Take a look at some fresh ideas for decorating your dorm and hear student opinions on how to make the space work for your needs and express your personality.

Cake is no longer just a delicious food. Hit shows like Ace of Cakes has transformed it into an art. Two Lewis University students take us for a behind the scenes look at how one local cake artist does her job.

The highlighted blue area is the course.

View Spots on Campus in a larger map

Lewis University has raised more than $30,000 for Hope Children’s Hospital. The donations are used to assist families of hospitalized children in their greatest time of need. In the past, the funds were used to pay for transportation for children receiving outpatient services, medicine, clothing, hotel rooms for families, bus passes, and airline flights. In 2009, a combined effort of Lewis University College of Nursing and Health Professions, Student Nurses’ Association, Student Governing Board, and WLRA raised a record $12,020 for the Hope Children’s Hospital Family Assistance Fund program.

CAPTIONS:

Hope Children’s Hospital, located in Oak Lawn, IL.

Lewis students and faculty represent the media department of Lewis University.

Lewis nursing students attend the event.

Hope representatives thank Lewis for their $25,000+ donations to the hospital.

Br. James Gaffney FSC, listens as a Hope representative gives remarks on the hospital’s gratitude.

Lewis students look on as their school I honored.

Br. James thanks the students for having raised the donated money and accepts Hope’s plaque for a $25,000+ donation to the hospital.

Attendees laugh as Br. James makes a lighthearted comment.

Br. James, faculty and students pose in front of the wall which contains the plaque honoring Lewis for their significant donations.

Proud smiles are nothing short of ubiquitous.

Nursing students stand in front of the wall of honorary donations.

A plaque honoring Lewis’ significant donation hangs underneath the $25,000+ category.

While on a tour of the facility, Lewis faculty and students views walls of tiles honoring the memory of children who have been treated at the hospital. Guests of the hospital toured a treatment room, also.

Students received a booklet and calendar from Hope Children’s Hospital as a small thank you.

Harmonic Uprising is Lewis University’s very own a capella group. Listen to this podcast for a behind the scenes look at the organization.

Podcast by HayleySmorczeski and Lyndsey Powers.

Visit Harmonic Uprising’s homepage.
See a calendar of upcoming performances.

These performances are from the group’s end of the year concert on April 20, 2009.

This segment is hosted by Brandon Wall and Luke Baker. In it, one provides a list of crazy products and the other must guess if they are real or fake. This episode features: Earth Starmap Dogtags, FakeTV, Trifecta Cutting Knives, Back Scatch Tee Shirt and the Hawaii Chair.

It’s a new year here at Lewis and it’s a new year for WLRA as well. Our slogan in the past has been “Digital Radio, Press Start,” but this year, it could very well be “Digital Radio, Press Re-start.”

In the three months between the end of the Spring semester and the beginning of the Fall, much has changed for WLRA.

Before I get ahead of myself, let us introduce ourselves. Hello, we’re WLRA, 88.1 FM, “The Start,” the radio station here at Lewis University. Some of you may know us, some may not. Some may know of our existence, but don’t tune in. I’m here to ask you to give us another chance. A lot has changed and hopefully your opinion of us will too.

First and foremost, the music we play has been completely re-programmed from the bottom up. We’re still primarily a rock/alternative station, but now all of the music is up to date.

In addition to our usual rock/alternative programming, we offer other musical formats such as rap, hip-hop and R&B from 9 p.m. until 3 a.m. Also, there will be an hour of classic rock music starting at 11 a.m. during the week.

The island format is back on Saturdays, starting at midnight and running until 3 a.m. on Sunday. From there, our new country format will take over until 6 p.m. ‘80s music will run from the end of the “News at Noon” until 1 p.m. WLRA is broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week and always has something different on.

With eight different music formats presented all in one place, there is something for everyone.

Music isn’t the only thing we offer. Returning for its second year is the “News at Noon.” Just like its title indicates, this show will run during the week and give you the news at noon.

The segments will cover international, national and local events, in addition to sports and entertainment. The show will also feature news from around campus, covering everything from construction projects to upcoming arts and ideas events and other activities.

Two new and exciting shows coming to WLRA this fall are “The Starting Line” and “Friday Night Lights.” “The Starting Line,” which airs Thursdays from 7-9 p.m., will feature up-and-coming local band in the studio each week. Be prepared for interviews, album cuts and songs performed live on-air.

“Friday Night Lights” will bring football to Lewis every Friday starting at 7 p.m., where Brett Lyons and Kieran Costello will bring you a local high school match up.

From week one until the championship game, Brett and Kieran have your football fix covered. For the full game schedule, check out the Facebook group “WLRA’s Friday Night Lights.”

Listening to WLRA has never been easier. For years, the only way to hear the station was on an analog radio. Two years ago, WLRA went worldwide with an online stream at lewisu.edu/wlra, and last year saw the station become available on iTunes.

We are happy to announce that we are adding yet another way to listen to us: on your iPhone or iTouch! Simply head to the app store and download the free WLRA application and listen to us from anywhere with the touch of a finger.

With the advent of this new technology comes a new Web site, wlraradio.com. On the site, you will find all the ways to listen to WLRA, the broadcast schedule for the station, an overview of each show, information about the on-air personalitiesz and much more.

In short, welcome to a new year at Lewis and a new WLRA. Give us a try at 88.1 FM and wlraradio.com. Come on, we’re free and we’ve got that new radio smell.

2nd Annual Island Party
WLRA is having a party and everyone is invited. On Wednesday, Sept. 30, WLRA will host its 2nd Annual Island Party on the campus green. If the weather is bad, it will be moved into the Field House. The party will run from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. and feature two live bands, as well as games, contests, and a dinner of cheeseburgers in paradise.

Party Schedule

2-4 p.m.: Games & contests
4-6 p.m.: Johnny Russler and the Beach Bum Band
5-7 p.m.: Dinner
8-10 p.m.: Mr. Meyers

A real podcast page would have a longer, more in-depth discussion here but we are just showing off the podcast support.