The WOLF Internet Radio at the University of West Georgia recently hosted College Radio Day with another successful turnout of student participation.
College Radio Day, a globally organized event, has been hosted at universities, including UWG, for the past eight years. Since its inception, College Radio Day has been a huge success among students, allowing them to express themselves through creative radio programming.
The goal of College Radio Day is to raise awareness of the many college stations that operate around the world, encouraging people who wouldn’t normally listen to college radio to tune in on this day. The hope is that individuals who join in will like what they hear and become regular listeners.
The organizers of College Radio Day believe that college radio is one of the last remaining bastions of creative radio programming.
The theme this year was “When All Else Fails, College Radio Speaks.”
During the event, students were encouraged to create and display posters with words related to real issues students face on campus, something they believe college radio speaks for.
Shawn Isaacs, WOLF Radio’s general manager and adjunct instructor at UWG, has helped to coordinate and has participated in this event since its beginning at the university in 2011.
Isaacs communicates with additional campus partners, including the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) and the Counseling Center, to get a better understanding of the real issues students face on campus and how to shine a light in a constructive way on those issues.
College Radio Day also serves as an opportunity for students to learn more about CDI and the Counseling Center and the services they offer.
Students are allowed an allotted time for an “open mic,” giving them the opportunity to express themselves and break out of their comfort zone.
“Our goal with the open mic is to create a positive energy where students can come and perform songs that they have written or show what matters to them,” Isaacs explained.
Isaacs said College Radio Day provides a purpose and service for every campus, not just UWG.
“Knowing you’re a part of a movement gives a sense of empowerment for a bigger purpose, and that gives you a voice,” Isaacs concluded. “The point of college radio is that all colleges come together where we’re trying to prove one thing: college radio is important.”
