Janet Briggs

As of Wednesday, WBOR is back on the air and closer to its radio transmitter than ever after its official move to Coles Tower. WBOR management spent much of winter break getting the new space together and celebrated its official opening last Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

According to Mason Daugherty ’25, one of the WBOR station managers, the construction process has been an exciting time to re-evaluate the collection of artifacts moving into the new space.

“It was cool to get your hands on everything that was in there at once. And it makes y’all realize how much it is. We have roughly 20,000 CDs and almost just as many records, 13 or 14,000,” Daugherty said.

Moving in has required significant assistance from the College, whether that be through contractors, the carpentry and electrical shops or other departments. Daugherty said that this process has allowed him to experience Bowdoin from a different perspective.

“It’s been interesting to get to know a lot of the other half [of Bowdoin], because there’s so many people who work for the College that don’t necessarily interact with students, so to be a student working in that capacity as a project coordinator has … been an honor,” Daugherty said.

Issie Gale ’25, another station manager, said they are excited to see how the graffiti that the WBOR studio has long been known for will transform the space.

“I know for a fact we’re gonna cook up some weird stuff to put up on the walls,” Gale said. “It’s not gonna be tame. It’s gonna be weird. It’s gonna make you think. It’s gonna make you wish you couldn’t read. It’s gonna make you wish you could think more critically than you ever could before. It’s gonna be earth shattering, and you will feel reborn.”

Daugherty said he believes learning the history of the new space will help people appreciate it more.

“The studio that we’re in now was a TV studio in a few different contexts. Most recently, anytime a professor needed to speak on the news, there was like a studio set up in here.… There was a student-run TV station [before that],” Daugherty said.

Daugherty also says that the new studio has many underappreciated advantages.

“It’s cool that we are next to the Craft Center and the Maker Space and have maybe higher visibility,” Daugherty said. “It’s a touchy thing.… People love being ‘underground,’ and I do too, [and because] I think some people have been like, ‘Where is it?’ there still is a bit of [an] underground [element].”

Colby Drabik ’27, who hosts the “300 watts or bust” show from 2 to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays, said the new space is already beginning to feel more comfortable.

“Nothing could ever compare to the old space,… but this is amazing for what this looked like before,” Drabik said. “And it will just get better. The walls have just started being signed. That will increase so much once people start getting in here.”

Another DJ, Owen Keller ’28, who hosts “Prevail against” from 1 to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays, is also hopeful about the new space.

“I like the lighting. I think we’re getting that warmth that the old studio had, which I think is part of what made the last one so special,” Keller said.

Ultimately, the act of transforming the space was a chance to bond with fellow students and create a legacy on campus.

“We’ve built so many memories here as a management team already,” Gale said. “[I] wouldn’t want to have done it with anyone else.… In a very selfish way, it’s super nice having a space that’s ours.”

Daugherty echoed Gale’s sentiments as he reflected on becoming a part of Bowdoin history.

“As a student, it feels daunting to be asking for a lot of big things like this, because you are asking a lot of people to take risks and spend a lot of money and put trust [in you] and your judgment,” Daugherty said. “I hope people continue to make this their own.… I think we feel very privileged to be here at this time and place.”