A key component of UVM’s campus atmosphere is WRUV, the long-standing student-run radio station. Here in the Davis Center, the current home of the station, 90.1 WRUV FM can be heard in the tunnel, Brennan’s Pub, and the hallway outside of the recording studio. For many students, this allows them to find new music and to discover what their classmates are listening to. For student DJs, WRUV has served as an outlet for their creativity, enriching their college experience for 70 years. 

The Executive Board of WRUV is an incredibly hardworking team that strives to improve the station every year and create a welcoming environment for newcomers. Station Manager Ava Pilkington has been a member of this team since she was a sophomore, and as a senior, she’s so happy to have been given the opportunity to run the station. While her time at UVM is only a fraction of WRUV’s rich history, she is proud of the current team’s work and believes that the future is looking bright for the club. 

WRUV was founded in 1955, and for the first 30 years, it broadcast from a semi-soundproofed Pomeroy Barn. At first, all shows were carried through a closed-circuit to the Men’s dormitories before they switched to broadcasting on FM, which made for a much better listening experience. Once the inner workings of the club were established, they moved to Billings Hall, the old UVM Student Center. These transitions were essential for keeping the club running and for its sense of style to grow into what it is today. For having existed for so long, WRUV has the biggest physical music collection in the state of Vermont, giving DJs plenty of options for choosing what is going to be in their show. 

WRUV isn’t just like any other station, however. With their tagline being “your better alternative”, DJs must play songs that don’t fit into the commercial sounds of current radio. This has been a key element for the station since it began, and it is an important value for the DJs. The “better alternative” mindset allows for more underrated or local artists to be recognized for their music. The two big rules for the DJs are that artists from the Billboard Top 100 can’t be played in excess, and any song that has been on the Billboard Hot 100 chart can’t be played. This form of College radio is special in part because the repertoire can be very diverse from one DJ to another. 

Pilkington credits a lot of positive changes in her life to WRUV. “But I think that, yeah, [WRUV] has definitely given me confidence and the capability of managing interpersonal relationships, conflict resolution, and like, kind of seeing how the back end of a business actually works has been really interesting.” While Ava isn’t a music major, she thanks WRUV for giving her the chance to escape classes for a bit and express her interests and love of music. 

In this digital age, the radio is not the main way students tend to get their music. While WRUV can be heard in various spots in the hallways, some students aren’t aware of the station and might not recognize where the music is coming from. “I know when I talk to friends about the station, you know, whether it's my show or meetings or other things that I am doing behind the scenes, it didn't really register with a lot of people what WRUV actually was, and I had to kind of explain that we have a radio station,” Ava says. Even though it can feel tucked away, WRUV has always had extremely passionate people sharing their creativity through music. 

One thing that is hard for Ava (and for many on the station’s Executive Board) is having to limit the students who can be involved in the station. She says that more student involvement is a way to get the word out about the station, but it is impossible to train everybody. “We've been trying and working really hard to figure out how we can get the general student body involved, while also abiding by our schedule, and people who are already on air, and training, because we can't train 300 people; we just don't have the capacity right now,” Ava says. The latest club leaders have been attempting to tackle this issue through their increased online and general campus presence.            

As for the next 70 years? As long as passionate people with a love of music continue to come to UVM, the station will always be in good hands. Money is always a challenge for UVM clubs, especially for the fixes or repairs that WRUV’s studio requires. Even through these challenges, though, the station has a strong future ahead of it. 

Music is an element of self-expression that can be incredibly personal, but WRUV builds a sense of community through sharing music. Connecting with others through our interests is what college is all about, and finding someone who shares your interests can be one of the best feelings. While it's easy to live in a comfort zone, going outside of it is what builds personal style and what gives a better sense of the world. Be sure to tune in to 90.1 WRUV FM in Burlington to experience community and a love of music. 

Song Recommendations:

Recommended by Ava: "Mope" by Bloodhound Gang

Recommended by Ally: "Let ‘Em In" by Wings