Blog Discussion: 1 Newspaper, 3 Students: A simple plan for recruiting, training and retaining. Pearson 2007

Coming from my first experiences with WPRK compared to this article, I am not surprised by the info in this article and the similarities that Pearson experienced at California Baptist University and Rollins College. "Stale odors, a small fridge in the corner, local radio station stickers", just to name a few, are a few similar things you'll encounter, but more importantly you'll experience the quote "students who speak negatively about their experiences with advisers and the wrong group of people over seeing the WPRK as an organization. Why the hell has Rollins let this happen? Coming in to this situation with a professional background I was appalled to experience this at WPRK. We're talking about the oldest college radio station in Florida, and the first, yes first FM radio station in Central Florida. The fact that Rollins had never sold the rights in the past shocks me though, because if your only going to do the bare minimum then why not just sell and make a profit? Instead, Rollins chooses to pay for the operation of WPRK but not for the proper operation of it. If you let clueless students operate it along with undertrained volunteers, then that is exactly what it is going to act and sound like. Anyways....

So, like the article states, does Rollins believe it is just too expensive and tricky politically to keep campus media alive? I'm not positive, but they sure act like it. This article states that some campus media organizations are being shut down because there's no money being made from it. I would directly associate this to the leaders of these organizations. Why, well because personally I've raised somewhere in the $5,000 range in underwriting and collectively another $11,000. The majority of this money was easily obtained. If the was a competent individual in the higher position who cared about this, then the money would be raised on a daily basis, and could triple these figures monthly, if dedicated.

On the physical aspects again, it was interesting to find out Pearson also noticed the locations as being "in a basement, or rooms resembling closets." Most importantly Pearson points out that activities in media design, writing, producing, require an inspirational setting. Luckily, we've got a great location with WPRK, but not so much for the rest of Rollins Campus Media. It would be great to bring them all to the same level of the Mills building one day.

"Team members must be trained properly to ensure excellent work." This is a GREAT idea! I liked reading that this is what should be happening, but in reality is not happening. The ship will sail regardless, yes, and this maybe the thought process of Rollins, but what if the ship sailed with excellence and also raised money for the not for profit status?