WOBC Gives Area Kids Voice

The magic of radio and two Oberlin seniors are working to narrow the town-gown gap with a new radio program. "I'm On The Stereo," premiered this week on WOBC.

The show airs every Monday through Thursday starting at 5 p.m. Students from the elementary, middle and high schools in Oberlin will bring their ideas, talents, jokes and voices to the station.

Organizers and seniors Josh Rosen and Jeff Price began thinking about the idea last April. Rosen said, "My grandfather was a founder of PBS during the New Deal and so I have always been interested in NPR-style radio."

Rosen and Price approached WOBC and the station managers agreed to help fund "I'm on the Stereo" and grant them the time slot. Station manager Ben Calhoun said "What Josh and Jeff have put together is something WOBC has been lacking for some time. They're re-establishing the ties to the community that used to make the station something unique in college radio. This is just one of many new things at the station I hope will stick long after we're long gone." Calhoun was "impressed with the first show," and could "only imagine things will get better."

To enlist help, Price and Rosen organized an ExCo where students help to interview kids and edit the show. Rosen joked that "Personal wellness was full, so we had to do this." One first-year ExCo participant was excited about the class because "it creates a wonderful opportunity for the kids in the community to interact with the college students on issues that are important to them. It gives them a stronger voice not only in the Oberlin community, but also in the college community. I had no idea about some of the issues that are coming out through the ExCo."

Tuesday was the first day of programming and the show featured students and teachers talking about the DARE program, and its effectiveness. On Wednesday senior Josh Adler was on the air with elementary school students, asking them to deliver their favorite jokes. "They get so excited they forget the joke," Adler said.

This Thursday a local high school band, Beaker and Bomber, will play. Ideas for next week include a show featuring the Girls and Boys Club and an appearance by the local middle school band, "Dickwing Duck." Ideas include a mix of edited interviews and live shows where participants are brought into the studio.

Eventually, Rosen and Price hope to work with area teachers to incorporate the show with their curriculum. "For instance, we could have a seventh grade class do an on-air poetry reading, or a drama class could perform a play," Rosen said, adding that he wanted to hear from kids "both in and outside the classroom."

The organizers stress that any local kids are welcome to bring their ideas to the show. "Any kids in the area can be on," Price said. "We hope to provide as little interference as possible, we want the show to be about what the kids want it to be about," said Rosen. "The hardest part is logistics and convincing people that this is worth their time," said Adler who added "it is a chance to do something real, as opposed to a hypothetical Œget your message out' activity."

An Oberlin high schooler, Joseph Spiros, has created a web page for the show at www.imonthestereo.com. The web page will include schedules, a message board to continue discussions started on the show, and information for kids who would like to be on the show or have suggestions for show topics.