A Trip Over the Pond, a General's Poetry, & an NPR Celeb

November 2013

Thank you! It's great when ideas become real

November is a month for giving thanks. So, thank you!

Our Signature Series with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra is going strong. Cokie Roberts is coming to town in March. We're going to London in April.

It feels good to bring ideas to reality. Together, we've come a long way in the past year. There's more in store, but fear not, we're not giving up on the fundamentals - our news, music, arts and cultural programming on 90.3 and 95.9 FM. In fact, we've been doing some listening and studying some numbers to make sure we're doing the best job we can.

And yes, we listen. Many of you have asked for a program about writing and writers. Don Wooten and Roald Tweet will be taking on the task, hosting a program we'll call "Scribbles" once a month during "Saturday Morning Live." Their first edition will be Nov. 23 when they talk with retired Air Force Major Gen. John Borling. Borling, who will be visiting the Augustana College campus this month, is the author of "Taps on the Walls: Poems from the Hanoi Hilton," a collection of poems he wrote while a POW during the Vietnam war.

So, again, thanks!

Jay Pearce, General Manager

Tuning up for the holidays and seeking sponsors

At WVIK we get in the holiday spirit right after Thanksgiving. Dave Garner, Mindy Heusel and Michael Wahlmann mix in holiday favorites from the WVIK library with their regular programs "Morning Classics," "Perspective" and "Serenade." We also have a number of special programs throughout the season. The holiday schedule from NPR and WVIK will be posted to the website once it's finalized.

In the meantime, WVIK is looking for one or two sponsor(s) of 2013 holiday programming, which begins after Thanksgiving and runs through the New Year. The package includes seven spots a week, Monday- Friday, 5 a.m. to midnight and two spots on Sunday. Email or call underwriting associate Mary McNeil, 309-794-7745 for more information.

Since November is the month of thanks, she would like to thank all of the 2013 underwriters.

Upcoming events

Nov. 10: Sybarite5, Quad City Arts Visiting Artist, will perform for the WVIK and Quad City Symphony Signature Series. The performance starts at 3 p.m. in Wallenberg Hall, Denkmann Memorial Building, Augustana College, 3520 7th Ave., Rock Island. Tickets are available online.

Nov. 21: WVIK Travel Series Info Night, 6-7 p.m. at WVIK. Those attending can learn about the custom tour to London and the countryside April 30-May 6, 2014.

Dec. 5- 7: On-air calendar year-end fund drive.

Jan. 16, 2014: Next wine social; location TBA.

On air this month

Nov. 17: WVIK-QCSO Signature Series rebroadcast of Sybarite5, 7 p.m. ( Sunday Symphonies complete schedule)

Nov. 22: Fiftieth anniversary coverage of the assassination of President John Kennedy. A number of events are planned in Dallas and Boston. NPR will have full coverage from correspondents and member stations.

Student profile: Cecilia Casas

This will be my second year working for WVIK, and it has truly been a great experience. I started working at the station winter term of my freshman year. Being a sophomore now I really see how lucky I am to be chosen. There are many students here at Augie who'd be just as thrilled as I am to have this job.

What I do at the station is basic office work, but it really does give me lots of real world experience. I've learned so many tricks and shortcuts that I know will help me not only in school, but in life.

Augustana has become a home away from home for me, but my real home is in Elgin, Ill. I grew up there with my two sisters, grandmother, and of course my wonderful mother and father. They all helped me get where I am today. I am a future communication sciences and disorders major as well as a psychology minor. My goal is to become a speech-language pathologist with a focus in early child development. I hope to work in a clinical setting one day, or even a school. Although working at WVIK is very different from what I plan on doing in my future, I really do love and appreciate what the studio does.