Review of my Summer

Well, summer is almost over and the only thing I have to say is...FINALLY! Personally, it felt like a very long summer. I'm use to having a very busy and stressful life, and for some reason I like that. The last couple of summers I've had a job and an internship, and during high school I had summer marching band. This year's summer was a little more relaxed.

In May, I was hired as Station Manager at WWSP. When having that position I have to stay in Stevens Point for the summer. Since I might get a call at any time of day, I quit my job at ShopKo. They were barely giving me any hours, and I was starting to get upset with them. Financially I was not making a lot, so I didn't live my usual lifestyle of eating out and going to the bars all the time (which did save me some money). I stayed at my apartment a lot sitting in front of my computer checking out the Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Hulu, etc. Sometimes I would just go to 90fm, work on little projects and just hang around.

I was also fortunate enough to get an internship this summer. I was interning for Wisconsin Public Radio, working at the office in Wausau every Thursday. Most of my responsibilities were to create and run a Facebook and Twitter page for our regional talk show Route 51. I never thought I would be doing this, but I learned so much about social media. Now I have a new appreciation for Facebook and (especially) Twitter. I also help produce Route 51 every week, and every once in a while I would do other little jobs. I also got to be part of a Social Media Committee. That was really cool because I was trying to help improve the social media for the whole network of WPR. One of the coolest things that I got to do was when I got to go to court to see the Dale Neumann trial. I followed our the news reporter, Glen Moberg, and see what he would do during the trial and then I saw how he made his 90 second news package. The one thing I have to say about that trial is that Dale Neumann is a PSYCHO! Even though I can't go up to the Wausau office, I'm going to continue helping WPR with social media and I get to help out with WPR shows by making an ISDN connection to other studios when a guest from Stevens Point will be on a show. I'm so glad I got to be a part of WPR because it was a new side of radio that I have not experienced. I have been in college radio, community radio, and commercial radio. I'm really considering to look for a job with a public radio station when I graduate college. I'm not concerned what I door where I go, but I definitely want to keep radio in my life.

I also went to a few good shows this summer down in Madison like Black Moth Super Rainbow, No Deachunter, Daniel Johnston, and Neil Hamburger. But the big adventure was going to Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee. 15 hour trip from Point was kind of long. But you get to camp out, the people are really friendly, and you get to hear a lot of great music. I believe I got to see Passion Pit, Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective, Santigold, Al Green, Crystal Castles, Girl Talk, Raphael Saadiq, Of Montreal, Decemberists, Tobacco, Ted Leo, Okkervil River, and Snoop Dog. I went with some good friends, and had the best time ever. Too bad it cost a lot and I was basically dirt poor after that weekend. Overall, it was a pretty good summer, just not the best compared to previous years. I'm ready for my last year of school to start, and hoping it's going to be a great year.