By: Lathan “Laytin” Gil

107.7 The Bronc has created a new contest to spice up student life at Rider University! We call it “Build The Ultimate Broncwich.” This crazy culinary contest asked students across campus to create Rider’s new signature sandwich.

From The Magnificent 7 to The Tasty Three!

11 students threw their recipes into our proverbial pot, then the team at Rider Dining Services narrowed the field to our Magnificent 7 where each student chef had to create an Instagram reel to promote their sandwich, or as we like to call them “broncwich”, to get the most social media views! 

The three reels with the most views made it to the Build The Ultimate Broncwich Finale this coming Tuesday, April 28. This semester’s Magnificent 7 are, in alphabetical order:

• Najee Davis: The Bronc Stack
• Jessie Doty: Hot Honey Chicken Pesto Grilled Cheese
• Tyler Harder: Sweet Heat Seared Chicken
• Caitin Lawlor: The Chopped Unc
• Jessiphine Marshall: The Broncy Parm
• Sergio Nino Vela: Lomito
• Saraih Reaves: Bahama Bronc Wrap

The students moving onto the BTUB Finale, a.k.a the Tasty Three are: 

Caitlin Lawlor, Sergio Nino Vela, and Jessie Doty! Go here to watch their Instagram reels and click here to see their recipes.
These three Broncs are very excited to participate in the Build The Ultimate Broncwich Finale and at least one of the students, Sergio Nino Vela, is super excited to represent their country or origin, “I was inspired by the idea of representing Peru and having a different sandwich offered at Rider. I’m Peruvian and we have one of the best cuisines in the world, so I wanted other friends and broncs to learn about it and enjoy the delicious Lomito.”

Why a Sandwich?

We wanted to change it up and do something fun, new and a little bit different. After 10 years of  Cruisin’ From Commencement, the student team at 107.7 The Bronc wanted a change of scenery to give more and new life into campus!

Like 107.7 The Bronc’s previous campus cooking contests, Rider Student Top Chef and Dessert Wars, we wanted to once again showcase the great culinary talent at Rider University, so we collaborated with two of our best sponsors, Rider Dining Services and Yooo Cuz to create the opportunity for a student to have a  sandwich they make on the menu at Mullers Pub and sold on the Yooo Cuz Food Trailer! Who could go wrong with a sandwich!?

What Does The Winner Receive?

There are cool prizes for each of our top three finalists! Third place gets a five person, 90-minute group jump at Sky Zone in Hamilton, a $200 Visa gift card, four tickets to a Trenton Thunder Baseball Game, an All-Access Level One Tanning Week courtesy of Tanning Zone, and of course a 107.7 The Bronc T-Shirt and Drawstring bag!

Second Place receives a Coca-Cola custom branded 18-speed bike with caliper brakes, a 60-minute, 10-Person group jump with pizza and drinks at Sky Zone in Hamilton, a $300 Visa gift card courtesy of 107.7 The Bronc, four tickets to a Trenton Thunder baseball game at Arm & Hammer Park, an All-Access Level One Tanning Week courtesy of the Tanning Zone and more!

And then of course there’s the grand prize: a four day/three night Royal Caribbean cruise for two to The Bahamas courtesy of Josh Harry Travel. Plus, the winning Broncwich featured on the menu at Muller’s Pub starting the 2026-27 academic year. The winner’s Ultimate Broncwich creation will also be sold by Yooo Cuz Yellow Food Trailer at all of their catering events, with a portion of the proceeds from every sale going to the Rider Food Pantry to provide much needed meals for students with food insecurities. Plus, one hour of catering courtesy of Yooo Cuz at the winner’s next on-campus event of their choice and then there’s always more!

When And Where?!

Sample and vote for the winner on Tuesday, April 28, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Mullers Pub and Cranberry’s! The Build The Ultimate Broncwich winner will be announced live on Wake Up Rider with Ellis, RJ, Brian and Shir on Thursday, April 30 at 9 a.m.  Listen on-air on 107.7 FM, online at www.1077TheBronc.com or on our free apps and skills. Click here to learn more!

By: Lathan “Laytin” Gil

With the new academic year in tow, 107.7 The Bronc held its annual executive staff elections in March, and we have some new and returning faces! I, of course am still your blogger, Grace Juarez ’27 remains your Copy Director, while Guy Varela ‘27 reprises his role as Media Services Director, Lindsay Scarola ‘27 continues at The Bronc’s first and only female Sports Director, and Jaden and Ellis Foreman ‘27 repeat as your Promotions Director, and Production Director, respectively!

However, we have some new editions to the Bronc bunch! Joshua Yuhas ‘27 wanted to be more involved at the radio station, so he applied for the News Director position and got the job, “I want to be more involved. I applied for News Director, Sports Director, and Blogger to try to expand what I can do. I’ve always been a sports person, but I feel like news could be something I could learn.”

Big Shoes To Fill!

107.7 The Bronc is a very big deal on campus and around the country, and has been for years. Especially recently with the success of Scream Screen X, The Eggcellent Egghunt, and our first ever Radiothon, (which raised over $50,000 dollars in donations.) New Social Media Director, Annmarie Ehlers ‘27 feels very prepared to take on her new role. “Emily [O’ Conner , our past Social Media Director, taught me a lot. I feel very prepared. She showed me what I have to do and what it means to be good.”

The staff is inherently different from past academic years, and there will certainly be a different look and feel to the team as the new staff gets accustomed to their roles. Annmarie wants to leave an impact on people and be remembered for all that she accomplishes as Social Media Director. “I will make sure we post consistently. I will make sure we highlight the student experience, while highlighting the sponsors. We have such a big staff and I want to make sure we use all of them. I want to be remembered for all the hard work I’ve done and am doing. I have the social media brain, as that’s my major. I have the brain to think about analytics and I know how to cater to people’s interests. I am very motivated and this is very important to me.”

The New Kids on The Block!

The freshmen on the staff haven’t really had to work like they will have to on the executive staff at 107.7 The Bronc. It can be quite stressful. I know it was for me when I first started. But new Production Director, Marcus Kollie ‘29 finds this new adventure to be fun and is looking forward to all the good and those stressful moments I just talked about, “I have creative liberty! I love being creative and I’m grateful to have been convinced to apply for this role. Being the voice of the radio station is a very great benefit. I think I’m going to be very good at it. I know it won’t be perfect, but that’s what it means to be great. You have to have those not [so] perfect moments to build yourself to be great. I’m very excited to see what’s in store.”

New Leadership in The House

Along with the new members of the Executive Staff, we also gained some new leadership! Although they are not new to 107.7 The Bronc, these two students are in roles that nobody can really ever be completely prepared for. Kadie Digiueseppe ‘27 used to be the Assistant Student Manager, and was just elected as The Bronc’s new Student General Manager, and former Production Director Dan Loges ‘28 is now the new Assistant Student General Manager! This will not be a an easy ride, but both are very hard workers and have the support of the staff and our General Manager, John Mozes!

A New Family

Every 107.7 The Bronc exec staff is great for different reasons. We all really grow together and become a family as time goes on. I am very excited to start working with Parker Meneses ‘29 and Natalie Cuningham ‘29 who are our new Music Directors, Branden Munoz ‘29 our new Assistant Promotions Director, Owen Krompascik ‘29 and Marcus Kollie ‘29 our two new Production Directors, Shir Hami ‘27 our new Webmaster, and Josh Yuhas ‘27 our new News Director!

And also, how about a shoutout to all of the executive staff who are leaving their roles and/or are graduating. You all left an immeasurable impact on 107.7 The Bronc and it will not be forgotten. 
To our loyal listeners, prepare yourselves, you will be able to watch and listen to our new staff at 1077thebronc.com and on our social media! Go to 107.7 The Bronc’s Instagram @1077TheBronc and TikTok @1077TheBroncWRRC!

By: Lathan “Laytin” Gil

Pack your baskets! The 107.7 The Bronc’s annual Eggscellent Egghunt is in full swing at Rider University! Prepare for 10,000 eggs with 20,000 pieces of candy all across the campus mall, filled with over 42,000 in prizes, plus food trucks to satisfy your cravings! Production Director Alli Burton ‘26 has experience working on The Eggscellent Egghunt in the past, and this one will be her last one. She calls it a real bittersweet moment. “I love doing these campus events. For events like this and Scream Screen, we are able to come up with some very cool and creative production [station imaging] to promote it, and I’m really going to miss it.”

New Traffic Director, Clifford Russell ‘28 says he really finds the joy that people gain as a big motivator to keep working at The Eggscellent Egghunt! “I enjoy seeing a whole bunch of people having fun and smiling. Seeing that makes me smile in turn.” 

The Eggcellent Egghunt is also a great way for The Bronc staff to bond! Every year when we wake up at 5 a.m. to start spreading eggs, we have conversations, and interact with people who we probably haven’t before. Last year, the staff was debating about music and music groups all morning.

The Work That Was Put In

About two months before The Eggscellent Egghunt is when we start REALLY preparing for the event. We fill the eggs ourselves and trust it is not easy! News Director Josh Yuhas ‘27 says, “For the first round of stuffing, we put candy in the eggs. Like jolly ranchers, chocolates, bubblegum, all of the fun candy. It took about three weeks to fully stuff the candy eggs. We have over 100 student workers and about 88% of them helped. It was a very great turnout of help!”

There are a lot of other tasks to do for The Egghunt as well. And they all have to be done simultaneously. Planning and booking, production, filling the eggs, and doing everything we can to make sure it doesn’t rain on the day, too! 

Production Director Ellis Foreman ‘27 spoke about how early he started working on the radio promo for it! “We got assigned our first batch of Egghunt production in January. So about two months before the Egghunt. We need that time to really make sure everything is good and up to par!”

A Managers Point of View

New station General Manager, Kadie Digiuesseppe ‘27 details the first plans made for The Eggcellent Egghunt. For our senior leadership team, preparations started right after Scream Screen. “Right after Scream Screen, myself and Roz [Tiangco ‘26] started emailing the people who have donated [prizes] to us before, and asking them if they want to donate [prizes] again. We start doing that to get an estimate.” An estimate of what you ask? We get an estimated value of all the prizes we are giving away!

$42,000 In Prizes!!

The prizes are a big hook to get students to attend The Eggscellent Egg Hunt, including a cruise for two to The Bahamas, a 1.77 carat diamond pendant, and even smaller ones like HDTV’s, arcade cabinets, tickets and gift cards! What keeps things interesting though is that prizes are different every year, “We have a LONG list of people who we ask. The list totals about 400, and only about 100 of them say ‘yes’. This year we have some prizes that we’ve never had before, and also some stuff that we did have last year.” 

You truly never know what you’re going to get when you open an egg. So make sure to wake up early and put on your running shoes!

The Red Egg …

There are rumors about a secret red egg which allegedly holds the biggest prize of all.. Everybody I interviewed had different things to say about the red egg. Kadie was vague, “I’ve heard the rumor too. I am not confirming or denying.” Like a UFO, Alli believes, “I’ve witnessed the red egg.” And Josh  confirmed this much, “It exists.”

Find out if the red egg is real, and see just how many prizes you will win during 107.7 The Bronc’s Eggcellent Egghunt, Tuesday, March 31 from 11 a.m. to  2 p.m. on the campus mall! Go to 107.7 The Bronc’s Instagram @1077TheBronc and TikTok @1077TheBroncWRRC to see any updates!
Go to 1077TheBronc.com/EggHuny to learn everything you ever wanted to know about this award winning event.

By: Lathan “Laytin” Gil

107.7 The Bronc has made major, new upgrades over the past couple of weeks; installing new cameras courtesy of iMediaCam. We are now able to do something most college radio stations haven’t really seen before, live video stream it’s talk shows! 
This has been something everyone at The Bronc has had to be locked in on and of course, with a few hiccups along the way, the staff at The Bronc has been learning in real time.

The Start of Something New!

One of the shows live video streaming is 107.7 The Bronc’s three-time IBS Media Award winning morning show, Wake Up Rider! One of the hosts, Sophia Guiro ‘27 doesn’t view the cameras as being complicated to operate, “It can be a little bit confusing. It’s something new that we haven’t done before. It’s like math. We haven’t learned it before, but when you learn it, it’s in the back of your mind.”

These cameras bring The Bronc to bigger stratospheres than ever previously thought of. This creates more brand recognition, putting a face to the voice, and giving us more outreach to our avid listening audience. One student we must to be thank for helping teach the team at 107.7 The Bronc about these cameras is our new social media director, Annmarie Ehlers ‘27, who says that teaching all of the student shows about how the cameras work can be a bit stress inducing. “Not because it’s a lot, which it is, but I have a lot going on. I do social media for Wake Up Rider, I do two shows, I’m taking two capstone courses, I am the president of clubs, and all that, with the timing, it has been a bit stressful, but not unmanageable! It is all worth it. These cameras are going to do big things for The Bronc!”

Bigger & Better Things!

Wake Up Rider is already a big deal. They are three-time IBS Media Award winners, the crew’s social media is now well-over over 200,000 views, and they are regarded as one of the best college morning shows in the country. Sophia Guiro ‘27 expects bigger and better things in the future with these upgrades, “We’ve always talked about how we can improve the show, so I think the next step is getting the fans to engage. We haven’t really had call-ins or stuff like that, but having live streaming, we can see the comments, the fans can interact with us, and we can play with them. It is such a fun thing to see!” 

Other student shows now video streaming include: The Bronc After Hours, The Tom Hill Show, and CliffNotes, among others. Cliffnotes host, Clifford Russell ‘28 is very excited about the outreach of his show now, “Not everybody listens to the radio, or has a car with an FM dial. But most in the world are on Youtube. We can reach people in California, Europe, even Japan! We can impact people from across the world with this. We can only go up and up from here!”

The Domino Effect

The most difficult thing about learning something new is definitely your first hands on experience with it. The more you try and fail, the more you get better at it. And pretty soon, with more student shows being trained on the iMediaCam technology and vMix live video production and streaming software , they can start teaching others, and it’ll become easier for the newer students to use the technology. And that fact really excited Annmarie! “You get the hang of it really fast. Now other people know it, and now hopefully I can get less calls at 7am! *Laughs* People have been figuring it out and I am very happy for them. They don’t need to rely on me as much anymore!”

WATCH! Live!

Currently, you can watch all 16 of our student talk shows at 107.7 The Bronc, (By the fall, we will have every show video streaming, TRUST!), including Odog Garden Salad, A Random After Party, and Beyond The Score. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch us at @1077TheBroncWRRC-FM and follow us on Facebook @1077TheBronc.

Go here for a complete list of the student shows currently video streaming.

By: Lathan “Laytin” Gil

If you don’t know by now, 107.7 The Bronc is nominated for eight Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems Media Awards. Some of those nominations are: Best College Radio Station and Best Station Giveaway, just to name a few. 34 members of our team, from the executive staff and the social media team, to the news and sports teams, a very diverse group of staff will be attending awards and will be going to NYC this Saturday, February 21 to represent The Bronc. 

This is a WHOLE NEW Experience for Some!

One of those students is Taveon Mcrae ‘29! He is one of the newest members of the social media team, and will be in New York to learn and do social media for our 2025 IBS award winner and 2026 IBS award nominee Wake Up Rider. As a freshman, this is the first time Taveon first time he is going to be exposed to industry professionals and network with members of college media, so even hearing that 107.7 The Bronc was nominated, literally had him doing backflips. “ I was so happy. My work was nominated, as the Bagel Run & Jewelry Spree got nominated for Best Giveaway! I want to go to the social media panels so I can learn how to grow my work, and to get my work more out there!”

Even as a first year student, Taveon can see how much work we put in at The Bronc, saying that is what separates us from others. “We put in a lot of effort. Not even just us on social media, but the people who are in the videos. I feel like because of our hard work and dedication, that I feel we definitely deserved to be acknowledged.”

Some Students are Returning for a Second, Third and Even Fourth Time!

Grace Juarez ‘27 went to the IBS Media Awards in 2025, and is returning for the second year in a row. She has some great memories from the first go around. “I didn’t know anybody until the first time I went, because I wasn’t a part of the exec staff yet. So I personally think the best part of IBS is getting closer to everybody and bonding. We build stronger connections.”

For some, an award ceremony, like the Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems Media Awards,  may seem like one of the most stressful things to attend, with all the anxiety and stress running through your mind. But for Grace, the anticipation is what makes it fun, “The thought of, and going in thinking we will win is what makes it fun. What would even make it more fun would be if we win more!”

Grace also wanted to acknowledge some of the new staff members and content we are nominated for, like Jake Goebel ‘28, who is nominated in a Graphic Design category for Best Station Poster and is the first student in 107.7 The Bronc history to be nominated in that category! “The category Jake [Goebel] is nominated for that’s a new one, and I think that will open up more opportunities for graphic designers who want to join The Bronc!”

What’s a Typical Day Like at IBS?

One easy word to describe the day is EXHAUSTING! As Grace puts it, “We wake up early, get there pretty early, at least there is always something to do and somewhere to go in that area. It is very entertaining though. We even have like  a little intermission to do our own thing. That’s good for a radio [conference and] award show I think! The awards get announced at around 5 or 6 p.m., then John [Mozes] takes us out to dinner afterwards. It may be exhausting but it is a great bonding moment!”

Leadership’s POV of IBS

This will be Assistant General Manager Kadie Digiueseppe’s ‘27 third IBS Media Awards she has been to. And to put it frankly, she has high expectations. “I certainly expect us to win at least something. I think that especially last year was a big turn around for us. We did a lot of things we have never done before, like The Radiothon, and in October we had the most attended event in Rider University history. I think we keep upping our game. So I think with the two awards we won last year, we are only able to go up. We aren’t going back.”

Stepping Up Our Game?

Nominations can definitely make you feel pressure to do better than before, but Kadie seems content in what we do, and feels like we will only go up. “We must be doing something right! I think that shows that after being nominated 11 times [last year], and adding The Radiothon, the best Eggcellent Egghunt, and the best Scream Screen, that only serves as fuel to keep going and to keep on fire. And with the new cameras and [other][ new things, it serves as motivation to keep going. I think everyone wants to do better after these nominations came out, nobody really needed a push.”

We Are Eternally Grateful!

The station experience at the IBS Conference and Media Awards has certainly evolved since Kadie’s first year there. In Her first year, The Bronc didn’t win anything. But, when you are nominated for something like this you have to take a step back and take everything in, without even thinking about if you will win or not. “It is an honor. You get to go to the conference and meet people. You will meet stations from the West Coast, Central Time [Zone], and more. Winning for us isn’t a big deal. No matter how many wins or nominations we get, we are still one of the best college radio stations in the country. We could go there and not win anything and I will be happy.”

Follow us around New York City all day this Saturday, February 21. Make sure to watch our social media accounts to see if we bring home the gold at the 2026 Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems Media Awards.

IG: @1077thebronc 

Tiktok: @1077thebroncwrrc

Facebook: @1077TheBronc

By: Lathan “Laytin” Gil

The 107.7 The Bronc studios have been outfitted with NEW cameras!! Soon you will be able to tune into our on-air shows via a video livestream. Youtube and Facebook are just two of the platforms you will be able to WATCH and listen to us on!

This however was NOT an easy job! Student Chief Engineer, Owen Mccarron ‘26 explains the two day installation process. “We had no cameras in the on-air studio, so every camera was manually installed over the course of two days. They [iMediaTouch] started on a Thursday and then on Friday around 7pm was when [everything was] finished.”

We currently have cameras in one of our production studios at 107.7 The Bronc, but our general manager, John Mozes believes now is the time to take this technology to the next level and go live with it, “We saw the value in cameras, and we wanted to experiment. After last year’s Radiothon, we got in touch with a company called iMediaTouch based in Canada. They have this new technology called iMediaCam, and they thought it would be a great addition to our on air studio, and enable us to be the first college radio station in the US to use it. So, we agreed to do it!”

How Difficult Are They to Work?

Installed just before the start of the semester of January 22 and 23, these cameras are new to everyone on our team. In fact, everyone will need to be trained on using them, and for our Chief Engineer, he’s still learning, “I mean I’m still learning. You know? I have a basic knowledge of it, I have a little bit of basic knowledge from playing with it in the Prod 1 studio. Our tech guy from iMediaTouch, Alex, has been very helpful and very responsive when we have questions. I’ve gotten a good little feel of it.”

The purpose of these cameras is to really grow The Bronc and make us a complete media outlet! For John Mozes, the long learning curve for our students will be well worth it if we are truly going to expand our brand. “Video is more complicated. Video also has more [technical] issues than audio. But it is where growth is for The Bronc. We have grown in every way possible, this is really the next step!”

Annmarie Ehlers ‘27, who John says has really taken charge with learning the cameras and the new VMix software system that accompanies it. She was one of the first student hosts to begin learning the new camera and video streaming system. Her show, The Bronc After Hours, with Lindsay Scarola ‘27 and Cassie Vaz ‘26, was the first student show to be beta-tested and live streamed online (they streamed on Youtube and Facebook). For Annmarie, it was certainly an experience learning the iMediaCam equipment and VMix software without any prior knowledge of the technology. “Me and Lindsay [Scarola] were here for a while on Friday just playing with it and figuring it out. We eventually figured it out, but were here for a couple of hours.”

Now there is a lot of technical information to learn and retain in order to work both iMediaCam and VMix in order to video stream our product. Personally, I was quite confused. However, Owen doesn’t believe it to be that difficult. “From one to ten, I would say the difficulty level is about a six. I think of it as ‘it’s hard to learn, but easy to master.’ You need to…do it a few times to get the hang of it. It is built in a way [that should] be easy for you.”

The Student Media Center

Another new program at Rider University for the Spring 2026 semester, is the announcement about the new Student Media Center, where 107.7 The Bronc, RUN-TV, and The Rider News will operate as one media entity to increase student experiential learning opportunities and generate revenue. Although these cameras happened to be installed at the same time as when this  new center was being announced, it will benefit all three student media organizations, “These cameras are going to make this partnership thrive! I can envision using these cameras to expand and eventually put streaming video cameras in The Rider News’ newsroom over in Longstreet. TV students will be able to create video streaming or pre-roll video commercials for video podcasts for future sponsors, to develop more revenue opportunities, gain valuable professional experience and grow all three brands.”

John Mozes, who is also the new executive director of the Student Media Center, thinks the future is very bright for students who commit to Rider University in the Fall of 2026 and beyond, “I’m all about marketing, and growing the 107.7 The Bronc, The Rider News, RUN-TV and SMCR brands through video truly means the sky the limit!” 

The station’s goal this semester is to have 20 student shows live streaming by Spring Break, while the second goal is to have every student show streaming by Fall 2026! We want the students at 107.7 The Bronc to get comfortable with the new technology first, then start using the live stream feature show by show as soon as they are ready to move forward!

It’s definitely not a “You say it and I go” type of situation. Annmarie describes having to look up YouTube videos and needing Owen’s [Mccarron] help! “Once we got one of the lower thirds figured out, which shows our names and stuff, we were able to build on that and do even more!” 
Annmarie’s show, The Bronc After Hours, streams Tuesdays from 9 to 11 pm! On YouTube! More student shows, including Wake Up Rider will begin streaming over the next couple of weeks.

Who Would Be Your Dream Interview?

I asked both Owen and Annmarie who they would like to interview on a video stream or podcast and Owen’s answer actually shocked me! He would want to interview Mark Wahlberg! “I would just want to ask him about his life and if he feels he fulfilled everything he wanted to!” 

Annmarie said she would like to interview Taylor Swift! This was not shocking at all. “I just want to ask her everything! I am such a great fan. She is so inspiring!”

Every student show that is video streamed will also be recorded by iMediaCam, so the hosts and staff can use the video for future employment opportunities , station promo reels and social media! Be prepared to SEE more of 107.7 The Bronc as well as hear us, as you always have! And as always, keep listening for details.
To learn more about iMedia Touch click here.

By: Lathan Gil

Yes! You heard that correct! The 2025 IBS Media Award WINNER for Best College Morning Show is getting three new cast members: Shir Hami ‘27, Branden Muñoz ‘29, and MYSELF, Lathan “Laytin” Gil ‘28!

All of us are quite new to Rider University as a whole. I am a sophomore, Branden is a freshman, and Shir is a junior who transferred here at the start of the 25-26 academic year. 

Everyone Had a Unique Way of Joining!

Shir Hami ‘27, started her career at 107.7 The Bronc in September, with her friend Jorge Cevallos ‘27, and a show called, “True Crime Weekly” where they discuss famous historical crimes. While Shir was being trained to be on-air, she was inspired by a current executive staff member to get more involved. “RJ Seib [‘27] trained us and told us how Wake Up Rider was looking for new hosts. At the moment I brushed it to the side, but after a day I said to myself, ‘Maybe I want to do it’, so I emailed John Mozes, the general manager, and asked him if I could join. He had a meeting with me, then immediately put me on two days to get a feel for it, like an audition, then suddenly I’m on Wake Up Rider.”

With myself, I actually had a completely different experience. I was sitting in John’s [Mozes] office eating with my coworkers, when suddenly John told me he wanted to talk to me. I asked him, “Am I in trouble?”and he said, “Maybe.” It was at that moment where I tried to recall EVERYTHING I could’ve done. Now see … I could barely think of one or two things so I genuinely didn’t know what was going to happen. John took me into one of our production studios and began the conversation with, “So I think you have the personality for Wake Up Rider!” Before he could finish his sentence I said “Yes I will do it!” John responded with a “Oh you would?! Okay! I’ll talk to the cast and get you on for a try out.” I auditioned on a Tuesday and Wednesday, and then the week after that I was on Wake Up Rider every Monday and Friday!

Branden Muñoz had a similar experience with how he joined. “John [Mozes] had told me ‘’You have a great personality, you are here all the time, you are always doing something here, you should try joining Wake Up Rider, I said sure, and then he had me try out on two [different] days. It was kinda weird because I didn’t know the people and I had to settle in a bit, but over the course of the show I got comfortable, and now I’m on Wake Up Rider!”

The Stupendous Shir!

Having Shir on the show actually is quite a big deal! For a while Sophia Guiro ‘28 was the only female on the show. So I feel it is quite a milestone to have a second girl co-hosting Wake Up Rider. I asked Shir what she thought about being the second of (what I hope will be) many female cast members (yes plural!) on the show. “You know, I actually really find that so important. Because at first I was so scared because of how many men there were. I was scared they weren’t going to click with me. But overtime I got insanely comfortable. I feel like it is kinda crazy me and Sophia are the only girls, and we both graduate in the same year. However, I do feel like we are starting something where more women will try out and will be able to all be on Wake Up Rider at once. I really hope that is how it goes.”

Going into a new space would be an experience for anyone! I have been working at The Bronc since the first day of my freshman year, however, with Shir and Branden, they JUST got here. And Shir spoke about the pressure of that. “The only one I really spoke to before was RJ. Before I met everyone else, I really was concerned about if I was going to be funny enough. If I needed a push to really come out of a shell. But then I met people like you and Sophia, and you both really gave me that push to just do it! And you know what, I was like ‘I can! I can vibe with these two!”

Being in college is already enough, having to wake up is another chore on top of all of the classes and clubs we are all in. Wake Up Rider means everyone needs to wake up very early in the morning to make it on the show by 8 a.m. Although not a morning person, Shir is  dedicated to doing the show no matter what, “I am not a morning person at all. I used to work jobs where I had to be up at 6:30 am and that was rough! When I started Wake Up Rider my mom would spam call me at 7  am to make sure I was up. There were even times where I woke up ten minutes before showtime, and I still brushed my hair, brushed my teeth, and made it on time!” 

She wanted to make a point to make it known that she is working on her sleeping schedule!

Shir’s Segment!

Shir’s new segment on Wake Up Rider is called Hear Me Out! Which will be air on Thursdays. “It is a game where I bring up a hot topic, a controversial topic. Somebody is assigned to debate for it, and another is assigned to debate against it, they argue their claims,and I give points to who had the better argument!” 

The inspiration behind this came from someone else! “When John [Mozes] asked me to come up with a segment, I did NOT know what to do. Me and my roommate, we follow this guy on Snapchat named Antonio, and every Wednesday he posts something called Antonio’s Hot Takes where he posts a hot take and yaps about it [and] found it quite funny! We would laugh and genuinely debate every Wednesday! So I thought if this was funny for me, it would be funny for others. So I took the premise of the show – debates, and made it into a game!”

The Luxurious Laytin!

Now, let it be known, I did not interview myself. The Glorious Guy Varela ‘27 offered to interview me for this, so that was something quite new for me (and very exciting)! 

I was asked “What do you feel you bring to the cast?” And of course, with someone like me, it is quite obvious! I bring the personality! “A lot of people in the world lack what I have. With me, I bring a lot in terms of personality. This cast is very diverse and we bring a lot of different things to the table. In this world we are directors, tap dancers, actors, singers/performers, business majors, exercise enthusiasts, and more, however I feel like I bring the outgoing-ness. I bring a lot of energy. I’m always at 100 and I always just go for it, and on top of that I am professionally trained when it comes to performance, and I feel like that’s what makes me unique amongst the cast. There’s no one like me, and that’s what makes me valuable.” 

If I had to compare the cast to something I would say “The Wake Up Rider cast is just like the cast of a CW show, there is someone for everyone on the cast! We are all different but together.”

Laytin’s Segment

My segment is called the 3 Word Freestyle! Which will air every Wednesday. “I pull up a three random word generator, when it gives you the three words you have to write a rap verse with those words in it within two minutes. When that time is up, I play a random rap beat, of my choice, that the person doesn’t know beforehand, and they gotta just start rapping.”

The idea was actually something I came up before joining Wake Up Rider! “The inspiration behind the game actually came from myself! This was a game that I would play on my own show OMG! What’s The Tea every Monday from 5 to 6 p.m. When John [Mozes] asked me to come up with a game for Wake Up Rider, I said to myself ‘the game on my show is working, let me just do it on the morning show!’ I knew it was a good idea because when I first brought it to John he jokingly told me, “Ugh! It really sucks when you have a good idea!” 

I also felt like this game is a great way to bring a little bit of me into the way the show works! “ I am a singer,songwriter, dancer, performer, and entertainer. I make music, singles, and albums, so I knew the game I wanted to do had to include something music related. Because that is me. We are synonymous. So luckily I had this game and I am able to do it.”

The Bold Branden!

The youngest member of Wake Up Rider is Branden Muñoz. Branden is fresh out of high school. For some, that transition from high school to college is very hard to handle, but Branden didn’t feel any pressure, “I was very excited. I came here to be involved. I knew I would want to do the radio [station] and have my own show, the morning show wasn’t something I expected, but when I had the chance I just said, ‘why not?’ And if John [Mozes] thinks I am good enough to do it, then I’ll do it!”

As a freshman, Branden feels like he brings something different to the cast, “Because I am the youngest, I feel like I bring a new perspective on life. On top of that, I’m the only one on the cast from New York. So we all grew up differently on the cast, and come from different backgrounds, so I feel like I can give a fresh voice and fresh perspective.” 

Like Shir, Branden did not know anyone before coming here. So when he met everyone for the first time, he definitely had his first impressions. In fact, he has one word to describe each of us.

Brian – Jolly

RJ – Film

Ellis – Energy

Laytin – Glorious

Shir – Funny

Sophia – Spanish!

Branden’s Segment

Branden’s on-air feature is called Be Descriptive! Which will air on Mondays, “It is a game where we split into teams, you write down character names, either fictional or real, you give it to the opposing team, and one person on the opposing team has to try to describe their person to their partner!”

Branden says he actually got the inspiration from his family! “We used to play a game similar to this with my family, I really loved it because we really had to be descriptive! Pun intended. It was a lot of fun playing it with family members because it got very wacky and goofy. So I thought that would translate great to Wake Up Rider.”

We Return Monday January 26, 8 to 10 a.m.!

We have a lot of high hopes for Season 9 of Wake Up Rider. Even though we do not do this for acknowledgements or awards, we are going to bring it tenfold and we are going to be brighter than ever. “Would it be nice to be acknowledged? Sure. But we already upgraded. We got new people, new brains, new senses of humor, new ideas…we already got better and we don’t need awards to be aware of that. Season 9 is going to be something to remember!” That’s one thing I made sure to tell Guy Varela when he was interviewing me for this blog. So make sure you tune your radio to 107.7 The Bronc and listen on Monday, January 26, 2026 beginning at 8 a.m. because like I said, “this season will be one for the books!”

By: Lathan Gil

On top of winning multiple IBS Media Awards , receiving five NAB Marconi Radio Award nominations, and consistently breaking records at Rider University, 107.7 The Bronc has a new achievement to celebrate, specifically our news team!

The Bronc Buzz, our daily entertainment news reports were recently nationally recognized and ranked as the #2 Best Gossip Podcast (behind TMZ), the #9 Best Rumor Podcast, and the #17 for Best Celebrity Podcast, IN THE COUNTRY!

The Work Itself!

News Director, Aidan Magee ‘26 says the work is hard, but the main thing is just being consistent. “The work that goes into being recognized at such a large scale is just being consistent everyday. Making sure we are constantly doing things and producing the most up-to-date stories. We don’t stop. It is a 24/7 and 365 day thing, we do it so someone can enjoy it and learn about the world around them in terms of entertainment.”

Some days have more hot news stories, while some feature less. That can present quite a challenge when you are expected to write three stories a day. According to Aidan, a lot of care and thought goes into selecting stories for The Bronc Buzz, “We really think a lot about what we want to tell the listener about what is happening with the world. It really depends on the day [as well as] who is doing the report and what they like as well.”

That is one of the things that make The Bronc Buzz so special. It is unique and different everyday. It really features a variety of stories and interests for every person.

What Do We Mean By Rumor & Gossip?

In the entertainment world, rumors and gossip spread like wildfire. A celebrity could say a quote meaning one thing, and a tabloid will spin it to mean something else and suddenly the person is getting cancelled. Look at artists like Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, and Madonna, just to name a few victims of the tabloid. 

But what separates The Bronc Buzz from other entertainment news outlets is that our stories are meticulously fact-checked. We use actualities (audio from the newsmaker) to prove that what we are reporting is factual and true. “There is definitely a distinction between invading the privacy of a celebrity and reporting on something that is out in the open”, says Magee. “In the event someone is taking an interview on a red carpet, and they mention something, that is more fair than taking a quote from something in their private life and interpreting it in a certain way. We report on what the person puts out themselves, not assumptions that someone has made on them.”

Our team puts in a lot of work and, if anything, we are consistent. We do not take breaks. That really makes us special amongst other entertainment news podcasts.

We Are So Proud!

To be nationally ranked is truly an honor, but to be ranked so high in comparison to other commercials entertainment podcasts is simply a blessing. “Everybody should be proud. It is an amazing accomplishment. We just want to keep it up and keep up the work. I feel we can only get better.”

I  asked Aidan Magee if he would like to be ranked higher in the future. And he calmly replied, “Numbers don’t matter. It isn’t about getting higher, it’s about being consistent and staying where we are. If we stay consistent, and work on [the] little things, like [our] energy behind the mic, working on finding stories, and editing more precisely, that will help us remain where we are. And, if it is people’s “cup of tea” maybe we will be ranked higher!”
Make sure to listen to The Bronc Buzz at the top of the hour, daily on 107.7 The Bronc Retro, or anytime you want on your favorite social media platform, including Spotify!

By: Lathan Gil

With the Holidays coming to a close, and the New Year is swiftly upon us, I had the opportunity to ask  some of our team  at 107.7 The Bronc about their New Year’s Resolutions.

The Staff & Their Regal Resolutions!

Resolutions ranged from self-improvement, to making more money, to even just being happy in the new year! 

The Social Media team at The Bronc gave us a wide range of answers! Taveon Mcrae ‘29 chose “to come back to the school and to live and thrive!”as his New Year’s resolution. Personally, I love a thriving resolution, so I was very joyful to hear that. 

Allea Zikria ‘27  had something QUITE unique to say that I wasn’t expecting. Her resolution was, “to control my anger.” This resolution definitely took me aback, so I asked her to elaborate, and her explanation was nothing short of something so insanely real. “I get annoyed by people. They are ignorant, quite stupid, and I need to control myself around it better. Which I will!” 

Now Guy Varela ‘27  loves people, so he wants to look inward to see how he could even be better to them. He was quite clear, “to just be a better version of myself and to constantly improve!” 

For Teagan Rotella ‘29 her  goal is to read more books! I personally really loved this resolution  since young people today barely like to read or want to read anymore! (But thankfully, I know the person reading this loves to read and I LOVE you so much for it). 

When I asked Delaney Wiggins ‘27 about her resolution she said she wants to be better organized with school notes for classes, which I have to agree with because finals week really proved the test of time for myself and my notes I had written! 

Last, but not least, new Social Media Director , Karla Ritter ‘27 had a very glorious resolution. She is a Film/TV major, and her goal is “to fall back in love with film studies, and write more scripts!” I am so happy to hear that! As a fellow creative, I love that Karla wants to dive more into her field!

Next I moved onto both the Promotions and the Sports teams at 107.7 The Bronc. I asked Jaden Foreman ‘27 and Lindsay Scarola ‘27 about their resolutions, and unfortunately they both claimed not to have one. When questioned about it, Lindsay had a very hot take about resolutions,“Resolutions don’t make sense. Why change yourself when people should like you for who you are.” And I fear I have to agree … to an extent! People should definitely accept you for who you are, however, no one can ever stay truly the same forever. People constantly evolve and change.

When I asked Jaden why he didn’t have a resolution, as the jokester he is, he had a humorous response, “Calling it a resolution is a guaranteed failure, by February it is forgotten about. I already made ‘resolutions in November’ – goals I have until the end of time.” And then Jaden proceeded to list the “goals” he has, which got many laughs out of me. 

In 2026 Jaden wants to:

• Force HBO Max to change again
• Start another dumb meme
• Switch the labels on “Push” and “Pull” doors.

Now, I do not believe any resolution is a bad one, but this is the first time I have ever heard of these resolutions, and you know what, I wish him the best!

Next I asked the newest member of 107.7 The Bronc and the Wake Up Rider crew, Branden Muñoz ‘29. He also  said he doesn’t really have one … which was quite disappointing, but after I asked Branden why, he said  instead of a resolution, he has a goal for the next semester, which I personally count as a resolution myself, but that is neither here nor there. Branden’s planning on “being more responsible schoolwise and being more on top of my work. I was on top of it this semester, but I didn’t know how hard it would be. So after going through my first semester, seeing how finals week is, seeing how classwork is, now I can prepare myself better for next semester!” 

Lastly, I had to ask our GLORIOUS Student GM, Rosalyn Tiangco what her resolution is, and she had a really calm answer, “Invest in my hobbies more and make time to do the things I enjoy!” Which you know, I really love. You only live once in this world, you have to live life enjoying what you’re doing because otherwise, what is the point? 
Now to end this week’s blog, let me tell you my resolution. I think this resolution is simple and easy, “Grow, Get Bigger, Gain More Success, and Get Closer to my End Goal in life.” As we know, I am a singer, songwriter, dancer, and performer, and my resolution is to get bigger with my art and my craft. And I encourage anybody reading this to do the same. Believe in yourself, and love yourself, because loving yourself is truly the Greatest Love of All!

Have a Happy New Year!

I would like to finally say to everyone reading this blog and to the many listeners of 107.7 The Bronc and 107.7 The Bronc Retro, have a Happy Holiday Season! And, a Happy New Year! 2026 will be filled with love, prosperity, and more grand and glorious things!

By: Lathan Gil

If the news just so happened to slip your cellular devices, 107.7 The Bronc is nominated for eight 2026 Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems Media Awards! We are nominated for Best Celebrity or Artist Interview (Wake Up Rider), Best On Air Pledge Drive, Best Station Contest, Best Promotional Poster (Jake Goebel ‘28), Best Giveaway, Best Use of Sound Effects (Dan Loges ‘28), Best Sports Interview, and Best College Radio Station.

Usually the station submits about 70 awards, in a variety of categories, so many of our student content creators have an opportunity to be nominated for their hard work, but according to Student General Manager Rosalyn Tiangco ‘26  this year the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System changed the criteria. “We could only submit up to 45 nominations. So Kadie [DiGuiseppe] ‘27, John [Mozes] and I sat down and really talked about what we should submit for. We made a Google drive with what we thought was the best work, then we had our staff make reels and chose the best content to submit.”

With all the content, contests, events and promotions we create at The Bronc, attempting to submit up to 45 pieces of content for awards by Sunday, October 26  was nothing short of difficult and stressful. Especially because the submission deadline was between Scream Screen X, the Marconi Radio Awards and the Scream Screen Blood Drive.

Was it Overwhelming To Promote?

107.7 The Bronc is not new to multi-tasking. When asked if she felt any pressure or stress promoting The Bronc’s eight IBS nominations after the station was contacted by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems, Rosalyn full-on denied! “It wasn’t stressful. We just had our production directors start to produce station imaging to announce it. We start to write station liners for the student shows [to announce the nominations], Social Media starts their [advertising] campaign, we send the announcement to [Rider University’s] marketing and communications department. It’s not a lot that people would see from the outside. We are a little bit busier, but it’s a good kind of busy and exciting.”

What Happens There?

The Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems Conference and Awards consists of a lot of panels that have to do with multiple topics in Radio & Podcasting. Rosalyn and Jaden Foreman ‘27 actually got to podcast with Shelly Wade at the awards in 2025. It is a great way to network and get to meet and connect with people in the broadcast industry. 

The award ceremony is actually the last event to happen at the IBS conference. “The day starts at 10 a.m. for us, and ends at around 7pm. This year’s awards start getting announced at 5 p.m., and it is actually very quick.”

The First Time Nominees

It is so glorious to say that our own Dan Loges ‘28 and Jake Goebel ‘28 have been nominated for individual awards! Dan is nominated for Best Use of SFX and Jake for Best Promotional Poster!

Both of their reactions, for lack of better words, LEFT THEM SHOOK! Dan Loges didn’t know what to think when John [Mozes] gave him the word, “It was so surreal, it didn’t feel real. It was weird.” Jake had a similar feeling, “I wasn’t expecting it. I never really put my work out there, so to be recognized for it is really a big surprise.”

Dan is very creative when it comes to his production, I shall say! He uses multiple voices, effects, and has many creative ideas. Sometimes he even sings! What I really wondered was what goes through his mind when writing, recording and producing station imaging, “What I think of is ‘how do I make this entertaining … for myself! So I don’t get bored! Some more I think about it is, ‘What am I promoting?’ ‘How can I market it?’ ‘And, ‘How can I take a creative spin on it?” 

Dan claims he always has a lot of production work to get done. But, he doesn’t let it get to him, “There are times where it gets tough, but that is not the case all the time. I have originality, and I know what is important in what I create, and the people who came before me really inspired me with how I do it.”

Jake Goebel ‘28 is the graphic designer at The Bronc, and he has been creating images since High School! His main inspiration was one of his high school teachers, “He saw my work and suggested I take a sports media class. I took it, and since then I have been growing and now I am where I am. That was actually my main inspiration to join The Bronc.

Jake is nominated for his work on The Bronc’s Scream Screen X poster (which directly inspired the storyline to our Scream Screen countdown on Instagram). I asked him what inspired him to create the poster and he quite literally said “It just came to me. I wanted to incorporate the drive-in theme and I wanted to add skeletons to play into the Halloween vibe. I made it in six hours and drew what I wanted, then sent it to John.”

How Jake can just come up with ideas on the spot and draw them is glorious (and kinda makes me jealous y’all!), so I asked him what the process is to send a design to John. And, he said it actually is really simple, “John tells me an event or an idea, then I use my creative ideas and send it to him.”

Shoutout to Dan Loges, Jake Goebel, Wake Up Rider, and the crew of 107.7 The Bronc for our eight Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems Media Award nominations! Find out if we win on Saturday, February 21, 2026, in the Big Apple at the Sheraton Times Square in New York City!