If you’ve never been inside the KWLC radio station at Luther College, you don’t know the feeling of awe that it brings. There’s a timeless air to it. It’s filled with art, music, and a little bit of chaos. While I can’t pinpoint the first time I walked into the station, I know that I hadn’t planned to spend countless hours on the couch, listening to strange and interesting CDs, or spend whole nights in the studio, sharing my favorite songs with whoever happened to be listening. I also hadn’t planned for the station to feel as much like home as it does right now.

When I applied to be the station manager at KWLC last year, I had no idea that I was signing up for last minute air times when DJs found themselves in quarantine or that I’d hear the constant sound of a Facebook Messenger notification from a staff that has yet to fully meet in person. Managing anything as creative and free-flowing as the station was always meant to be a big job, but during a pandemic it’s proven to be a whole other world. I have to remind myself all of the time that it’s only November. There’s still so much potential left in the year.

The On-Air Experience

Despite everything that has already happened at Luther this year, KWLC has shown that we have no intention of giving in. Every night there is still anywhere from one to five masked students sitting in the studio. They discuss topics of various levels of importance and play music from across the decades and the globe. Not only has the station become a place for friends to expand their own personal experiences and knowledge of radio and so many other topics, but also a place for them to share what they know and feel with the rest of the community.

This year, I have two and a half hours of scheduled air time in a week. With everything going on lately, I’ve seen closer to five or six. I’m not complaining though. Being on air is a rare experience. You can be alone in a room sharing all of your thoughts with friends and people you may never know. For me, it's a stress reliever and a break from life. For some people, it's more exciting. Either way, it allows for students to share opinions in a way that is so much less formal than a letter to the editor or a full lecture. It’s conversational and whatever you want to make it.

It’s through the work of the station's DJs that KWLC is able to have such a broad and creative format. No matter what you are interested in--sports, true crime, local news, or music of any genre--KWLC has a show that caters to that need. This is all because the station has been able to give students of any major or background an outlet to share their interests. I can’t count the times that I have tuned into a show, only to learn about a new artist, an event in history, or a situation that is happening right under my nose on campus. It’s a network that Luther has not been able to tap in any other way.

In the Studio

Along with allowing students to share their interests and ideas with the community through broadcasting, KWLC also offers a chance to record and perform their music. Most recently, I’ve seen the station’s recording team along with a handful of other musicians recording, writing, or just playing music together all while keeping a safe physical distance. It’s a simple pleasure that remains an integral part of the station.

Keeping the Staff Engaged

The pandemic has taken away the family-style meetings with staff squished around the sectional sofa that takes up so much of the station. These have been replaced with several group chats, some Zoom meetings, and a few in-person encounters between staff. This has been a strange difference from the past, but has not stopped the creativity and passion of the people involved. It’s always surprising just how excited everyone is for new developments in the station. I’m not sure I have ever worked with a group of people who are all so interested and in love with the work that they do, especially in a college work study setting.

I undoubtedly have a biased opinion, but being a part of KWLC is most definitely the best job at Luther College. Where else are students given so much creative freedom to cultivate a space as amazing and chaotic as our radio station? Not only is it fun, but it provides a real world work experience, where we control the situation, but still have help and guidance when it’s needed. It’s not all fun and games though.  Many of us are found in the station at odd hours working on all of the behind the scenes projects that go into making the station what it is.

The station is an amazing ecosystem of its own design. I’m so proud of what we have been able to accomplish despite everything going on. Things may be different, but KWLC will always be a community and a family.