KOXY aims to revive college radio one DJ at a time

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Author: Jeremy Childs

A record high of nearly 100 Occidental students have become involved with KOXY this semester, the result of recent expansion and outreach by members of the KOXY staff.

“Last year we had a big initiative with getting the word out for KOXY, and this year we’re seeing the benefits of that,” KOXY Programming Director Allan Van Vliet (junior) said.

The sudden growth is in part due to increased first-year participation resulting from KOXY’s sponsorship of Oxypalooza, a student-musician showcase that took place during Orientation. With 88 DJs and over 60 hours of programming, the amount of radio time almost doubles that of last semester.

The bigger lineup means a wider variety of programming. Musical genres include deep house, hip-hop, Hawaiian and folk music. Apart from musical content, KOXY also hosts several student talk shows.

Reorganization of staff duties and responsibilities allowed for KOXY’s initial expansion. The radio station now boasts a stronger web presence due to a couple changes to the KOXY staff, including the addition of English and Comparative Literary Studies (ECLS) major Soraya Sebgahti (sophomore), the new online promotor. Sebgahti now manages all KOXY social media and online material, introducing a variety of web-exclusive content. She plans to add more as the year goes on.

“I want to have a KOXY DJ spotlight once a week and a show calendar once a month,” Sebgahti said, referring to the October concert calendar she recently posted. The proposed spotlight would feature a different DJ each week discussing their KOXY show in detail.

The website that hosts the blog and radio stream, koxyradio.com, has also undergone a bit of work by new technician Daniel Horowitz (senior). Horowitz has added new features to the website like downloadable podcasts of recorded shows, along with his ongoing project of making the site more user-friendly.

Van Vliet, who has been on the KOXY staff since his first semester at Occidental, remarked on a shift in the number of staff and the staff application process.

“When I arrived, there were probably seven people on staff. I was the only member of my class to apply. I sent an email and got the job. Now it’s much more competitive to get a staff position. That’s good, because now we’ll get a lot of people who are genuinely interested [in KOXY],” Van Vliet said.

The KOXY staff hopes to generate even more student interest with their newest project: sponsoring live music events on campus.

“We live in an incredible city for music…our job is to make it more visible to students,” Events Director Jack Baker (junior) said.

Baker and Critical Theory and Social Justice (CTSJ) major Joseph Weitz (junior) make up this year’s KOXY events staff.

Since Oxypalooza, KOXY has brought experimental rock band Heatwarmer to campus. The performance proved popular among students, and the staff has been working overtime in their efforts to introduce a more broad array of live music to Occidental. They most recently collaborated with the Green Bean Coffee Lounge and RAW Records for an extended showcase featuring student bands Lillian & the Lost Boys, Honey & Wax, Peaceful Antelopus and Campus Security.

Regarding upcoming events, Baker and Weitz noted a change from the punk rock emphasis of previous KOXY event schedules. As part of KOXY’s expansion, they’ve made a conscious effort to find music from various genres.

“This year we are getting more dance and hip-hop performers,” Baker said, mentioning an upcoming KOXY hip-hop Halloween party currently slated to take place Nov. 1.

Baker and Weitz are often challenged with finding acts that draw student attention and fit within the KOXY event budget. The school doesn’t provide enough funds to book big-name artists; instead, KOXY events highlight up-and-coming musicians. On campus shows provide an opportunity for students to discover new music. In spite of these budget restrictions, the events staff believes the KOXY brand will act as a license to persuade students to attend regardless of the performer.

“The music will be good and the experience will be great, even if [students] don’t know the artist,” Weitz said.

The KOXY staff hopes to build the station into a recognizable brand name on campus. When KOXY first started broadcasting, many students only tuned in to hear their friends perform; now, with the help of large-scale campus events, the staff members are trying to promote KOXY separately from its individual performers. The high density of shows allows KOXY to be a constant stream of student-curated music, one that can serve as an alternative to more mainstream radio stations.

Station Manager James Gallagher (senior) also emphasized the importance of giving students access to a college radio station.

“There’s a real power to having an hour of your time to express yourself,” he said.

This element of personal expression benefits all students on campus, not just those directly involved in KOXY. Listening to student talk shows and music brings together the campus community.

“KOXY is another cool way for the student body to bond. A lot of people care about music, and it’s a good way for people to meet each other and become friends. It’s a good thing for the music scene in general. Small bands really rely on our demographic,” Sebgahti said.

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