As the school year comes to an end, so does my time as U92’s station manager. A time that I have been waiting many years for is suddenly so close and yet, it’s incredibly hard for me to even think about this transition into the “real world,”. I thought about picking up a fifth-year option, but I don’t think I have it in me to do another two years of school, so graduation it is.
Since joining the station in 2022 when I transferred to WVU, I have always joked around and told people that this station was my baby, except when I look at it, I definitely feel like it’s more of a statement than a joke. When I first joined, I was lost on what I wanted to do while at WVU. I was coming here with a clean slate where I knew absolutely nobody and was on my own for the first time in my 20 years of existing. I’m forever grateful that U92 snuck into the student organization fair on the Mountainlair green, because if I hadn’t talked to now U92 alum Griffin McMorrow, I wouldn’t be sitting here trying to compact three years into a few hundred words.
That first year on the U92 sports staff was filled with laughs, hours of learning the rules and game of soccer (a sport I played when I was very young but never understood), and weekly Sports Night segments where I tried to cram onto every single segment that I could. I was always a frequent guest on the MLB and NFL segments, trying to get under the skin of whoever was alongside me at the table that week.
Even though I was the only woman on the sports staff that year, and subsequently, the following two years after that, I never felt ostracized or like I wasn’t good enough. I credit my fellow sports staff members, especially fall sports director Ben Machi and spring sports director Tannor Enyart, for treating me equally and never undermining my knowledge, allowing me to grow my confidence and abilities.
If there’s one thing to know about me, it’s that I’m stubborn, and if I have my mind set on doing something, it will be done, come hell or high water.
My end goal that first year was to do baseball broadcasts in the spring, and I was willing to do whatever was necessary to be in that booth come the start of the season. That meant doing the sports coverage that no one else wanted, which was mainly soccer.
My work paid off and I called a ton of baseball that spring, plus, I was on the main show for the 2023 NFL Draft, one of the biggest shows that we did at U92.
When I won Sports Broadcaster of the Year during my first year here, I had no clue that U92 would stick with me and guide me through some of the darkest times.
It was one of the biggest highlights of the year for me, not to be rivaled with the introduction of the U92 Pledge Drive and then being named the station manager for the following school year.
The following year was when the work truly started for me. I was juggling learning the operations side of the business, while trying to find time to talk about sports, take classes, and manage my life.
A lot of people who hear “college radio station” just think about music and making sure all of that is in order. However, I was balancing a lot more than just a music staff. I had both a robust sports and music staff filled with enthusiastic students who wanted to be on air and learn all they could. I enlisted the help of my fellow U92ers as they were promoted to directors in order to give their knowledge to the next generation.
Without the help of Max Clark, Harley Cochran, Mason Deel, Tannor Enyart, and Kailyn Rombold, the station would not be where it is today, so thank you very much for being reliable, responsible rocks that I could lean on and trust to get tasks done.
We undertook the task of the U92 Pledge Drive again and strove to make it an even bigger event and raise more money. With the help of everyone at Student Media, including the Daily Athenaeum and Prospect and Price Creative, we raised over $11,000 in 36 hours. It was such an incredible event, I was so proud of the U92 staff for their hard work and dedication.
At the end of the year, I knew that I had to come back for my final year at WVU as the station manager to ensure the next transition went smoothly.
When we entered this year, the school year hadn’t even begun and I was struck with a personal tragedy of my grandfather passing away so suddenly. While I went home for the week, U92 had its biggest broadcast in history, which was calling the Penn State WVU football home opener. I was absolutely distraught over missing this broadcast, but I knew everything was in good hands because of the incredible staff that we have at U92.
Although the football season didn’t go as planned, the U92 sports staff still had the ability to call a majority of the games, including the first-ever away game against the University of Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl. This year was the first time in U92’s 43-year existence that the students had football broadcasting access. The success of the football broadcasts led to U92 having the great fortune of calling the entire men’s basketball season, something else that had also never been done in U92's history.
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the WVU Athletics Department for allowing student media to prevail in an era when most ADs don't acknowledge student journalism and the hard work that is done day in and day out.
One of the greatest privileges I’ve had while being in this position has been witnessing the growth of students who come to the radio station looking for opportunities. It makes me so proud knowing that we have fostered an environment where students feel comfortable making mistakes and growing from them. I’ve watched volunteer DJs graduate to paid programming spots, earning a distinguished New Music Pioneer show, seen sports staff members call their first games on color and play by play, and watched as the news staff started building themselves back up after being MIA for a few years.
My successor was something that I thought about a lot this year, and it was an idea that filled me with dread and anxiety. It’s not that I didn’t trust whoever was next, but it was the thought of me having to move on with my life that scared me.
I am so pleased to know that my anxiety is eased as Max Clark slides from program director to station manager next year. Max has been a constant source of light, support, and encouragement from the first moment I met him. During the times where I fell short, Max was there to make sure the ship stayed on course, and sometimes, he righted it back into steady waters. He always knew how to make me laugh and smile, even on the days when I was so incredibly mad at the world for nothing. I know he will keep U92 moving in the right direction and raise the ceiling for growth even higher. However, I will not forgive him for being a Buffalo sports fan.
I wanted to also thank Harley Cochran, who served as digital content director last year before moving into the operations director position this year. Harley was one of the very first people I met when I came to WVU and has also been a steady source of inspiration for me. Her drive and work ethic is unparalleled and truthfully, I’ve yet to meet someone who does more than her. Harley’s constant attention to detail made all the difference when it came to the newsletter or other digital endeavors we had at U92.
Finally, I want to thank Madison Cook (Director of Student Media), Alex Wiederspiel (U92’s Broadcast Advisor until 2023), Eric Nuttall (U92’s current Broadcast Advisor) Nick Kratsas (Digital Media Manager of Student Media) Jami Christopher (Operations Director), and Heather Severt (P&PC Marketing Advisor). We are called student media, but without them, the lights wouldn’t be on, equipment wouldn’t get fixed, the brand new studio we had built wouldn’t have been built, and a hundred other things they do for us on a daily basis. Your help and thoughtfulness never went unnoticed, and I’m thankful to have experienced it.
Some other people- past and present- at WVU Student Media that I want to thank once more before I close out this huge chapter of my life:
U92: Mason Deel, M. Mikos, Tanner Mountz, Tannor Enyart, Luke Blain, Brian McQuillen, Joey Bray, John Boggess, Kylie Tuttle, Quinn Robie, the entire U92 staff, and the U92 alumni who gave their love and support to us throughout the years.
The DA: Lauren Taylor, Jules Ogden, and Anna Goldizen.
P&PC: McKenzie Mayle, Devyn Hussey, and Brenda Gulliksen.
I wish I could write paragraphs about and mention everyone, but I don’t think anyone will read to the end of this letter if I did. We probably might be here all day if I listed each person individually.
The future of student media is incredibly bright and I’m happy to be leaving it in such a fantastic position.
Goodbye for now,
Aneissa Gallo
U92 Station Manager (2023-2025)