Frankel is focused on creating community at Elon's student radio station.
The first time Ahron Frankel ’26 stepped into the WSOE studio, he immediately felt he had found his home at Elon.
The walls of the studio are covered in art and plastered with posters of various musical artists like Chappell Roan and Car Seat Headrest, which Frankel felt was homey and reflected the artistry and creativity that he looks for when listening to music.
“I was just like, ‘Yeah, this is the place,’” Frankel said.
Frankel started as a DJ for WSOE in the fall of his first year and decided to take a shot in the dark and apply for the position of music director at the end of his first semester.
He got the job and said it was his favorite thing he’s done at WSOE aside from being the general manager.
“I just got super into it,” Frankel said. He dove headfirst into his tasks as music director, creating new genre categories, hosting events, reaching out to labels and connecting with the local music scene.
In the fall of his second year, Frankel was approached by the previous general manager, Danny Gutierrez ’24, who encouraged him to apply for the position.
“I was a little hesitant at first because it’s a lot of pressure being the head of a club,” Frankel said. “But at the end of the day, [WSOE] is really what I fell in love with while I was here.”
When Frankel first learned he had been hired, he was ecstatic, especially when recalling the hiring process and interview.
“I had to go into the media board for that interview and it’s so scary because I didn’t know what to expect,” Frankel said. “I walk in, and there’s a chair, and I’m surrounded by faculty, and I was so scared.”
Frankel was shocked when he got the position but also felt that he had worked hard for it and climbed the ladder to get to where he is now.
As general manager, Frankel was able to level up what he had been doing previously as music director by working with people across campus to plan events like SUBFest, a music festival at Elon featuring student bands. This year marks Frankel’s second as the general manager of WSOE.
“I kind of always planned on doing two terms,” Frankel said. “It’s something I just love doing.”
During Frankel’s past year as general manager, he did a lot of learning. Now, he has the confidence and preparedness to achieve bigger and better things during his second year in the role. This year, Frankel is determined to bring back the practice of hosting concerts with local artists at Elon.
“It’s hard because there’s not a lot of venues around here, but it’s still something I am going to accomplish, and we are going to do before my time is done,” Frankel said.
Frankel also hopes to continue building the community around WSOE.
“There’s a lot of people in WSOE, and I’ll see a moment when two people don’t even realize they’re in the same club, which is weird to me,” Frankel said. “There’s a lot of people who don’t know each other, and I want to change that.”
Frankel hopes that by implementing socials, encouraging DJs to work on shows together, and hosting more team-bonding activities, he can help further develop the community he has come to cherish at WSOE.
“It really has been like the community for me since I’ve gotten here, and I really want that for others, as well,” Frankel said. “I want this to be the place where people build their memories at Elon.”