The following message was shared with members of WJJW on March 16, 2020 and has been made widely available for our supporters. More information will come soon.
Dear Colleagues,
With MCLA’s decision to move all remaining classes this semester online amid the COVID-19 outbreak, I realize that this means that we may not be together again during my tenure as WJJW’s president. This is not the way that I thought our time together would end and it has left me with so many raw emotions but above all else I feel heartbroken and disappointed.
I had always envisioned this semester ending as it usually does with Downtown Sound, getting to meet and help transition the new E-Board officers, and (as many seniors) having an opportunity to say goodbye to our listeners with a final show. It was a combination of the feeling of excitement for what lies ahead for this organization and sheer terror knowing that I would be searching for a “real” job. With tonight’s news, it’s prompted me to reflect on my time with the station, and this moment in time.
Together, we’ve been through a lot. We successfully proved the importance of college radio through a student-led and student-created campaign to reinstate the radio practicum course that packed President Birge’s office. We reached new heights with our concerts by welcoming the likes of Laura Stevenson and Prince Daddy and the Hyena. We brought our technology further into the twenty-first century with a new remote broadcast system and created a framework for further technology upgrades.
When I assumed the role of president, WJJW had a reputation for being an anti-social organization that didn’t engage much with the college community. We had some internal conflicts that had become well known and very public. Throughout the past year and a half, we not only have reversed that reputation, we’ve proven what college radio is capable of at MCLA when we are at our best. Student Development and Student Government have come to view us as a model organization.
Admittedly, not everything during my tenure has been perfect. As a leader, I have had my flaws and quirks, but I thank you for your continued faith in me. My objective has always been for WJJW to be a leader in the college radio landscape and I know that we’ve achieved that and will continue to do so in the months and years ahead.
Throughout my time with WJJW, I have had the opportunity to work with some incredible people. While there are too many to name and so many I intend to thank personally, I would be remiss if I did not mention our adviser Jim. As a part-time faculty member, Jim often puts in more hours than his full-time colleagues. His commitment to helping students, forging personal connections with them, and holding us to high standards is something I haven’t quite experienced elsewhere. Thanks to his guidance and my work on this radio station, I found my way to journalism, and will finish college this spring barring any setbacks.
I would also be remiss if I did not mention the people that I have led this station alongside. All of the achievements and work we have done is not a product of my work alone. I am eternally grateful for the contributions of and sacrifices made by Luke O’Brien, Teresa Leahy, Sean Curtis, Aidan Rawson, Sam Olson, Symantha Kehr, and Michael Rotigliano.
This radio station has helped me grow as a person in so many ways. It has given me a sense of belonging that I have found myself missing throughout my early and adult life. It has given me purpose, something to be proud of and take pride in, and opened my eyes to a potential future in media. After experiencing complications from a traumatic brain injury sophomore year, it gave me a reason to keep pushing through my recovery when things felt hopeless. Above all else, it has given me a group of lifelong friends and my favorite memories of this institution.
Regardless of whatever happens in the time ahead, I want you to know that I am, and will always be here for you in whatever way I am capable of. I am still the president of this station through the end of the academic year and will continue to do my job as best I can. The hurt and disappointment we feel right now will inevitably lead to energy that will propel us to do exceptional work in the future.
Our collective efforts of social distancing, increased hand washing, and working remotely will have an impact. So many people have taken the mantra of “flatten the curve” but “flatten the curve” (in my opinion) feels sterile and disregards the humanity of the situation at hand. This is about protecting the most vulnerable in our society from a dangerous and highly contagious virus that could be deadly. This situation is unfortunate, but so would be contracting the virus, or having a loved one contract it.
In difficult moments like these, I often find myself turning to music. Since I am realizing that a proper finale on WJJW is likely out of the question now, I want to share with you the song that I had intended to close my final program on our airwaves with.
Written by Jason Isbell for his wife Amanda Shires, “Cover Me Up” is a vulnerable love song. Shires helped Isbell find sobriety after nearly a decade of partying, the collapse of his first marriage, and the near end of his music career. Since then, the couple have become two of Americana’s most prominent voices, and Isbell has remained sober. It’s a song about finding someone you truly love and allowing them to change you for the better. It’s a song about the most hopeless finding a reason to be hopeful.
Until we meet again,
Jake Vitali
President of WJJW