NJIT’s radio station, WJTB, opened its first meeting to a crowd of over fifty members gathered around the office. The air in the basement of the Campus Center was ripe with excitement as the enthusiastic executive board greeted new and returning members at the center of the gathering.
Orion Wilchinsky and Megan Sweeney, the station manager and secretary respectively, reassured members to stick with the club despite the dispute surrounding the organization.
The station has repeatedly come under fire for actions taken by past club members. From the occasional racy radio show to offensive decorations that adorned the club office, WJTB has been in hot water. A lot.
As punishment, the organization has had several privileges stripped from it beginning this semester. The most significant penalty is the loss of the club’s status as an X-club, and with that, all of the privileges that being an X-club bestow. X-clubs are organizations funded directly by NJIT. The organization’s demotion from this status resulted in severely reduced funding.
All this has come at an already difficult time for the club: over $1000 worth of sound equipment was stolen from the club’s office last semester. By its nature, the club requires quite a bit of equipment, and the reduced funding and lack of equipment has left its members struggling to recover.
The greatest disappointment for the club’s members is the loss of their ability to hold live events and provide music for the events that other clubs organize. In order to regain this privilege and status as an X-club, they must adhere to the regulations imposed on them during a probationary period.
Campus Center officials have not specified exactly how long this period might last, but the club members seem to be looking forward to actively restoring their reputation.
“We have been pretty laid-back in the past, and still are, but we are taking the rules seriously,” notes Megan. “We now follow the official broadcast regulations of the FCC.”
The club no longer supports racy commentary in shows by members, and its managers have imposed strict rules regarding the establishment of a radio show. In addition, members are now assigned mandatory office hours to monitor the club’s studio, and must now have their room opened for them by Campus Center assistants.
Despite these new rules, the station’s members have been eager in their compliance. “WJTB is excited to implement the changes and add structure,” said Megan.
While they have been trying to shed their infamy as the upstarts of NJIT, it has been difficult due to the widespread recognition of their reputation. They have been noticed throughout all the campus, which has made it difficult to recruit and retain new members.
“I was telling someone about WJTB after one of my classes,” says Orion, “I told him to come check us out at our office. But then someone said that WJTB is a bad club.” This opinion has, to WJTB’s dismay, not only been shared by the general student body, but also among other clubs.
When asked for a closing message to the NJIT community, Orion and Megan had this to say: “Come and join the radio! We have something for everyone, and above all, we want to change our image and improve our club to the level where we can best represent NJIT!”
WJTB’s meetings take place in the Campus Center basement, outside the WJTB office. There will be a meeting this week; it is on every other Tuesday at 9:30pm.
