“Don’t you guys love live college radio? Because there is nobody stopping us from having this much fun. It should be illegal.”
That message was broadcast across the airwaves from a tiny corner of the Ceddia Union Building from the studio of Shippensburg University’s college radio station, WSYC, from its general manager Caitlyn Shetter.
WSYC Station General Manager Caitlyn Shetter enjoys dinner in a ball pit.
It was the 12th hour of the station’s annual Up All Night event, an event the station has been holding in the spring for over a decade that features prizes and marathon lineup of different DJs every hour.
But unlike the marathon drives from some other non-profit media sources, WSYC is not begging listeners for money. Instead, it is giving them prizes and entertaining them for 24 hours.
Planning starts early.
“Beginning of the second [spring] semester,” is when they start according to Shetter, who took over as the station manager in the fall. “Brainstorming prize ideas, sending out the schedule in enough time for the DJs to sign up and like have their lives planned out. It’s a multiple month planning.”
It has to be. The station has 24 time slots to fill, each with a prize to give away.
This year’s prizes included, but were not limited to, Phillies tickets, a record player, a vinyl copy of Sabrina Carpenter’s album “Man’s Best Friend,” assorted gift cards and concert tickets. The big prize of the night: tickets to see Mr. Worldwide, Pitbull.
Prizes were limited to SU students who came up to the lively atmosphere of the studio. In the earlier hours of the night, before campus rules dictated that only actively on-air hosts could be present, the studio occupied by energetic group of students surrounding a ball pit constructed by Shetter.
One of the nights winners, Grace Martin, an education major, came to collect the radio Lego set she won. Around the same time, one of the night’s Squishmallow offerings went unclaimed.
To win that prize, listeners would have had to call into “K-pop Korner,” hosted by Alex Heckman, and provide the answer to a question: “Which K-pop band member got a DUI on a scooter?” The answer: Suga, real name Min Yoon-gi of BTS, who was charged with the crime in Seoul, South Korea, in 2024.
Alex Heckman, host of "K-pop Korner," hosted the 7 p.m. hour of WSYC's Up All Night.
Following K-Pop Korner in the night’s lineup was English major Emily Brewer, who hosts a show called “Sundays,” which airs Mondays this year.
“‘Sundays’ is kind of just like a home kind of vibe. It’s very welcoming, warm,” said Brewer. “I play a lot of like indie, but also like focus kind of music.”
“It’s fun, but I think it’s more for like the calmer people,” Brewer added. “It’s for the people who are just like mellow, you know, just want to roll with what’s coming and maybe have a moment to be mellow in a world full of like craziness and classes things like that.”
Emily Brewer, host of the show "Sundays," plays music in the lead-up to her prize giveaway.
Like a lot of students at WSYC, she is not a communication, journalism and media major. So what brought her to the radio station two years ago?
“I honestly just wanted an outlet away from all of the work I was doing,” Brewer said. “It really is such an individual thing in a way, for you to just play your music and share it with the world and get away from the stresses of life.”
Brewer’s prize? A vinyl copy of Sabrina’s Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend.” The caller who won, Paige Gensinger, called before Brewer could even cut the mic after announcing the giveaway.
When they were not on the air, the DJs hanging out in the office kept busy by socializing and playing games. Some committed themselves to artistic pursuits — the latest addition to a large collection of artwork dedicated to WSYC faculty adviser James Lohrey, who is commonly called “JLo” by students.
Lohrey is a frequent subject of student art at WSYC. Pictures of him as the Joker or the moon adorn the walls of the radio station. This night’s addition? Lohrey as a pizza overlooking the WSYC staff imagined as pizzeria employees.
Among those in the room is freshman host Abby Shygelski, host of “Abby Road.” For her, the radio station is not a hobby but is exactly where she wants to be.
Shygelski’s love of the radio started when she visited a radio station during a high school field trip.
“I was originally going to go into psych, but then I went on this field trip and I actually got to sit in a radio station,” Shygelski said. “I guess I just had like this light bulb moment that this is what wanted to do.”
Shygelski’s show was at 1 a.m. She was giving away a tote. But first, the 9 p.m. slot and its marquee prize of Pitbull tickets would need to be awarded.
Abby Shygelski, host of the "Abby Road" show on WSYC, knew she wanted to work in radio after a high school field trip.
Taking the mic for that hour would be Shetter, who also hosts “Pump Up the Jams,” named after 1989 Technotronic song.
“I play really depressing music sometimes, despite the name,” Shetter says. “But I really just play whatever I’m listening to.”
Caitlyn Shetter is joined by Madison Warner 9 p.m. time slot where Pitbull tickets were given away.
She believes playing music on the radio is a good emotional outlet for her and the other DJs.
“I still feel like a lot of people come here as just an outlet for musical and emotional freedom,” Shetter says. “Like screaming in the studio during a really good song is so cathartic.”
Madysen Wilt would end up winning the Pitbull tickets around 9:30 p.m. Shetter was only halfway through her day.
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