As a special, early “Christmas gift” to the generations of WDFM, WPSU and WKPS alumni, the Board of Directors of Penn State’s Student Radio Alumni Interest Group and the student leadership at The LION 90.7fm (WKPS) are pleased and proud to announce a very important milestone in the history of campus radio in Happy Valley:

As of this week, principal on the Robert K. Zimmerman Memorial Endowment for Student Radio at Penn State has exceeded $25,000, the benchmark set by the University for its activation and permanent status! Beginning next year, interest on the endowment will be available to support the operational needs of the radio station.

This major accomplishment comes only 24 months from the start of fundraising efforts and in conjunction with the 60th Anniversary of student radio at Penn State (1951-2011). In the years to come, this growing endowment will help ensure a bright future for independently programmed and operated student broadcasting at Penn State.

As we close out this most difficult year for our alma mater, take this news as just another among countless examples of the great things that happen every day at Penn State. We hope you share good comfort and cheer with family and friends this Christmas season and wish you the very best for 2012!

Hello! My name is Boshra Gheopreal. I am a recent graduate from Penn State University majoring in Telecommunications. I’ve held several positions at WKPS (The LION 90.7 FM) including Vice President/Program Director, Urban Music Director and radio personality. For the past three years, I have put in countless hours into WKPS in an effort to make it the best student station it could possibly be.

While at WKPS, I opened up access to College Music Journal (CMJ) to report the music we play, which resulted in the station receiving music it had not received in several years. By opening up CMJ, I have been able to develop relationships with record labels and music distributors. For example, Stones Throw Records, Co-Sign Collective, Foundation Media, Alpha Pup Records, a little with Rostrum Records, and more. Also this resulted in more interviews with musicians of different caliber. Another major project I worked on was setting up automation for both the Jam 91 (Hip-Hop/R&B) and RPM (Electronic/Dance) programs. Along with my own contributions, I have assisted the operations and promotional sections of the station in completion of their projects and goals.

With all I have done for the station, WKPS has helped me grow into a better man and leader, and gave me friendships that will last for years. Thank you for this award and I appreciate my hard work being recognized!

Steven, who now lives in Florida, had this to say about his time with Penn State Radio:

My 4 years at WDFM from 1968 – 1972 were both instructive and fun filled and I will always cherish the opportunity that was afford me by the University to plumb the creative of radio and have immediate feedback from students, faculty, girlfriends and general listeners. I still use my clear radio voice whenever opportunities present themselves, like re-recording an outgoing voicemail message, which may not be as much a thrill as “talking up” the intro of a record, but it reaffirms that what I learned at Penn State is still a part of my life today.

The first poster features an historical sketch of student radio’s re-birth as “WKPS 90.7fm” in 1995, while the second poster explains and features the station’s move from the James Building to the HUB-Robeson Center on campus in 2003.

The posters can been seen below in high quality PDF format. They hang inside the studio of The LION 90.7fm, the modern heir to the Senior Gift of the Class of 1951, on the ground floor of the HUB. The studio sits directly next to the Aquariums, the Senior Gift of the Class of 1999. The student officers encourage visitors.

The gift, a legal deed to one square inch of Mount Nittany, was purchased as a way for the alumni to support the Mount Nittany Conservancy in its efforts to maintain our beloved mountain while at the same time signaling to the students of The LION 90.7fm the importance of philanthropy and local engagement.

Along with the deed, the students received a framed copy of “The Legend of Mount Nittany,” one of the original Indian legends of the Nittany Valley that were gathered by Henry Shoemaker more than a century ago.

Anyone can support the Mount Nittany Conservancy with a donation online or via mail, and their square inch deeds can be purchased via their website at www.mtnittany.org.

Photos of the deed can be seen below. If you’re in town, feel free to stop by the studio of The LION 90.7fm on the ground floor of the HUB-Robeson Center, adjacent to the aquarium, and admire the beautifully framed deed and read the moving legend of our tranquil valley.

Located in the HUB-Robeson Center since 2003 (formerly downtown in the James Building), the radio facilities include the main studio on the ground floor of the HUB (by the fish tanks) as well as offices and production facilities on the third floor.

If you’re an alum or just someone who’s interested in visiting The LION 90.7fm and getting a personal tour of what student radio is like today, contact General Manager Brandon W. Peach to arrange a meeting time.

News articles will appear periodically here documenting our hands-on work with current undergraduates involved with student radio at The LION 90.7fm (WKPS) and about what we’re doing in the SRAIG to make life better for those of us who have graduated.