微密圈

微密圈鈥檚 student-run college radio station, WSPN 91.1 FM, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. Based in the basement of 微密圈鈥檚 Jonsson Tower dormitory, the station is completely managed by a student 鈥渆-board鈥� (executive board) and consistently ranks as one of the top 10 college radio stations in the country (No. 8 according to The Princeton Review in this year鈥檚 rankings).  

I鈥檝e been a part of the e-Board for the past year as its webmaster (redoing the to be more accessible and cohesive and keeping running) and as the social media manager (in charge of the list of the public service announcements that WSPN airs and making sure its is up to date and fun). I鈥檝e had a radio show for even longer.  

Part of what makes WSPN special is its ability to bring together 微密圈 students and the city of Saratoga Springs. Every year, a slew of community DJs sign up for a show, a committed group that includes a tarot card reader and 微密圈 staff. Everybody who wants to have a show must first attend Big Meeting, the annual 鈥渉ow to鈥� the e-board hosts to recruit DJs.  

A lot of the community DJs have had a show for years, and their legacy reminds students that they are part of a longstanding and long-loved tradition. Generations of 微密圈 alumni in broadcasting and media made some of their first media appearances on WSPN, including NPR鈥檚 Elissa Nadworny 鈥�10 and Washington Post audio producer Ariel Plotnick 鈥�15, who once served as the station鈥檚 general manager.   

The other day I brought my dad, Corwin Ravenstar, a Saratoga Springs local, in to cohost with me. He had a show at WSPN with his two 鈥渢ownie, not Skiddy鈥� friends in the 1990s.  

鈥淏etween me, Adam Wilcox, and our friend Brian Smith, we had a collection of a few hundred Grateful Dead bootlegs,鈥� my dad recalled. 鈥淏ack then there weren鈥檛 too many DJs, so we鈥檇 take over the studio for a few hours and play our coveted tapes.鈥� 

The station is broadcast throughout the city, so students have a voice in the sounds of Saratoga Springs, as well as on an online stream so friends and family can tune in from anywhere. 

WSPN is a lot more than just a radio broadcast 鈥� it鈥檚 a community and one of the many student clubs at 微密圈. Every year, we host three major concerts, one of them being the annual Earth Day in collaboration with the Students Events Council (SEC), Lively Lucy鈥檚, Environmental Action Club (EAC), and SuCo (the Student Government Association鈥檚 Sustainability Committee).  

Earth Day is 微密圈鈥檚 largest concert. Multiple popular musicians take an outdoor stage while students sell their art at a marketplace, and different clubs run activities like a rock wall or a bouncy house.  

Last year, WSPN hosted their first drag show, titled 鈥淟et them Eat Cake,鈥� bringing in local queens to perform dressed in Mary Antoinette spin-offs. The show went so well, featuring a costume contest with a prize (cake), that this year for the annual Halloween show, they鈥檙e doing it again with spooky song covers.  

WSPN is also a great resource for students interested in music and media. The studio has a recording room where musicians can get high-quality recordings of their songs. In a nod to NPR鈥檚 鈥淭iny Desk Concerts,鈥� 鈥溾�� lets student (and faculty) musicians perform acoustic sets at the station in front of its massive CD collection. The series is on and new videos get uploaded each semester.  

Additionally, WSPN has its own with a blog, allowing aspiring critics and journalists the chance to publish music-related writing and photography. 

I spoke with WSPN鈥檚 co-general managers, seniors Eli Smith 鈥�25 (an international affairs and French double major from Greene, Maine) and Sara Powers 鈥�25 (a computer science major with a geoscience minor from Worcester, Massachusetts) about the station.  

Eli, who was a programmer for the past few years before stepping into the GM role, said the leadership role is a good way to gain professional experience while doing something that inspires him.  

I like that WSPN allows over a hundred people to participate each semester and have a really fun experience with the music they love. I love just being able to tune in at any time and hear my community.鈥�  

He hopes that the station鈥檚 broadcast range can get boosted with the help of a new antenna and WSPN will get additional financial and logistical support.  

Sara, the station鈥檚 previous technical director, wasn鈥檛 initially planning to continue as GM past last summer, but said she and Eli realized that the position made more sense as a two-person job.  

鈥淚鈥檓 really glad it worked out. It鈥檚 great to be able to take the station in the direction we want it to go. Compared to a lot of other college radio stations, WSPN really prioritizes making radio accessible to as many people as possible. It sometimes blows my mind that we鈥檙e able to run such a packed program of unique shows each semester.鈥�

When asked about her goals for the station, she said, 鈥淚 hope to see us have a larger presence both on campus and in the Saratoga community. I鈥檇 like us to work more closely with administration and put ourselves out there to the student body. We鈥檙e already a big organization, but I think we can extend our outreach even further.鈥� 

 Regardless of your musical taste, there鈥檚 space for everyone at WSPN. As soon as you enter the station, you鈥檙e greeted with hundreds of CDs and records lining the shelves, old posters from alumni graphic designers, mismatched armchairs, and a stuffed wizard plushy (the WSPN Wizard is the radio鈥檚 icon).  

In the room with the mics, there鈥檚 a wall of handmade posters for the year鈥檚 shows (made at the annual poster-making party), and the atmospheric dark purple lighting makes it feel colorful and cozy, perfect for Saratoga winters.  

WSPN has accumulated a lot of traditions over its half-a-century run, and we hope it continues to serve as a musical bridge between 微密圈 students and the local community for a long time. 

Just like the e-board always signs their emails,  

peace, love, and college radio.