When students at Michigan Technological University want to tune in to the pulse of
campus, they don’t have to look further than 91.9 WMTU-FM, broadcasting 24/7 from
the basement of Wadsworth Hall.
Founded in 1956 as WVRW, “Voice of Radio Wadsworth,” WMTU is one of Michigan Tech’s longest-running student-led organizations. The University-owned
station, which still broadcasts from the basement of Wadsworth Hall, is operated by students and community volunteers with a passion for live radio.
The mic at WMTU is open to anyone with a story and a soundtrack. DJs delve into a
diverse range of genres, from Japanoise to Math Rock to Dungeon Synth. This fall,
the station lineup features a trio from the College of Business, including Teaching Professor Roger Woods and students Veronica Frystak and Colten Baran.
The dedication of students like Frystak and Baran was recognized last year when Michigan
Tech named WMTU the Student Organization of the Year at the University’s Student Leadership Awards. Central to the station’s operations, Baran serves as general manager, while Frystak
oversees programming and leadership, training new DJs and ensuring content quality.
Though he’s been teaching at Michigan Tech since 2004, Woods is one of this year’s
newbies.
On Air: ‘Older Man Radio’
When Woods started referring to himself in class not as “old,” but “old-er,” a WMTU
radio show idea was born. The teaching professor, who’s also an affiliated senior
lecturer in construction management, turned his running joke into “Older Man Radio,” a weekly show spanning music and
memories across decades.
The idea took shape when he noticed that Frystak, a marketing and supply chain operations management major taking his BUS2300 Quantitative Problem Solving course, included her WMTU affiliation
in her email signature. Woods reached out to see about hosting a show.
“Music holds powerful sensory memories,” he said. “I can tell you exactly where I
sat on my middle school bus, the feel of the green vinyl seats, just from hearing
a song.”
Woods later found out that Baran, a student in his Project Management class, is also
involved with the station. Together, the trio found the flip side of mentorship.
For Woods, learning the ropes wasn’t nearly as smooth as a Sade song.
“Onboarding took a minute — compliance, liners, the board — and one show, the computer
went down,” said Woods, laughing. “But between the station library and my own collection,
it’s a blast.”
Woods said the live format of his 120-minute show creates unexpected connections.
“Compared to teaching, you don’t see your audience — but they’re out there,” he said.
“One day, I received a call from a man in Madison who had worked on campus radio at
Tech in 1963. He heard me play “Madness” and wanted to say thanks. That’s when it clicked.”
His first broadcast featured one Top 40 hit from each year between 1972 and 2012.
Since then, he’s mixed grunge from his college years in Seattle with punk favorites
like The Cure and listener requests. One episode of “Older Man Radio” featured songs he associates
with past girlfriends over the years, once again showing how he connects memories
to music.
Making Connections at the Helm and in the Booth
Baran, an engineering management major, discovered WMTU as a first-year student. The global COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted
his high school experience, and he proactively sought ways to establish a different
tone for his college years. Being involved with the station helped Baran find a connection.
“I used to sit in my room, play games, and do homework. That was it,” he said, “Now
I’m out with my friends all the time. Most of them are from WMTU.”
“WMTU is where I apply what I’m learning in class in real time. It’s a great space
for trial and error.”
As the station’s general manager, Baran focuses on practical leadership. He ensures
teams have the resources they need, facilitates meetings, appoints new members and
keeps operations as enjoyable as possible for everyone involved.
“It’s radio, but you’ve got to have fun with it. If we’re not having fun, something’s
wrong,” Baran said.
He also guides key initiatives behind the scenes, including updating the station’s
constitution and governance, along with stabilizing existing technology.
“I want WMTU set up with clear, flexible rules — leaving it better than we found it,”
he said. “Fix what we have, document it, then build from there.”
Baran said his engineering management coursework directly supports his leadership
style. “WMTU is where business skills meet real stakes,” he said. “You learn to lead
friends as colleagues, give feedback without making it personal, and keep an operation
running.”
When he’s not leading WMTU, Baran takes the mic as host of “The Zookeeper,” a variety
show featuring a crew of DJs who blend music, humor and campus culture.
Directing Traffic and Flowing Creatively
For Frystak, what began as curiosity quickly became a calling. She joined the station
eager to play music and quickly became fascinated with the logistical management of
the business — including traffic, the radio industry term for organizing and scheduling
programming.
“I just wanted to be a DJ,” she said. “Then, through timing and need, I ended up helping
coordinate everyone else’s shows.” Today, Frystak oversees more than 70 DJs, managing
registration, scheduling and on-air operations.
“If everything you do is tied to a metric, you start chasing happiness through grades
or numbers. At WMTU, we get to step outside the academic fog. We’re unbound by rubrics
or grades. You can just create — and be recognized for it, not evaluated.”
Her show, “The Wave,” airs from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesdays. Frystak blends late ’90s and
early 2000s emo tracks with her own commentary and storytelling. “It’s my favorite
part of the week,” she said. “It’s a space to reset, to play what I love, and just
to talk. It doesn’t have to be perfect.”
Frystak said WMTU provides students with a much-needed creative outlet.
That freedom, she said, is what keeps the members of WMTU coming back. “It reminds
us that learning and expression don’t have to be separate things.”
Streaming Now: The Sounds of Husky Nation
In true Tech fashion, WMTU continues to evolve. Listeners can still tune in on 91.9
FM in the Houghton-Hancock area, but the station also streams 24/7 and hosts live
shows on Twitch, reaching audiences wherever they are.
Baran said Twitch stream viewers include faculty and staff, along with alumni from around the country.
Baran encourages other Huskies to get involved with their University’s radio station,
whether on air or behind the scenes. For those hesitant to approach, his advice is
welcoming and straightforward: “Just do it. What do you have to lose? Even if the
first meeting isn’t your thing, that’s an hour of your life — and you might find something
you love,” he said. “WMTU has room for everyone: marketing, design, technology, broadcasting.
There’s a place for you.”
Michigan Technological University is an R1 public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
