Radio is not dead, and I’m here to prove it.
My name is Ashley Marheineke, and I am the general manager of KDUP College Radio, our student-led media organization dedicated to playing all genres of music for every type of listener without missing a beat. We have been a campus presence since 1932, and we continue to grow stronger each year. After a four-year hiatus, KDUP finally returned to streaming live radio in the spring of 2024, and we haven’t looked back since.
When I began my journey at the radio in 2023, I was introduced to the magical space that KDUP calls home, "The Pit."
Located in the basement of Kenna Hall, "The Pit" not only houses every CD, vinyl and cassette owned by KDUP, but it is also the location of trinkets, polaroids, Christmas lights, concert posters and of course, miles of audio cables essential to the function of your one-and-only college radio. Our staff meetings and office hours are often spent lounging on beanbags and swivel chairs or packed tight on our cozy sofa.
KDUP is a space for music listeners, creators, consumers and enjoyers, and we continue to evolve each year. Coming back to life just under a year ago, KDUP’s DJ program allows students to volunteer an hour of their time every week or two to play music, talk about current events or hang out with their co-host.
But KDUP is more than just the space where our staff lets creativity flow. KDUP is also open mic nights, held in the Anchor on the last Thursday of each month from 7 - 9 p.m., where students can come perform for a small crowd illuminated by a giant disco ball and iPhone flashlights — if the vibe allows. Whether it’s spoken word poetry, covers of classic hits or a choreographed kazoo performance, our open mic nights have seen it all, and anyone is welcome to join us.
KDUP also offers an on-campus concert once a semester to introduce the student body to music made in the Portland area.
Last December, we hosted “Live From the Basement” in Corrado Hall, where three student bands were selected to perform to a sea of their peers cheering them on and dancing to songs they had only played live a handful of times. It was astonishing to watch a new band perform for the first time, a developed band hone their craft and one of our very own staff members hop up on stage and courageously spit absolute bars onto the audience.
In April, KDUP hosted our annual “Smash the Bluff” concert on the steps of Franz for the first time ever, creating a festival-like atmosphere with glitter face paint, photographers from The Log and student vendors selling their handmade products. Three Portland-based bands were invited to play a small set to our student body and any interested locals to close out the school year. Each performance had something new to offer — from folk music to punk rock to a live house set followed by smooth jazz, all musical bases were covered.
In case you missed it, live music is always playing at kdup.up.edu, which is now accessible via the UP Mobile App home page.
Radio is not dead, it’s more alive than ever. And my wonderful team at KDUP is proof of that. They are all working so hard to keep the radio awesome and accessible, and I am so lucky to have them. I am eternally grateful to KDUP and all of the amazing opportunities it has gifted me with. KDUP will always have a place in my heart and be somewhere I can call home.
Ashley Marheineke is a senior at the University of Portland. She can be reached at marheine26@up.edu.
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