Alumni
Mara Frankel - '06
I can safely say WVIK helped shape a large part of my future, both academically and otherwise. Not only was I introduced to an entire world of music, but the speaking and technical skills I learned guided me to a music business/communications major at New York University. The study halls, lunch periods, and endless hours spent in the studio were the best of my high school experience.
Sivan Geyra - '06
WVIK has been a great experience. It taught me how to be comfortable talking on air while enjoying all of the music I know and love. "The Happy Time with Charlie and Sivan" was the best time I ever had staying after school.
Pat Morgan - '02
During my junior year I got word that we were soon going to have a radio station. We already had one of the best television studios in the country, so this pretty much gave us everything. Most students in college are not that lucky! As part of the rookie class, we helped lay the foundation of the station for years to come. It is amazing to see how much WVIK has grown in just 6 years. For me personally, WVIK gave me the opportunity to get on the air waves at a young age, and helped me discover where I wanted to go in the future.
Sean Lukasiewicz - '06
I was given the Thursday 2:30-4:00 slot on the FM station my first semester as a freshman at Villanova. This was due to my experience at WVIK. Between the class and on-air experience, I am way ahead of many of the members of the executive board, let alone the other DJ's. I had the greatest time coming in Friday mornings for my show on WVIK, but never quite realized the value of this experience until I got to college.
Sarah Joyce - '04
Sarah Joyce, former News Director of the Campus Media Center at SUNY New Paltz, got her start in radio by taking a class in radio production at Clarkstown South. Learning about basic radio components, as well as creating and recording Public Service announcements, gave Sarah the tools to become an active member in the media world at Suny New Paltz. She has been a radio DJ, a TV anchor, an editor , and a director for two years at SUNY New Paltz, and she is very appreciative of the head start she got in high school at WVIK!
Ben Friedfeld - '02
As I reflect back to my time in high school, I really appreciate the WVIK experience. Not only was I able to learn the intricacies of how a radio station works, but I was able to really have a sense of achievement. From running the board to programming my own show, WVIK gave me a basis of knowledge that allowed me to advance in the communications field for years to come. I am presently an Assistant Producer for the NY Mets.
Courtney Gentile - '04
I learned a great deal about music and the technical aspects of radio. Being a part of WVIK helped me to better communicate with others.
John Maisano - '07
I'm John Maisano, one half of the Dennis and John Show. Our show was on Monday afternoons from 2:00-2:30. I also was the technical manager for the Matt and Kol Sports Show whenever they were on the air. Basically, I ran the board for them and made sure everything went smoothly and that there were no technical issues. I'll be attending New Paltz in the fall pursuing a degree in communications. WVIK was a great opportunity for me to learn about radio and realize how great it really is. Don't take the class too lightly because it is still a class and you'll get graded. However, the best advice I can give you on becoming a great radio jock is to relax and have fun when you're on the air because how you feel is what comes across to your listeners. Keep it up, Vikings, because WVIK is a stepping stone not many high school students get to help them realize their dreams.
Annie Leitenberg - '05
As I started every show with "I Love to Boogie" by T. Rex, I never imagined I'd end up where I am today. Taking Ms. Large's radio class started as just a hobby, an interest, and an elective for senior year. However, after I graduated and started college at Temple University, I felt a void without radio in my life. So I got a job at Clear Channel Radio in Philadelphia. I work in the promotions department. I started solely as a street team member for the jazz station at WJJZ, driving the vehicles in and around the city promoting. Now I 'm an assistant to the promotions director and I get to work with six very diverse stations. I absolutely love what I do and plan on staying where I am for a long time. I owe all of the inspiration and encouragement to Ms. Large and WVIK.
Emily Terkell - '06
My time with WVIK not only introduced me to some great music, it also helped me with the sound editing portion of my film studies. I'm looking forward to bringing back my Trippy Tuesdays this fall at NYU.
Sara Lipshutz - '07
The second I heard about WVIK, I walked right into the TV Studio and asked to join. Not only has radio at South offered me a chance to play music from artists I love, it has also opened up a little sphere of communication for me to exchange music and ideas with other DJ's and the audience. I'm attending Swarthmore College, and I hope to be a part of their station.
Allison Portney - '07
Honestly, I should have taken radio before my last year in high school. This year in radio has been a great experience, and I am lucky to have been a part of it. Though I want to go into broadcast journalism, radio is also a spectrum of broadcasting, so the program was a great help to my (hopefully) future career. Radio gave me a chance to share my musical interests with other people and it helped me with public speaking. Thanks a lot to Ms. Large for having me do PSA's my junior year because that pushed me into doing radio. It was a great year.
Adam Goldstein- '07
Being a part of WVIK has been a big part of my life for the past year or so. It has helped me to broaden my horizons, and I've rediscovered the joy of radio. I've heard new music, met new people, and learned new things. Radio was easily my favorite course senior year.
Chris Nieves - '07
Putting shows together for WVIK has had such a positive impact on my life. It's helped me further my own musical tastes. Every Tuesday morning I'd try to come with a diverse set of music that both my listeners and I were familiar with. Besides this, I think my public speaking skills have improved because of radio I'm attending Cornell University, and I may join their radio station because I had such a great time at WVIK.
Sara Lukasiewicz - '04
The blaring of my alarm clock woke me at a quarter to six in the a.m. I rolled out of bed and trekked into the. WVIK radio station - a.ka. the back corner of the TV Studio. WVIK has since evolved in the past six years. I'm one of the proud first DJ's WVIK ever had. Besides having a great time with the amazing people at the station, the voice and speech training helped me immensely in my acting career, an it's pretty awesome being an actress who can walk into any radio station or sound box of a theatre and be able to effectively use the technology - all thanks to WVIK. Oh, and my signature song was "Paradise City" by Guns 'N Roses.
Dennis Graiani - '-07
I am the other half of the Dennis & John Show. I'm a contract engineer for Citadel Communications' WABC/WPLJ. Although I don't plan to pursue an on-air career, I learned how to talk on the air and read news. Though I don't plan to be on-air talent, I know what it's like to put a show together, so I have more appreciation for the programming staffs I work with. WVIK also granted me a rare opportunity to have a complete radio station to "play" with an improve my engineering skills without being restricted. At work, anything I did had to be had to be a project handed to me by the DOE. At WVIK I was pretty much free to learn and fix as I need to, provided I warned Ms. Large first (which I failed to do on several occasions). Almost everyone I've worked with never had this kind of experience in high school and would have definitely been grateful to have it. WVIK is a fantastic way for kids to get their get wet before deciding they want to continue in college. Reading announcements for two years also made me feel more involved in the school's day-to-day happenings. "Those are your announcements for the day. Have a great day, and be sure to listen to WVIK AM 1700 on your morning and afternoon drives!"
Alex Weisler - '07
WVIK was the perfect antidote to the lectures and rote memorizations of the usual high school class. It was a fun and enriching oasis - a creative playground where all the student DJs could hone their crafts and forge their own musical identities. There was such freedom in that far too small radio room; it was unique at South and very much appreciated.
Brett Oronzio - '04
I got involved in WVIK my senior year of high school. Thinking back, I now wish that I would've gotten involved a little bit earlier in my high school career. It proved to be a unique experience and gave me some real insight into the business as well as some technical know-how. I am currently working for ABC TV thank to the communications department at South.