At Pratt’s student-run radio station, WPIR, no two shows are alike—the station’s schedule is as eclectic and varied as Pratt’s student body. Since getting her start as a board member and host at WPIR, Eve Mikkelson, BArch ’26, has watched today’s wide-ranging student programming emerge gradually, show by show. “We have Hyperpop followed by musical theater followed by reggae,” says Mikkelson. “There are a lot of people who like playing their favorite music, but then there are also talk shows. Anyone can do anything they want.”
With a team of more than 25 students and faculty members, WPIR is an on-campus hub—in Chapel Hall, room 011—for music and radio lovers to share their passions with the world. The station’s online stream runs throughout the week, with students from different years and disciplines hosting programs that range from conversational podcasts to deep dives into Brooklyn’s music scene.
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WPIR board members Arzu Oran ’25 and Eve Mikkelson ’26, in the WPIR studio.
For hosts like Arzu Oran, BID ’25, the station was a chance to explore a medium they’d long taken interest in. “My cousin used to do college radio, and I always thought that was like such a cool group to be a part of,” says Oran. “When I learned that Pratt had a radio station as a freshman, I immediately wanted to join.”
That was in 2021, in the transitional time of the pandemic, and board members like Mikkelson and Oran had to start from scratch. “We all came in like newborn blind babies,” says Mikkelson. “We were emailing people that had graduated eight years ago for the Instagram login!”
It wasn’t long before they reignited a tradition, steeped in the rebellious echoes of the early 1960s college radio scene, that has provided generations of Pratt students with a platform for expressing themselves through sound, and a chance to meet other like minded peers. “I got to meet so many people,” says Oran. “I became really close friends with people who I’ve helped record shows with.”
In the newest chapter of the station’s decades-long history, WPIR now puts out its own entirely student-run magazine, Off Air, launched in October 2023. Featuring write-ups on local shows, artist interviews, and album reviews, Off Air combines photography and writing, encapsulating the station’s evolution into a multimedia platform and reflecting the diverse talents and perspectives at Pratt.
As the new academic year kicks off, here’s a selection of WPIR DJs’ summer songs for the end of the season—and to get involved, contact prattradio@gmail.com or follow the station on Instagram at @wpirprattradio.
Photos by Dahlia Dandashi