The Daily Pennsylvanian recently ran a guest column by a Penn graduate and WXPN alumnus, professor Nick Spitzer of Tulane University, ripping WXPN for its alleged exchange of student participation for increased professionalism.
Spitzer's argument was littered with inaccuracies, the most egregious of which was the following: "Students play minor roles." As a Penn student who is on the air regularly from November to March, I am living, breathing proof that Spitzer is incorrect.
Further, as the student sports director, I personally oversee a staff of 12 students, all of whom are on the air on a regular basis, as well. And we are only a small fraction of the student workforce at WXPN.
Today, there are far more students working at WXPN than when it was entirely student-run. Students write, produce broadcasts and have the chance to take part in every behind-the-scenes job possible. The "Penn Calendar," on-air every day during David Dye's revered World Cafe Live, is always student-voiced. And for every Penn basketball game, which is my department, I am on-air -- along with each member of my staff -- for three hours straight, uninterrupted by the evil professionals Spitzer so dislikes.
Spitzer lamented that "hired staff" run WXPN, as opposed to at the DP. If a professional general manager -- whose sole interest is the proliferation of station popularity that directly benefits students -- is a bad thing, then WXPN is guilty as charged. But Roger Lamay and his staff do a spectacular job, and it is because of him that my student colleagues and I consistently have spectacular opportunities. Besides our on-air time, there is rarely a day that goes by where a famous musician doesn't stroll through the halls. WXPN's walls are littered with memorabilia; the tiles on which I walk have been stomped on by Dave Matthews and Norah Jones.
Spitzer writes that "the bar should be higher for public radio at Penn." I am not sure how it could get any higher, and I am constantly reminded of that fact. During the basketball season, nary a day goes by that I don't receive praise from another person who just heard our broadcast for the first time. And the highest compliment we can receive is one we get regularly, as I did from a Temple University broadcaster this summer: "You're all students?" he asked, in awe after recognizing my name. This highlights the two greatest parts of being a student at such a reputable station like WXPN.
First, we are heard by an unbelievably wide audience, which was not the case when Spitzer worked here. Independent of being heard worldwide through simulcasting on the Internet, because of WXPN's newer affiliates, we are heard from south New Jersey out to Harrisburg, Pa., and from Baltimore up through the Lehigh Valley, Pa. -- a direct consequence of the professional quality level consistently attained by the station.
Second, there is absolutely no way that we would achieve the quality of our broadcasts if we did not get to rub shoulders with the nationally recognized Dye and other award-winning colleagues at WXPN. Spitzer would say they are a detriment, but anyone would be silly not to listen to all they have to say.
Lastly, I must take issue with Spitzer's proposal. He proffers that Annenberg School for Communication faculty and students could run part of the station. However, it is because of the observation-based methods of Annenberg, as opposed to practical lessons in how to become members of the media, that students like me are pushed to places like WXPN to learn the profession.
In this respect, it is excellent that we are learning from actual professionals, especially because Penn offers no such service to students who wish to become journalists in the future. We must go to the DP, UTV or WXPN. Among those, WXPN has the widest audience and, yes, has real professionals from whom to learn. But it brags a huge student contingent, with substantial responsibilities ranging from writing to producing to my favorite: broadcasting on air.
Finally, it's not as if Penn students who wish to work uncontaminated by radio professionals have no options. WQHS, while working without the budget of WXPN, is run solely by Penn students.
Something else Spitzer neglected to mention in his piece: A substantial amount of WQHS's equipment came from none other than WXPN. When WXPN got new equipment, from headsets to recorders, it gave the old equipment to WQHS for free. Not only does WXPN benefit the students who work at WXPN, but it reaches out to respect and aid the students who opt to go it alone.
Spitzer bemoans that eventually "there will no longer be such alumni," because students no longer work at WXPN. Well, as long as my colleagues and I graduate (which, admittedly, is a more daunting proposition some days than others), there will be more alumni in this decade than there were in the '70s for which Spitzer so desperately longs. And because of the increased role that professionals now play in the station, these alumni are far better prepared for a future in broadcasting than ever before. I'll take that trade-off any day.
