Life Outside of School: Focusing on Power 88.3

Step into this rock station, Power 88.3 WGAO FM; it’s a break from textbooks, homework, and all assignments! Just one tap from the off to the on button turns the broadcast live, the airwaves truer. The microphone turns on Southeastern New England’s hottest rock, Power 88.3. It is just waiting for the next DJ to talk into it. Here the tempo is different, less about syllabi and more about sound.  

For directors who are students, WGAO isn’t just an elective. It is a second home, or even a second job. They balance the duties of WGAO with full-time jobs, sports schedules, on-campus leadership, and even call play-by-play for most of the athletic events throughout the school year. Although the leadership position provides confidence, a sense of community, and professional contacts, it does require a lot of energy that some students might not possess. That push and pull characterizes life at Power 88.3 in the outside world and shows what the overcommitment of the world is actually like.  

Take Trent Marlow, for example; he is a senior sports broadcasting major and program director at WGAO Power 88.3. In one single day he has soccer games, admissions tours, classes, and even calls play-by-play commentary for games. “I like to focus on what I am doing in the moment,” Marlow explains. “If I’m doing homework. I’m doing homework. If I’m at the radio station, I'm at the station. If I'm playing soccer, I'm playing soccer. It does make for some long days.” 

The rhythm is fast and sometimes surprising, but it creates a sense of responsibility that cannot be taught in a classroom. Trent Marlow views his role as a director as if it were a course. “I take senior capstone; the same amount of time I would give to senior capstone I would give to the radio station if needed. There aren't due dates, but it's all on you to set them. You make sure the station runs very smoothly.” 

 The workload is heavy and demanding, but the reward is real. Trent Marlow has built a resume stacked full of experiences, like internships at radio stations, where he gained so much hands-on experience. “This role has opened my eyes to so many other opportunities,” he says. “It’s helped me land internships, and it’s something I really like doing.” 

However, even as the station fosters career advancement, it also highlights the difficulties that so many college students now face in this world today. Since the workload is so high these days, burnout among students is a persistent issue, particularly with the demands of a high workload. For Trent, every unknown call must be answered; you don't know if it's a student DJ or who it may be. It could be a DJ student needing any kind of help. “That gets annoying when it's spam, but you'll never know who it really might be who needs your help.” 

At the end of the day, WGAO is more than a radio station. It is a place for students where they trade the homework in for music logs and learn to juggle the priorities and learn how passion and responsibilities collide. For those who have leadership positions, the station can be demanding and rewarding. It's a whole balance between work, study, and the wider world waiting after graduation. Everything is a whole new ball game.