By Timothy Wilson
Contributing Writer
By: Derek Edwards
Left to right: Erik Muniz, Nicholas Dakers, Howard Borden, Makeda Jordan, Derek Edwards, and Jalls Civil Jr., accepting award at the CSIL Award dinner.
There are many up and coming artists at John Jay that many people did not know about until recently because of the buzz they are receiving. John Jay Radio is one of the main networking organizations at the college. If you want to start meeting people and engaging in new things, the Radio Organization is the perfect place for you to do so.
Howard Borden, president of the Radio Organization, felt that the Radio is a meaningful part to the culture of John Jay. “The organization was founded immediately after John Jay became apart of CUNY and I knew this because my aunt and godsister attended John Jay so they informed me about some of the history of the organization. They were also one of the main reasons I decided to join this organization,” said Borden.
The main goal of Radio Organization is to help student artists. Of course they don’t just help anybody. According to Borden, he has to see that you are serious about your craft. This means you need a resume or a sample of your work whether it be singing, rapping, etc. Also, he stated that first impressions are everything.
A rapper who has been assisted by the Radio Organization had a lot of good things to say about them. “The Radio Organization has helped me get into and perform at various shows at John Jay, and by giving me that opportunity, my fan base has grown tremendously,” said Jalls Civil a.k.a. “Jay King”.
They recently held an event in which many different people performed. There were rappers, song writers, and even people who did spoken word poetry. The artists felt this was another great opportunity to get themselves out there and they loved Radio for giving them a chance to showcase their talents.
By: Derek Edwards
Erik Muniz practicing his DJ skills.
The Radio organization doesn’t only assist artists. They also engage in activities during community hour. Once this semester they hosted their live radio show during community hour playing music and hosting interviews with select individuals. “I do remember that day during community hour. They were playing music and they were conducting interviews. I enjoyed when they played hip hop and rap throwbacks, reggae and soca. It really livened up the place,” said Lisa Ford, a student at John Jay.
Another student, Melissa Drouillard, said that she also enjoyed them interacting and making community hour a more comfortable and enjoyable place to be.
The Radio Organization is starting to grow tremendously. “If anyone wants to join the Radio Organization, all you have to do is attend two meetings and contribute some of your time to the events being coordinated so that we know you are dedicated to the cause,” said Borden. The president also wanted people to know that “it is important to know where your money is going, and since we are an organization for the students we get a budget which we put towards events to help students in John Jay showcase their talents and for the enjoyment of the students who just want to watch. We try to be productive with the budget so you as students don’t feel we are wasting your tuition,” said Borden.
The Radio Organization is a great opportunity to meet new people and coordinate events for John Jay. If you want to join, head on down to Club Row, located in room L2.70.24, and speak to the president Howard Borden.
