Pocketed away in a corner of the West Building’s third floor, bright and vivid record albums cover the walls of radio station WHCS. Murmurs of conversations and slow beats of indie jazz music radiate out of the room.
WHCS, which stands for Where Hunter College Speaks, is the college’s official radio station. It is managed and operated by students, for students. But anyone can listen in through the station’s website, where a 48 shows are played throughout the week.
Onel Galagedara, a junior Environmental Science major, said that despite the station’s FM access was terminated due to budget cuts after the pandemic, the radio plays every weekday between the hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“This is one of the few places I go and chill out,” said Dequan Michael, a junior English major, who discovered WHCS in his freshman year and started to hang out in the station last year in support of his friend who had a show.
The group of students often found in the radio room reflects the diverse demographic of Hunter’s student body.
“A lot of people are talented; streaming their music, interviews, and podcasts,” said Celine Zhang, a junior Art in Sustainability major, who is also the program director for WHCS. “Anyone is welcome to join as long as they are not doing hateful things.”
The vast variety of shows are podcasts, centered on music, sports, and commentary. Many shows that have music have a precomposed playlist, while some hosts like to add commentary in between songs.
Rachel Parsley, a sophomore Anthropology and Political Science major, co-hosts one of the shows on WHCS called “Hot One’s” at 3 p.m. on Fridays, which consists of a precomposed playlist of Afro-Latino and Black artists, both new and old.
“If you don’t like the music, you can always make your own show,” she said.
The listenership varies depending on the show and the level of self promotion done by the hosts, but usually averages between 10 to 30 listeners, according to Parsley.
There is no direct phone line to call in to make specific song requests right now, but the managers of WHCS are working toward that goal.
Students who wish to host a show can register for new time slots on a first come first serve basis through the station website before the start of a new semester, with honorary positions to those who have previously hosted.
In addition, the radio station has a production room with a sound board, guitars, drums, and keyboards, where “people can bang music,” but it is necessary to book a slot through email, said Zhang.
WHCS is not just a space for students to be on the airwaves and produce music, but for anyone that is looking for the opportunity to make friends and find a new community through music, Parsley said.
Students often find themselves hanging outside of school, too.
“A lot of us are so into music,” said Zhang. “A lot of us go to concerts together, like DJ’s.”
