Apex Radio: The End of an Era

What once was an idea that was floated around 3 friends turned into a commitment and community that we will be saying goodbye to this semester.

By Karisma Nava

In the Fall of 2021, I became a freshman at UIC. The only people I knew during this time period were exclusively people that I had gone to high school with. As time passed, I met one friend in particular who was a DJ at UIC Radio. It wasn't until the Fall of 2022 would I step foot inside the radio room.

Being a guest for the first time on UIC Radio, I fell in love with the atmosphere, the ideas, and the freedom to spread the love for music. This love was not only a feeling I experienced, but it was a feeling my two other friends experienced as well.

From a random group chat in September of 2022 between my friends, Mike, Frankie, and I, with the message "Are we serious about this? I am if you guys are", did that lead us straight to applying and getting our own radio show known as Apex Radio.

As time passed, our trio spent much time in the radio room, spreading our love for the music of our culture, with occasional breaks here and there. We eventually added another co-host, Giselle, who unfortunately could not continue joining us, thus making it the trio once more for the final semester.

Being in the radio room for the last semester, do you truly get to reflect on what is that you have learned and what it is that you're leaving behind.

When you join a community like UIC Radio, you automatically feel welcomed. Numerous times have I had conversations with fellow radio people, some of whom I have only met once or twice in my life, but have taken the time to talk and joke around with me like we have been friends for ages. Being a part of radio automatically gives you a community you can trust and fall back on when needed.

Leaving the radio room with the same individuals that I started with has and will always be such a blessing. Though I will always look back and miss those times in the radio room, I know that I am leaving with forever friends. Knowing my two co-hosts since high school, never did I expect that life would take us closer to one another as we are now.

UIC Radio has been such an amazing experience. I learned a lot about marketing, networking, and growing a brand, but on a personal level, I learned about being part of a community, as well as personal growth. As my co-hosts and I continue past UIC, we will always be able to look back and smile at our experiences in the radio room with UIC Radio:).