"Sound of Notre Dame" (WSND) and "Voice of the Fighting Irish" (WVFI) broadcast an range of student radio shows that cover music, sports, politics and more.
WSND airs on FM station 88.9 to serve both Notre Dame and the surrounding area, and WVFI streams online for students at nd.edu/~wvfi
Senior station manager Patrick Brown said WSND is a classical radio station during the day and a college rock station at night.
"We pride ourselves in offering a very wide variety of music," Brown said. "You won't just hear the ‘1812 Overture' 24/7."
Both Notre Dame students and South Bend residents work at WSND, and Brown said the station unites these two groups.
"We [are] a meeting place for both Notre Dame and the South Bend community," Brown said.
Brown said WSND garners 8,000 to 10,000 listeners at a time because it spans a wide audience.
WSND broadcasts from the clock tower of O'Shaughnessy Hall, and according to Brown, this vantage point is an asset for those who work at the station.
"Not that many people know we're up there but … we have this great view of South Quad," Brown said. "Every time the sun sets, we watch that over campus, and we're really lucky to have that view. It's definitely a benefit of working at WSND."
Sophomore Kate Johnson hosted a classical request program Sunday afternoons and a specialty "Taffelmusic" show Friday afternoons on WSND last semester. Johnson, a music major, wanted to exercise her appreciation for classical music through her shows.
"It's expanded my knowledge of music a hundred times more than I would get in the classroom," Johnson said.
The WVFI office in LaFortune Student Center offers diverse student-run programming that included 70 different shows this semester.
Senior station manager Nicolle Walkling said she joined WVFI her freshman year because she wanted to share her love of music with students.
"[WVFI] seemed like the perfect outlet for me to share my music with others and discover new kinds of music," Walkling said. "I hoped to find a community that loved music as much as me and an activity that I felt was worthwhile."
Unlike WSND, WVFI is completely student-run. Walkling said the station garners only 550 listeners per week because it only appeals to Notre Dame students.
WVFI broadcasts a range of niche shows hosted by different students. This semester's lineup included a dating advice program hosted by a graduate student under the alias "Emma Woodhouse," a college rock show called "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" hosted by senior Brooke Healy and "Hungover," a music show with weekly themes hosted by seniors Colin Rich and Kennedy Collins.
Collins said his show's title was inspired by his former Sunday morning timeslot at 10 a.m.
The show now streams online at 11 a.m. Friday mornings, but Collins said "Hungover" is still an applicable title for the program.
"We cover elaborate themes that we usually come up with at trivia night at Legends the night before," Collins said.
