Sarah Cougill was elected last Sunday to be the new station manager of WIUX.
She said she has been involved with WIUX since her freshman year and decided it was time to take on more responsibility.
Cougill, a sophomore studying marketing in the Kelley School of Business, will take on a station in transition, as WIUX will move from its current location, a house on Eighth Street and Park Avenue that has housed the station since 2014, to a newly renovated facility inside Franklin Hall.
The station announced the move in November.
Cougill will have many responsibilities to take on next year but said she hopes she will be able to use her business skills and creativity to continue enhancing the station’s brand.
She spoke to the Indiana Daily Student about how an Arcade Fire film screening drew her into the station, why she hopes to be the “voice of reason” during the move and how the station creates its familial feel.
IDS: When/how did you get involved with WIUX?
Sarah Cougill: I found out about WIUX during my freshman year in the fall, and I couldn’t attend the callout meeting.
I held onto the idea and went to the callout meeting spring semester because they were screening “The Reflektor Tapes” by Arcade Fire.
I’ve been involved for a year and a half now. After my spring semester, I ran for a board position, so I’ve held the sales director position for the full year, and now I am going to be station manager.
What responsibilities will you take on with this new role?
SC: Definitely a lot of emails. It’s really just making sure the day-to-day functions of the station go well.
I’ll be the first point of contact for the board of directors, so it is mostly just answering questions they have and making sure we are stable, especially with our move to Franklin Hall.
I have to make sure we function well in the new space while still reaching out the community.
What made you want to take on this role?
SC: I really enjoyed being on the board this past year and just seeing the internal function. A few people on the board approached me when it came time for the election for that position.
I already had the idea seeded in my mind even though I felt a little young, but I wanted to take on more responsibility, and this is the most important thing to me here at IU so any chance I get to help things run more smoothly or be more involved I will take.
What are you looking forward to most for next year?
SC: I think being able to be the voice of structure and reason during this move to Franklin Hall and help everything run smoothly.
I want to see how much we can evolve but also still be rooted in WIUX as WIUX. I hope I can be the first point of contact for people, like the mother hen of WIUX.
The space we are getting is on the second floor in Franklin Hall, and it is all being renovated to be ready for next year.
We are trying to rebrand certain events that were more location-specific like open mic night but still keeping them cool and casual with a home feeling.
The Media School has a lot of video and audio facilities that we will be able to take advantage of, and we will be able to hold events in the lobby and other rooms around the Media School.
We really want to be malleable in that new space.
How will you improve WIUX?
SC: Well, I hope I do. No, I think my go-to here is the fact that I have the business background side to me and a free thinking, creative side to me. Having that balance will be important and hopefully make me a good leader. I hope it can help preserve this culture we have going at WIUX. I can use the skills I have to continue enhancing our brand and presence in the Bloomington community.
What is your favorite part about WIUX?
SC: That’s an easy answer: all of the people. I think everyone will tell you that too. This combination of strange, interesting, passionate group of people.
Everyone comes here with some sort of intention like having a voice or a show, or finding a group of people who are into the same strange, niche bands that they are.
There is a shared interest with a lot of diversity which generates this idea-generating, fun loving community. It’s like a weird, cool family.
