WKNC leads sessions at #CBITexas

WKNC students led five educational sessions at College Broadcasters, Inc.’s second annual National Student Electronic Media Convention Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2013 in San Antonio. #CBITexas featured more than 90 sessions and events and brought more than 400 students, advisers/managers and professionals to San Antonio for the three-day event.

As part of the educational mission of Student Media, the students’ summaries (PDf) are published so others can learn from the conference as well.

General Manager Bri Aab, who attended CBI’s 2012 convention in Atlanta, received an N.C. State undergraduate travel award to present the session “Interviews: Talking to the People Beyond Your Station Doors.” During the 50-minute presentation, Aab and WKNC Operations Manager John Kovalchik discussed the interview process from soliciting bands and community members for station interviews to live performances, mixing, editing and podcasting. Aab will submit a written version of the presentation for possible publication in INK, N.C. State’s undergraduate research journal.

Aab, a senior in philosophy and creative writing, presented two other sessions during the convention. She partnered with Michelle Hanley, general manager at WGUR at Georgia College, and Angela Criscoe, faculty adviser for WGUR, for a session on staff training and leadership titled “New Year, New Staff! Pass the Torch.” “Show-Stopping Concert Execution” paired Aab and David Smith, WKNC’s indie rock music director, with Samantha Nakhoul and Aly Mulligan from WSOU at Seton Hall University and Lauren Johnson of KTSW at Texas State University to discuss planning on- and off-campus concerts.

Smith, a junior in business administration, also co-led the Music Director’s Roundtable with Natalie Amend, music director at WSUM at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Kovalchik, a junior in biological sciences, led a second session with WKNC’s Production Manager Walt Lilly, a junior in communication-media. “No Music Venue? No Problem!” highlighted the methods behind WKNC’s new multimedia project “The Lounge,” in which artists perform acoustic sets at the WKNC studios.

The group of four students was accompanied by Assistant Director of Student Media Advising Jamie Lynn Gilbert, who served as one of the principal organizers of the event as secretary for CBI. For the second year, Gilbert led a discussion on developing a station code of ethics. She and Lydia Ammossow, adviser for KXLU-FM at Loyola Marymount, also facilitated a “swag swap” in which participants brought swag – stickers, pens, T-shirts, koozies, bottle openers, CDs, etc. – to swap with their peer stations.

During the convention, wknc.org received a finalist award for Best Student Media Website as part of CBI’s National Student Production Awards.