WUSB Newsletter, no. 13 (September/October 2021)
Feature: WUSB People
Luke Kaicher | Program Director & President
What are your favorite music genres? Progressive Electronic, Vaporwave, New Age, Cloud Rap, and Soundcloud Trap.
What shows have you hosted on WUSB? I've been a cohost of "Guys Bein' Dudes" with DJ GOOGAH and DJ Kev since Spring 2019, my freshman year. Catch us every other Wednesday night from 10pm–12am. We tend to play a wide range of electronic music and rap. This year, I'm also running "WUSB Recess," where trainees have been coming in to get practice on the air. "Recess" airs Mondays (12pm–1:30pm) and Wednesdays (1pm–2pm). We will be having some special broadcasts and guests on the show throughout the year, so tune in!
What are you most looking forward to this year at WUSB? Getting to know the next generation of Student DJs and preparing them for their own shows.
What excites you most about your role as Program Director at the station? I'm excited to fill the gaps in our schedule with all sorts of new shows from students and community members! I am also excited to hold special broadcasts such as the student takeover, marathons, and community events.
Do you have a favorite WUSB-related memory you'd like to share? Spilling the miso soup that came with our convenience store sushi all over ourselves at 2020's IBS conference.
What's your favorite medium for listening to music? I used to stream all my music, but ever since getting an older car, I've been building up a collection of cassettes. I really enjoy having a more limited selection of music—there is much less decision-fatigue and I've ended up listening to a lot of music I would have never heard otherwise, just by picking up whatever seems cool from thrift stores and eBay. With streaming, I'd have almost all recorded music at my fingertips and yet end up listening to the same music every time. There is also the commitment with cassettes to experiencing an album as a whole, rather than picking out a few tracks and ignoring the rest.
Do you have a handful of favorite albums or musical artists? I have an unhealthy obsession with the Swedish collective Drain Gang. Their latest release, The Fool by Bladee, is a perfect trifecta of trance synthesizers, trap drum patterns, and auto-tuned crooning. My prior obsession was with Death Grips. My favorite project of theirs is The Powers That B, and my favorite song is "The Fear."
Luke Kaicher is a Computer Science major at Stony Brook University.
Harrison Feig | Music Director & Vice President
What are your favorite music genres? I love all music, but especially classic rock.
What show have you hosted on WUSB? I co-host a weekly talk show called "Mixed Nuts" every Friday beginning at 12pm, where we talk about anything and everything, and a lot about mental health.
What are you most looking forward to this year at WUSB? I am always looking forward to the 24-hour student takeovers, when we lock ourselves in the station, and it's just SBU students on the air for 24 hours!
What excites you most about your role as Music Director at the station? I am super excited to be Music Director because I am always looking for new music and artists, and in this role, I am constantly exposed to the next generation of songs!
Do you have a favorite WUSB-related memory you'd like to share? One of my favorite memories is the IBS conference we go to in the city. I got to meet radio kids from all over the country and got to know those in WUSB so much better.
What's your favorite medium for listening to music? No music sounds better than being played on vinyl—the physicality and raw sound make the experience so much more immersive.
Do you have a handful of favorite albums or musical artists? My favorite album of all time is Graceland by Paul Simon, and recently I have been listening to a lot of Kid Quill ("Small Talk") and Costa Modern ("Pockets Full of No"), as well as Hobo Johnson.
Harrison Feig is a Business and Psychology double-major at Stony Brook University.
Melanie Formosa | News Director
What are your favorite music genres? Rock, Jazz, Folk.
What shows have you hosted or produced previously? I solely produced my own podcast in the spring and summer of 2021, called "Tuesdays with Melanie: The Comeback Podcast." I interviewed notable people on campus about returning to an in-person semester after the pandemic. Several episodes have aired on WUSB, including one featuring President Maurie McInnis.
What are you most looking forward to this year at WUSB? I want to highlight the music I grew up listening to, which happens to be "old" by today's standards. So in addition to my involvement with the news, I want to start my own classic rock radio show. Stay tuned!
What excites you most about your role as News Director at the station? As News Director, I'm excited to recruit new students, even those who might not feel comfortable with their "radio voice" yet. Being involved doesn't equate to having a radio show. There's a ton of behind-the-scenes work to be done. Specifically with news, we need scriptwriters, fact-checkers and copy editors. There will be a place for you and your strong suit, whatever it may be!
Do you have a favorite WUSB-related memory you'd like to share? Sitting in on my first new Music Check-In was quite enjoyable. There's something magical about gathering together in the station's lounge and listening to music on a CD player. Plus, the fact that we're some of the first to even hear the material is magical in itself.
What's your favorite medium for listening to music? Vinyl!
Do you have a handful of favorite albums or musical artists? The Beatles, James Taylor, Steve Gadd, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan.
Melanie Formosa is a Journalism major at Stony Brook University.