ESU’s WESS Radio Manager Welcomed at White House

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on November 2, 2016, No Comments

Photo Caption: Jillian Deiley, station manager of WESS, East Stroudsburg University’s student run radio station, visited the White House with the College Radio Foundation.

On Thursday, October 27, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania junior Jillian Deiley traveled to the White House as part of a delegation brought together by the College Radio Foundation. Deiley, a communication major with a concentration in broadcasting, is the station manager of WESS, ESU’s student-run radio station. Currently enrolled at 10 different universities across the nation, the students who attended are members of college radio stations participating in College Radio Day on November 4.

The participants met with members of the Obama administration to discuss important issues relevant to current college students. Topics included college affordability, student loans, and climate change. The group also met with press secretary Josh Earnest to discuss his role in the media and the importance of college media in today’s society.

“Many consider radio a dying a media. The truth is it’s not dying at all; it’s just changing,” Deiley said. “Since its creation, radio has thrived in local, state, and national levels, and through its content, whether it be music, news, or opinion, it brings people together. College radio gives young broadcasters a chance to develop themselves in a semi-professional environment free from commercial bias, in an atmosphere centered on individuality and creativity. Many graduates entering the professional world of broadcasting don’t experience a similar atmosphere, so it’s important to preserve college radio.”

College Radio Day is an annual event sponsored by the College Radio Foundation to unite college radio stations around the country, while celebrating its important contributions to music, journalism, and the radio industry as a whole.

WESS faculty adviser, Rob McKenzie, Ph.D., explained, “College Radio Day was founded just a few years ago by my colleague at William Paterson University’s WPSU Radio to recognize the value of college radio not just to our many aspiring college students but also to the landscape of the available programming that is out there.” To celebrate the day at ESU, WESS will hold a live music event on the Quad from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with cotton candy, popcorn, and hot chocolate. The rain location for the event is at the WESS radio station located in the McGarry Communications Center.

The College Radio Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity. The Foundation works to promote and support non-commercial college radio stations and the students involved with them across the United States.

For more information about WESS contact McKenzie at 570-422-3886 or mckenzie@esu.edu.