Towards the Utopian Team.JUST after I finished last month's column I set off to London on a visit to several radio stations. There were ten of us in total and we planned to spend three nights in the capital visiting radio stations by day, and taking in the social life by night.
I went on a similar trip last year which was fantastic. This one would have been an equally great trip if not for the fact that six members of the group went down with a nasty, although short lived sick bug. This was a huge pity because a lot of effort was made by the society president in organising the trip. However, the four of us, including me, who did not fall ill, tried to make the best of it.
Something which I have often wondered about is whether someone's mental attitude can make much difference to things such as travel sickness or getting ill.
As a result of this trip I have decided that a positive mental attitude can influence whether or not someone avoids getting sick, even against all the odds. Eight of us were sharing a very small room in a hostel next to Hyde Park, and once two members of the group had succumbed, everyone else was convinced we would all get it. I must admit I was concerned.
I can't explain why I didn't get it in the end but I'm sure it was partly down to a positive mental attitude. I just kept telling myself, and the rest of the group, that I was not going to get ill. On the second day I even woke feeling not great. It sort of felt like hunger but I was nervous so I didn't eat all day for fear of feeding the bugs. By 4 o' clock I decided it must be hunger, ate a sandwich and immediately felt perfectly OK!
I think this positive mental attitude thing is also relevant to sea sickness. I used to suffer from this, which as you would imagine is a bit of a disadvantage to someone who lives on an island. However, I don't seem to be bothered by a rough trip on the boat anymore and I put it down to a change in my attitude.
When I was about ten, I was always scared that every wave would roll the boat enough to cup it over. Since then I have seen a few boats out of the water and I learned that there is a lot more under the surface keeping it on an even keel than I thought. The point is, although I have a great respect for the sea, I am no longer scared of it like I was as a child, and I can therefore relax on the boat. I think it's this ability to relax that has made the greatest difference in making me actually enjoy a rocky boat journey.
On a different note, I have recently been elected as the new station manager for our student radio station - Utopia FM. I will therefore be responsible for the three-week broadcast coming up at the start of term in September. Later this week we will be holding a further election to decide who will form the rest of the management team.
I'm very keen to put more emphasis on teamwork and good production of shows on the air. I'm keen to have a flagship community-orientated show at tea time on week days, and a Sunderland-specific sports show on a Saturday and Sunday at 5pm. In the past the station has gone for a very music-led format with very little constructive speech. I think while this is a traditional and successful element of student radio, Utopia needs to move closer to public service community output in preparation for it becoming a full-time community station in a year's time.
It's going to be a challenge to both get the station ready to go on air in September, and to make changes which will hopefully improve the station. I am looking forward to the task and I hope I and the rest of the team will be able to make a success of it. Having this kind of involvement with a project like this can only be good for my career as it will gain me both valuable experience and something good for the CV.
Coming back to the impending broadcast which starts on Tuesday, May 6, I'm very excited to be presenting the weekday evening show between 7 and 9pm. Because it's after 7pm in the evening I'm allowed to play my choice of music instead of having to follow the scheduled play list. This will allow me more creative freedom and hopefully make the show more unique and interesting. I also have some great live guests lined up and plenty of features to keep the pace of the show going. I will have a live DJ set for an hour twice a week, and a weekly round up of the top news stories both internationally and in the Sunderland area with a friend of mine who is a journalist. I also have a couple of other mates co-hosting and producing the show.
I've spent the last couple of weeks at home in Kirkwall working on various bits and pieces and enjoying the relaxation that Orkney life has to offer. Every time I come home I find the differences between life in the city and in the islands more apparent. I assume that this must be a natural part of the growing up process but it does take me a couple of days to re-adjust at both ends of the holiday. Nevertheless I enjoy my time at home very much.
You can listen to my shows on the internet at www.utopiafm.net at 7pm from Tuesday, May 6. I hope some of you get in touch with a shout out or tune in to hear the show. Cheers.
