By Stormy Speaks
Since the 1970s, WUSM-FM (88.5 fm), Southern Miss’ own radio station, has brought music and campus news to the Hattiesburg area.
According to WUSM’s website, the station “celebrates American roots music with a strong Mississippi influence,” meaning the station mainly plays music by Mississippi musicians. However, according to interdisciplinary studies major and Southern Miss Today host Cindy Morgan, the station is shaking things up this year.
“The format of the music we play on the station has changed in the last year with Justin Martin taking it over,” Morgan said. “We have gotten away from playing the ‘grandma and grandpa’ music and now play music that will interest the 20, 30, and 40 somethings.”
These new formats include shows such as Synchronicity (alternative), Electronic Phonics (dance), Nine O’Clock News (new music), and much more.
With a library of 60,000 songs, the station has a plethora of genres to offer.
“I immediately gravitated to WUSM since their music taste mirrored my own in so many ways,” said junior biochemistry major Michael Samel. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard one of my favorite songs – the type of song that compels you to roll down all the windows and sing as loudly as you can.”
In addition to the music shows is Southern Miss Today, a live news segment produced by junior broadcast journalism major Houston Hunt and hosted by Morgan and Printz staff member Courtney Carter. The half-hour show is broadcast at noon Monday through Thursday and features campus and community news and interviews with faculty, students, people in the community and local bands.
The personality differences among the approximately 20 staffers at WUSM is what Morgan believes brings diversity to both Southern Miss Today and the music shows.
“I am older and have different interests and more ‘life’ experience than Courtney does,” Morgan said. “But it is that difference that makes the shows we host unique, informative and entertaining. The listening audience, no matter how old they are, can find something that will interest them.”
The station is supported solely on listener donations, which Morgan said has been a huge hurdle to clear.
“There are many things that we all envision for the station, but need the money to buy the equipment,” Morgan said. “Being a public radio station means that we are listener-supported and need donations and sponsorships from them and area businesses. With the change in format, we are getting more listeners and the word is spreading about the station.”
“We want people to let us know what they think because we want to be the voice of the community,” Hunt said.
“I find that no other FM radio stations cover the range and depth of music that WUSM offers,” Samel said. “The station will remain number one on my radio presets as long as I’m in Hattiesburg.”
For the entire schedule of the shows and more information on how to support WUSM, visit southernmissradio.com. The station also broadcasts online, so listeners can tune in wherever they may be.
For the last 14 months I have been recovering from my fall, I have thought about what I was going to do if my wrists did not heal well enough for me to continue being a truck driver. When the doctor finally told me that my worst fear was reality, I was devastated! With the limitations I have on my wrists, I did not know how I was going to be able to support myself. If I did find a job I could physically do, would I enjoy it. Then I talked to the Mississippi Vocational Rehabilitation people and found that they would pay for me to go to college.
I has been over 25 years since I have attended any school, well, I did go to truck driving school in 1990, but that doesn’t count. At the age of 44, going back to school is a scary thing to do. Deciding what I wanted to study was not an easy task. Doing all the stuff I have been privileged to do in conjunction with my book, I found that the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has a Mass Communication department and offers a BA in Radio & Television Broadcasting. I have sat in the studio with Chris and Meredith, host of Sirius’ Road Dog Trucking channel’s show “Freewheelin” as well as Carl P. Mayfield & The P Team on several occasions. I found it very interesting, fun and something I though I might enjoy. So this is what I have decided to study.
Today was what the calls Preview. Basically it is an orientation and registration day. They tell you a little about the school, get your student ID, talk to finical aid, meet an academic advisor, register for classes and deal with any other issues you need to for attendance. I tried to get all of that done today, but was not successful. I didn’t have time to get my student ID, talk to finical aid or talk to the Office of Disability Assessment (OSD). Those were not a big deal and didn’t have to be done today. I can do that next Wednesday when I start classes. Since my tuition and books are paid by the Mississippi Vocational Rehab Department, I really don’t have to worry about the finical aid, but if there is any thing out there that can help with any other cost, it would be nice to know.
USM campus is a small campus of 1 square mile, so it does not long to get from one building to another. The day went smooth till I got to the Mass Communication building and started to sign up for classes. Starting college at the spring term can be a bit frustrating because all the students that attended the fall semester have already singed up for the classes they want. So you are kind of reduced to their left-overs.
Mississippi Vocational Rehab requires me to take a minimum of 12 hours. Going in as an adult non-traditional student, the school restricts me to only being able to take 12 hours. I have looked at the open classes on-line and researched which ones I wanted to take over the last month. I thought I had a good idea of what I could and could not get. I was wrong. Out of the classes that I had on my list, I got one of them, PHI 171 – Ethics & Good Living. Three other classes that I need for my major and that I wanted, were closed when I looked at them last night. They were still closed today, but the advisors opened them for a few of us today, MCJ 101 – Survey of Mass Communication, MCJ 103 – Literacy Skills, and FLM 170 – Intro Film Studies. Those classes gave me 10 credit hours, I needed two more. With the restrictions that USM had on me because I am a probationary student and what MS Voc Rehab for them to pay for it, I needed two more hours. I could not find a two hour class that was open on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I needed all my classes to be on those days so I would not have to make the hour long drive 5 times a week. So I tried to find any class that I thought I would like, even if it the credit hours would not count toward my degree. I found THE 110 – Non Theater Majors Beginning Acting, a 3 credit hour class. When I tried to add it to my class list, it was kicked. I was restricted to 12 hours, not 13. So my advisors said they would take care of it. They went into the system and changed how many hours I could take. Now I have the Acting class.
I am very happy with the classes I got with the exception that Wednesdays are going to be very long days. The Intro Film Studies class is a 3 hours night class. But I will deal with it since it keeps me from having to make that drive on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All in all, I think that I should be able to handle these classes even though I have had such a long break since I was in school.
So now I am officially a college student and will start classes next Wednesday. I am nervous and excited at the same time, I am sure that it will be another great adventure in my life!
