Sometimes, the weekly grind can get the best of you. Classes, activities, and social commitments are quick to overwhelm. When they do, I need something that helps me get away and give my mind a rest. Luckily, I have six glorious hours a week where I can do just that – my radio shifts at WERG.

I have a shift at the beginning of the week, on Monday (9 p.m. to midnight), and towards the end, on Friday (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.). These give me the perfect chance to focus on something other than the issues of daily life. There’s something about sitting in the studio, leaving the lights low and playing my favorite tunes that is instantly calming to me.

It only helps more that my friend, roommate, and fellow Edge Staffer, Aaron Mook, is my partner for both shifts. The two of us can kick back, listen to some music and talk about whatever random topics pop into our heads. Talking on the radio is strangely relaxing. I can sit there and talk to a good friend about music, news, or just our own random thoughts, and all of it is out there for the world to hear.

The Monday shift, which runs under the name Revival Radio, is our particular favorite, because it is our very own specialty shift where we are in control of the music that gets played. Since we’re both huge music buffs, composing and sharing a playlist full of our favorite songs is something we take very seriously. We start the following week’s playlist as soon as our Monday show ends.

Making the playlist gives me even more escape from the grind. Anytime I need a break, I can sit down, listen to my favorite tracks, and try to merge them together into a coherent show. It’s almost like busywork made the most fun possible, to keep my mind occupied.

But the greatest perk of our show for me is the feedback from our playlist. Every person who stops us and tells us how much they liked the show or asks us forthe name of some song that they heard brings a little bit of joy to my day and makes it easier to get through the more challenging parts of the week.