Fourth Estate/ Erica Munisar
WGMU held their Name That Song event this spring, its creator reflects on its success
BY VIVIANA SMITH, MANAGING EDITOR
On March 13, Mason’s WGMU radio staff hosted their spring 2024 Name That Song event in the JC Bistro. Attendees spent the night enjoying music, food and fun while playing a “Beat Shazam”-inspired trivia game.
WGMU’s staff holds this event every year, with the most recent event being its fourth consecutive run. WGMU Marketing Director senior Julian Lee is a huge part of the event’s creation as he introduced the event in spring 2022.
“We were tasked with coming up with an idea to… show them we have a radio station,” Lee said. “And [the event] was really popular… [people] were like ‘this is the most successful WGMU event’.”
According to WGMU General Manager junior Ashlyn Cole, the planning that goes into a big event like this is tedious and comes with a lot of unexpected challenges.
“I don’t think it’s ever a proper event unless one thing gets thrown in the day before while trying to get it done,” Cole said.
The team reflected on the ways this event has provided them an opportunity to connect the music-lovers of Mason.
“I think many George Mason students will agree that sometimes it’s hard to find a culture here at Mason,” Cole said. “The radio…really is kind of a niche part of George Mason…and I think a lot of people want to be a part of a niche community.”
“People just like coming together and listening to music. Why do you think radio stations are so popular,” Lee said.
Three semesters after creating the event, Lee spent his last Name That Song on stage, emceeing with his signature style.
“The Name That Song event was my very first idea to try to help the station and it worked,” Lee said. “They gave me a microphone, I had sunglasses, and I did my very best to try to be engaging.”
Lee reflected on his involvement with this event and the radio station and hopes that future Name That Song events will continue to grow in popularity.
“It’s bittersweet because I felt like I’ve really helped and made my mark here…” Lee said. “[The event] will just keep growing and more people will grab more of their friends…I think it is going to become a staple of WGMU.”
