Goodbye WIDR
WIDR gave me a place to be myself.
I came to WIDR as a Freshman. I didn't know anything about radio, or the "DIY" scene, and I didn't know anyone. Being a director at WIDR for the last year has taught me so much about myself, and has been one of the hardest most frustrating, most fun, interesting, challenging, and exciting job I’ve ever had. There’s nothing like it.
Now the time has come to pass the torch, but I can't leave without saying goodbye.
So much of what I have accomplished and learned in the last year at WIDR is thanks to my fellow directors. Annie, Tony, Jeff, Evan, Andrew and Josh. We have all become such great friends. I am forever thankful to have gone through this experience with all of you.
In our last week I asked the Directors about their experiences with WIDR. Here's what they said...
Tony
What does it feel like knowing you’re leaving WIDR?
Refreshing because I’ve been here for so long, and slightly frustrating.
What was your favorite moment at WIDR?
Finding out that the university wouldn’t let me do the block party. It taught me a crucial lesson in life. I’ll carry that with me forever. It taught me to accept failure look past failure work hard and appreciate my mentality in things.
In your last week here, reflecting back, what was the best thing about working at WIDR?
My friends. I love the people I work with. I’ve never not enjoyed working here because of the people that work here and the culture that we try to have.
What have you learned from working at WIDR?
This job taught me that if you want something for yourself you have to do it yourself. It taught me the value of my time and my self worth and self worth from my own perspective.
What do you hope to leave behind?
The start of WIDR submitting into competitions and proving to itself that it can be better than it is.
Annie
What does it feel like knowing you’re leaving WIDR?
It’s very bittersweet. I know what WIDR has prepared me for, but I’m still sad to leave.
What was your favorite moment at WIDR?
It’s a toss up between Audiotree, and the silly string fights that we got in.
In your last week here, reflecting back, what was the best thing about working at WIDR?
Being able to connect and meet with all of the people that I’ve met.
What have you learned from working at WIDR?
A lot. Never take yourself too seriously.
What do you hope to leave behind?
I hope to leave a lot of things. If there’s one thing it would be that I gave the station a little bit more folk music.
Jeff
What does it feel like knowing you’re leaving WIDR?
I’m gonna be sad about losing some of the friends I’ve made but also a little bit of a relief too.
What was your favorite moment at WIDR?
Being in the car on the way to NYC playing DND and listening to Harry Potter. Or after the first show that I got to work sound on.
In your last week here, reflecting back, what was the best thing about working at WIDR?
The people.
What have you learned from working at WIDR?
The mob will never understand.
What do you hope to leave behind?
A beautiful body.
Josh
How do you feel after working here for a semester?
JOSH: I feel really good about my time here so far. I’ve accomplished some stuff but feel like I have a lot more work to do and am so excited to keep working here for the next couple of years. It’ll be interesting with a new batch of people but I feel like it’ll be fun because I feel like I grew close with you guys and I get to do that with a whole new set of people. It doesn’t even feel like work anymore
What was your favorite moment at WIDR?
Definitely going to NYC. Before we went on the trip I didn’t really know what to feel about it, but it was such a blast! I met people there that I still talk to. And I saw how much our work could possibly pay off and how much praise we could get for doing a good job. It was also just really cool. That was not only the most fun but also the couple of days that I most grew overall as a person.
What's been the best thing about working at WIDR so far?
The people. From the other directors to the DJs, they’re just such cool people who work here and are involved at WIDR. It makes coming into work so easy
What have you learned from working at WIDR?
I definitely think I’m more organized now. I’ve learned the importance of communicating with people. Stuff I already knew but this really put a spotlight on it. Also I think I’ve learned a bit about teaching others and found ways to describe things so that people really understand. I think it’s helped me in that aspect too. Being able to teach or convey how something works in an understandable and digestible way
What’re your plans for improving widr over the next year
As the program director I really want to get it to be that each show has its own personality so that every time you tune to WIDR it’s not just different music, but a whole new vibe and that whoever is on is owning it. And I hope that the listeners have a good response to it. Over all I want to do more nominations for awards because I think we could really make WIDR more of a nationally highlighted station. I didn’t realize what we had before going to IBS. Now I see how able we are to really make the station something that is at the top level in the entire country in terms of collegiate radio. That’s what I want to work towards.
Andrew
What does it feel like knowing you’re leaving WIDR?
I’m sad to leave the job. It was, for a college student, a dream job. I’m upset that I really enjoyed this job and am not able to keep it.
What was your favorite moment at WIDR?
The first time we did battle of the bands. It was really stressful but I liked the challenge of it. It was nice to be handed a problem that big and being told you need to solve this
In your last week here, reflecting back, what was the best thing about working at WIDR?
Being able to do what I loved on a daily basis with people that I not only respected as coworkers but really liked as friends
What have you learned from working at WIDR?
The short list would be communication, how to be an effective manager.
What do you hope to leave behind?
To give something to my successor that allows them to only worry about making things sound better and work better.
Evan
What does it feel like after leaving WIDR?
it's very weird, for years so much of my free time outside of class was spent either working at WIDR or prepping my show that week and now I've stepped back from that and finished school. I do miss it, but it's been nice exploring other hobbies in my life.
What was your favorite moment at WIDR?
CMJ in New York a couple years back. It was a week of going to talks and shows with the WIDR crew where we met a ton of other likeminded college radio folks out there. That trip helped me realize the idea of working in the music industry wasn't as far fetched as a lot of people say it is.
Reflecting back, what was the best thing about working at WIDR?
Having friends call into my radio show was always really endearing. On the other side of the same coin though, having an unknown listener call in to compliment the show is even better. They cared enough to call a stranger on the phone and tell them they like their music taste.
What have you learned from working at WIDR?
Like I mentioned before, the idea that working in radio (or even entertainment in general) is totally doable.
What do you hope to leave behind?
A faint smell of garlic in the Program Director's office
