New York, New York!

There are a few things I know about New York. It’s huge.

​There’s a particular stench that seems to flood the streets and follow you around, lingering ever so closely. People flock and crowd the streets; there’s commotion everywhere. And within all the chaos, every person tends to have their own favorite stories of the stinky, crowded, large and in charge, yet beautiful city. Returning with the station for a round 2 this year certainly did not disappoint and being around some of my favorite people and favorite places makes me feel incredibly grateful and ridiculously lucky.

On the 18th floor of the once beautiful, but now mostly historic Hotel Pennsylvania lies
one of the most impressive radio conferences of the year, IBS. Full of professionals, and
students, IBS offers a chance to ask questions, network, and learn about a medium that means
something special to everyone attending. My favorite seminar of the weekend was WIUX’s talk
about how they rebranded their station in a period of transition. Listening to one of the best
college stations talk about their own faults was very eye-opening and it sparked an entire group-
wide brainstorming session. And as someone potentially attending Indiana University, I felt
solid in my decisions knowing that I had the chance to be a part of their radio program for the
next four years. Besides talking to WIUX, we had the chance to listen to on-air personalities talk
about their show prep as well listen to authors and industry alum lecture on how to make
interesting content. The entire weekend sparked ideas within all the managers attending and
we spent countless hours of our freetime on the trip going back and forth trying to solidify all our
crazy thoughts into concrete plans.

Although we were there for radio, my favorite part of the trip was getting to be with my
friends. Being in a new environment allowed us to get insanely close and we spent as much
time as we could together. We took group naps, shared playlists, annoyed each other to no
end, but what made the trip so memorable was that we were all together doing what we loved.
We all especially enjoyed the late night jazz show we saw at Lincoln Center. Huddled into the
center of the dimly lit space, we sat with mouths wide open as the sweet, sweet sounds of
trombone and piano filled our ears. Exhausted and delirious, we were all uber aware of how
special that moment was. The lack of sleep was well worth the hours spent with all my friends
and I’m so happy I got to spend one of the craziest weekends of my life with five really cool
people.

Although smelly, overbearing, and claustrophobic, New York has filled me with ideas
and strengthened my relationships. I wouldn’t trade these adventures for the world. I’ve gained
experience all the while being with my friends and co-workers in one of the most diverse places
in the world.

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