Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
Despite the dismal condition of its studio at the beginning of the semester, Swarthmore’s fiercely independent radio station, WSRN, has resumed broadcasting and has even more planned.
Unlike the rest of Parrish, WSRN’s studio was not renovated- the only change was the addition of a sprinkler system. “The studio looked like it had been abandoned for about a decade when we got up here in August to start setup,” said General Manager John Williams ’06 in an email. But the staff, with the help of an outside engineer, managed to get the station up and running only a week later than usual. And unlike last year, you can now pick up WSRN on any radio within a few miles of campus- just turn the dial to 91.5.
And while they have started broadcasting, the studio is by no means complete. Remaining tasks include changes both aesthetic, such as carpet, new lighting, and new ceiling tiles; and functional, such as adding new mics, improving the equipment, and getting new needles for the turntables. Williams also noted that the studio’s webcast will be available in a few weeks.
Once the immediate concerns have been addressed, though, Williams has some more plans for the station: “Our big project this semester is to set up a podcast that will archive shows for a week-long period,” he said, “It will allow Swarthmore web users to access shows they might have missed.” The WSRN website will also be updated, and Williams plans to add features that allow for greater interaction between listeners and station management.
According to Williams, “The board’s goal is to make these changes throughout the semester and have a completely functioning station with all mentioned improvements by the end of the semester.”
Besides the changes to the station, Williams is also excited about the programming: when asked to list the shows he was most looking forward to, he got halfway through the week and stopped, saying, “This is actually becoming pointless, I just can’t get in all the great music we have on WSRN this semester.”
One returning DJ is Jen Roth ’07, whose rock show this semester is on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. “What I play is very dependent on what I want to listen to,” she noted, “one week I may play a lot of indie rock, but the next week may be more punk and electronica. I have eclectic taste, and that shows up in my show. My one main guideline is no country- I even called my show ‘Anything But Country.'”
“Sometimes the stuff I play is new to me- I’ll pull a CD from the rock playlist and pick a random track. I’ve found out about a lot of great bands that way. Of course, I’ve also heard some pretty bad stuff that way, but it’s a risk worth taking,” she continued.
And for others who want to keep up with the newest music, WSRN is also planning some listening parties to showcase the latest and greatest bands.
“Let’s just put it this way:” said Williams, “WSRN is back and people should only expect it to get better as the semester goes on.”
