KWAR-FM 89.9, Wartburg College’s on-campus radio station, is the focus of a Fund the Fortress campaign which will officially launch on Homecoming Weekend. The goal is to raise $8,000 for a digital console to replace decades-old equipment.
“The current equipment is so outdated that if we needed a replacement part, we wouldn’t be able to find one,” Pam Ohrt, associate professor of journalism & communication and KWAR station adviser, said. “We really need this new console to keep up with the digital era in the broadcast world.”
Ryley Seymour, fourth-year Wartburg student and KWAR station manager, echoed Ohrt’s sentiments.
“The way we consume radio is changing and KWAR believes students should be a part of that change,” Ryley Seymour, a fourth-year journalism & communication major and KWAR station manager, said. “Getting a new sound board will be beneficial in helping students learn and grow in the world of audio and broadcast.”
To donate to the KWAR Fund the Fortress, go to wartburg.edu/fund-KWAR. All donations are tax deductible.
KWAR’s slogan is “Your Sound” and students from all majors broadcast their own radio shows on the campus station. The basic format is Top 40, but the individual shows range from country to alternative to news, talk and sports.
KWAR is also heavily involved with Wartburg, Waverly and the Cedar Valley.
“We partner with Dance Marathon, the Renaissance Faire, ETK and many other campus groups throughout the school year,” Ohrt said. “Recently, we provided music for a dance at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School. The staff is committed to helping out wherever they can.”
In addition to providing students with on-air radio experience, the KWAR studio is used for audio production classes at Wartburg. Students receive hands-on training that will be beneficial in multiple types of careers and mediums.
“I can’t emphasize enough the importance of audio production skills,” Ohrt said. “We are training multimedia storytellers, and oral communication is a key component of that storytelling.”
Knight Wire 