By Megan Barnes
After a year of limited sessions and decreased air-time, the University of Maryland’s student-run radio station, WMUC, is returning to full operation.
WMUC has been on the air since 1948. But the pandemic forced its studio to close, and the station had to readjust to new safety precautions and recording protocol. Now, students are back on campus and ready to share their creativity with the community.
Senior theater major Madeline Redding, the general manager for WMUC, said the station was very limited last year.
“We had 14% of our DJs in person, mainly our alumni who have been here for 40 years or so,” Redding said. “But a lot of our DJs now hadn’t had enough experience on the board to come in during COVID.”
New DJs would either prerecord their segments or perform them live from their bedrooms. These hosts required extra training when the station was up and running again, Redding said.
In addition, the station now must follow capacity limits and other safety guidelines. Only hosts are typically allowed in the studio. Guests have to be approved to enter beforehand. The studio also collects UID numbers in case of exposure.
“This space has so much life in it, and it is a literal breath of fresh air to see people enjoying it again,” Redding said. “Now, the energy and the passion is back in that as well, it’s not just making sure everything works.”
Senior journalism major Taneen Momeni has hosted “Spill the Beans” for two years now. Momeni said she joined WMUC after meeting fellow hosts.
“I thought it was such a cool place to be, and a lot of people that I knew were involved were also people I thought were fun and talented,” Momeni said. “I also really like exploring music and curating playlists, and I thought having very specific themes every week would force me to broaden my music horizon.”
Momeni’s themes have included “Men with Curly Hair that I Would Kiss” and “International Women’s Day.” To prepare for the show, Momeni explores streaming platforms such as Spotify.
“If my theme is super specific and out of my personal repertoire, it could take like three hours to get a playlist that’s only an hour long,” Momeni said. “But sometimes I am a little lazy, and I’ll pick a theme that already matches what I listen to on the regular.”
Newer hosts also put in the work. History major Carey Cameron and journalism major Molly Szymanski, both sophomores, perform their show, “Gaslit,” live every Thursday.
The cohosts discuss films in a category they call male manipulator movies, and they pair their commentary with music. Male manipulator movies, such as “The Wolf of Wall Street,” feature toxic and manipulative male characters.
After both hosts decide which movie to watch, Cameron writes up talking points and Szymanski creates a playlist. Szymanski said student radio is an amazing way to reinforce community and show creativity, especially since topics for shows are not restricted.
“Student radio rocks,” Szymanski said. “It’s super fun to see everyone’s different interests form into the wacky collage that is WMUC.”
Featured photo: Taneen Momeni adjusts equipment in the studio before her show “Spill the Beans.” Photo by Megan Barnes.