TCNJ

3 FALL 2024 FACING PAGE CAROLINE GUTMAN, MATTHEW AARON CALLAHAN T C N J M A G A Z I N E VOLUME 29 NO. 1 John P. Donohue David W. Muha Publishers Kara Pothier MAT '08 Editor Kelly Andrews Art director Emily W. Dodd '03 Contributing editor Tom Benner Liz Leyden Contributors Michelle Gustafson Peter Murphy Photographers Terri Kasuba Kathryn Rathke Illustrators TCNJ Magazine is published three times per year (fall, winter, and spring) by The College of New Jersey, Division of College Advancement, PO Box 7718, Ewing, NJ 08628-0718. The opinions expressed in these pages are those of the contributing writers and not necessarily those of The College of New Jersey. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Office of Alumni Engagement The College of New Jersey PO Box 7718 Ewing, NJ 08628-0718 tcnjmagazine.com Comments from our readers are important to us. Send an email to magazine@tcnj.edu, or write to: Editor, TCNJ Magazine, Office of Communications, Marketing, and Brand Management, PO Box 7718, Ewing, NJ 08628-0718. All comments are subject to editing for clarity and length and must include the name and address of the writer, as well as a phone number for confirmation. Prefer to go green? If you would like to receive TCNJ Magazine digitally rather than as a print copy, please let us know with a note to magazine@tcnj.edu. FOR THE WIN This past May, alumni from Phi Kappa Tau traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to participate in a Ryder Cup-inspired golf trip. L to R: Brendan Schubel '95, Bill Brietenbach, Matt Grunwell '94, Tom Laufer '96, Dave Johnston '96, Jim Abbes '95, Dan Schaal '96, and Joe Spadafora '96. APPLY YOURSELF What exciting news to hear that the U.S. Department of State recognized my alma mater for its many Fulbright scholars (Brag Board, spring 2024). Kudos to all. Being a Fulbright opened my eyes to amazing parts of the world and opened doors to career opportunities. I would encourage other students and professors to apply and to make a difference. I am an active Fulbright and traveled this spring to Nepal to support girls in rural mountain schools. PATRICIA ANN BIACINDO BROCK '68, MA '78 COLLECTING THOUGHTS Thanks for teaching me a new word: deltiology ("P.S. I love you," spring 2024). I do not collect postcards, but I do collect license plates from all over the world. PAUL CHRISTIAN '79 ROCK ON I realize it is two years since the article "10 things you need to know about 91.3 WTSR" (winter 2022) ran, but I am the one who came up with the slogan "Open Your Mind." I am thrilled it is still used. I never claimed my guest DJ spot, but I am available if there's a '90s hour. LUCAN SALFRED-INGHAM '99 48 The College of New Jersey Magazine 91.3 WTSR Music is a universal language, and no one proves that more than the DJs at 91.3 WTSR, who, over the years, have all had one thing in common: "An obsessive love of music and wanting to discover more," says Kevin Potucek, the general manager since 2002. It's that kind of passion that has grown the station from three turntables and a microphone in 1958 to one of the top college radio stations in the Garden State. — David Pavlak PETER MURPHY The original call letters were WTSC, for Trenton State College. But when the station received its first FCC license in 1966, the name was already taken, so it got official FM status under the letters WTSR (Trenton State Radio and later TCNJ Student Radio). WTSR broadcasts at 1,500 radiated watts with a listening radius that extends about 25 miles from the campus studios located in the basement of Kendall Hall (a long way from its initial 10-watt, half-mile radius). The weekly listening cume — the number of different people who listen for at least five minutes in a quarter hour — is about 100,000 listeners. Today, WTSR is 100% student run, with Potucek serving as a sounding board for the leadership team, including a station manager, operations manager, and program director. DJs have to prove their FCC knowledge with a set of tests before they're trusted with on-air time. Hint: Don't swear! In addition to student programming, the station relies on more than a dozen community volunteers. One of those volunteers, a DJ known as Ms. Sue Ms. Sue, has been on the air since 1976. Prior to 2004, those looking for late-night tunes were out of luck. "The station didn't have computers to play music all night," says Potucek. "At 1 a.m., somebody would literally turn the radio station off." WTSR now broadcasts 24/7 and can be streamed online. Listen live at wtsr.org. The station was built on alternative music. "When that term first started, it was basically rock music that wasn't being played on commercial radio," says Potucek. "The goal of the station was to find new music you couldn't hear elsewhere." One of the bands that got their start on WTSR was R.E.M. "On one of their tours, they specifically reached out to us because they knew that we were a station that promoted them early on," Potucek says. WTSR's slogan, "Open Your Mind," was the result of a contest the station sponsored in 1996. If you know who penned it, tell us at magazine@tcnj.edu. things you need to know about … TCNJ X10

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