This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UK chapter.
Name: Mary Clark
Age: 20
Year: Senior
Major: Dual Degree in Media Arts and Studies and Art Studio
Hometown: Lexington, Ky.
Campus Celeb Status: I’m the music director at WRFL, so basically it’s my job to take care of talking to promoters and record labels, and maintain a good relationship with them. They send me their music and I make sure it gets reviewed (if it’s good), and into our rotation.
HC: How and why did you first get involved with the campus radio station, WRFL?
MC: My dad is the faculty advisor there and has been a DJ ever since I can remember, so I started hanging out at the station at a young age. It didn’t take long to fall in love with the place; there’s a strong sense of community there and being surrounded by music all the time is surreal. So, I decided to start volunteering throughout high school, trained to be a DJ during the final semesters of my senior year and became a director by the end of my first year of college.
HC: What do you hope to accomplish this semester at the radio station?
MC: All of the directors have been making a push to become more connected with other student organizations [on campus] and we’ve already made a lot of progress with that. We have talk shows with Student Government, The Center for Community Outreach and more now. More specifically to my job, I’m starting up a music blog and looking into music journalism, and I hope to have that operating smoothly by the end of the semester.
HC: What is most rewarding about serving as WRFL’s music director?
MC: Honestly, being around music all the time. It’s a dream come true for me.
HC: What is the most challenging aspect of the position?
MC: Time management for sure. We receive 50 to 80 CDs a week at the station and even though I wish I had time to sit down and review them all myself, realistically, I still have to juggle that with homework and my other job.
HC: What advice do you have for female college students (or even incoming freshmen) thinking about getting involved on campus?
MC: Be willing to try out several different things and meet new people. You won’t always be able to find the best fit for you first try, so just keep your mind open and try to test the waters in several different organizations/activities.
HC: Why do you think students should be more involved with the radio station?
MC: It’s a great way to meet new people with similar interests and it looks great on a resumé. We’re also very hands-on at WRFL and you can learn a lot about music especially, but also FCC law, audio production, concert planning and more.
HC: How can UK students learn more about WRFL?
MC: Feel free to stop by the station (located in the Student Center) and talk to any of the directors in the office between 9:00 and 5:00 every day. You can also check out our website at wrfl.fm.