107.7 The Bronc finds a new home in the Fine Arts Center
By Aaliyah Patel & Victoria Pender
Rider’s radio stations 107.7 The Bronc and The Bronc Retro have found a new home on the second floor of the Fine Arts Center.
107.7 The Bronc/WRRC-FM is an Adult Contemporary/Adult Alternative station and The Bronc Retro/WRRC2 is an online news station that plays classic hits from the 50s through the 90s.
Before the move, the stations occupied the ground floor of the Bart Luedeke Center. The space was undergoing renovation with a projected plan to be completed by April.
Due to complications presented by the coronavirus pandemic, the project had some setbacks but it is now home to the Center for Diversity and Inclusion and the Student Navigation Offices.
John Mozes, the general manager of The Bronc, explained what life was like for students before the need for precautionary measures.
“Last year before COVID hit, we just finished our Dessert War’s Competition at Daly’s Dining Hall. We were getting ready for the egg hunt, the egg hunt blood drive [and] the car contest.When [COVID-19] hit, we had to put the brakes on everything, so we had to redevelop programs,” Mozes said.
The radio stations organize many traditional in-person events including Cruisin’ From Commencement, a contest for undergraduate and graduate students who are eligible to walk at the class of 2020’s commencement. Now, all of these in-person events have been modified to meet state requirements.
Mozes says, “Our events went from our egg hunt and blood drive to ‘Quarantunes,’ which we did successfully for four Thursdays in April. We did a thing called ‘Rider Connects’ where students could send messages to other students over the air.”
Responding to what can be interpreted as a disaster created the opportunity for students to explore engaged learning.
“As we shifted, this facility we are in now makes it even easier because all the equipment is digital and IP-based,” Mozes shared.
Ashlee Hunter, a junior graphic design major and the student general manager of the Bronc, shared how virtual recruitment has increased student opportunities.
“The Bronc’s strategy was to focus on the student experience of hosting your on-air show … On the virtual platform of Zoom, we met new students, planned new shows and trained them,” Hunter said.
Despite the uncertainties that have come forth this fall semester, certain Rider traditions such as Scream Screen, a fall drive-in-movie and trunk-or-treat experience, will still occur.
Hunter says, “Even though it’s going to be virtual this year, I can’t wait to participate and share all the fun activities planned with students at Rider … Students are going to love what our organization has planned for them.”
Last year, The Bronc was a National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award nominee for College Radio Station of the Year.
