As college students, we may sometimes feel confined by our studies, unable to discuss true passions or express our beliefs. Or perhaps we may be overwhelmed and in need of a break from our coursework. An unexpected solution to this? WVOU (Voice of Ursinus College) — Ursinus’s student radio station — which is back again with a big year ahead.
WVOU offers the unique opportunity to express your passions, music, and interests with others. Unlike most clubs at Ursinus, WVOU is fully student-run, to ensure that students have full creative liberties and freedom of expression. The space is designed to give students a voice to share the stories or art that matter to them, which have ranged anywhere from sports talk to Dungeons and Dragons.
WVOU has quite the legacy at Ursinus, having been around since the 80s, but this year’s new general manager Adam Denn ‘27 has his sights set on expanding the station far beyond its current team. “The goal is to open up the opportunity for a lot more people to be able to come in there and use [the radio], not just as a space to broadcast and talk, but also to, you know, share their experiences through music,” Denn said.
Those with little to no background in radio are highly encouraged to join. Denn expresses his eagerness to help teach new members: “We do a great job of showing everybody how [the radio station] works and we’re happy to continue to show everybody.” Denn mentioned that WVOU will have multiple upcoming training sessions to help students get comfortable using the radio equipment. As for what to expect from radio hosting for WVOU, the process is quite easy. You simply sign up for a timeslot via google doc, show up to the studio, which has most of the equipment already set, and start airing your show.
Denn, who has been involved in WVOU since his freshman year, has personally found the station to be a great outlet for himself and his passion for sports talk. “Sometimes I’ll be like, oh, I’m having a really bad day. I want to go talk about, you know, how Jalen Hurts just led the Eagles to a win over the Rams. Like, it’s the kind of thing you can do.” Denn also recommends getting on air “for yourself and for the ability to have fun.” “There was a show last year…it was like Wednesdays at 10 o’clock at night…they were two friends, and they would just go on and, you know, talk about whatever they want. And that’s the kind of thing that brings a lot of people happiness.”
Aside from the station giving students a space to express themselves and create memories, WVOU is compatible with those who are short on free time or have irregular schedules. “That’s the other incredible thing about it; it’s not really an enforced commitment thing. It’s really what you want to get out of it… it just comes down to, you show up and you can hop right on the radio,” Denn said. In addition, he noted that having the ability to manage and produce your own radio show is greatly beneficial for those pursuing a career in broadcasting or media communications. “[It’s] something that immediately stands out as impressive” to employers.
As for what will make this year different from years past, Denn will be shifting his focus onto strengthening the WVOU community, hinting at some exciting events and projects for the future. “[There’s] nothing that I’m allowed to say yet…that kind of stuff is still in the works… but we’re hopefully going to expect some stuff in the future.” Whatever it may be, we can be certain that Denn has big plans for the station in the next two years. “We’re really excited to get started and hope to actually make a difference on campus for the first time in a long time.”
Perhaps this is the dawn of a new era for WVOU here at Ursinus, and in that case, there is no better time than now to jump in the studio and start sharing your story.