Here’s why you should enroll in RTVF 121 and join KSJS

Why hello. If you’re reading this article, I’m assuming you’re curious about KSJS. And I will answer the question you might be asking yourself right now: Is it really all it’s cracked up to be?

Yes. Yes it is.

But don’t just take it from me — read on to see what KSJS has to offer and why SJSU students love it so much.

The Best Decision I Ever Made

I have been a part of KSJS for five and a half years, and I could not be more thankful for everything it has given me.

KSJS is an odd idea; it’s a large group of different people coming together to achieve a common goal. Not only does it give you actual work experience but the life experiences I have had as a part of this station never cease to amaze me.

I’ve gotten to fly to Florida and broadcast SJSU football. I traveled for three seasons with the SJSU hockey team and broadcasted their games. I’ve gone to dozens of concerts and done hundreds of radio shows in five short years.

KSJS is the best class ever.

You get class credit for listening to music, watching sporting events, and hanging out with cool people. I love sports, and always have. I didn’t really branch out much until I got to KSJS and was thrown into a management team with metal heads, hip-hop junkies, and Jazz savants. KSJS does that. It forces you to expand your horizons and try things you would never normally try.

KSJS has taught me so much: how to be a part of a team, how to accept other opinions, and how to genuinely care about something bigger than myself. KSJS is the biggest blessing SJSU has to offer.

Today, I am the Program Director at KSJS, a broadcaster for SJSU hockey/baseball, and a broadcast assistant for the San Jose Barracuda. There is no way any of that would be possible without what I’ve learned from KSJS.

I came into college as an 18 year old who thought I knew everything. KSJS humbled me and taught me more than the rest of my coursework combined.

So give it a try, I promise it’s better than whatever class you are considering instead of KSJS. KSJS is what you make it. If you give it your time and dedication it will pay you back tenfold.

-Chad Oklin-Jolin, RTVF, MCOM/Journalism Grad Student

Friendship and Diversity

What I love about KSJS is the diverse and unique personality of each and every one in KSJS. Everyone is different and has their unique characteristic. Everyone is really friendly as long as you keep an open mind and just try to talk to people.

I made the mistake of closing myself off and near the end of the semester was when I began to talk to people and made friends. I highly recommend doing that in the beginning so you can make friends to talk to.

This class isn’t your traditional lecture class. You have to work to gain hours which are like points. You need 114 hours to pass the class, and it is a pass or a fail. If you get under 114 hours, you fail. If you get over 114 hours then you pass. Don’t slack off and wait until near the end of the semester to obtain your 114 hours.

I joined KSJS because it was part of the RTVF major. You can say I was forced to be part of KSJS, but I really enjoy KSJS with all the fun memories and friends I made. The whole staff is friendly and funny that you feel comfortable and welcomed.

My favorite memory was the Pizza My Heart KSJS fundraiser/hangout at the beginning of each month. You buy pizza, grab a soda, sit down, eat and talk to people. It’s the best way to make friends and socialize.  

–Kevin Phan, RTVF, fifth-year student

Jigglypuff Jamborees

I had a little bit of craziness on my show back in April.

I don’t really remember how we got there, but for some reason Kydd Sasquatch and I were discussing Pokemon on air, and that naturally led to us doing Pokemon impressions. I did my best Jigglypuff, but Kydd Sasquatch asked me to sing the Jigglypuff song, and I had no idea how it went. (If you too are lost: here you go.) He was incredulous, but we were cracking up and said we’d look up the song and sing it on the next break. As soon as we went off air, the phone rang. I picked it up.

Me: “This is 90.5 KSJS!”

Caller: “HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW THE JIGGLYPUFF SONG?! SERIOUSLY?!”

All of us in the studio were on the floor laughing. The caller was super sweet, and we were both in hysterics, but she was holding us accountable for singing the song. It probably didn’t sound too good, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget it now.

I really truly love college radio. Between the friendships established, the lessons learned and the random and hysterical hijinks, KSJS means the absolute world to me.

-Kayla Renelle, Public Relations, third-year student

Involvement and Teamwork

I never joined an extra curricular in college besides a play performance from my previous school. As a fifth-year college student, I assumed it was probably a good idea to join something to get more of a college experience. Also, it has always been difficult for me to speak out and create friendships in college. With the help of KSJS, that all changed very quickly.

The team atmosphere at KSJS is like no other experience. Everyone is helpful. Everyone wants you to succeed. The class is more than just music and hour logs. KSJS is about creating quality content (whether that be production, social media, sports, etc.) with quality people.

KSJS welcomes all students who are inspired by different hobbies/like to come together to create something pretty magical. The only downside to my experience was that I wish I had joined sooner.

As graduation is on the horizon, this was the start and end of my KSJS experience. Although, I know the lessons learned and friendships made will last.

–Kendall Davis-Granada, senior

Sweet Surprises

I honestly don’t even know where to begin because I have had lots of memories in this class, but I’ll just start from the beginning of how I ended up in it.

The first day of instruction for RTVF 21, I showed up a little before 7 (probably 6:45) because I wanted to get a good unassigned assigned seat. When I showed up, it was empty so I waited awhile, and noticed another girl confused as well. So we walked around and little did I realize that there was a meeting for 121. At the meeting I learned that I had to take the class in order to take 21, and I already had 15 units signed up and the school would not let me petition to take 21 units because it was too close to the deadline, so I ended up dropping another course to take the two together.

I was at first overwhelmed and very nervous because I was one of the last people to walk in so I had no idea what the class even was. But as time went on, it has become one of the best courses I have ever taken, and funny enough, by accident. If I had not accidentally walked into the class late, and continued on with both courses, I would have never known how many amazing people and opportunities it offers.

Some of my favorite memories are at the Pizza My Heart events as well as the Halloween Party and Jam Night because they do not feel mandatory or as if I am going just to get hours, but because they are fun and lots of people go to network.

Lastly, another one of my favorite parts about KSJS is all the shows I have attended for FREE. Jauz, Seven Lions, Ekali, Snails, the list goes on and I am forever grateful because it has saved me so much money that I probably would have had to spend myself. Not only that but the people I met at those events and the memories I made with my friends while there are priceless.

KSJS is truly a hidden gem that most people do not know about, because they either really don’t know about it or they don’t care to know about it, but if they did, they would be pleasantly surprised just as I was.

–Emily Dunn, RTVF, third-year student

It Doesn’t Feel Like a Class

This past year was my first year in KSJS and sadly it will be the only time I will be taking the course. The thing about this class is it doesn’t feel like a class because you literally have fun and get to do things that interest you. You have the options of so many departments and join which ones appeal to things you like.

I love that KSJS is so friendly, it is just a safe place to be yourself. I’ve met so many great people since joining and you see other members on campus and they reach out and say hi which is nice.

Only being in it for one semester showed me why so many people are so invested and speak so highly of this course. You do have to get a certain amount of hours by the end of the semester but it’s not hard because you get to do fun and exciting things.

My favorite memory was being able to film the soccer games and just be hands on. KSJS does an amazing job with making you feel included and everyone is always willing to help whenever they can. Another thing I enjoyed was joining the Urban department because I was exposed to so many new artists and songs that I loved and was able to get a better taste of music. The Social Media department gave me the opportunity to write in blogs like this for example and a few of the things I wrote even got published. Even though they’re small things, they made me beyond happy to see my name.

You gain so much from this course and it really helps you grow and get out there. If only I could take it next semester but it doesn’t fit in my schedule. Do it because you won’t regret it.   

-Hailey Rodriguez, senior

Opportunities, Opportunities, Opportunities

Wow where to begin because there is so much to like about KSJS. Have you ever wanted to be a DJ on air? Well here we are, this is the class for you!

KSJS is SJSU’s own radio station that plays 24/7 and 365 days a year. You get to meet some rad people and there are many awesome opportunities as well.

Throughout this course I learned a variety of different things. With the Urban Department I learned how to do artists features and album reviews while being able to listen to some dope music and hang around with some awesome people on Wax Wednesdays.

When it came to the Sports Department I was able to film games such as Women’s Soccer, Women’s Volleyball, and Men’s Hockey. Get excited because you get to go to games and get credit for going and supporting! This is a really great way to know people and get some awesome opportunities.

With the Social Media Department you have a lot of fun as well because you get to do cool things such as writing blog posts and getting your name out there. There are so many different opportunities and departments that you are able to check out.

This class isn’t like any other regular class, and I am sure you will love it as much as I do! Being able to take this course has taught me so much and this is definitely a class worth taking.

-Ashley Gonzalez, junior

It’s Rewarding

I decided to take the KSJS class because I needed the credits and had heard that it was a fun class where all you have to do is listen to music, go to concerts, etc. I figured that sounds too easy and definitely sounds fun!

I joined and am so glad I did! It is a straightforward class that gives you the freedom to accumulate hours whenever you can from a variety of different departments. You are not tied down to one department and instead can try out different aspects of the KSJS team.

I learned how things actually got done with a 24/7 student-run radio station. Pretty much, the students do all the hard work! But it is a rewarding type of work because the students love music and can be creative in their own ways.

My favorite moments are being able to listen to a number of artists/bands by reviewing CDs. I discovered new artists and was able to really listen and dissect a part an album to see if it was worthy of KSJS listeners’ time.

All in all, this class is super easy and rewarding if you love music and would love to dive in the world of radio and the business! I definitely plan on coming back to finish out my final semester and hopefully be able to take part in many more activities!

–Julia Gaona, RTVF, senior

Convinced? If you’re a San Jose State University student, head over to one.sjsu.edu and register for RTVF 121 (KSJS General Meeting) and RTVF 21 (DJ Training Class)! If you still have questions, feel free to reach out to us here, or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.