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WONC 89.1FM


Pure Rock FM89: The Radio Voice of North Central College


Featured Posts


Featured

Jesse Hudgins Interviews Sweetie Frontwoman Birdy Vee

Four years ago, through Alternage, I was introduced to Chicago-based punk band Sweetie. From meeting the band, I found out about Hands Off Our Fest (H.O.O.F), a festival put together by Sweetie’s lead singer, Birdy Vee, celebrating the femmes and thems of the Chicago punk scene. Having attended two H.O.O.Fs,

Featured

Support Mutual Ground of Aurora with WONC’s Community Care Drive

The WONC Community Care Drive is collecting donations of household cleaning supplies and personal hygiene products to benefit Mutual Ground in Aurora, providing safety, support, and advocacy for individuals and families impacted by domestic violence, sexual violence, and substance use. Through emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and prevention education, Mutual

Featured

Lola’s Showbiz Studies: Shaping the Grown-Ups of Tomorrow

by Lola Furbee Another semester means another North Central College production I’ve had the chance to work on. The Grown-Ups was NCC Theatre Department’s second show of the semester, and no, this play wasn’t based on the Adam Sandler movie. Instead, it tells the story of five camp counselors coming

Featured

What’s Fresh: An Interview with Alzzy

There’s a running gag on What’s Fresh that each member always looks at a specific country when it comes to finding new music. For Jesse, he usually finds new music out of Australia. This all started one night when Jesse presented the artist Alzzy and her song “Talk Is Cheap.”

Featured

Spider-Man Is Back

by Diego Farias   After an extremely grueling five years, Spider-Man finally returns to theaters this July, and I’m extremely excited to witness another masterpiece of a movie. But it’s not just me who’s excited; everyone else is. Breaking a new record on YouTube, the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer

Featured

One Night in Manchester: A Masterclass Performance

by Sierra Knutsen   Harry Styles makes a comeback to live performances the only way he knows how to-brilliantly, at his Netflix Special One Night in Manchester. On March 6th, less than 24 after the release of his fourth studio album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, Styles took the

Featured

What It Takes to Show Up for the World Cup

by Esmie Alwaeli   Every time the FIFA World Cup tournament kicks off, I find myself glued to the TV, cheering, yelling at missed shots and passes, and celebrating every goal from the comfort of my home, school, etc., It’s truly thrilling, but then I see the fans who actually

Featured

Respect the Rise

by Riley Rayome   When someone mentions wrestling, do you ever think about women’s wrestling? Most people don’t, and that’s exactly the problem. However, North Central College is beginning to challenge that stereotype, rising to the top as a powerhouse program building a stronger future for the female athletes to

Featured

Is CYBERPUNK 2077 DLC Worth It?

by Preston Rizzo   Recently, I finally got my motivation to play Cyberpunk 2077 back after a very long hiatus. I haven’t played the game since April of last year, burning out from being indecisive about how I wanted to build my character. However, watching a friend play got me

Featured

Women In Latin Music Recreate the Narrative

by Isa Arroyo   Latin Spanish music has always been known for its passion, storytelling, and deep cultural roots, but one of its most powerful driving forces has been women. While the industry hasn’t always made space for them, female artists have continuously stepped forward to reshape the sound, message,

Music


Featured

Jesse Hudgins Interviews Sweetie Frontwoman Birdy Vee

Four years ago, through Alternage, I was introduced to Chicago-based punk band Sweetie. From meeting the band, I found out about Hands Off Our Fest (H.O.O.F), a festival put together by Sweetie’s lead singer, Birdy Vee, celebrating the femmes and thems of the Chicago punk scene. Having attended two H.O.O.Fs,

Featured

What’s Fresh: An Interview with Alzzy

There’s a running gag on What’s Fresh that each member always looks at a specific country when it comes to finding new music. For Jesse, he usually finds new music out of Australia. This all started one night when Jesse presented the artist Alzzy and her song “Talk Is Cheap.”

Featured

One Night in Manchester: A Masterclass Performance

by Sierra Knutsen   Harry Styles makes a comeback to live performances the only way he knows how to-brilliantly, at his Netflix Special One Night in Manchester. On March 6th, less than 24 after the release of his fourth studio album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, Styles took the

Featured

Women In Latin Music Recreate the Narrative

by Isa Arroyo   Latin Spanish music has always been known for its passion, storytelling, and deep cultural roots, but one of its most powerful driving forces has been women. While the industry hasn’t always made space for them, female artists have continuously stepped forward to reshape the sound, message,

Featured

When Music Heals: The Comforting Sound of Ella

by Emma Herder Since taking over as the host of Sunday Standards, I’ve been trying to find good jazz music. I’ve spent a lot of hours in the car, in my room, and with my family listening to jazz. While on the search for new music, I found one of

Featured

Concert Culture Is Officially Dead

by Mia Stachura   I’m sorry to be the one to deliver the bad news, but concert culture is now officially dead. About 10 years ago, along with my best friend, I begged my father to drive us to Tinley Park to attend our very first music festival, Vans Warped

Featured

Jesse Hudgins Talks With Sid Ryan of Grade 2

During a normal week of prep for What’s Fresh, I was browsing playlists and came across a song called “Cut Throat” by the band Grade 2. I hadn’t heard of them before, but the cover and name intrigued me. After a first listen, I knew we needed to play them.

Featured

Zara Larsson and the Meme that Changed Everything

by Meghan Breitberg   In 2008 when Zara Larsson was 10-years-old, she won the televised Swedish talent show Talang.  Little did she know, but that was just her first step into the world of music for her.   After her run on Talang, she signed to the recording label TEN

Music

Press Play: Stone Temple Pilots’ 30th Anniversary of Tiny Music…Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop

by Olivia McGuin   While 2026 has already been a huge year for new music releases and various projects, it’s also a significant year for looking back at old releases. This year holds anniversaries for various grunge, rock, and metal albums, but one that specifically comes to mind is Stone

Music

Latinx Takes Over the Super Bowl

by Holly Ramirez   Every year, the NFL hosts a halftime show during the Super Bowl to entertain the audience, but also to gain more viewership. The artist is selected based on their popularity level that year and who’s had the biggest hits. Those who watch the Super Bowl either

WONC Sports


Featured

What It Takes to Show Up for the World Cup

by Esmie Alwaeli   Every time the FIFA World Cup tournament kicks off, I find myself glued to the TV, cheering, yelling at missed shots and passes, and celebrating every goal from the comfort of my home, school, etc., It’s truly thrilling, but then I see the fans who actually

Featured

Respect the Rise

by Riley Rayome   When someone mentions wrestling, do you ever think about women’s wrestling? Most people don’t, and that’s exactly the problem. However, North Central College is beginning to challenge that stereotype, rising to the top as a powerhouse program building a stronger future for the female athletes to

Sports

Making Sense of the Bears’ Offseason

by Anthony Licata   The Chicago Bears have already had a busy offseason, and it only started last week. Here are the moves they’ve made so far: Drew Dalman (C) Unexpectedly retired at age 27 Cut Tremaine Edmunds (LB) Sent a 2027 5th round pick to the patriots for Garrett

Sports

Assessing The Blackhawks’ Trade Deadline

by Cassie Schneider The 2026 NHL trade deadline was Friday March 6 at 3pm, and there had been much movement throughout the league in prior weeks, some teams more than others. Taking a look at the home team, The Blackhawks made many moves leading up to the trade deadline, seemingly

Sports

Recapping UFC Fight Night 267

by Sam Phipps   Sean Strickland returned to another Saturday night for UFC Houston. On February 21, he put on a show as the last fight of the main card against Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez. With Hernandez on an eight-fight win streak and Strickland being out of the ring for over

Specialty Shows


Jesse Hudgins

Joker: Folie A Deux Trailer Finally Debuts

by Jesse Hudgins After years of anticipation and speculation on whether the movie would even be happening, the sequel to the 2019 movie Joker has gotten its first trailer. Dropping on April 9, the trailer gives us our first look at what to expect from what’s said to be a

Jesse Hudgins

The Crow Needs to Be Left Alone

by Jesse Hudgins This year, we’ll be getting a new adaptation of The Crow, the first in 19 years. It’ll star Bill Skarsgard as Eric Draven (The Crow) as he takes revenge on the group that killed him and his fiancé Shelly, played by FKA Twigs. This is a project that

Alternage

Contemplative Pop Punk: Neck Deep at The Salt Shed

by Chloe Kallberg After four months across the pond and on the road, Neck Deep’s second American tour came to a close in Chicago on February 25. Tucked into a tiny and expensive parking spot, my friends and I emptied our pockets, flashed our tickets, and permeated the Salt Shed

Jesse Hudgins

The Time Has Come for Sony to Sell Spider-Man

by Jesse Hudgins   For nearly 25 years, Sony has owned the rights to Spider-Man and the characters connected to him. In that time, we’ve had 11 films using the Spider-Man characters under the Sony banner, nine live-action and two animated, with the latest being Madame Web with Kraven the

Alternage

2024 Music Predictions

by Jesse Hudgins and Chloe Kallberg Alternage is approaching its third birthday, which means we’ve been closely following release schedules of our favorite punk, pop punk, emo, and alternative genres since we began college. Meshed with our own personal wish lists, here are three predictions we have for what’s in

Jesse Hudgins

FX Deserves Their Flowers

Over the years there have been TV channels that have reigned supreme as those with the best original content. Whether it be AMC with Breaking Bad and Walking Dead or HBO with Game of Thrones and The Sopranos, each channel had their time at the top. There’s been one channel,

Alternage

Alternage Retrospective: Milo Goes to College

“I want to be stereotyped; I want to be classified.” These are lyrics that can apply to any generation of music listener. They were written by California punks Descendents and were released on the 1982 album Milo Goes to College. Descendents are a California punk band that formed in 1977

Crossroads

The Crossroads Artist Highlight: Bryan Martin

by Sam Corbett The Crossroads is one of the newest shows on FM89, meaning a whole new batch of genres, artists, and songs. Outlaw country rock, southern rock, shadow country, and delta blues are just some of the genres that the show will highlight. While I’m excited to bring new

Jordan Mark

Pop Stop: Have We Lost Our Minds?

by Jordan Mark A pop show on a rock station. The same station that’s dedicated itself to keeping the rock spirit alive and running for decades. The station that prides itself on playing the classics to the cutting edge. FM89 is that sanction to keep you moving in the world,

Crossroads

The Crossroads: Embrace Your Inner Outlaw

by Sam Corbett We all have an inner outlaw. The voice in your head and in your heart that wants to strut around town with a swagger. That feeling that you don’t always have to listen to others; that you can blaze your own trail. A badass vibe that always

Reviews


Featured

Is CYBERPUNK 2077 DLC Worth It?

by Preston Rizzo   Recently, I finally got my motivation to play Cyberpunk 2077 back after a very long hiatus. I haven’t played the game since April of last year, burning out from being indecisive about how I wanted to build my character. However, watching a friend play got me

Featured

First Thoughts on Invincible Season 4

by Ricardy Herard   Invincible has been some of the best superhero media in recent memory, and I’m so glad to be able to watch more of it. To be clear, Invincible has been around for a while; the original comic was released back in 2003, but the animated series

Featured

Two People Exchanging Saliva: A Weird Short Film Review

by Alyssa Martinez Barette   There were a number of historic moments at this year’s Oscars, and among them is a tie in the Best Short Film, Live Action Category. The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva received a honors, making a category that often goes under the radar of

Featured

Vampires are Romantic? Dracula: A Love Tale Review

by Katrina Woelke   A vampire who spent hundreds of years trying to find his wife who had died?! I first heard about the new French Dracula: A Love Tale movie on TikTok. Lots of short edits set to various songs were showing up on my For You page. I

Reviews

Hamnet: A Story of Love, Loss, and Legacy

by Victoria Camarda   The 2025 film Hamnet, directed by Chloe Zhao and co-written by Maggie O’Farrell, is based on the 2020 Hamnet novel written by O’Farrell. Starring Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare, it dives into the tragic life of Shakespeare, his wife, and

Reviews

Marty Supreme is Anything but Ordinary

by Aidan McGuire   As a person very involved in academics, I rarely have time in my schedule to go to the movies, much to my own disappointment because I’m a self-proclaimed “film guy.” But when my close friend recently asked me to see a movie about ping pong on

Reviews

Love Knows No Bounds in CHUU’s XO, My Cyberlove

by Hailie Balding   CHUU is ready to make 2026 another great year with the release of her first studio album, XO, My Cyberlove. The album dropped January 7, and I’ve had it on repeat since. The album is filled with heartfelt tracks from CHUU, and it’s one of her

Jesse Hudgins

Horror Is Starting to Get the Respect It Deserves

by Jesse Hudgins   In 2023, I wrote that horror deserved much more respect in the mainstream, especially from the Academy. Three years later, I am happy to say that we are making some progress. Within this year’s Oscars, 27 nominations across all categories are horror-related. Sinners received a record-breaking

Reviews

Lola’s Showbiz Studies: Musicals, Musicals, and More Musicals

by Lola Furbee   It’s been a hot minute since I’ve gotten around to writing one of these, and it’s been almost a whole year since the first edition of this series, so to reintroduce myself, my name is Lola Furbee, and I really love theatre. I’m currently in my

Reviews

Stranger Things 5: Will the Finale Disappoint?

by Victoria Camarda   Volume 1 of Stranger Things 5 was released on November 26, 2025, and it’s just the beginning of the big three-part finale of the popular show on Netflix. The horror series is written and directed by Matt and Ross Duffer and was first released in 2016.

Alumni Spotlight


Alumni Spotlight

Brian Iossi

Years at WONC : 2006-2009 In his time at WONC, Brian hosted one of the longer-running specialty shows, Precious Metal, with a number of people. He also spent time hosting Vintage Rock, and called baseball, softball, and basketball games. After graduating from NCC, Brian began a career in teaching and

Alumni Spotlight

Bob King

Years at WONC: 1977-1981 In his time at WONC, Bob wore many hats. He was an on-air DJ, specialty show host, newscaster, and occasional color commentator for sports broadcasts. He also served as the News Director from 1977-1978, and was the Station Manager from 1980-1981. In 1981, he was named

Alumni Spotlight

Greg Williams

Years at WONC: 2017-2021 In his time at WONC, Greg was a force in the WONC Sports Department. Starting as a color commentator for football, he soon took on the role of play-by-play for almost all NCC football games, and covered baseball, softball, and men’s and women’s basketball games.In December

Alumni Spotlight

Megann Horstead

Years at WONC : 2014-2015 During her short stretch at WONC, Megann made the most of her time, hosting various DJ shifts, as well as frequently covering news, sports, and traffic reporting duties. She used her experience at WONC to earn a programming internship at WDCB Public Radio. After graduating

Alumni Spotlight

Lucas Burris

Years at WONC: 2019-2022 Lucas began his time at WONC doing only newscasts and sports, but his involvement in the sports department was quite heavy. He called many baseball and softball games his first year, even earning Best Play-By-Play (Baseball) at the 2020 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Awards. His sophomore year,

Concert Photos


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