Signal WSIU Public Radio
An Online Newsletter
Vol. 8, No. 4 • April 2014
Morning Conversation
This Month on
April 1
Carbondale Park District - hear what’s in store for the Park District this summer, plus an update on the Super Splash Park.
April 3
Math Field Day/Common Core - SIU Math Department Chair Gregory Budzban will be in studio to talk about the rescheduled SIU Math Field Day, plus a discussion on how the new Common Core standards may affect learning and teaching going forward. Morning Conversation is hosted by WSIU Radio’s Jennifer Fuller. The show airs at 8:30am on Tuesdays and other weekdays, as scheduled, and repeats at 5:30pm. For updates & to hear past broadcasts, check our calendar at wsiu.org/programs morning-conversation.
April 7
Carbondale New School Representatives of CNS will join Jennifer Fuller to talk about their program, as well as an upcoming fundraiser.
April 8
Have questions or suggestions for topics to be featured? Contact Jennifer Fuller at
jennifer.fuller@wsiu.org or call (618) 453-6101.
SIU Carbondale Chancellor Rita ChengAhead of the SIU Board of Trustees Meeting (4/17), Chancellor Cheng will update campus & other education issues.
April 14
David Bositis - Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Morton Kenney Lecturer Dr. David Bositis will be in studio.
April 15
Fuller Dome - SIU Carbondale Architecture Professor Jon Davey will talk about efforts to continue the legacy of R. Buckminster Fuller.
April 22
Science Cafe - SIU Architecture’s Shannon McDonald will discuss how vehicles have changed the world of building.
April 28
Dr. Glenn Poshard- will update SIU issues, including ongoing budget negotiations.
April 29
SIU Continuing Education- will preview their Summer Camp Series.
SIRIS Volunteer Karthik Tadisina Meet SIRIS volunteer, Karthik Tadisina. Karthik grew up in Carbondale, Ill. where his parents taught at Southern Illinois University (SIU). His dad, Sureesh Tadisina, is a retired professor in SIU’s College of Business, while his mom, Meera Komarraju, continues to teach in SIU’s Psychology department. Tadisina likes Carbondale, and says, “It has a small town feeling. Carbondale is a great place to raise a family.” In 2006 Tadisina graduated with his Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from SIU and in 2011 with a Master’s degree in Kinesiology, Sports Administration. When he returned to SIU, Tadisina sought out volunteer opportunities to give back to the community. He came across the Southern Illinois Radio Information Services (SIRS) on a volunteer opportunities list on the SIU website and considered it an interesting way to help others. “I was always told that no matter what career you choose, it’s always important to give back,”
he says. With SIRIS, “you are really helping people who aren’t in a position to read the newspaper for themselves.” Tadisina started out as a reader and eventually became a board member, where he was able to discover other SIRIS volunteer options. “Reading is only one part of the service,” he says. “I’ve also learned about the technology and logistics needed to reach listeners.” He’s also assisted with SIRIS fundraisers, such as the Classic Vinyl & Media Sale and Trivia Night. In addition to his work with SIRIS, Tadisina volunteers with the India Association of Illinois, which has two large subgroups for students and families and hosts a variety of events throughout the year. Tadisina is a long time fan of public media, “I listen to NPR daily,” he says. “That’s a must in my family, especially around news time. Growing u,p we used to watch Sesame Street on PBS. Now I watch programs like PBS NewHour and the Rick Steves travel
Photo: Monica Tichenor
shows. I particularly appreciate that PBS and NPR are commercial free.” Tardisina is a self-proclaimed “big sports guy,” and enjoys watching and playing sports. He spends his free time watching a lot of basketball and football on TV and the computer. He visits the Rec Center regularly and enjoys spending time with family locally and in Chicago. If you’d like to volunteer for SIRIS as a reader, with administrative tasks, or at events, or if you’d like to serve on the board, please contact Sarah Maher in the SIRIS office at (618) 453-2808.
SPRING Community support celebration
THANK YOU!
Thank you for making WSIU Radio’s 2014 Spring Community Support Celebration a tremendous success! Together we raised almost $22,000 to support the rich and diverse programming that can only be found on public radio. Community support is our most reliable source of funding, accounting for 30% of our annual budget. If you didn’t get the chance to donate during our spring drive, you can make an online pledge by clicking the “pledge & renew” button at www.wsiu.org or call Susan Patrick at (618) 453-6184. Thank you!
WSIU RADIO IS POWERED BY YOU!
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘ratings’ as a measurement of how good, difficult, efficient, something or someone is. In the broadcast world, “ratings” can mean the difference between a successful station and one that is not. While listener ratings play a less crucial role in defining the success of a public radio station, ratings can provide an interesting “snap-shot” of the station. For example, about 30,000 people, on average, listen to WSIU Radio each week. Radio ratings are conducted year round, but for our radio station two 12-week periods in the spring and fall provide the standard benchmark for our performance. For our most
recent ratings period, men accounted for about 62% of all listening and women about 38% of all listening. It’s also interesting to see how listeners listen. During the last ratings period, 60% of listening occurred at home while 33% took place in the car and about 6% at work. Ratings also give us insight into the loyalty of our listeners, such as how likely they are to be listening to WSIU when they are listening to the radio. For WSIU, that loyalty is around 70%. As many of you know, we just completed our 2014 spring pledge drive, where I’m certain you heard several references to “WSIU is Powered by You” – and we are. Thank you for your continued support!
You’re Invited to the 2nd Annual
SIRIS Trivia Night
Fundraiser
Saturday, April 5 • 6pm Newman Center 715 S. Washington, Carbondale
Are you a fan of Trivial Pursuit™, Cranium™, or Scene It™? Do you enjoy being the smart person at the table with all the answers? Join WSIU for a fun night of brain teasers, games, food, and healthy competition at the 2nd Annual Trivia Night Fundraiser in support of the Southern Illinois Radio Information Service (SIRIS). Teams of eight people will compete for first, second, and third place prizes. Individuals and teams are welcome. Registration is $15 per person or $120 per team. Bring your own food and drink, or buy snacks from SIRIS. WSIU’s Jak Tichenor will be Master of Ceremonies. To register, call SIRIS at (618) 453-2808 or sign up at the Newman Center on the night of the event. All proceeds will benefit SIRIS, a service of WSIU Radio and Southern Illinois University Carbondale for individuals who are blind or have physical disabilities that prevent them from reading. Volunteers are always welcome to read newspapers, deliver radios, or help with administrative tasks. If you’d like to get involved as a volunteer, call (618) 453-2808.
3rd CONGRATULATIONS
WSIU 91.9FM
Southern Illinoisan Reader’s Choice Award
3rd place
all things considered Running Toward Boylston: The #NPR8 Running Toward Boylston: The #NPR8 April 15 & April 22 • On All Things Considered
Follow the Runners • npr8.tumblr.com/runners, #NPR8 on Twitter On April 21, all eyes will be on Boston as runners stream down Boylston Street to the finish line of the greatest marathon of them all. On everyone’s mind will be the day one year earlier when bombs exploded in this very stretch, bringing one of America’s great cities to a standstill as it frantically searched for the people behind the attacks. But what does it take to get there? What does it take to run 26.2 miles, to reach the Boston finish line?
April 15 The story weaves together the training experience in the runners’ own voices. April 22 enjoy an interview with one of the runners and a host in his or her own words.
NPR follows eight runners as they train and take on the 2014 Boston Marathon in special broadcasts airing before and after the race – April 15 and April 22 – on All Things Considered. Meet and follow the runners on Tumblr at npr8.tumblr.com/runners. You can also follow them on Twitter via #NPR8.
Our Runners Eric Ashe is pounding out 100 miles a week with the goal of breaking 2:18 in Boston. If he does that, he’ll qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Eric ran — and won — his first marathon in October 2012 (in Cape Cod). He was an accomplished runner at Boston University and now coaches at UMassBoston and BU. (Age on race day: 25 / Goal time: sub-2:18) Amanda Burgess was less than a mile away from finishing in 2013 when the race was stopped. Her two kids were waiting at the finish line. She’s back this year “to give my son the strength to hear thunder, listen to fireworks and not panic at the sound of a fire truck.” She’s also a triathlete. (36 / 4:00) Demi Clark was bib number 21724 in the 2013 race, among the last runners to receive an official time as the bombs went off. Demi’s left ear drum was blown out by the explosion. But she says she hasn’t missed a day of running since then. A tattoo on her right shoulder says “I still rise.” (37 / sub-4:00)
Matthew Conlon is a graduate student at UMass-Boston. He ran his first Boston Marathon in 2012, raising money for a local hospital where he plays guitar for chemotherapy patients. A spectator in 2013, he’s running this year to raise money for a scholarship in memory of bombing victim Krystle Campbell. (23 / 3:20) Dawn Castillo Harper is a new Bostonian, by way of Louisiana, who made it to 25.5 miles before the bombs went off. This time around, she is raising money for the Watertown Police Foundation in the community where the surviving bombing suspect was apprehended. (29 / 3:35) Jannine Myers is a New Zealander married to a U.S. Marine in Okinawa, Japan. She qualified but skipped Boston last year to run in California with a group of friends. “I feel truly blessed that I opted to go to Napa Valley instead. But now that I am registered for the 2014 Boston marathon, it’s on my heart to run in honor of those who were victims of [last] year’s brutal terrorist attack.” (43 / 3:30)
Amelia Nelson is a nurse who volunteered to work the 2013 race. She was assigned to “Zone 1,” the finish line area. As she told us, she saw things that day that no one should ever have to see. Since then, she’s been running to “heal, running to forget, running to process.” Boston will be her first-ever marathon, and she’ll be running with other members of the Zone 1 Warriors. (27 / finish) Arielle Rausin is a University of Illinois student and wheelchair track athlete. She’s been working hard and finally qualified for Boston last summer in Minnesota, where she beat her personal record by 30 minutes. She blogged about a meaningful milestone in November: She has now been in a wheelchair for half her life. (20 / 2:13) Editors: Eyder Peralta, Wright Bryan and Justine Kenin
Thank You! Please join us in thanking the underwriters who recently began, renewed, or expanded their partnership to make public radio possible:
Saturday 7pm • Sunday 6pm April 5 • New Releases
Join us for a roundup of songs and tunes from new and recent releases from the world of Celtic music.
April 12 • Best of the Best, Part 2
Our survey of music from our Album of the Year winners continues, starting with the winner for the first year Celtic Connections was on the air, 1991.
April 19 • Highland Highlights
Journey with us this week to the Highlands and Islands in the north of Scotland for songs in Scots Gaelic, and tunes for pipes and fiddles and more.
April 26 • Celtic Covers
This week we feature music of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and other popular musicians as covered by Celtic performers.
Paying for college: solutions
Week of April 7
For young Americans entering the work force, a college degree has never been more important – and has never cost more. Four years of college, room and board, and fees can range from $50,000 to $250,000. And many students are already replacing the traditional college experience with online courses and semesters at community college. In the series Paying For College NPR explores the various complex aspects of college financing, from sophisticated direct marketing and data mining to an outdated financial aid process to scholarships and financial aid letters that are often misleading. {Full Series airs March 17 through May 1} April 7 April 8 April 9 April 10 April 11
• Morning Edition: Rethinking College • Morning Edition: New Solutions • Morning Edition: College and Class • Morning Edition: STEM • Tell Me More: Wrap Up Conversation
Joseph Hudgins Orthodontics of Carbondale, Carterville, Marion Salem Travel Bureau of Salem SIU Credit Union of Carbondale, Energy, Harrisburg, Marion, Massac County Southern Illinois Art Gallery and Artisans Center of the Illinois State Museum of Whittington Southern Illinois Healthcare School of Law at SIU, Carbondale School of Music at SIU, Carbondale Wright Do-It Center of Murphysboro & Sparta Davis Farm Supplies of Jackson and Perryville, MO
For a complete list of WSIU sponsors and information about sponsoring WSIU’s programs and services, visit us online at wsiu.org or call (618) 453-4344.
WSIU Public Radio Communications Building 1003 Mail Code 6602 Southern Illinois University 1100 Lincoln Drive Carbondale IL 62901 (618) 453-6101 wsiuradio@wsiu.org