Wolf Pack Radio

Artistic expression continues to dwindle among college campuses all across the United States. Here at the University of Nevada, one student run organization is intent on preventing this from happening. The Wolf Pack Radio is a student run radio station that provides students with an outlet for total expression and a professional setting to hone their skills.

The station is located on the third floor of the Joe Crowley student union here at UNR. It is the only student run radio station in all of Northern Nevada, making it a true unique congregation here on our campus.

The Wolf Pack Radio, or WPR focuses on allowing their radio hosts to cut loose and express themselves through any music they see fit. Clair Monteith, UNR freshman sat down with me to discuss the station.

“The Wolf Pack Radio has been the best thing in the world.” I asked Clair about some of the logistic and inner workings of the show. “Well, the station really allows us to play anything. You organize your show prior to going on air, and from there it’s pretty simple.”

A highlight of the station is its uninhibited expression. The hosts are allowed to play any sort of music they see fit, with the Station giving them no guidelines on specific genres or topics. “They really let us play anything. I personally like to go with two parts to my show, combining them together for a sort of cohesive experience. That’s just my personal preference.”

I went to the station to investigate and see for myself how the process worked. Claire Monteith was kind enough to show me around.

As soon as I entered the station the aloof vibes could be felt all around, personified by the posters and music memorabilia all over the walls. signed notes from famous musicians such as Mac DeMarco or famous hip hop/ inspirational speaker Lil B littered the front of the door of the main office of the radio station.

We walked through the different rooms, peering at the massive collection of CD’s that the station has gathered over the many years of its existence. We went into the main office where they receive CD’s from labels promoting musicians. The station receives many demos and CD’s, with descriptions of the content on the front of the pieces of music. One particularly interesting form of packaging was a tin of tea that one band had sent to the radio station.

After perusing the inside of the main office, I asked for a tour of the sound room. The inside was amazing; professional sound systems and mics were all around me, and the entirety of the room was incredibly professional and real. It seemed much less like a student organization and much more like a full fledged radio station.

With all this opportunity, the station still seems to be underexposed. I asked a few random peers of mine that I found around UNR how they felt about the station. Max Werner, a fellow freshman at UNR had a few words to say. “Well, i think it’s awesome that we have a radio station here. Actually, if i’m being honest, i didn’t even realize we had a radio station.”

Although the station remains free from any sort of regulation regarding the music they play, the station follows basic FCC regulations per request of the university. Clair elaborated, “There is a packet about 20 pages long of guidelines laid out by the FCC. Its really all fairly straightforward, and before we get our station we have to take a quiz on the regulations.” The packet includes things like how to go about orchestrating their show, as well as a list of banned words not allowed to hit the airwaves. “The list of words is pretty short. Basically don’t say anything you wouldn’t want your grandparents to hear.

The station is currently based solely online off of there website, but the station will be hitting the airwaves next semester. In preparation for this conversion, the hosts have begun pre-recording their shows, so that when they are on the radio they can broadcast without having to be live all the time.

For those interested in joining the team, the process of obtaining a station and the opportunity to use professional equipment in a relaxed setting is far from difficult. Simply email the program director off of their official website and ask for an application.

Among the swath of clubs and organizations that can be found at UNR, the Wolf Pack Radio is incredibly special, and deserves more recognition. The combination of professional experience, uninhibited artistic expression, and easy going organizers create an incredibly unique experience. If you ever feel like wanting to discover great music, or even obtaining your very own radio show, then give the Wolf Pack Radio a quick look over. There is simply no way to be disappointed.