WSRN Live

It's 8:06, and we're sitting outside the WSRN studio on Parrish 5th (what a hike up those stairs!), waiting anxiously for Katie to arrive with the key. Sharon's a little nervous - her stomach hurts - but she's mainly excited about the show. Then the phone starts ringing. Repeatedly. Now, I'd been told that Katie and Sharon's show, Chester to Manhattan, was slowly acquiring a listener's base. It stands to reason, I guess, that the day we can't get in and answer those calls is the day they all come. Finally, Katie arrives ("Sorry, I was just slower than molasses in January!"), and we start turning on the many controls and machines. Sharon and Katie have been on the air for about three weeks now, and they're both really enjoying themselves.

It was Katie's idea - last semester, she and a friend had their own show. At that time, she and Sharon were planning on learning how to use a videocamera and other types of equipment. But "there was too much stuff involved... I kept forgetting things," Katie smiles. "Yeah, that didn't work out too well," agrees Sharon. But one night during the semester, Katie invited Sharon to be a guest on her show. "Sharon loved it." So, they decided to get their own show for this semester.

Their show is called Chester to Manhattan and it's a mix between talk and music. Now that calls are starting to come in, Sharon and Katie are really enjoying themselves. People call and give shoutouts to their friends and family, and to Sharon and Katie. Having a radio show, Sharon says, "Is a different experience. People call, and you never know what they're calling about. It's just nice to hear different feedback, their point of view. Also, you can talk about what you want, and just sit back and chill."

Sharon and Katie have been partnered together since last semester, which was Katie's first semester as a member of Learning for Life. What made her decide to get involved with L4L? She hurt her knee playing rugby and finally listened to Jessie Lee's advice - and is glad that she did. "Everybody always loves the program," she says.

What kind of music do Sharon and Katie play? Well, that all depends. They take turns choosing songs - some of which are quite different. While we were there, Sharon put on an Ashanti song that, when played, made Katie turn in shock to her partner and say, "Is this you? This is what you want to play?" Still, there are some songs all four of us agree on, and even though it's early in the morning, it doesn't take much for us to have a good time. When Don and I leave the studio, we're all dancing to James Brown's "Big Payback," and Sharon and Katie are asking us to come back on the show once in a while. You know what? We probably will.

by Don and Myra