Radio Days #6

As my service learning is winding down, Michael has been letting me be on the air a lot more. He had me read an entire weather report last week and he's had me run the board a lot more too. Even though being on the air is scary and brain sort of shuts down when the mic opens, I really enjoy talking on the air.Working at the station this past semester has been really fun and I think I'll miss it over the Summer. If I wasn't so busy and in need of a break I would take one of the Summer internships available at 103.7, but I don't need a hectic Summer after a hectic semester. Anyways, I've learned a lot about radio at WUGA and I had a really good time. I'll always remember it.

Danger! Danger!

At WUGA there aren't a lot of dangerous situations I think I could get myself in, but I guess there's danger everywhere, if you look hard enough. Since I have asthma, and at the station I work in some confined spaces where the air flow is poor or restricted, that could pose a hazard if I ever got a bad attack. There is a lot of electrical equipment at the radio station too, and I'm sure it's risky to be around so much wiring and whatnot. I mean, I've seen an electrical fire before, and it was extremely scary. Really I think things are pretty safe at the station, they have the required workplace safety posters posted up all over the place (it was actually my job one day to make sure they were all up to date) and they don't let the equipment get run down or fall into disrepair. I think as long as you have your wits about you, you can remain pretty safe.

After reading some articles about potential workplace hazards I've learned, well, not a whole lot. The articles basically reiterated what I said in the paragraph above, except with more technical terms. A lot of the information didn't apply to my workplace either. The radio station is a pretty safe place, as long as you don't take drink into the control room, which is strictly against the rules anyways.

No one can do the things you do.

Alright, I'm supposed to write about skills that I possess that are unique to me, but I'm pretty sure there is at least one other person in the world who has some of the same skills as me. I watched Barney and Mr. Rogers when I was a kid, so I know just how special and unique I am, but there is no way I'm that special and unique. I do have skills though, and so I'll tell you what they are, regardless of whether or not I'm the only one who has them.

Well, I'm really good at figuring things out. If I am faced with a problem I will figure out the best course of action to fix things. I'm personable; I like to talk to people and I'm good at talking to all different types of people from different backgrounds. I have a good memory (most of the time) and can recall facts quickly from my head. I'm really good at multi-tasking and can think about multiple things at a time. Once I start a project I see it through to the end. I'm creative and have a good sense of what looks right and what doesn't. I can focus on what someone else wants and not what I think they need.

And now I feel really conceited...

Say what?

I think I have the ability to communicate well, whether or not I always use that ability is questionable though. I get distracted easily while conversing, and sometimes my brain just glitches and I can't find the words to say. Also sometimes I really have a lot of trouble speaking correctly, I have a lisp, you may have never noticed, but that's only because I concentrate really hard on not lisping. Also I went to three years of speech therapy when I was a kid to try and get rid of the impediment. My mom always taught us that how we speak and convey ourselves to the public is important, so she told us to use "ten dollar words", proper grammar, and try to think of more intelligent ways of explaining things, instead of cursing or using slang. I think I'm better at writing than I am at speaking, just because when you write you can analyze what your saying before anyone else gets the chance to see or hear it. Sometimes words fail me, and I sputter and stutter, but I think most of the time I do an alright job of getting my point across.

Mmmkay

My quiz results said that I was okay at cell phone etiquette, not good, but not bad either. I don't talk on my phone that much unless I'm at home, or if I really need to, I'll have a short conversation in public, or I guess sometimes when I'm really bored I talk on my cell phone in public. Something about having a private conversation in the middle of Target just turns me off. I don't text because I don't pay for my phone service and my dad doesn't want to pay extra just so I can text my friends when I can just as easily call them, which is understandable. I generally don't view my phone as my lifeline, I like to be unreachable sometimes. Much to my friends dismay, I frequently don't answer my phone. I don't want to be available 24/7. While I understand the convenience and safety of a cell phone, I kind of don't like them. It's just one more thing I have to deal with and carry around with me, also, people treat their phones as status symbols, I don't' care what my phone looks like, I've dropped it so many times I've lost count. Having a phone is good for last minute changes in plans, my mother keeping tabs on me, and maybe a couple of other things, but people treat them like extensions of their arms and like something they need; I know plenty of people without cell phones and they're doing just fine. So I guess when I am on my phone I'll keep in mind that the quiz said I could be a little more conscious of my manors, but it might be a while before I can practice.

Radio Days #5

Working at the station has been a very good experience so far. I'm learning a lot and getting more responsibilities. Michael has had me run th board while he talked on the air, and had me talk on the air while he ran the board, but he has recently started letting/making me do both. It's mildly terrifying, of course, but I like it a lot too. I still make plenty of mistakes, but I'm getting better (I just need to remember to BREATHE!). I've been learning a lot more about the automation and how a show is put together on the computer. The automation is what plays at night when there is no one at the station running the board, it's sort of a complicated process, but I got to put together the automation for three different nights last week. For a while I was only monitoring the board while we recorded the show African Perspectives, but this week I got to see what happens after the recording, when the cut the pieces of audio up, splice in music tracks, install faders, and do a number of other things. I'm enjoying all the new things I'm getting to do a lot, it's much better than just observing people and shadowing.

Written:
1. Text Messages: texting can often seem impersonal and since it is done quickly there can be errors. To avoid offending people, only send text messages when it's really necessary or when you're being very informal.
2. Letters: letters can be a good, thoughtful, and personal way to communicate with someone, but if you have illegible handwriting or if speed is of the essence you might want to consider a different form of communicating.
3. E-mails: E-mails can also seem impersonal and rushed, this can lead to misinterpretation and possible affront. When writing an E-mail you should take your time (if possible) and use your spell checker.

Verbal:
1. Over the phone conversations: When talking on the phone it is easy to get distracted and stop listening, also depending on your phone service and location the sound quality can be compromised. Phone conversations can be very useful as long as you use proper phone etiquette as well as good judgment as to whether the conversation should take place in person or not.
2. In person conversations: Well if you have a bad case of halitosis, in person conversations might not be for you; physical appearances can be distracting as well. When you know you're going to be having an important personal conversation you should definitely mind your appearance and you should always keep good dental hygiene, as well as all the other sorts of hygiene.
3. Speeches: Speech making can be daunting to many individuals, there is and added pressure to speak well and not make mistakes. If you make a mistake while making a speech there is a larger audience and your mistake may be hard to recover from. If you know you're going to make a speech you should be well prepared; have note cards in case you get stuck and rehearse your speech with a friend and ask for their opinions. Trying to relax and not making such a big deal of the event might help as well.

Non-verbal:
1. Facial Expressions:
2. Body language/demeanor
3. Hand gestures