Student Organization Spotlight: WLUR At WLUR-FM, Washington and Lee University's radio voice since 1967, students get an introduction to audio production, podcasting and more.

Students can create multi-person podcast recordings in one of the station’s four recording spaces.

“I always encourage DJs to ‘take the audience with you on the journey.’”

~ Steve Cross, WLUR general manager 

It’s no surprise that one place many students have found their voice on Washington and Lee University’s campus over the years has been over the airwaves of WLUR-FM, the university’s radio voice since 1967. Carmen Bunker ’27, WLUR’s program director, said she was hooked after her first few shifts as a DJ.

Bunker, a journalism and classics double major from Lexington, found her way to the radio station through her journalism coursework and said her family encouraged her to sign up for Fundamentals of Audio Production and Voice Development, taught by the station’s general manager, Steve Cross. Students in the course are folded into the WLUR programming schedule and tasked with creating on-air content.

“After moving past being intimidated at first about never having been on the radio before, I realized I was having a great time,” said Bunker, whose father joined her as a cohost on her 2024 Spring Term show, during which the pair spun classics like Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. Bunker’s show, “The Copper Comet,” was inspired by a family nickname. Bunker said she most enjoys bringing an eclectic program schedule to the surrounding community, a reflection of the diverse interests and personalities of the station’s DJs.

“Even just on my show, you will get Brazilian music, Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones and some new music from the latest Eurovision competition,” Bunker said, adding that her experience as a DJ, and now program director, has been an inspiring component to her experience as a journalism student.

“I’ve gained so much confidence through journalism, especially by being on the air,” Bunker said.

Cross arrived on campus in 2022, and said he has enjoyed watching the students make the DJing experience their own.

“I always encourage DJs to ‘take the audience with you on the journey,’” Cross said. “Tell the listeners why you chose the songs you chose for that hour and why they make you happy. Bring them on the journey with you, and you’ll have done an hour of great radio.”

Veronika Kolosova ’25 and Jessie Zhang ’26 in WLUR’s main studio

WLUR’s studio in Elrod Commons has experienced its own journey within the last two years. In addition to a new automation system that ensures the station’s content plays student-curated music 24/7, the studio space now comprises four production rooms in addition to the main studio, including a sound-proof booth. With the quadrupling of production space, WLUR has become far more than a radio station. Students have produced audio dramas, documentaries and, of course, podcasts. Three of the production spaces are equipped for multi-person podcasting. One of the studios is now capable of video streaming. And all of this is available to any student on campus wishing to explore the world of audio—no prior experience needed.

 Cross said classes are also utilizing these spaces for podcast recordings and other creative assignments that allow him to show students how to use the technology available at the station. For example, Cross will be working with a business course this term to train students on audio equipment for an assignment that asks them to produce their own radio commercials.

“Students and faculty are starting to find out all the resources we have available here at the station and how it can work as an extension to what they do,” Cross said.

Campus outreach efforts, including attending the campus activities fair and word of mouth, have also helped expand WLUR’s audience and the list of interested DJs. The station DJ list, comprising more than 80 students this winter, has grown exponentially in recent years. A typical DJ shift covers an hour of on-air time per week, and students are free to tailor the show to whatever format excites them, from talk shows covering sports, politics or pop culture to a full hour of music. Interested students can also apply to be program director or social media manager to gain more behind-the-scenes experience at the station.

The rotating “wall of records” in the station’s entryway includes vintage recordings from W&L singing groups and a dry-erase board collage of WLUR’s current shows.

Julie Charles ’27, a history major from Palm Beach, Florida, who serves as the station’s social media manager, said she has enjoyed collaborating with Cross and her fellow DJs to connect the campus community to the station’s content, often popping into other students’ shows to have them record content for the station’s Instagram and TikTok accounts.

“It’s also given me a chance to connect with students I wouldn’t have gotten to know otherwise,” Charles said.

The consensus among WLUR’s DJs is that the station has been an invaluable addition to their W&L experience.

“I have always loved music but never had a place to share my love for it with others, so when I found out about the opportunity to be a WLUR DJ my freshman year, I figured that would be a fun way to share my love for music,” said Camille Gillum ’26, a mathematics and economics double major from Birmingham, Alabama. Gillum added that she has grown through hosting her show.

“My public speaking has improved drastically since starting my show. I have become more confident in my thoughts and ideas, and I am much better at speaking naturally about topics I know a lot about, such as music,” Gillum said. “Planning my show is my ‘fun’ homework and is the perfect break during the week where I get to chill and listen to music. It is a guilt-free hour for me to just enjoy something I’m passionate about.”

Follow WLUR on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook for insider content, announcements, and more; if you are interested in being on the air, reach out to the WLUR team at wlur915@wlu.edu.

Learn more about the history of the station and stream WLUR live.