By RYAN RANDALL //

Thanks to a generous donation from a Curry College alumnus, the campus radio station, WMLN-FM 91.5, was able to install the latest and greatest studio equipment money can buy.

“Everything is new–everything!” said Professor Alan Frank, director of the Curry College radio department and station. “There are new monitors, speakers…even the carpet is brand new. The only thing we’re still working on is getting a new chair.”

New monitors and microphones on display in the WMLN Studio. Photo by Ryan Randall ’18

Joe Kaminkow of the Curry College class of 1983 donated $50,000 to the station from both him and his wife Benita. When he was a student in Milton, he was very active in the radio department.

“Joe was there when the radio station was not that developed and not that popular,” Frank said. He also included that when Kaminkow was there, the radio station underwent its first power increase, going from only 10 to 100 watts.

When he was a student, Kaminkow told Frank that he would later donate back to the studio. After he graduated, he stayed in close contact with Professor Frank and has since held up his end of the bargain twice!

Back in 2003, Kaminkow first donated $125,000 to the radio station. Now, years later, he again made a very generous donation to the department, where they now have what many have said is one of the best radio studios in the area.

“Joe has done very well for himself outside of Curry, and the fact that he has donated some of that success to us is really amazing,” said Frank.

Also spending some time in his former stomping grounds, Matt Fitzgerald of the class of 2013 was also hanging around the new radio station. When he was there he served as the manager of the studio for his final two years.

“I think the new studio is fantastic for the current and incoming students who will be working there,” Fitzgerald said. “I really wish it was built when I was still going there though.”

More of what new radio students will see when they step in the brand new studio. Photo by Ryan Randall ’18

Professor Frank also said that the new renovation is going to encourage more incoming students to get involved with the radio station.

“Joe was telling me how radio isn’t doing well in the real world, but here at Curry it’s enormously popular, and the students love it,” said Frank.

In addition, Frank also mentioned that many students who have recently done radio internships outside of Curry have told him that this new radio station on campus is better than the ones they worked at.

Some might also say that the new radio station equipment came at the perfect time.

Professor Frank recently celebrated his 40^th year of teaching at Curry and what better way to celebrate an illustrious career than to revamp the studio to continue teaching the next generation of on-air talent.

There have been a lot of new, exciting developments happening on campus – including the new Starbucks in the Hafer Café and the soon-to-be new addition to the science building.

With the newly modernized radio studio, the campus is starting to gain a fresh new look with wonderful campus amenities.