The WB(o)MB

Well, it’s been tasting good to me. I joined the radio station the first month coming to Baruch. I’d known a few of the people there from high school, who had a show I’ve continually tuned in to. Sure, WBMB – The Biz! reaches three blocks. Sure, the world has graduated to iTunes and Youtube. But there is something to be said about a recording studio, turn tables and walls covered in band posters. There’s culture, there’s opinion, there’s rebellion. There’s spirit.

I’m planning my own show now, but what has been on the forefront is my behind-the-scenes work. I am station photographer, and the title’s treated me great so far. I have set up a few social networking sites for the station, and that has taken up more of my time, energy and interest than my classwork all week combined.

The world of social networking is so infectious and almost vital to our generation. Lately, we’ve been surrounded by the threats of these sites: we give too much information, we don’t know where it ends up, etc. But there is an absolute positive to this exposure that cannot be denied.

I would put money on the fact that no one in our blog even knows Baruch has a radio station. But after making a Twitter, a Facebook, and a Tumblr, they will soon. It’s amazing what these sites can do, exposure wise. Overnight the station’s Tumblr has gained 12 followers (Tumblr is a site where users upload pictures, thoughts, quotes, videos into an RSS feed-type site to share with friends in a very open, “nonjudgemental” environment. It’s Facebook’s hipster cousin). The twitter has gained almost 10 followers as well. A majority of these new listeners and supporters are from different boroughs and most of them don’t even go to Baruch.

I’ve realized that there is some point to Facebook besides creeping and procrastinating. It’s sort of funny that it has taken me this long.