In an effort to make SGA news available to the masses, Peter Henry ’09, SGA Concerts Chair, has embarked upon a mission to master the airwaves, so to speak.
“There’s no one perfect way to reach people on campus, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to cover every medium,” Henry said.
The idea of an SGA radio show originated with Jan Koszewski ’08, who pioneered the concept last year. This year, Henry, along with Josef Schneider ’09, SGA Administrative Coordinator, have revived Koszewski’s project with a new format.
The show, which runs from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Friday on KDIC 88.5 FM, has aired twice since the start of the semester. It features a mix of news, music, humor, and discussion.
Specifically, the radio show will relay SGA information to the student body following the Joint Board meeting on Wednesday evening. “I hope it will improve our transparency,” Schneider said.
Henry also hopes to foster better relations between students and administration. “I’d like to get Houston Dougharty [Vice President of Student Affairs] in here just to talk,” he said.
Last week, Henry and Schneider interviewed SGA executive candidates on the air, providing an informal forum for discussion of campaign issues.
Henry described it as “a news talk show—if we pretend that Grinnell is the real world.”
In addition to sharing and discussing news stories, Henry plans to use the show to play music from upcoming concerts. “We want to make it interesting to listen to,” Schneider said.
One issue the radio show faces is exposure. In a sampling of students in the Spencer Grill and Lyle’s Pub, only a few had even heard of the program.
“It sounds deathly boring,” said Thomas Bateman ’10. Upon further explanation, his opinion of the show improved, although he was doubted its feasibility. “That sounds really worthwhile, but I don’t really listen to radio,” Bateman said, reflecting a common view among those interviewed.
Others took issue with the time slot, such as Anna-Lisa Bowans ’12. “A problem might be having classes from ten to noon,” Bowans said. “It would be better if it were some sort of podcast.”
