Beginning last week on April 28, Chesterton High School’s school radio station, WDSO, held a week-long ‘marathon’ where they held interviews, interacted with fans, and gave away an assortment of goods. This would be the 33rd RadioThon to ever be hosted. However, the marathon might not have been able to happen in the first place due to some unfortunate circumstances.
“The RadioThon had to be delayed and we weren’t sure if we were going to have it based on the lightning strike blowing up our transmitter.” explains Emily Fletcher, WDSO’s manager. “We were able to borrow a spare transmitter from a local radio station WBEZ.” She goes on to praise the station for their generosity. After the spare transmitter was installed, the RadioThon was scheduled to start the following Monday.
During the week, many fun events and activities were held. The station interviewed three punk bands from around the area including acts such as VoidClass and Massasauga. Along with interviews, there was also a limited-edition merchandise release from the station. The merchandise contained a WDSO logo that hasn’t been used in over 30 years. Close to 100 prizes were given away by Friday from donors that included Trusty Spot Records and Tees, Red Cup Cafe, Wagner’s Ribs, and many other generous local businesses.
WDSO first went on air for the first time in 1976, and ever since then it’s been a staple of Chesterton and the community. Currently, the station is student-run under the guidance of the manager Emily Fletcher, and radio instructor Matthew Waters. Besides playing music, the station also offers educational hours along with covering news, weather, and sports. If any student would like to join WDSO, make sure to contact Mrs. Fletcher or Mr. Waters. Anyone can listen to the station by using the Tune-In app or by changing your radio station to 88.3FM.
The station takes donations throughout the year, and they are very much appreciated. Your assistance goes to help with general upkeep and WDSO hosted events, including the RadioThon. Donations can be made here. WDSO is also open to interviewing any local bands and helping spread their music around! More information on WDSO can be found on their website.
