WRCU 90.1 FM, Colgate’s campus radio station, is in the process of a transformative Fall semester with a full schedule of colorful shows. Sophomores Nina Hallberg, Grace Ashley and Meg McClenahan serve as WRCU board members while also contributing to the dynamic lineup of shows. Hallberg and Ashley are the music directors, while McClenahan takes on the publicity director role. Their shows, which respectively include “The Junkyard,” “Heard Not Seen” and “Redhead Radio Hour,” reflect their distinctive personalities.  

In the process of WRCU’s programming, each DJ, whether they are what the station considers a veteran returner or a new member, dedicates an hour of their time each week to share their music picks with the campus and surrounding community. 

Hallberg, a veteran DJ, joined the WRCU team through their pre-orientation program. Her role consists of combing through promotional music to publicize small artists and censoring lyrics using digital editing software. As a sophomore, radio has always been an outlet for her on campus. Hallberg recounted that her love for music began at the age of five. 

“My dad is super into music, and he has phenomenal taste,” Hallberg said. “Since day one, my childhood has been filled with bands such as The Beatles and Red-Hot Chili Peppers because of him. Music has always been important in my life.”

Hallberg’s first show, “Pretend-tious,” aired in 2021. The purpose of this variety show was to expand listeners’ horizons as well as her own and she aimed to break the stigma around pretentious “music snobs,” hence the title. She is a strong believer in the idea that music is to be enjoyed by anyone who possesses a passion for the art. 

This year, Hallberg continues to explore lesser-known genres and forgotten bands in her show, “The Junkyard,” which airs every Wednesday at 5 p.m.

For Hallberg, “The Junkyard” is more than a radio show — it has served as a source of communication to her loved ones not only across the country but across the world. 

“My parents live in Texas and my sister lives in Chicago, and they always listen in,” Hallberg said. “My grandma lives in Poland, and she can also tune in so I like having my own show because it feels like I am talking to people I know from various times in my life. We have conversations through the music.”

To Ashley, who serves as a co-music director with Hallberg, radio serves many of the same functions; she looks to reach back to her hometown, Kansas City, with her concept show about the soundtracks of movies, videogames and other mediums. To Ashley, the station itself, which consists of a main lounge, a vinyl room and endless stacks of CDs, is a prime place to relax. 

“I love being in the station,” Ashley said. “I find it to be really relaxing — it feels like an escape from the stress of academics.” 

Ashley’s show, “Heard Not Seen,” is one of two programs she broadcasts throughout the week. “Heard Not Seen” premieres from 3 to 5 p.m. each Wednesday. Ashley emphasized the benefits of broadcasting on her own, as Hallberg does.   

“I feel like a lot of people are intimidated by doing a show alone, but I find it really, really freeing,” Ashley said. “I can just sit there and talk to the void about what kind of tracks I’m playing, or what goes on in my mind.”

Ashley’s second show, “The Collective Consciousness,” features her co-host and friend, sophomore Leah Massa, and airs at 9 p.m. every Friday. Ashley and Massa’s chemistry is tangible; their eclectic personalities mix to create an engaging hour at a high-traffic broadcasting time.

Publicity director and sophomore McClenahan, too, has a distinct personality to offer the WRCU station. Her role on WRCU’s board primarily includes compiling and recording public safety announcements for use on air, among other duties. On her show “Redhead Radio Hour,” which airs Tuesdays at 6 p.m., she plays a distinguished mix of folk music and a variety of other genres, depending on the week. She recounts her favorite part of the experience, in which she has partaken since pre-orientation, as the creative journey.

“With WRCU, you have the ability to have control over your creativity and the opportunity to constantly change what you are doing,” McClenahan said. “Your show has the ability to grow with you.”

To all DJs at WRCU 90.1 FM’s station, this fall is an exciting season to either begin or continue a pre-existing show. Their schedule currently airs in full from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m., seven days a week, and can be streamed at wrcufm.org.