WRUB-ing off on the student body

Students rivaled to see who could take the most shots of hot sauce, walked away with free goldfish, played Texas Hold 'Em and had their heads voluntarily shorn into mohawks for WRUB Day in the Student Union last Thursday.

The mission of the annual fundraiser hosted by the student radio station was to get the word out that students even have their own radio station - it runs on TV and Webcast - as an alternative to Buffalo's commercialized radio.

"One thing I did this semester was send out letters to the SA to get us to work together as a community," said programming director Raymond Rohring. "A lot of people on campus don't even know we have a radio station."

"Our station is totally student-run," he added. "Students have control of the radio station and nobody tells us what to do."

Right now, the broadcast is available through multiple stations on campus cable and online at www.subboard.com/wrub. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When there isn't a live person in the studio, the music is still being pumped out by the station's automated disc jockey, DJ 3000.

At some point, members of the station aspire to be on an FM frequency so that more people can tune in.

"It's tough to get on an FM frequency from Buffalo," Rohring said. "They're pretty much all taken, and that's why we are on the Internet for now."

WRUB is a non-profit station funded by Sub-Board I. Holding events like Thursday's helped supplement WRUB with additional funds.

"Our next major event will be a top-40 countdown theme on April 17 in the Student Union," said prize director Keith Palm. "The event is another information event with similar games and prizes."

The station plays uninterrupted by commercials. Instead of advertising, the station uses a technique called underwriting. Companies pay for a spot of airtime, but the station does not promote that company in any way.

WRUB is also currently looking for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in participating as a disk jockey for the station. Those interested can contact the station's training director, Pamela Hartman at wrubtraining@gmail.com.

WRUB provides hands-on training during airtime on Tues., Wed. and Thurs. every week for beginning DJs.