Kristi Slocum ’15
Staff Writer
After months of planning and finalizing, Merrimack College will have its first ever Internet college radio station by this fall. Professor Jake Turner and senior Lisa Vassallo have teamed up to give students the chance to control playlists they want to hear at the station. In the near future, students can join the Radio Club and Radio Production class to determine the music and content featured on the station. Music isn’t the only feature you can take part in. If you have any interest in news casting or talking on air, you can practice your skills thanks to the radio station as well.
Promotional materials and news shows most likely related to the Merrimack community, sports and campus life, will be talked about by students like you that are part of the club or class. Professor Jake Turner shares what he is looking forward to most stating; “I’m most excited to give this new voice and new avenue for mediated communication to our students. It will be cool to see our students take to the “air” and put a stamp on the Merrimack community through the Internet radio station outlet. It’s also great professional experience for students interested in working in the media, especially professional radio.”
Lisa Vassallo also can’t wait to see this happen at Merrimack soon. Vassallo believes this will be an excellent opportunity for students, sharing “(the station will) give students great experience, especially if they are interested in working in radio or digital media in some capacity in the future. It also has a broad reach and increases the sense of community at Merrimack, as you can listen to it anywhere you have Internet. It gives anyone who is interested an opportunity to be featured and put their own unique touch on their own shows. I think the format of the Radio Club and the Radio Production class will work well too.”
So how are students reacting to this opportunity? John Cerrotti, a sophomore and communication major at Merrimack is one of the many students that are thrilled for the station to begin. Cerrotti explains, “This is a great opportunity for students like me who want careers in entertainment. I know this station will teach me a lot about this field of work and it will be fun to do with friends alike as well!” Students can look forward to an information session for anyone interested around mid-April. This session will include the two ways for students to get involved –either through the Radio Production course in the fall, or the SGA’s official Radio Club.
If you are interested and have any more questions, you can email Professor Turner and Lisa at: turnerjs@merrimack.edu vassallol@merrimack.edu
