As WMNJ experiences a resurgence in activity, its new shows promise a newfound enthusiasm for participating students. “Frightful Frequencies” and “Playlist of Our Lives” serve as examples of ways students can share their voices on campus.
Cat Maida (’24) and Griffin Harris’s (’24) radio show, “Frightful Frequencies,” hosted on Drew University’s very own student-run WMNJ The Forest, has been airing since Sept. 4 and continues to air on wmnjradio.com every Friday at 7 p.m.
Episodes range in length from an hour to 100 minutes, and listeners can find old episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts with a quick search for “Frightful Frequencies.”
During each episode, the two co-hosts provide their blind reactions to scary stories on Reddit that are intended for fellow horror enthusiasts. The contents of each story give the hosts ample opportunity to contribute their own feelings and thoughts while they read the selected stories and afterward.
The co-hosts explore varying subject matter and display their interest in horror as they reference other mediums that may intrigue their fellow horror enthusiasts, such as horror films.
Although the stories are intended to be scary or disturbing in nature, listening to the show is meant to be a casual, laidback experience for those who may enjoy some of the show’s unsettling themes.
Maida and Harris take a light-hearted approach to the stories that serve as the subject of each broadcast.
When asked how “Frightful Frequencies” started, Maida said, “Griffin and I had been discussing collaborating on a radio show for a while. We both took a podcasting class and produced episodes of Tales from the Haunted Forest, which is where talk of starting a show together began.”
As far as concerns during conception, Maida said, “There were a few hiccups with the radio station starting up again, but this year Griffin and I hit the ground running with our show. We just planned to have a good time with it and not overthink too much. We have so much fun when recording because we are essentially just hanging out and reading some scary stories.”
Along with “Frightful Frequencies,” WMNJ is also home to “Playlist of Our Lives,” hosted by Eva Esqueda (’27), who uses each episode as an opportunity to invite a new guest to share music that they enjoy. The goal of this podcast is to use song choices and music taste to prompt interesting discussion.
“Playlist of Our Lives” can be found on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and episodes range in length from around half an hour to a little over 55 minutes. The featured songs come from a wide array of genres, and all guests have appropriate time to share their relationship with the music being discussed.
Although the subject matter can be serious, the podcast itself is also casual and a wise pick for anyone with an interest in music or who just wants to listen to friendly conversation.
These students not only enjoy the freedom they have in the station’s directions, but they can also derive career opportunities from current and future WMNJ shows. WMNJ’s return to prominence in Drew student life is also part of a trend in which other dormant clubs and activities are receiving support and attention again.
Rosie is a senior majoring in English literature and minoring in media and communications.
