Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Nicholas Sperdute, WPPJ business manager, plans to start this year's Rock-A-Thon by participating in the Last DJ Standing competition on opening day.
Sperdute will go head to head with Josh Frketic to see which one of them will last longer. Sperdute sees the event as a good way to kick off the three-day program.
"I think this is going to be great for everyone involved and if by doing this we can raise more money for the Early Learning Institute, that would be awesome," Sperdute said. "I can't say for sure [that] I can make it for all 67 hours, but we will see."
The Last DJ Standing contest, which pays tribute to the days of the original WPPJ event, will highlight this year's Rock-A-Thon, a three-day party which station officials hope will set an all-time fundraising record.
"Our all-time record was $3,700 and was raised by Anthony Pignetti. That was set in 2008," General Manager Anthony Costulas said. "It would be nice to break the record."
Over the past 30 years, Point Park University's radio station WPPJ has raised over $30,000 for the Early Learning Institute of Pittsburgh through its annual Rock-A-Thon event. The event is Point Park's longest running student organized event and is held in the hall outside of the Point Café. The event takes place for 67 hours spread over three days.
The original Rock-A-Thon started with just one DJ broadcasting for 67 straight hours.
"The only thing he left for was bathroom breaks and one shower during that entire 67 hours, and he stayed awake for most of it," Costulas said.
This year, WPPJ is honoring that first experience with its new Last DJ Standing event. At the opening ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 5 p.m., competing DJs JoshFrketic, a junior broadcasting major, and Sperdute will be set up for the official start of their three-day competition.
The rules for the event will be based on the original DJ's experience. So far, they allow the DJs to take one shower and have bathroom breaks every four hours. The final set of rules will be announced at the opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony will also include a pie-throwing contest in which the highest bidder will win the chance to pie Dean of Students Keith Paylo in the face. Other winners will have the chance to throw a pie at Director of Student Activities JW Tabacchi and student leaders from Resident Hall Association, United Student Government, and Campus Activities Board.
The Acoustic Series, a free acoustic concert event, will be held Thursday night at the Starbucks on campus. The event will feature both Point Park and local artists. WPPJ's music director, Kelsey Kahla, is responsible for booking talent along with making sure all musical aspects of Rock-A-Thon run smoothly.
Kahla worked the event for the past few years as a DJ before moving to a higher position.
"I think my first year, me and my co-host did this really awkward shift at one in the morning ‘til four in the morning. It was awful [and] fun ‘cause we were just so delirious and no one was listening to us," Kahla said. "This will be my first year actually being important, I guess you could say."
Kahla also likes Rock-A-Thon for the sense of community it brings to the otherwise hectic station.
"I just like the fact that our whole station kind of comes together for this one really big event that we do, and it's really the only [big] event we do for the whole year and it helps a great cause," Kahla said. "Sometimes the radio station can be…kind of closed off from each other because we have so many departments, so many DJs, [and] we don't really get together and have a huge discussion really often. Now at least at Rock-A-Thon, we have DJs coming in and out and people planning all sorts of stuff. [It's] different, but together."
Rock-A-Thon begins Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. and its closing ceremony will take place on Friday, Oct. 29 at noon. At the closing ceremony, the winners of the raffle contest will be announced during the final broadcast. Tickets for the raffle can be purchased now from members of WPPJ or by phone at 412-392-4725.
Students will also have chances to donate through the pie-throwing contest on Tuesday Ocr. 26 and on Thursday, Oct. 28 by donating to get a request on the air. The station has already raised $1,500 for the Early Learning Institute.
A full list of Rock-A-Thon events can be found on WPPJ's Facebook page.
