Have you ever thought about what it would be like to create your own version of “Friends,” write a front page story, or have a following like DJ Irie? You might just get your chance. Student media is home to NSU’s student-run entertainment and media outlets like Sharks United Television, The Current and RadioX 88.5 FM.
SUTV was founded in 2009 by Philip Ortiz, former president of NSU’s undergraduate Student Government Association.
“I wanted to create an opportunity for communication studies students to gain hands-on experience in the field,” said Ortiz.
The on-campus television station can be accessed in the residence halls on Channel 96. It broadcasts Hollywood blockbusters, student-created television shows, and student-created commercials for campus clubs and events.
The latest addition to the station is “The Stage,” a comedy about the life and drama of theater students. The show airs not only on SUTV but it is also uploaded on Facebook® where it has become popular among NSU students and their friends.
Comments such as “Show’s awesome. Good job, guys,” by Melissa Rodriguez, sophomore business administration major, fill the page after an episode is posted.
Michael McGregor, senior communication studies major and SUTV station manager, said,”I made a lot of great friends and learned some very valuable pieces of information at SUTV. It was a lot of hard work and stressful a lot of the time, but at the end of the day it was all worth it.”
Radio is another media outlet available on campus. NSU’s RadioX 88.5 FM broadcasts its radio waves across the tri-county area from 7 p.m.-3 a.m. The station also broadcasts online. It plays alternative, rock, house, hip-hop, jazz, and R & B music.
In addition, RadioX highlights student-created programming such as “The Local Show,” which gives local artists an opportunity to promote their music, and “South Florida Live, a show that features interviews and music of artists visiting South Florida.”
Michelle Manley, assistant director of Student Media and former station manager, said, “The whole goal is to play music the NSU community enjoys.”
The station is run by students who play music they enjoy and this is something they feel shows in their performances.
When asked what her favorite part of working at the station was, Athina Casas, sophomore psychology major and music director, said, “Definitely when people call and request a song, because sometimes you’re talking and you’re not seeing anyone, so you’re not sure if anyone’s listening. So it’s great when people call and tell you you’re doing a great job.”
Listening to RadioX 88.5 FM has its rewards. Listeners can win tickets to movies, concerts and special events.
The Current is NSU’s only student-run newspaper. The newspaper is published weekly and features NSU news, reader and student opinions, sports coverage, feature stories as well as an arts and entertainment section full of movie, music, and other entertainment reviews.
The Current hopes to create a dialogue among students, faculty and staff about issues the NSU community is concerned about from parking policies and security on campus, to academia and other content that matters to students.
Meagan Taylor, 2009 alumna, said, “When I was in school I loved it. It kept me in the loop with what was going on around campus and gave views on nation-wide news, but I must say my absolute favorite were the puzzles and word searches. My friends and I would work on the word scramble and it just became a tradition every week. I’m still a ‘Current’ fan and wish that it was still apart of my week.”
To find out more about SUTV, RadioX 88.5 FM and The Current click here.
