Lose your cents with WUSC
Shana Till
Issue date: 3/18/05 Section: The Mix
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Pre-gaming starts at noon on Greene Street, with your favorite WUSC DJs handing out buttons and other WUSC goodies. The party moves down the street tonight to New Brookland Tavern with live music performances from local favorite Tigerbot Hesh, Eric Skelton, The Close and The Blame. The show starts late, with doors opening at 10 p.m., guaranteeing entertainment all the way until Saturday morning. Admission is $5 under 21, $3 over. All proceeds go to WUSC.
The radio station, found at 90.5 on your FM dial, will accept donations starting today at noon. Like WUSC's '80s-themed fund-raiser last fall, listeners can call the station to donate by calling in with their credit cards or by Pay-Pal via the station's Web site, www.wusc.sc.edu.
For a donation of large or small amounts, you can request your favorite non-top-40 song today until March 26 by calling the on-air DJ at 576-WUSC (576-9872). WUSC operates under a non-top-40 policy, which stipulates that no song can be played from any album that has hit the Billboard Top 40 list in the last 40 years. By this mode of operation, WUSC serves the community as an educational station, broadcasting underexposed music of all genres.
James Beard, WUSC music librarian and third-year Russian student, said the fund-raiser is important in helping reach the station's budget.
"The fund-raiser really helps us make ends meet. But every time we do this, we hope we can bring new focus to the station - because most students don't know WUSC even exists," he said. "We hope these fund-raisers attract new listeners."
In another maneuver to entice donators, each two-hour WUSC show is awarding prizes during fund-raiser week. DJs have assembled prize packages for the contributor of the highest donation during their shows. For specialty shows, such as Isaac and Erinn's jazz show from 2-4 p.m. Thursday, the DJs will give away some of their favorite jazz picks on vinyl along with a Papa Jazz gift certificate.
If you tune in to DJ Mythdoor from 2-4 a.m. Sunday and make the highest donation, you can win his vintage calculator collection. Part of the 6-8 p.m. Friday show, Sugar High's prize pack includes a pink Care-Bear and Turkish delights. Winners of the Sippin' Show (10-midnight) prize pack will win a CD from band Daemon Flushboy. Flushboy is the music collaboration of Will and James, DJs of the Sippin' Show. Just another of the eclectic prizes awarded during WUSC's fund-raiser is a hand-stenciled T-shirt made by Jordan, DJ of Monday's show Eleanor Roosevelt Sings the Hits.
WUSC has been rocking the airwaves in the Columbia area more than 50 years, according to the station's Web site.
"WUSC is committed to musical diversity, which is why specialty programs are offered focusing on a single genre of music. Current specialty programs include jazz, blues, country, hip-hop, metal punk, folk, dance, big band and many more."
Listeners can not only help the radio station by donating, but can also see some of Columbia's favorite bands perform - and possibly win a one-of-a-kind prize pack.
