Greg Powers is the Speech Communication/Broadcasting Instructor as well as the Director of Broadcast Operations for Lake Land’s radio station, WLKL-FM, 89.9 the Max Alternative, since 2006. Photo by Lake Land College.
Since 2007, the Broadcast Communications Club has conducted its annual food drive here at Lake Land College (LLC). Also, beginning in 2006, Greg Powers, Broadcasting Communications instructor, has worked full-time at LLC, along with being the Station Manager for WLKL-FM, 89.9, the Max Alternative, LLC’s on-campus radio station since 1975.
Located in the Northwest building on campus, 89.9 The Max Alternative is staffed by students enrolled in Broadcast Communication courses on campus. The 1300-watt station reaches an approximate 30-mile radius of the main campus in Mattoon and gives listeners news updates on local events, campus activities, and weather forecasts.
They also play alternative music, in addition to broadcasting local and on-campus sporting events in baseball, softball, as well as men’s and women’s basketball. Additionally, the on-campus radio station has also broadcast Sullivan-Okaw Valley High School football games since 2014. Prior to that, the station broadcasted Mattoon and Arcola high school football games.
Powers mentioned, “the food drive is a student-run project.” When asked if his predecessor, Ken Beano, had any projects, not including the food drive, during his tenure from 1993-2006, Powers stated “[I] was not aware of any.”
Powers stated “The food drive will continue until Sunday, Dec. 3. It will be longer than what we (Broadcasting Communications Club) typically do. We are hoping students, faculty, and staff will bring in some food.”
In regards to what to bring to the food drive, he explained “non-perishable food items such as canned goods, to containers, boxes of macaroni and cheese and pasta. We are also looking at items that have not passed their due date or expired.”
He specified that “people can drop off the items in the boxes in the Northwest Building in the Broadcast Communications area, in the West Building, the Students Services Building, and the Library (Learning Resource Center).”
He clarified that “we [Broadcast Communications Club] have delivered the items to the on-campus food pantry the past two years. If we have some left over, we will deliver them to the local food pantries here in Mattoon.”
Come support the food drive organized by the Broadcasting Communications Club, and make sure the food items are not passed the due date of Dec. 3 and preferably in Jan. For more questions regarding the food drive, you can either email Powers at [email protected] or reach him by office phone at 217-234-5335.
