Jackson steps into the position of general manager at Elon’s student-run radio station
When Sarah Jackson ’27 first stepped onto Elon’s campus, they weren’t sure if they would find a spot where they fit in.
But not long after, they found their perfect place at WSOE 89.3 FM, Elon’s student-run radio station. Jackson was drawn to the organization by its “vibes” and they said they felt the station closely aligned with their own personal music taste.
“All of it was just screaming ‘me,’” Jackson said.
As a cinema and television arts major, Jackson never expected that they would be involved in radio and didn’t even know Elon had a radio station before beginning their first year. Now, they have been appointed as WSOE’s next general manager, which is the highest executive position in the organization.
Previous to their role as general manager, Jackson was a DJ and hosted a show for the station, but more recently served as music director for the organization. In that role, Jackson said that they were able to get a “more intimate” look at the station, through their work curating the sound of WSOE, sorting the music catalog and helping coordinate events.
Jackson not only coordinated with bands to have them play at events like SUBFest, but also got the opportunity to interact with a lot of WSOE’s general staff during music sorting sessions, which they said was sort of like a mini-general manager position.
During their time as music director Jackson also said they were able to grow a new appreciation for the station and that applying for general manager seemed like the perfect way to continue that growth. Jackson felt that the hiring process was smooth, until it came time for their interview in front of the media board.
“It was a little bit intimidating,” Jackson said. “But then I realized that it’s just a group of people who love what they do, and so if I can express to them how much I love doing this, then the interview is easy.”
For Jackson, one of the best things about WSOE is all of the people who are involved in the organization.
“It’s always such a joy to just go into the station and hang out and talk to the people there,” Jackson said.
So, as general manager, Jackson hopes to get more people involved in the organization and to increase the Elon community’s awareness of it.
“I love the station, and I want a lot more people to know that we actually have a radio station,” Jackson said.