I am consistently flabbergasted at how often there is a small and amazing facet of the Stanislaus community that has just completely escaped my notice up until now in my sunset years as a Stanislaus student.
When it comes to KCSS though, the long-standing ignorance is admittedly my own fault.
KCSS is actually really good at promoting itself, and thank goodness because it is a broadcast station after all. But the cotton in my ears that thought of radio as something that played the same seven songs from the top forty over and over again just didn’t think enough about it to realize that there was something special going on here.
As a Communications Major who needed 120 units to graduate, and as someone who had 118 units, I needed one more tiny class to push me over the edge, so I went scouring over the available classes looking for something that wouldn’t stress my brain into leaking out of my ears, and yet still something that would teach me some new skills for my resume.
I ended up taking Radio Production Laboratory, and I immediately regretted that I hadn’t signed up for the class four years ago.
KCSS is one of the most storied and classically-Stanislaus centered organizations on campus. It really does act as “alternative” radio, taking long-strides to maintain the status of being non-profit, playing music of many different genres, for many different audiences, and being student-run with actual students and interns creating all the radio shows, trivia segments, public service announcements, and pretty much anything you hear over the air from them.
Even in the middle of the pandemic with nothing but a Zoom meeting, Greg Jacquay (the national treasure of Stanislaus radio, as described by Dr. Marcy Chvasta) made it a requirement to meet not just with him individually, but to meet with the student directors and content managers of the radio, pointing out how this wouldn’t be a stuffy class but a community radio station with an emphasis on community.
The class has already marked itself as exactly what I was hoping for – a low stress class that will teach me skills – but I like it so much that I find myself wanting to do more work for the station. So in a classic Nathan maneuver, I’ve ended up doing more work for it than I actually needed to, but I’m doing it because I love it!
How often do students, or anyone for that matter, get to record themselves and put their voices out on the radio? And with over 45 years of history, KCSS has an actual community based audience, so you’re not shouting into the void like it might feel like with that essay that you spent eight hours on only to have one professor read it.
The radio class is essentially an art class, you get out of it what you put into it. If you want to just do the assignments, you can! And you’ll get a good grade based on the effort you put in. And if you want to get an extra lump of clay and try to make another masterpiece on your own time, but with the support and critique of professionals and experienced peers, you can do that too!
In the few short weeks I’ve been in the class I’ve already learned a great deal of everything from FCC laws regulating what can be said over radio, to the proper microphone etiquette (which will help immensely in the new world of Zoom interviews), to how you can edit your recording to make it sound in the best shape you can get it in!
My call to action for you here is twofold. If you’re a student at Stanislaus, or thinking about going there, look into KCSS. Consider taking a class that will give you experiences and the ability to learn things you’d never have a chance to do otherwise. Trust me, it’s worth it!
And if you’re not a student at Stan, you can still listen to KCSS! Tune in to 91.9 FM from anywhere in Turlock or the webcast here from literally anywhere in the world! Check out The Valley’s True Alternative for great song selection, to support the community and student work, and to maybe even catch my voice on the air waves from time to time 😉
