Column: Aggie Radio takes on Seattle: a DJs perspective 

Crisp Washington air fell over me as our plane descended into the foggy, autumn hills of Seattle. It was the third time I had flown in a week.  

I unbuckled my airplane seatbelt and threw on a hoodie to prepare for the cooler weather, and excitement coursed through me as I imagined the new city. After spending the previous week warm in Anaheim, California, I anticipated the chill of the Northwest coast.  

However, in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.  

The focus of the trip was to attend the College Broadcasters, Inc., or CBI, conference. Along with the directors of Aggie Radio, I was there to attend classes and sessions to learn about how we could improve the station.  

Photo by Max Murray

But I’m just a DJ on the radio without a title or position. So why me?  

I was sitting in a small restaurant on the coast of California when I received a text message from my program coordinator with my invitation to Seattle. In the midst of attending another school conference, I was overwhelmed as I was offered another opportunity to travel and represent the organizations I am a part of on campus.  

Would I be able to get all my work done in time? How was I going to pull this off with only two days between trips? Could I handle airport security one more time?  

The answer was yes.  

It was a risk missing school for so many days and living out of a bag for two weeks, but I was willing to do it if it meant a chance to have some fun, learn something new or make new friends. As the only member of our team without an official position at Aggie Radio, I was feeling pretty anxious about representing my team at the conference.  

Once we got our bags, we took the monorail from the airport to downtown Seattle. After hiking up unexpectedly steep sidewalks, we made it safely to our hotel. There, we decompressed and then began our week of busy schedules, meetings and late nights.  

I didn’t know that from then on, I wouldn’t have anything to worry about.  

I quickly felt at home with the people at the conference and with my team. From early-morning coffee runs to late-night hotel chats, all of my worries ceased as I settled in, started exploring the city and attended the conference.  

All of my worries seemed silly then as I watched a member of my team catch a fish at Pike Place Market and listened to live music in the streets. I felt like part of the team as we talked to people like us and those who weren’t, connecting with them.  

Photo by Max Murray

We met professionals, walked by the water and laughed over expensive bowls of ramen. We ate Italian food, learned how to support each other and solved problems at our station. We trekked up and down Seattle’s hills until we got to know the numbers of the streets we called home for four days.  

After that, I wasn’t so nervous anymore.  

CBI Seattle was an experience that taught me not only a lot about radio as a beginner DJ but a lot as a teammate and a person. I was inspired by DJs who supported me with my show and by speakers who knew what it was like to feel like you didn’t belong. I realized I had something to share through radio that I didn’t know I was capable of before this experience.  

More than anything, I think our experiences come down to what we make of them. Will we hold on to fear, or will we trust the people around us to help us grow? For me, it’s the relationships and lessons we have in our positions, our jobs and our lives that make them worthwhile, even if we don’t have a title to go with it.