HUB. If it was clearer and could be heard I would enjoy it more." The radio station gets the music by writing to different music companies. Every Thursday a big stack of mail comes in. "They send us free samples," said White. "We get new CDs. We just got David Bowie's new CD." In the spring the station plans to webcast. This will give students access to the radio programs from any computer in the world.

"It is like having a computer in the radio booth," said Broomell, "simultaneously broadcasting out into Batten and out onto the web at the same time. There will be a website that it will be going out of." Other plans for the future include remote broadcasting, which would allow the broadcasting of athletic events. This would allow people in the Batten Center and on the web to have access to any game being played at the college. Broomell wants Wesleyan students and faculty to realize that this is their station, and they are encouraged to be a part of it. "There’s a phone up there," said Broomell. "It isn’t hooked up on the radio, but people can call in. Take advantage of it." Anyone with requests or suggestions can call the station at 455-3296.

Wesleyan graduate turned college communications staff member helps revive college newsletter

Former Day One gets new face, new format as What’s Up Wesleyan? in hopes to appeal to student body

Photo by DAWN JOHNSON 2003 Wesleyan graduate Rebecca Desjardins has been hard at work redesigning the college newsletter, What’s Up Wesleyan?

The Wesleyan community will soon have another way to receive their news. Rebecca Desjardins, along with Gail Kent, Director of College Communications, has revived the college's newsletter. Previously called Day One, the print version was published from time to time for faculty, staff and students.

Through surveys by the Office of College Communications, it was revealed that the newsletter was not being read. Since the paper and printing were expensive and student readership was low, the newsletter was scaled down to only accomodate faculty and staff. But Desjardins wants to change that.

After making several adjustments, alterations and modifications to the format and subject matter of the old newsletter, Desjardins hopes to have found a happy medium. A print version of the college's newsletter, titled What's Up Wesleyan? will soon be distributed twice a month at central locations on campus. "I want to keep it light hearted. I don't want it to be all business," said Desjardins. "I want it to be personal, because that reflects our campus."

She hopes that the entire Wesleyan community will contribute their achievements, congratulations and fund-raising announcements to the newsletter. With an estimated 500 copies planned for circulation, it will provide yet another way for past, current and future members of the college to correspond. What's Up Wesleyan will also address any legitimate concerns anyone on campus may have, acting as a sort of open forum.

"I'd like it to be complementary to the college newspaper and magazine," said Desjardins. After the initial publication, which is scheduled for Oct. 1, the Office of College Communications will decide if an online version would be appropriate depending on readers' preference. Anyone interested in submitting their information to What's Up Wesleyan should contact Desjardins at 455-3366 or e-mail at rldesjardins@vwc.edu.

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